Camp deposits rarely arrive in one neat batch. A £20 note in an envelope on Monday, a bank transfer with the child's name misspelt on Thursday, and a leader who paid the site deposit from their own pocket the week before. By the time the group account has to cover the tents, the food and the minibus, nobody is quite sure what is owed and what is still coming in. If that is where you started this year, you are not behind. Most Scout group treasurers inherit exactly this.
Camp and event money
Record each deposit as it arrives, not in a catch-up session at the end of the month. Write down the date, the young person's name, the amount and how it was paid. A simple sheet per camp is enough: one column for income, one for costs, and a running balance. Keep the receipts for the costs in the same place.
When the camp is over, compare the two totals. The committee will want to know whether the summer camp covered its costs, and a single page answers that question at the next meeting. If it did not, the page shows by how much, which is more useful than a vague feeling that it was expensive.
Hold camp money in its own fund where you can. The idea is simple: deposits for a camp stay with that camp until the site, food and transport are paid, so the money is not spent on the hall hire or the new flags first. The free starter cash book in Vasker keeps one fund, which is enough to try the idea out. If the group runs several camps or events a year, you will want more than one fund, and that is where a fuller set of books helps. Whatever tool you use, check that camp money can be kept apart in the records and not just in your head.
Leaders' expenses
Leaders will buy things for the group. Tent pegs on a Saturday morning, a first aid kit before a hike, the bags of rice for a patrol meal. The rule that saves the most trouble is simple: ask for a receipt, the date, and a note of what it was for. A till slip that says only 'Tesco' is not much use six months later. Write the purpose on the back in pen, date it and initial it.
Log each claim as soon as it reaches you and repay it within the week if the account allows. A receipt you find in the week it was bought is a fact. A receipt you find in March for something bought the previous October is a guess, and an examiner or a new treasurer will treat it as one.
If a receipt has gone missing, do not let the claim drop. Ask the leader for a short signed note of what was bought, when, and why, and record the decision in the committee minutes. That gives you a paper trail that is honest about the gap. It is much easier to explain a small, minuted gap in a single month than an unexplained lump in the year-end figures.
Subscriptions and arrears for young people
Subscriptions for young people are often the part that causes the most awkward conversations. A gentle routine works better than a stern letter. One reminder at the start of term, a second a couple of weeks later, and then a quiet word with the section leader rather than a demand from the treasurer. Our guide to subscriptions and arrears sets out the full routine, so there is no need to repeat it here.
Gift Aid and GASDS, briefly
Some donations to a Scout group may qualify for Gift Aid, and small cash gifts may qualify for the Gift Aid Small Donations Scheme (GASDS). Eligibility depends on the gift itself, the declaration you hold and the rules in force at the time. Membership fees do not automatically qualify. Before you make a claim, check current HMRC guidance and check with your Scout county or Scouts about how your group's money is structured. This is general information for volunteer treasurers, not tax advice.
Questions to ask of any tool at the AGM
If you are handed a login at the AGM, or asked to choose a tool for the group, ask these three questions before anything else:
- Can a new treasurer see the full history, including previous years, or only this year's entries?
- Does it keep funds apart, so that camp money stays in its own fund?
- Can it produce an examiner pack and a handover pack, and can you see what goes into them?
Also ask how the tool behaves without a signal. Vasker's cash book needs a connection, so it is not something to rely on at a campsite with no reception. For a fuller list of what to ask before the AGM hands you the login, see our piece on club treasurer software.
A monthly routine that fits one evening
You do not need a whole weekend. One evening a month is enough if you keep to a fixed order:
- Take the latest bank statement and tick each line against the cash book. Half an hour is usually enough for a small group.
- Record any deposits, receipts and leaders' claims that came in during the month.
- Chase outstanding camp deposits and any claims still waiting for repayment.
- Check each fund balance against its sheet. The camp fund should match the camp sheet.
- Write three lines for the committee: the bank balance, what came in, and what is still owed.
If you want to see how the cash book side works before you decide anything, you can Start free by creating a free account. It includes a starter cash book with one fund, with no sales call and no setup fee. When the group needs full books, members, subscriptions and reports, Standard is £59 a year.
This is general information for volunteer treasurers. It is not legal, tax or accounting advice.