Mission & Bylaws
1. Thanks for Being a Booster Club Activity Rep!
2. Booster Club Overview
3. Membership Expectations
4. Presidents Bowl
5. Red, White & Blue
6. Accounting Information
a.Payment Vouchers
b.Deposits
c.Budgets
7. T&A (Trust & Agency) Accounts
Thanks for Being a Booster Club Activity Rep!
We hope you find the LHS Booster Club a fun, productive place to get support and share ideas for your team or activity.
Goal
Our goal is to enhance the kids' activity experience, as well as inform parents and build a community, while supporting the coaches and/or advisors.
Mission
To support, promote, and coordinate LHS activities; to promote cooperation and understanding between the school, families, and community; to promote school spirit; and to act in an advisory capacity to the administration and individual sports and activities at LHS.
Please feel free to contact the Booster Club Executive Board with any questions!
LHS BOOSTER CLUB EMAIL: ____________________________________
LHS BOOSTER CLUB WEBSITE: www.sflhsboosters.com
What Do Booster Club Activity Reps Do?
Parent Liaisons attend Booster Club meetings....network with other activities and share reports from yours
Communicate with coaches/advisors....determine needs of team both monetary and volunteer, support coach/advisor (communication, snacks, fundraising, as needed)
Communicate with families....maintain email list, send out Booster Club info as well as fundraising and volunteering plans for the season
Work with your team of (ideally) four reps to support your activity....plan how to spend your funding, plan season activities such as team dinners, divide duties and involve other parents
Celebrate success....work with your coach/advisor to plan a banquet, consider senior recognition and coach/advisor recognition
Plan your succession for continued booster success....involve incoming freshman parents, recruit one parent from each year (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior reps make up your activity's booster team), keep organized notes and documentation and inform the Booster Club Secretary of rep contact info changes. Create a shared GOOGLE folder for easy accessibility for all members.
Coordinate volunteers from your activity for the Presidents Bowl football game, basketball game (and possibly other events) as assigned
Promote the Red White and Blue Club
Sample Calendar
Each Month
Attend the Booster Club meeting to keep informed and report on your activity; keep the families involved in your activity updated regularly. At least one representative from each activity MUST attend every Booster Club meeting. Meetings take place the second Monday of each month at 5:30 p.m., usually in the LHS Library. They are generally done within 45-60 minutes.
July
Get your activity's Presidents Bowl Ticket Blitz packet and Red White and Blue Club fundraiser information at the July Booster Club meeting. Hand this information out to your activity's participants at Fall Activities Night (for fall sports) or some other way — all activities should participate in selling PB tickets and should promote RW&B Club because your activity will directly benefit!
August
Work with the coach/advisor to get an email list for family communication.
When you receive the request from your assigned Presidents Bowl person, recruit student and/or parent volunteers from your activity to help at your assigned Presidents Bowl duty on game day!
This is a good time to have a meeting with some/all of the families from your activity:
Plan your season...what will Booster Club do to support our activity....what needs will you communicate to all the families? Provide dates and other information as you can.
Answer any questions about Presidents Bowl, RW&B Club, anything else; get parents involved.
Recruit an incoming freshman parent as a new Booster Club representative for your activity.
Get everyone excited about the upcoming season!
December/January
Begin planning SPRING ACTIVITIES’ NIGHT
Create video
April / Early May
The brief annual meeting and election of new Booster Club Officers takes place in April, followed by the regular monthly meeting.
This is a good time to have a brief meeting to transition the Booster Club reps for your activity:
The senior rep will "graduate" so work with freshman through junior reps to continue participation. Be sure the non-senior reps have good notes to move forward.
Identify your Parent Liaisons
Your activity will soon be assigned to provide volunteers for the Presidents Bowl. Make sure all reps know that it's important to coordinate these volunteers in order to receive your PB allocation funds next year!
