ECF Accounts

[Carl Hibbard]

Farce!

There is a certain irony to someone complaining about someone else's inability to do a task, when they themselves had been set a task (e.g. grading enhancements) and didn't actually do it for several months, before leaving it to someone else to do.

Pot, kettle etc.

You have a bit of a point however I was never 'set' a task on this one and did provide the site and service for several years

[David Sedgwick]

Farce!

There is a certain irony to someone complaining about someone else's inability to do a task, when they themselves had been set a task (e.g. grading enhancements) and didn't actually do it for several months, before leaving it to someone else to do.

Pot, kettle etc.

To regard the timely production of Accounts as of no more consequence than failure to produce grading enhancements doesn't strike me as a very sensible attitude for a prospective ECF Director to take.

[Roger de Coverly]

To regard the timely production of Accounts as of no more consequence than failure to produce grading enhancements doesn't strike me as a very sensible attitude for a prospective ECF Director to take.

Exactly. Making an already good site better is desirable but by no means essential. Knowing an organisation's financial position, particularly when it is on the breadline is, or should be, a core task. As this is the second year in a row without timely reports, the implication is that the reforms following the loss of the DCMS grant must have cut out something vital to the financial reporting function. The other implication is that the Board aren't periodically reviewing the ECF's financial position.

[benedgell]

I'm inclined to agree with Mike Truran's report. The Finance Director shouldn't be responsible for producing the accounts. The problem is that there isn't really an alternative at the moment. I don't believe the ECF can afford to hire an accountancy firm, and it appears that the staff at the Office aren't in a position to take over the work at this point in time.

[Alex Holowczak]

To regard the timely production of Accounts as of no more consequence than failure to produce grading enhancements doesn't strike me as a very sensible attitude for a prospective ECF Director to take.

I was not really attempting to compare the two in terms of their relative importance.

I just think that Carl's comment was rather unnecessary. He has been a volunteer, who because of other commitments, couldn't do everything that had become expected of him. It would appear that Gareth finds himself in the same position. Both Carl and Gareth have stepped aside from their role upon realising they were unable to fulfil their commitment.

If anyone should be understanding of Gareth's apparent plight, it would seem to me that Carl should be at the front of the queue to explain why these things happen, rather than calling it a "Farce!" without knowing the reasons for it.

[Paul Buswell]

I'm inclined to agree with Mike Truran's report. The Finance Director shouldn't be responsible for producing the accounts. The problem is that there isn't really an alternative at the moment. I don't believe the ECF can afford to hire an accountancy firm, and it appears that the staff at the Office aren't in a position to take over the work at this point in time.

I surmise that Cynthia Gurney's retirement has left a huge void. She was amongst other things a skilled book-keeper and perhaps that experience of financial procedures hasn't been replaced.

PB

[Roger de Coverly]

I'd like to see as much focus on how the money is spent as how it is collected.

Talking of spending money, the comments on a recent posting on the Streatham blog recently jumped from 49 to 60. Inter alia, that was about the spending at Sheffield. There was an adjusted set of accounts produced on the morning of the Finance meeting back in April which did seem to bring clarity to the amounts received and spent by the ECF for the Sheffield British. Looking at the April papers in the website, these featured a revised budget including the projected outrun for 2011-12, but do not appear to reflect these changes. Admittedly they are mostly equal and matching items of Income and Expenditure.

One feature you can see is that Congress Game Fee income which drops for reasons never properly explained in 2010-11 recovers in 2011-12.

[David Shepherd]

To be fair it is possible that the accounts were on schedule and then with a few weeks to go an issue was found that required further investigation and it was felt better to delay the accounts than half deal with the matter (the filing deadline not being for a while yet).

It is good that someone has had the courage to stand up and say they are unhappy with the accounts as they stand and that they will not be completed until various matters are resolved - that seems much better than sweeping things under the carpet and rushing to produce a set of incorrect and misleading figures.

The board however need to be made fully aware of why there is a delay and what is causing the problems (even if it is just a volunteer doesn't have sufficient time) and assess whether any additional action needs to be taken.

[John McKenna]

Ben Edgell: A/cs should be ready to be sent out... in next 2 or 3 weeks... forgot to make a note of the exact reason for the delay but... (Re: ECF Annual General Meeting 13 October 2012)
Thanks Ben, that slight touch of amnesia goes with the surf.
AGM over the treasure map can be revealed.
Capt. Jack Sparrow: You (ECF) want you to find this (now) because the finding of this finds you incapacitorially finding and/or locating in your discovering the detecting of a way to save your... Savvy? (Dead Man's Chest)

[John McKenna]

In my post above I meant no implied criticism of Ben Edgell. I was thankful that he gave the link (which I repeat) - http://www.chessit.co.uk/phpforum/viewt ... ?f=5&t=254