What are the guidelines for Bonding? We don't have it yet, should we? Would it help in this situation?

pals--sometimes the easiest answer is right in front of us! I remember you telling that story in another thread--I'm glad it worked out OK for you!

It's not just board/committee members that steal--it's parents too sometimes! You would hope that things like this are some horrible blip in the radar screen of life, but it's scary to see that it's not. While most people are honest and believe in doing the right thing, it's very overwhelming to see how many aren't, and don't!

My board has learned A LOT from these boards. While the "thieving" issue hasn't been a reality for us (yet!!)-- THANK GOD!!! --we're seeing chinks in our defenses, and are now remedying the situation to help protect us, and our volunteers, against those less than honest, and even the hint of impropriety.

Bertha--what's up with the situation as of late? Any new developments, or are you just asessing the situation now?

bertha...does your principal know about this situation? Our group tries very hard to handle our won problems yet every now and then I need to go to our principal that seems to have this "magic" touch. Twice this year I have ran into situations with fundraisers that went around and around with no completion from a parent. Just before easter we had a father holding over 350.00 worth of candy"ransom" because he was fired from his place of employment where he had sold it. after a week of trying to straighten it out our principal made one phone call giving him 15 minutes to get it to school or she was coming to do a home visit. she also mentioned that she was calling the chief of police(friends of hers) well he brought back the candy.His child ahd just transferred out and he needed papers from her and she told him she was holding them until this was solved. I know the incident in the fall the police did get in touch with the family just to"ask and follow up on a complaint they got". So my point is that my principal seems to have alot of connections and maybe yours does too....I know it's not a principal matter but i will say I am glad she could handle it. Both times I was close to blowing up at these people which would i think hurt my group more than if it is handled diplomactily.I aslo have to add that both times the police were doing it as a friendly reminder and there was never any report or anything filed. something to ask yourself???

Bertha- Whatever the result, I hope that it turns out that there was nothing to worry about after all.
You definitely need to develop some policies and procedures regarding the handling of money, whatever the outcome.
CA has a wonderful financial guideline posted on their site.
www.capta.org/sections/finance/banking.cfm
Perhaps you could use some of the wording found there.

Going to the police is a long way from "charging". The police will only charge -- and things will only go public -- if there's evidence of a crime.

Yes, investigations are always kept quiet...and you must love to disagree with me!
www.thewbalchannel.com/education/1562804/detail.html
www.click2houston.com/news/1452034/detail.html
Wow, one of those stories is based on one woman's assumptions and look at that still investigating (or not yet investigating, just the idea of it) and charges not filed but all over the news!

AND I WILL REITERATE, I am NOT SAYING sweep it under the rug, I am saying, there are more people involved than just the person who MIGHT be doing something wrong and it is THOSE people, you are protecting. NOT the "suspected" thief. There are hard working board members who WILL be looked at by some as the ones who did it, I AM SPEAKING FROM EXPERIENCE HERE. And we're not talking Enron here where we saying that the PTA is cooking the books. And gotta agree with kmamom, this isn't the reason these groups are being victimized. It's because these are volunteers and why would anyone want to think that another PARENT could do this to their own child. We're not oblivious, we know it happens, it's ALL OVER THE NEWS, but we look for the good in people and sometimes that doesn't always work.

Also, many state officials do undergo trainings to deal with this issue and investigating it. I know you are a member in MA and perhaps they don't do the training there. I know you aren't referring to NV or CA because we have training (I am not authorized to handle an embezzelment as a Council Pres but I know who to refer it to that is the trained person). Our insurance company also have guidelines that need to be followed before making a claim. They then work with the local unit, with the fewest number of people possible, when going the route of filing a police report. Whether or not they have a legal authority, I suppose would be up to the actual State itself, not the State PTA office (don't want to be misunderstood here) and it's governing laws and how non-profit organizations can deal with these things. (Policies of an organization etc) I suppose the same way an owner of a company would investigate the possibility of embezzelment within it's company.

Would this be an example of the necessity of being bonded?

Would the insurance company do an investigation into the suggested loss of money?

If bonded, could this be suggested to the VP that it will be turned over to the insurance co?