Complete the Booster Club budget (available on the website). Booster Club activity budgets are due:
Fall – 8/31
Winter – 10/31
Spring – 1/31
BOOSTER CLUB OVERVIEW!
Member Activities
The LHS Booster Club is comprised of representatives of approximately 30 different activities, organizations, clubs and sports recognized by the Lincoln High School administration as a valid student group meeting at least one of the following criteria:
1. A sport that has received club status from the Sioux Falls School District.
2. A sport or activity that is sanctioned by the South Dakota High School Activities Association.
3. An activity, club, or organization that the LHS administration approves as promoting the ideals and principles of academics, citizenship, humanities, and sportsmanship that are embodied by Lincoln High School.
A complete list of all Booster Club activities can be found on the Booster Club website.
There are also four other funds that receive support from the Booster Club General Fund on an annual basis that do not necessarily meet these criteria. The Booster Club recognizes that these funds provide valuable services and recognition to students / athletes. These funds are:
· Academic Recognition
· Athletic Club (Activities Director's fund)
Organization
The LHS Booster Club is a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation, and donations to the Booster Club may be tax deductible. It is governed by a set of Bylaws, a Board of Directors, and an Executive Committee.
The Executive Committee is comprised of:
President
President-Elect
Vice President
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Secretary
Assistant Secretary.
Website
Social Media
The Board of Directors is composed of the officers of the Executive Committee and the LHS Principal and LHS Athletic Director.
Officers are elected annually. Unless otherwise voted upon by the membership, the President-Elect replaces the President, the Vice President replaces the President-Elect, the Assistant Treasurer replaces the Treasurer, and the Assistant Secretary replaces the Secretary. New individuals are elected to the positions of Vice President, Assistant Treasurer, and Assistant Secretary.
A current list of officers and links to email each person are maintained on the Booster Club website.
Meetings
Booster Club meetings are held monthly, generally on the second Monday of each month, at 5:30 p.m. at Lincoln High School. The annual meeting of the LHS Booster Club is held each year in April and this is when officers are elected. A quorum for a meeting is 20% of the voting members.
An agenda for each meeting is distributed to the voting members via email at least seven days in advance of each meeting. Minutes of each meeting are taken and available for review by the general membership.
Website
The LHS Booster Club maintain a website at the following address: www.sflhsboosters.com
A roster of all voting members of the Booster Club, which includes each member's name, address, telephone number, and email address, is maintained and available online. Additionally, each Booster Club Officer's name and link to email is also maintained on this site.
Booster Club Activity Representatives
Each activity is allowed to have up to four voting representatives. It is suggested that each grade level be represented (e.g., one parent of a freshman, one parent of a sophomore, one parent of a junior, one parent of a senior). The Senior Representative should be responsible for soliciting representatives from the other classes. All changes to voting Booster Reps should be communicated to the Booster Club Secretary on a timely basis.
Fundraising
The LHS Booster Club receives most of its funding from two sources:
1. Presidents Bowl, which is a series of fundraising events held by all three Sioux Falls public high schools, with proceeds divided equally between the three schools, and
2. Red White & Blue Club (RWB), which is an LHS Booster Club fundraising effort.
Additional fundraising opportunities are described in the last section of this document. Individual activities may also conduct their own fundraising, with approval of the coach.
Membership Expectations
Based on a resolution passed by the LHS Booster Club, these are the expectations that must be met in order for a new activity to become a Booster Club activity, as well as for continued membership in the Club. These include:
· The activity must have an advisor or coach assigned to the group.
· The activity must have a representative at every Booster Club meeting, and be willing to participate on the Booster Club Executive Board as needed.
· Each activity must have at least one but may have up to four voting representatives. Parent representatives from each grade of participating students are recommended for continuity and leadership.
· The activity is encouraged to have a representative attend Presidents Bowl meetings and parents
should be willing volunteers throughout the year for activities relating to the Presidents Bowl.
