Where would I find anything about the club finances? I have been a member for 3 years and was just wondering where/how the money collected is kept and spent. I understand that large pieces of coral have been bought by/for the club but where is therest of the money at and how is it being spent? I'm not trying to start anything I'm just confused about a few things, like why is the club equipment in such disrepair and why has it just now coming to light that anything needs replacing? is this a fault of the former LT or is this what can be expected from the new LT?
Club Dues
- Thread starter SuperNoob
- Start date
lauremf2002
New member
Well, since we are addressing the issue of replacing the light in question, I think I can say pretty confidently, that you shouldnt expect it from the current LT. I'm sure the previous leadership team didnt replace it because it worked, and the heat wasnt an issue at the previous location. However, my room is smaller so it gets hot now. As to the finances, April will need to answer that. I do know that some of the club funds go toward maintaining the frag tank (buying salt, test kits, filter media and replacing bulbs).
Some im sure, but in 3 the years I can only remember the club buying maybe 3 different pieces where then is the rest of the money? I have no figure to work with but guesstimation says 100 members $25 per comes out to $2500 per year. I understand maintenance costs and buying coral but somehow it doesn't equal up.
lauremf2002
New member
We are not broke, if thats what you are wondering and your estimation is way off. We do not charge $25 to everyone. The primary member in a family pays $25 and then each additional member in that household only has to pay $10 to be a comas member. Also, I think its valid to make the point that the current Leadership Team wasnt in charge the last 3 years (it changes every year) and hasnt spent ANY money to date that I know of. And Im pretty sure comas doesnt have 100 paid primary members. Actually, Im sure of this. We are having a Leadership Team meeting soon and we can discuss having a more transparent bookkeeping system that is available for members to review. Also, I can get a member count for you as well if you would like. Im not sure if Tonya wants to do it this way, but our last LT meeting was open to members. I will let you know if this one will be too, or we could have another one for members to air cocerns.
lauremf2002
New member
Can I ask who this is?
madkat
New member
With only 17 posts, I wonder if this person has really been a part of us for 3 years. I have been here 2 and don't even recognize the SN.
If you truly have been part of us then you would know we have around 40 full price members and the rest of them are associate memberships of $10 each that attend our meetings. I will let the treasurer speak on this but you sir/maam are way off base.
If you truly have been part of us then you would know we have around 40 full price members and the rest of them are associate memberships of $10 each that attend our meetings. I will let the treasurer speak on this but you sir/maam are way off base.
MarlinDreams
Member
Not to mention that I feel that the $35.00 my wife and I paid have almost already paid off in knowledge. Not sure if the meeting places are free of charge, but I am sure all of those pizzas at the membership drive weren't.
The club is not broke, however, with only 1 real membership drive during the year, expenses must be weighed and carefully thought out.
To the best of my knowledge, membership for this year is at approx 30-40. Not all were 25.00 fees. I may be somewhat off on my figures, because I do not have access to the forms that were filled out at January's membership meeting. Requests for new info have been met with less than success.
For the past 5 (6?) years, COMAS has sponsored CRASE. This endeavor in and of itself was amazingly expensive. Speakers of that caliber don't come cheap. Neither do their flights, rooms or food. COMAS has had numerous fragging demo's in the past several years, way more than 3. Those corals don't come cheap either. While there is no charge for meeting at UCO, you are correct, the pizza's weren't donated either.
There is no fault or blame to be laid on either past or current LT for how the club funds have been spent. The lighting in question is currently working, and the club frag tank is up and running. Nothing has been lost, and no, the situation is not in a state to cause problems yet. I'm not sure exactly how you would expect replacement of such things to come to light. The current LT is assessing all avenues, and will make a decision that will be correct for the tank and the club.
To the best of my knowledge, membership for this year is at approx 30-40. Not all were 25.00 fees. I may be somewhat off on my figures, because I do not have access to the forms that were filled out at January's membership meeting. Requests for new info have been met with less than success.
For the past 5 (6?) years, COMAS has sponsored CRASE. This endeavor in and of itself was amazingly expensive. Speakers of that caliber don't come cheap. Neither do their flights, rooms or food. COMAS has had numerous fragging demo's in the past several years, way more than 3. Those corals don't come cheap either. While there is no charge for meeting at UCO, you are correct, the pizza's weren't donated either.
