OSM Payments

This is the only payment system that the Group will accept for events and therefore NO cash/cheque payments are to be taken from parents. Cash payments can still be taken for donations and Uniform sales/Replacements.

This document details how 1^st Burnham-on-Sea Scout Group uses the online payment system within Online Scout Manager (OSM). At the present moment OSM uses GoCardless to take the payments who then passes the monies onto 1^st Burnham-on-Sea Scout Group. There is a surcharge for using this of:

These surcharges need to covered by the event or activity. There is one GoCardless account for the Group that is administrated by the bank account signatories using their @burnhamonseascouts.org.uk email address. This is for ease of administration and to ensure continuity if they leave the group.

There are no refunds given on any payment unless they have exceptional circumstances and these will need to have the approval of the Trustee Board. 

The Payment schedules that are setup with OSM need to have clear naming convention including section name, like – “Scouts Christmas Sleepover”, “Cubs Night Hike”, “Group Camp”. Also, the types of payment within this can be such as “Deposit”, “1^st Instalment”, or “Full” as this is what will be seen on the direct debit payment. E.G. “Group Camp – Deposit”.

If you do not ask all people to pay (e.g. leaders, or when there are variable payments), change the events ‘Payments’ column to ‘Manual’ – this will stop the system from automatically asking for payment. For more information on setting up event payments please go to the Tutorial Video Parent Portal: Online Payments

Payments for events such as food shopping etc (that are not paid straight out of the Bank Account) can be either claimed as part of the Balance Sheet or the money can be collected from the Treasurer prior to paying. However, you need to give 2 weeks’ notice before you can collect any money. Any left-over/surplus money and balance sheet needs to be returned to the treasurer within 2 weeks of the end of the camp/event. (If this is not adhered the Treasurer reserves the right to remove the money in advance option).

Once the balance sheets are received by the Treasurer, any left-over/surplus money from the event or any losses made will be taken from each section’s running total on the accounts. The amount that is in each section’s running total can be checked by emailing the Treasurer.

The rules on Balance Sheets as and when the Balance Sheet is due.

1. If you request the money upfront from the Treasurer (this must be requested at least 2 weeks prior with an agreed collection date) then the balance sheet (OSM Invoices) must be returned to the Treasurer with all the receipts that haven’t already been handed in and any left over money within 2 weeks of final day of the event.
2. If you don’t have any money upfront and you claim the money back from the group with the receipts then you have until the end of finical year (31^st March) with a maximum of 6 months from the final day of the event. Again the balance sheet (OSM Invoices) must be returned to the Treasurer with all the receipts that haven’t already been handed in.

All though we shouldn’t be aiming to make a profit and we should be breaking even on Events. We recognise that some events may result in a profit that you wish to use for section meetings or other events. We do however need this to be recorded on a balance sheet (OSM Invoices) as a loss only. There is a running total that shows on the OSM Invoices summary page to see how much if any money you have to spend, if an event ends with a loss and then the next event ends with a profit of the same amount then the profit will be used to subsidize the previous loss and should not be used on a section night or event

When Leaders/Young Leaders contribute towards food or camp fees etc, this can be taken as cash but will need to be shown on the Balance Sheets.