· The activity must participate in the Presidents Bowl Ticket Blitz.
· The activity must participate in some form of fundraising outside of Booster Club fundraisers.
· The activity must demonstrate its willingness and determination to comply with these criteria by submitting an annual budget and also providing volunteers and leadership for Booster Club activities as requested.
Fundraising Note: Fundraising is a very important aspect of the LHS Booster Club and its various activities. However, the South Dakota Attorney General has issued an opinion that indicates that it is not acceptable for schools to charge students for participation in sports and activities. An activity can conduct fundraising and ask their participants to fundraise, but fundraising cannot be made mandatory for participation if it is a school-sponsored activity. Providing the best opportunities possible for students to participate in and enjoy activities should be our main focus.
Presidents Bowl
The Presidents Bowl is one of the two large fundraising activities in which the LHS Booster Club participates. This series of events raises funds for all three Sioux Falls public high schools, with the LHS Booster Club receiving one third of the proceeds each year. Members of the LHS Booster Club are expected to chair and actively participate on the Presidents Bowl committees and subcommittees that are made up of volunteers representing all three Sioux Falls public high schools.
Presidents Bowl Funding
Each of the Sioux Falls public high schools have received between $45,000 and $51,500 each of the past three years to distribute to their school's activities. Currently, the LHS Booster Club distributes all of these funds directly to the activities based on an allocation formula that was first developed in 2004. This allocation formula has been reviewed several times since its inception with the latest review taking place in 2013.
Presidents Bowl funds are distributed to each activity annually with the expectation that they will use the funds for the participants in their activity for that year or the following year. If the activity will not use the funds or does not need the funds, it is expected that they return the funds to the Booster Club General Fund to be distributed to activities that may need funds for their participants that year.
These are the expectations from each activity in order to receive a Presidents Bowl allocation:
Each activity will have students participate in the Presidents Bowl Ticket Blitz in August.
Each activity will have a representative at every Booster Club meeting.
Each activity will provide Presidents Bowl volunteers as assigned, and will consider having a parent volunteer for a Presidents Bowl committee or sub-committee.
Each activity will participate in some type of independent fundraising so they are not entirely dependent only on Presidents Bowl funds.
Red White and Blue
Red White and Blue is the second of two large fundraisers for the LHS Booster Club. This fundraising effort involves parents and other local supporters donating money to the Booster Club in exchange for recognition and activity passes. You do not have to be a member in this program to be a Booster Club Representative, but we strongly encourage you to consider joining to lend your financial support to the activities that are part of the LHS Booster Club.
RWB Levels
There are multiple levels of financial support defined, with varying levels of recognition and benefits available.
Credit Card Payments
Red, White and Blue donations can be made by credit card using PayPal on the LHS Booster Club website.
Activity Passes
Activity Passes are good for all regular-season athletic events hosted by public schools, including middle school and high school events. They may not be used for non-athletic events, such as music programs, nor for games at non-public schools or the Presidents Bowl football game.
Designation to Activities
Currently, all donations under $125 go to the Booster Club General Fund. Donations of $125 or more entitle the donor to earmark a percentage of their donation to one or more specific activity/ies. The remaining amounts after these activity-specific designations go to the Booster Club General Fund. However, for contributions of $1,000 or more, $100 per donation is allocated to the LHS Activities Director under the "Athletic Club" heading.
Banners
For businesses or individuals who donate $1,000 or more, if they so desire they may receive a banner with their company logo or family name displayed in the main gym at Lincoln High School. They may also be recognized through announcements at several athletic functions, and recognition in the LHS newspaper, The Statesman.
Tax Deduction
Red, White and Blue donations are tax-deductible, less the cost of any Activity Passes issued. The Activity Passes are purchased by the LHS Booster Club from the Sioux Falls School District.