There is no fault or blame to be laid on either past or current LT for how the club funds have been spent. The lighting in question is currently working, and the club frag tank is up and running. Nothing has been lost, and no, the situation is not in a state to cause problems yet. I'm not sure exactly how you would expect replacement of such things to come to light. The current LT is assessing all avenues, and will make a decision that will be correct for the tank and the club.
lauremf2002
New member
I feel the same way and I have definitely gotten it back in raffle items as well, I have won coral and a really nice power head.I really think supernoob should tell us who they are. These are some pretty serious accusations they have made and I think the anonymity has made them brazen about it. I would really rather discuss this "human to human" if you know what I mean. They are throwing around alot of blame without any of the responsibility of being the accuser.
Whoa. Timeout. To my knowledge, COMAS has never "sponsored" or financially supported CRASE. CRASE started as the brain-child of Leigh Anne at Aquariums in Edmond. When it took off, COMAS members were the heart and soul of the event, but to my recollection, the books were always kept separate.
During my brief tenure as COMAS President a few years ago, we "inherited" a little under $1000 in the treasury from the previous LT. We spent several hundred dollars as prizes for the membership meeting in January, but that investment was returned when memberships were renewed. When I resigned due to business commitments in June of that year, my recollection is there was still approximately $1,000 in the till.
Folks should understand that CRASE is a separate entity. CRASE is not sponsored by COMAS, which is a non-profit organization. Since Leigh Anne turned over the rights to the CRASE name, I am not sure how CRASE is organized, funded or managed. That is for someone else to address.
I just wanted to clear up that CRASE and COMAS are not singular sensations.
LL
I do apologize if I have spoken incorrectly about CRASE. It was my understanding that COMAS did sponsor it, however, I did not inherit any books, ledgers, paperwork, etc that had anything to do with it when I took the treasurer position. I do remember a specific conversation I had, with someone in that current LT, where I was told that I should go ahead and pay to attend, early & in advance, so that there were funds to pay for the speakers, their hotel rooms and their flights. If I took the meaning of this incorrectly, then again, I apologize for the misrepresentation.
While I will not list the current funds in the COMAS account on a very public forum, I can attest that the current LT inherited considerably less than the figure George has stated. Again, George is speaking from a few years ago, and much has been done in the club since then.
COMAS has both a paypal account, and a normal bank account. Tonya (the COMAS pres) and I are the only members with the ability to access those accounts. All previous names have been removed. Tonya attends to the paypal account, and I take care of the bank account. Nothing is touched in either account without both her and I knowing, discussing, and agreeing to it.
Putting a stop to this nonsense on a very public forum, anyone who feels there has been misuse or misrepresentation by the current LT of the club funds is welcome to contact me privately for discussion. As I only took the position in January (since there was no meeting in Dec and I didn't receive the books or get my name on the account until then) I will only be responsible for what has happened since then. I have no secrets to hide, and can show receipts and bank statements for any and everything I have been responsible for. I will not be held responsible for anything that may have happened before January, as I had absolutely no control over it.
And, as treasurer, I feel compelled to list some of my qualifications. I am a bookkeeper by profession. I spent well over 10 years running a CPA's office, performing bookkeeping, tax, payroll and advisory duties. I have education in regular, oil, restaurant, mortgage, and construction bookkeeping including A/R & A/P. I have been a notary, and have been bonded. I have been in charge of, and responsible for, well over a quarter million dollars in cash at any given time. I have never been arrested or jailed, and don't even have any marks against my driving record (I received my last, and only, ticket in 1984). I am currently employed full time by a payroll company who did a thorough background check before hiring me, where I process approx 75 payrolls each week, and am responsible for all supports, garnishments, deductions, benefits, and taxes.
Again, if anyone feels I am not competent to handle the club funds, or has further questions about them, please contact me privately and directly either by e-mail or PM. An open forum such as this is no place for this type of discussion, and as far as I am concerned, this thread is finished.
While I will not list the current funds in the COMAS account on a very public forum, I can attest that the current LT inherited considerably less than the figure George has stated. Again, George is speaking from a few years ago, and much has been done in the club since then.
COMAS has both a paypal account, and a normal bank account. Tonya (the COMAS pres) and I are the only members with the ability to access those accounts. All previous names have been removed. Tonya attends to the paypal account, and I take care of the bank account. Nothing is touched in either account without both her and I knowing, discussing, and agreeing to it.
