Should any girl of Northrop wish to prepare herself for a position
that has to do with the handling of money, I should advise her to
begin campaigning by lobbying for the office of Treasurer of the
Northrop League. However, the reputation of the detailed work of this
office is such that there are few who are ever over-anxious to receive
it. This was my feeling at first, but now when I realize how much I
already know about making out checks, keeping accounts, and the
intricacies of banking, I feel it is all worth while. By Commencement
I shouldn't be surprised if I could fill the important position of
messenger in a bank.
The first thing that comes up at the beginning of each year is the
collection of the annual League dues, which are two dollars and fifty
cents. A total amount of about three hundred dollars was handed in
this year. This is put under the "operating fund," and takes care of
all the League expenditures, except those of the Welfare Committee.
There are four departments of student activities drawing from these
League dues, athletic, entertainment, and printing and stationery.
Also, this year the League voted to back the Tatler board up with one
hundred dollars. At the first council meeting of the year a budget is
made out for the different committees of the League. This budget is
based on the expenditures of that committee for the preceding year.
Until nineteen twenty-five, the Welfare work was taken care of by
collections running through the year as the various needs arose. This
year a new system was adopted, which took care of everything at one
time. We foresaw a need of money for the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and
Community Funds, for the Near East Relief, and the French Orphans;
therefore slips were given to each girl with these different needs
listed. She was expected to put an amount after each, which amount she
pledged to pay in cash or in deferred payments. So far eight hundred
and twelve dollars of the nine hundred and two dollars and thirteen
cents pledged has been handed in. This plan is much more systematic,
and saves the trouble of conducting so many drives.
All money transactions of classes and committees whether receipts or
expenditures go through the hands of the League treasurer. A system of
books is maintained. Each class and committee keeps its own accounts.
Then the League treasurer has a large cash book in which she also
keeps all the receipts and disbursements of the classes and
committees. At the end of each month the balances are put in a
simplified ledger. It is from this that the monthly and annual reports
are made. When a bill is received, it is paid only by the League
treasurer after it has been OK'd by the chairman of the committee
responsible for it. When money is handed in, a receipt is given to the
bearer. At the end of each month the books are balanced and checked
with the bank statement. Also the check book is verified with the bank
balance.
Although the League treasurer is custodian of the class funds, each
class has a treasurer who keeps her own accounts. The classes have
their own dues to pay for all their expenditures. At the end of each
month, after the class treasurer has balanced her book, it is checked
over with the accounts of the League treasurer for that class to see
if they agree.
A checking account is kept at the Northwestern National Bank and the
savings' account at the Farmers and Mechanics Bank. We have had almost
three hundred dollars in the savings account, but two hundred dollars,
which is last year's League gift to the school, has just been
withdrawn and added to the Chapel Fund.
The duties of a treasurer are not over until she has passed to her
successor what she has learned during her treasurership and has
changed the accounts to the new girl's name. After this has been done,
the retiring treasurer is released and must seek new fields in which
to carry on. In case a former Northrop League treasurer ever applies
to any of you for a position, just remember the "big" business in
which she began her training.