Other Donations
Anyone may also choose to donate money at any time directly to any specific activity, but those donations are considered outside the Red, White and Blue fund and do not make the donor eligible for activity passes or banners. These donations would still be considered tax-deductible. Those interested in making a contribution are encouraged to consider doing so through the Red White & Blue program as this program benefits both the individual activities as well as the Booster Club itself.
Accounting Information
The funds of all Booster Club activities are managed in one combined investment / checking account held at First National Bank. Deposits made and checks written on this account are the responsibility of the Treasurers (Treasurer and/or Assistant Treasurer). The individual balances for each activity and the General Fund are maintained by the Treasurers in Quickbooks Online. Reports that provide the account balances and transactions for each activity are distributed by the Treasurers at each Booster Club meeting, and are also available on the Booster Club website.
Contact the Treasurers at: LHSBoosterTreasurer@gmail.com
General Fund
The Booster Club incurs several types of expenses on an annual basis that are paid out of the General Fund:
Insurance
Supplies (checks, envelopes, stamps, mailing supplies for RWB)
Accounting software
Website maintenance
Presidents Bowl Ticket Blitz incentives
The General Fund should retain a balance of at least $10,000 at all times.
Special Funding
In addition to the general expenses listed above, the Booster Club General Fund also contributes to the following special activities, which are viewed as providing valuable services and recognition to LHS students:
Academic Recognition
a. Payment Vouchers
To obtain funds from your activity's account in the form of a check or a transfer to another activity, a Payment Voucher must be completed and submitted to the Treasurers. Payment Voucher forms may be obtained at the following places:
On the Booster Club website under Booster Rep Forms
From the Treasurers at a monthly Booster Club meeting
From the Booster Club mailbox at the LHS office
Payment Vouchers must be fully completed and include copies of invoices to be paid or receipts if requesting personal reimbursement. This documentation ensures that payment requests are being made for valid expenses and also allows the activity to track its expenses from year to year.
The funds of any activity should not be reduced below $0.00 balance at any time.
Approving Payment Vouchers
Payment Vouchers must be approved and signed by a voting Booster Club Rep for the activity requesting payment. Payment Vouchers that are not signed, or are signed by anyone other than a voting Booster Club Rep for the activity, will not be accepted. Coaches, advisors, teachers or other school administrators may not submit Payment Vouchers for Booster Club funds.
Payment Vouchers requesting self-reimbursement must be signed by another voting Booster Club Rep for the activity.
Payment Vouchers totaling more than $1,000 must be signed by a second voting Booster Club Rep for the activity.
Payment Timing
Plan ahead. Allow at least one week for checks to be issued. Additionally, checks for $1,000 or more must be co-signed by a second authorized Booster Club officer, so may require additional time for processing.
Submitting Payment Vouchers – Signed and completed Payment Vouchers can be submitted using any of the following methods:
o Bring to monthly Booster Club meeting and give to a Treasurer
o Scan/email to: LHSBoosterTreasurer@gmail.com
o Mail to: LHS Booster Club Treasurer • 2900 S Cliff Ave • Sioux Falls SD 57105
o Take to: LHS Office / Booster Club mailbox
** In exceptional cases you can contact the Treasurers to make arrangements for Payment Vouchers to be hand-delivered in rush situations; contact LHSBoosterTreasurer@gmail.com as soon as possible.
Sales Taxability
While donations made to the LHS Booster Club may be tax deductible, purchases made by any Booster Club activity are NOT tax-exempt. All purchases made by the LHS Booster Club are subject to sales tax.
b. Deposits
All checks to any Booster Club activity should be made out to LHS Booster Club.
To deposit funds into an activity's account, a Deposit Request must be completed and submitted to the Treasurers along with the cash and/or checks to be deposited. Deposit Request forms may be obtained at the following places:
· On the Booster Club website under Booster Rep Forms
· From the Treasurers at a monthly Booster Club meeting
· From the Booster Club mailbox at the LHS office
Deposit Requests must be completed in their entirety. This protects both the activity's Booster Club Reps and the Treasurers to ensure that funds provided match the deposit that is expected.