Putting a stop to this nonsense on a very public forum, anyone who feels there has been misuse or misrepresentation by the current LT of the club funds is welcome to contact me privately for discussion. As I only took the position in January (since there was no meeting in Dec and I didn't receive the books or get my name on the account until then) I will only be responsible for what has happened since then. I have no secrets to hide, and can show receipts and bank statements for any and everything I have been responsible for. I will not be held responsible for anything that may have happened before January, as I had absolutely no control over it.
And, as treasurer, I feel compelled to list some of my qualifications. I am a bookkeeper by profession. I spent well over 10 years running a CPA's office, performing bookkeeping, tax, payroll and advisory duties. I have education in regular, oil, restaurant, mortgage, and construction bookkeeping including A/R & A/P. I have been a notary, and have been bonded. I have been in charge of, and responsible for, well over a quarter million dollars in cash at any given time. I have never been arrested or jailed, and don't even have any marks against my driving record (I received my last, and only, ticket in 1984). I am currently employed full time by a payroll company who did a thorough background check before hiring me, where I process approx 75 payrolls each week, and am responsible for all supports, garnishments, deductions, benefits, and taxes.
Again, if anyone feels I am not competent to handle the club funds, or has further questions about them, please contact me privately and directly either by e-mail or PM. An open forum such as this is no place for this type of discussion, and as far as I am concerned, this thread is finished.
on the comas page I am rcpauff
I haven't been on RC long but I most deffinately have been in the club for all 3 years.
I'm not questioning that the dues are worth it I know they are. My VERY FIRST meeting I won a typhoon III.
I'm just wondering how/when/where money is spent
I havent accused anyone of anything! Human to Human would just fine with me anytime I damn sure dont need to hide behind anything.
I really think supernoob should tell us who they are. These are some pretty serious accusations they have made and I think the anonymity has made them brazen about it. I would really rather discuss this "human to human" if you know what I mean. They are throwing around alot of blame without any of the responsibility of being the accuser.
Thank you George all im looking for is a little transparency
I would love to see a Private thread on OUR website so any club member could see at their leisure.
In the past, we used to have treasurer's reports or alternatively post the amount in the account on the Comas website. When that website was hacked, I guess a lot of those records were lost.
Let me say that I have the greatest confidence in the current LT. I have walked in their shoes and they are "uncomfortable". Most importantly, I don't doubt the dedication or integrity of the current LT and I will be there to support them when I can.
That being said, I have been remiss in renewing my membership for 2012, and I intend to correct that oversight today. I hope that other past members and lurkers will do the same by logging onto the COMAS site and using the online renewal links to PayPal.
This year can represent a new dawn in COMAS and we need to be onboard to see this organization grow. I like that Tonya has reached out to LFS to try to get them back in good graces with the society. This was my first order of business when I was President, but regrettably I was unable to see it through.
LL
Let me say that I have the greatest confidence in the current LT. I have walked in their shoes and they are "uncomfortable". Most importantly, I don't doubt the dedication or integrity of the current LT and I will be there to support them when I can.
That being said, I have been remiss in renewing my membership for 2012, and I intend to correct that oversight today. I hope that other past members and lurkers will do the same by logging onto the COMAS site and using the online renewal links to PayPal.
This year can represent a new dawn in COMAS and we need to be onboard to see this organization grow. I like that Tonya has reached out to LFS to try to get them back in good graces with the society. This was my first order of business when I was President, but regrettably I was unable to see it through.
LL
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Ooops. I guess we can't renew on MyComas.com.
Can one of the LT PM me on how to go about renewing using PayPal?
LL
Can one of the LT PM me on how to go about renewing using PayPal?
LL
madkat
New member
I made the post on COMAS a sticky, I will get it up on the main page today.
MarlinDreams
Member
I wholeheartedly think you are right in not putting the financial information on any website whatsoever. I would suggest that the information be available at meetings for those that care to see it. However, I do realize that the LT is doing this as volunteers and really do not care about a timeline. Personally I don't really care to see it anyway as the LT team has seemed very professional in their workings so far. Usually things like this are better handled in PM's and then IF there is a problem or a question of how it is handled, then brought up to the membership's attention at a meeting or the like.
OKCchief
New member
April,
I'd like to thank you for all the hard work you're put into COMAS. Having seen the various things COMAS offers and supports, I fully believe the kitty is used properly. I know from first hand experience how demanding the treasurer position can be. Comments made otherwise are callow.
Thank you,
James
