Things I have Learned About Organization

Being the treasurer of a fraternity is difficult; I have to be on top of EVERYTHING; if I'm not, the organization is in trouble.

From what I've learned so far, here are EIGHT THINGS ABOUT BEING ORGANIZED!

1. Write everything down. EVERYTHING.

Someone gave you $10 for dues? WRITE IT ON YOUR HAND UNTIL YOU CAN MAKE A RECORD OF IT. Someone paid you for fines? WRITE IT DOWN. Paper trails are important on both sides of the equation. I can show people the confirmation email that yes, I DID warn them that fines would start after spring break; hopefully, both of us have a copy of the receipt I wrote for the dues they already paid. WRITE EVERYTHING.

2. Paper trails are frustrating but important.

See #1 about writing everything down. Paper trails are confirmation that everything is going the way it needs to be.

3. Excel is your best friend.

Aside from keeping track of who has (or hasn't) paid their dues and fines, Excel has also helped me keep my budget for the chapter straight. After asking everyone on executive board to submit a budget, Excel shows me how much they've spent and how much they have left. It also shows me that we might not have the budget for some things, and how much we would need to fundraise to afford it.

4. Envelopes are life.

Seriously. Dues go in one envelope. Receipts from dues go in another envelope. Receipts from e-board's expenses are in another envelope. The checkbook and balance sheet are in another. Instead of everything being a mess and trying to decipher who went over-budget and where, you can just look in the EXPENSES ENVELOPE!

5. Paper trails.

This goes back to #1, but it's important. Chapter money is chapter money, and if there's a contest about how much money chapter should have, the paper trails help you backtrack.

6. Plan ahead.

I needed to have payment plans available a month ago to make sure everyone had the chance to tell me how they wanted to pay their dues. I can't randomly tell everyone in the chapter that they owe me money TONIGHT and fines will start next week. That's not fair to the chapter. I also have to know in advance what payment plans each person wants so I know that they SHOULD be fined now, and how much they owe the chapter in fines.

7. "I'm not sure, I need to check my records" is a phrase I have been saying a lot.

But having the records means I don't need to know off the top of my head. What if my memory messes up? What if I hit my head and become comatose - how am I supposed to remember who has and hasn't paid me what? Also, next year there will be a new treasurer; how are they supposed to know who has outstanding fines if I didn't make a record in the first place?

8. Back everything up.

Again, paper trails. Also, continuity in the event of power transfer and/ or amnesia.