Approving Deposit Requests
Deposit Requests must be approved and signed by a voting Booster Club Rep of the activity requesting the deposit. Deposits of $1,000 or more should be approved by two voting Booster Club Reps for the activity. Deposits that are not accompanied by a Deposit Request signed by a voting Booster Club Rep for the activity will not be accepted. Coaches, advisors, teachers or other school administrators may not submit deposits to Booster Club accounts.
Tips for Preparing Deposits
· Use a calculator to total up the amounts on your Deposit Request form and make sure that matches the amount of cash and checks you counted. It is not the Treasurers' responsibility to total up your deposit.
· If you have a larger deposit, have a second Booster Rep re-count your cash and checks to ensure you have a good tota
Submitting Deposit Requests
IMPORTANT: Do not leave cash deposits over $20 in the Booster Club mailbox, and do not mail cash. Cash deposits should be hand-delivered to a Treasurer, or left with LHS Admin with instructions to place into the Vault at LHS. Follow the special procedure below for any cash deposit of over $1,000.
Signed and completed Payment Vouchers can be submitted using any of the following methods:
o Bring to monthly Booster Club meeting and give to a Treasurer
o Take to the LHS Office and send an email letting us know it's there LHSBoosterTreasurer@gmail.com
n Checks-only deposits can be left in the Booster Club mailbox
n If deposit contains more than $20 cash, ask LHS Admin to put into vault
o Mail checks-only deposits to: LHS Booster Club Treasurer • 2900 S Cliff Ave • Sioux Falls SD 57105
o In exceptional cases you can email LHSBoosterTreasurer@gmail.com to arrange for hand-delivery of a large deposit
Deposits Over $1,000
These procedures have been established to improve loss control and reduce the risk of financial loss for both the specific activity and the Booster Club in general. This procedure should be followed by a voting Booster Club Rep when the activity has a deposit totaling $1,000 or more as the result of a large fundraising event.
Over $1,000 Procedure
1. Two Booster Reps for your activity should work together to count the cash and agree on the total.
2. Both Booster Reps should sign the Deposit Request form.
3. The deposit should be hand-delivered to a Treasurer within 48 hours — see contact email
information above, or contact personally using the links on the Booster Ciub website.
Cash Deposits Over $1,000
These procedures have been established to improve loss control and reduce the risk of financial loss for both the specific activity and the Booster Club in general. This procedure should be followed by a voting Booster Club Rep when the activity anticipates having a cash deposit totaling $1,000 or more as the result of a large fundraising event.
If a large deposit consists of both cash and checks, the cash should be separated from the checks and they should be treated as two separate deposits. This procedure applies to a cash deposit over $1,000; it does not apply to check deposits.
Cash Over $1,000 Procedure
1. Check out the Cash Deposit Bag from the Assistant Treasurer no earlier than one day prior to the event.
a. The Cash Deposit Bag will include a bank deposit slip and a Deposit Request form.
2. Complete and sign the Deposit Request form for the cash being deposited only. Do not put this
form into the Cash Deposit Bag.
a. If you will also be depositing checks, treat that as a separate deposit and complete a separate Deposit Request form.
3. Complete the bank deposit slip for only the cash to be deposited and enclose the deposit slip with the cash in the Cash Deposit Bag.
4. Close the zipper and lock the Cash Deposit Bag containing the cash and bank deposit slip. a. Do not lock the Cash Deposit Bag until all the cash and the deposit slip are in the bag and you are ready to make the deposit.
5. Take the Cash Deposit Bag to First National Bank and place it in the Night Deposit.
(Only use First National Bank at 401 West 47th Street, one block
east of Minnesota Avenue on 57th Street. Do not deposit the Cash Deposit Bag at any other bank location.)
