Gasóga na hÉireann/Scouting Ireland
No.
SID 60/10 Issued 15th May 2011
Source: National Management Committee
Last Amended 14th June 2014 Deleted
Scouting Ireland – Policy on Annual Registration Fee & Rebates/Grants to Scout Groups/Counties
Revision Date
Description
D 14/06/2014 Grants for New/Reformed Scout Groups Clarified
C 10/05/2014
B 30/03/2012
A 18/06/2011
1. Purpose
General Clarification Revisions, Early Payment & Growth Rebates Removed
Section 2.7 & 2.8 Added
Document Revised
• Ensure ongoing compliance with the National Council Motions on Registrations
• To clarify the deadlines for the receipt of Annual Registration Fee
• To incentivise the timely payment of the Annual Registration Fee to support the Association’s Cash Flow requirements
• To incentivise and support growth in Scout Groups
• To set the policy for Annual Registration Fees for New / Reforming Scout Groups
2. Applicable National Council Decisions
To instruct the National Management Committee, through the National Tre asurer, to pay an annual
rebate to each Scout County to the value of 10% of the total registration paid by the Scout County commencing 1st January 2005. The 10% payment is subject to the Annual Returns being made on or before the registration due date, as set by the National Management Committee.
Annual Returns made up to four weeks after this date will entitle the Scout County to a 5% rebate.
The rebate shall be made payable to the Scout County within 4 weeks of receipt of the registration payment. [N ational Council 2004]
That this National Council instructs the National Treasurer to create a Grant Scheme for new and re opened, previously dormant Scout Groups, to the value of, and not exceeding their National Registration fee for the first two years o f their existence or reformation A dormant Scout Group is defined as having no youth members registered for two concurrent years previous to the year of reformation. [National
Council 2010]
Clarifications / Interpretations of National Council Decisions
2.1 The Registration Due Date (to qualify for the 10% rebate) is Close of Business (5.30pm) on the last Friday in January annually.
2.2 The Annual Return is considered to include:
1. The receipt of payment (either by Cheque or EFT)
2.. The completion and submission of a complete and accurate census return on Scouting
Ireland’s Membership Database.
3.The submission of the Scout Group’s Accounts, in accordance with the Rules, for the year up to 31 August.
2.3 Scout Group Accounts are deemed to include (a) An income and expenditure statement for each part of the Scout Group (i.e. the main Group; Sections; Parents & Friends; Camp Savings
Accounts; Development Funds, Campsite etc). The income and expenditure would preferably be a consolidated statement; (b) Details of all bank accounts (includes credit union, post office etc) in operation; (c) Details of the opening and closing bank position analysed by account and (d)
Closing Bank Reconciliation Statement at 31 August supported by appropriate statement (i.e.
Bank Statement; copy of last Credit Union Lodgment slip etc)
2.4 Scout Groups should submit their accounts to the Scout County Treasurer in a timely fashion.
The Scout County Treasurer (working with the Provincial Treasurer) is responsible for ensuring
the accounts of each Scout Group and the Scout County are submitted to the National Treasurer on/before the registration due date.
2.5 Two concurrent years as stated in the 2010 National Council Motion is taken to mean two consecutive years.
2.6 Scouting Ireland will endeavor to deal with the information in the Scout Group/County Accounts in the strictest of confidence; only those needing to have access to the Accounts will be granted access. The information contained in the Accounts will not be used for the purposes of Scouting Ireland obtaining funding nor will the information be used to negatively impact on any Grants within Scouting Ireland that the Scout Group may apply for.
2.7 Where a Scout Group has difficulty in complying with the requirements to submit Annual Accounts in the appropriate fashion and within the timeframe set out; Scouting Ireland will use the support structures at its resources to work with the Scout Group to assist it to comply with this policy document. Only after the exhausting of these support mechanisms and with the continuing refusal of the Group to comply with this policy or where the Group continues to frustrate those offering support shall the failure of the Scout Group to comply with this policy be brought to the attention of the National Management Committee, where the National Management Committee will decide upon the appropriate course of action and/or sanction to take.
3. Rebates to Scout Counties
Scout Counties will receive their Annual Rebate in two tranches.
The first one (10% Rebate) will paid within 4 weeks of the Registration Due Date. The Rebate will be 10% of the Membership Fee received from Group’s within the Scout County. For Membership Fees received from Group’s to qualify for inclusion in the Rebate computation the Group’s Annual Return must be completed by the Registration Due Date.
The second one (5% Rebate) will paid within 8 weeks of the Registration Due Date. The Rebate will be
5% of the Membership Fee received from Group’s within the Scout County. For Membership Fees
received from Group’s to qualify for inclusion in the Rebate computation the Group’s Annual Return
must be completed within four weeks of the Registration Due Date.
Groups Experiencing Difficulties in Paying / Completing the Annual Return
It is the responsibility of the Group Council to make adequate plans to ensure the timely submission of the Annual Return and payment of the Registration Fee. Groups’ should not leave it until the last minute to deal with the Annual Registration Process.
However, in certain cases Groups’ may experience difficulties in compliance with the policy (i.e. death or serious illness of key Group personnel; password difficulties). All levels of the organisation are there to support Scouting at Group level therefore the following process exists to support Groups who experience difficulties in compliance with the Annual Registration Process.
Scout Group’s experiencing difficulty should contact the Support Staff in their Province by January 15 th The Support Staff in the Province will immediately inform the National Treasurer in writing of the difficulty being experienced.
The Provincial Support Staff will work with the Scout Group / National Office to resolve the difficulty in advance of the Registration Due Date; or as soon as practical thereafter.
It will be at the discretion of the National Treasurer to extend the Registration Due Date for a Scout Group; or reach any other arrangement as appropriate; in situations where advance notification of difficulties has been received by January 15th .
No applications for extension of the Registration Due Date will be accepted if received after January 15th .
Extensions to the Registration Due Date will only be granted in the most extreme circumstances as with the appropriate support most difficulties should be capable of resolution between January 15 th and the
Registration Due Date.
4. New/Reformed Scout Groups Grant Scheme
For New Scout Groups or Reformed Scout Groups (that have met the Dormant Group test set at
National Council 2010) the following Grant Scheme applies:
1. Date of Opening and Receipt of New Group Opening Form / Notification of Reforming Grant of €150 will be paid to the Scout Group to support opening costs.
2. 1 st Calendar Year of Operation – immediately upon opening – Scout Group registers Youth and Adult Members on Scouting Ireland’s Membership Database – No Registration Fee payable to Scouting Ireland.
3. 2 nd Calendar Year of Operation – Scout Group completes Annual Return and pays Registration Fee by the Registration Due Date. A 100% Grant / Rebate will be paid within 4 weeks of the Registration Due Date.
4. 3rd Calendar Year of Operation – Scout Group can qualify for the “Growth Rebate”
Notes
1. No Grant is payable if the Scout Group does not complete the Annual Return and pay the Registration Fee by the Registration Due Date.
2. When a Group opens/re opens in the months of September, October, November or December their first Calendar Year is deemed to commence on the 1st of January immediately following when they open/re open. They are expected to enter details onto the SI Database immediately upon opening.