LETTER: Why does this continue to occur?
All too frequently we read news articles about a trusted financial officer of an organization accused of embezzling much-needed money from a sports team, a church, a school cafeteria, a social club, a fire department, even a PTA. Why does this continue to happen? And why are there few, if any, safeguards in place to discourage or prevent this?
Two current incidents have made the local news. The treasurer of a local youth football organization is facing charges after being accused of stealing nearly $65,000. Another who served as the vice president of a high school football boosters club is accused of taking more than $4,300 from the organization.
A number of questions come to mind: Why do they place their total trust in one person to manage the accounts? Why is only one person needed to sign checks? Why don’t the organizations’ debit/credit cards restrict where the cards can be used? Why are there no periodic audits by committees to examine current financial activity?
Some simple remedy is in order. Every organization’s executive committee needs to adopt sensible financial safeguards and rigorously apply them without failure. Not to do so results in neglect of fiscal responsibility to which the organization will bear irreplaceable loss.
Ronald J. Yamka
Canonsburg