6. Make a note on the Deposit Request form of the date and approximate time you made the Night Deposit.
7. Submit the completed Deposit Request form along with the key from the Cash Deposit Bag to a Treasurer within two days of making the cash deposit.
8. The Treasurers will confirm the amount deposited on the next bank statement. If there are any differences, the Booster Club Rep will be notified and the activity's balance will be adjusted.
The Treasurers will retrieve the Cash Deposit Bag from the bank and have it available for the next large cash deposit.
There are two keys for the Cash Deposit Bag. First National Bank hold one key, and the Treasurers hold the other key. If a Cash Deposit Bag is misplaced, the Booster Club activity responsible for it at the time will be charged $25.00 to replace the bag.
c. Budgets - Activity Funding Requests
Each activity must demonstrate its willingness and determination to comply with the criteria for membership in the LHS Booster Club by submitting an annual budget. Budgets for the upcoming school year must be submitted before funds from the prior year's Presidents Bowl will be allocated to the activity's account.
Presidents Bowl funds are distributed to each activity annually with the expectation that they will use the funds for the participants in their activity for that year or the following year. If the activity will not use the funds or does not need the funds, it is expected that they return the funds to the Booster Club General Fund to be distributed to activities that may need for funds for their participants that year.
If an activity is saving across multiple years for a larger purchase, that intention to make a future large purchase should be indicated on the Budget.
Funding Request Form
Budgets should be submitted using the Activity Funding Request form that is available on the Booster Club website. This worksheet provides a general guideline for the representative to use in estimating the financial needs of their activity, broken down by sources of revenues and expenses. Representatives are encouraged to review past year's budgets as well as the year-to-date reporting available under Treasurer's Info on the Booster Club website to see the actual revenues and expenses for their activity for the prior year.
Coach / Advisor's Role in Budgeting
Representatives are also strongly encouraged to meet with the coach / advisor for the activity to discuss their thoughts for fundraising and expenditures that may be needed for the upcoming year.
· Some coaches / advisors may do their own fundraising for the activity. If that occurs, the coach/advisor is free to spend that money as they see fit.
· Funds raised by the Booster Club are used at the discretion of the Booster Club Representatives for that activity.
This is why communication is so important between the Booster Club Representatives and the coaches / advisors to prevent duplication, misunderstanding and disagreements related to Booster Club funds, fundraising activities, and expenses.
Trust and Agency "T&A" Accounts
The Lincoln High School Trust and Agency account includes money on deposit with the Sioux Falls School District for which the School District has a fiduciary responsibility. However, this account has no money budgeted to replenish it by either Lincoln High School nor the Sioux Falls School District. The funds in the T&A account belong to the activity that deposits them, but the School District oversees the funds to ensure they are used in accordance with District fiscal procedures and policies.
If a coach I advisor conducts their own fundraising on behalf of their activity, the proceeds are deposited into that activity's T&A account to pay expenses they incur during the season or school year. Coaches / advisors have School District credit cards that can be used to make purchases, and those purchases are charged to the T&A account for that activity, if there are funds available.
Booster Club Transfers to T&A Accounts
Individual Booster Club activities can choose to make donations to their activity's T&A account to cover expenses incurred by the activity's coach / advisor. The benefit of placing funds into a T&A account is that purchases that meet School District guidelines and are made through a T&A account are not subject to sales tax.
Additionally, funds placed into a T&A account can be carried over from year to year, which is useful in situations where a group or activity may be working toward a large purchase that may take several years to accomplish.
Purchases That Cannot Be Made From a T&A Account
Not all expenses are valid expenses that can be paid out of a T&A account. For example, uniform purchases for sanctioned sports or activities can only be made by the School District on a rotating basis, and cannot be made from a T&A account. Also, certain equipment may be considered a capital outlay and cannot be purchased by the Booster Club and instead must be purchased by the School District. Contact the Athletic Director for the High School Principal if you have any questions about appropriate expenditures from the T&A account.
