Per the California Attorney General Vanguard is operating illegally as a non profit

[Richard Lesher]

11 hours ago, Chief Guns said:

Why can't my kid go to college and do drum corps at age 20-21?

Why does it have to be one or the other? 

What works for one might not work for someone else. 

For many it is. In my case I either worked and used that money toward college, or I used that money toward marching. Nowadays that relative expense is even a greater portion of today's spending power. 

I guess good for them that can afford to do both. 

Drum Corps is more and more an upper end economic activity. 

[Slingerland]

37 minutes ago, Eustis said:

Curious to know the level of approval (vs. responsibility for preparation/consult for input/inform) required for those audits within any given BoD. It seems to me that the some or all members of these boards are or ought to be legally liable for the contents of any audit (as for periodic financial reports and tax filings) to be filed with the responsible regulatory authorities.

They are, by law and custom, on the hook for what the organization does from a fiduciary responsibility standpoint, but the actual process of managing the outside audit process with the auditors is usually handled by the Exec Director, the Board Treasurer, and the in-house bookkeeper or CFO. The other Board members are typically not involved in the audit process at all.

Edited May 9, 2023 by Slingerland

[Richard Lesher]

2 hours ago, Slingerland said:

Various points:

.................

 

- Vanguard not reporting payments to outside accountants could mean a change in terms of how they classified the expenditure, though....nah, that didn't happen. So if there's a red flag of incompetence/malfeasance in the org, that's the  one the alums need to be pushing hardest on for some sort of answer. Could the outside accountants not have presented a bill for services rendered because they donated the service? Sure, I guess, but that'd be a little weird, since accounting services never comp'd, both because accountants aren't stupid and because it'd present some ethical red flags in terms of the veracity of their work.

A public letter to their Board asking for clarification, signed by several hundred concerned alums/potential donors, is probably in order.


 

I think we are very close of the same thought process here. 

The Corps are gone, there's still a $3,000,000+ market of bingo net income floating around out there. Where is it going? 

As you are alluding to what I am as well. Lack of Financial Transparency really cannot be explained away when the entire mission of the nonprofit has ceased. 

What is even more concerning is the financial transparency that is required by law has even ceased. 

Those laws are there to protect the organization and the community it serves. As we can see, when it's ignored things only get worse. Worse is defined by the ceasing of the organization's mission even though they are still making millions in Bingo. 

 

 

[Richard Lesher]

1 minute ago, Slingerland said:

The other Board members are typically not involved in the audit process at all.

I agree 100%

But each and everyone of the board members should speak up and say, hey, where are we on the Audit? 

[Terri Schehr]

1 hour ago, IllianaLancerContra said:

There is a name that keeps coming up, both in the SCV fiasco as well as in Tricia Nadolny’s investigations.   A name that used to be prominent, is in the HoF, yet now has gone silent.  

It seems like everyone gives that subject a wide berth. 

[Eustis]

19 minutes ago, Slingerland said:

They are, by law and custom, on the hook for what the organization does from a fiduciary responsibility standpoint, but the actual process of managing the outside audit process with the auditors is usually handled by the Exec Director, the Board Treasurer, and the in-house bookkeeper or CFO. The other Board members are typically not involved in the audit process at all.

Understood. I think my point is that, although a given Board member might not be directly or even indirectly involved in the preparation of these financial documents (appropriately so - ultimate responsibility falls to the Treasurer and/or CFO, who may contract for outside services for prep of the documents), they know that if they have to sign the document (signifying approval and therefore legal liability) they are more than likely going to read the fine print and ask the tough questions necessary to gain their approval. It's all about accountability.

[Chief Guns]

1 hour ago, Richard Lesher said:

For many it is. In my case I either worked and used that money toward college, or I used that money toward marching. Nowadays that relative expense is even a greater portion of today's spending power. 

I guess good for them that can afford to do both. 

Drum Corps is more and more an upper end economic activity. 

Absolutely. I hear you loud and clear, especially with things getting more expensive by the day. 

I just disagreed when you said someone is wasting/throwing away their early 20s if they choose to march. 

No one is sticking a gun to their head and making them do this activity.

If they are happy marching till 20-21, and accomplishing whatever it is they set out to do in and outside of drum corps, then I personally don't see it as a waste. 

[Slingerland]

2 hours ago, Eustis said:

Understood. I think my point is that, although a given Board member might not be directly or even indirectly involved in the preparation of these financial documents (appropriately so - ultimate responsibility falls to the Treasurer and/or CFO, who may contract for outside services for prep of the documents), they know that if they have to sign the document (signifying approval and therefore legal liability) they are more than likely going to read the fine print and ask the tough questions necessary to gain their approval. It's all about accountability.

They don't individually sign, but there's usually a vote to accept the doc, and read it or not, they acknowledge receipt of whatever's in there. Auditors have a tendency to be very conservative when it comes to the "going concern" question - in this activity, I'd be surprised if more than a dozen orgs didn't have concerns expressed by their outside auditors as to the org's prognosis.

In SCV's case, all of that appears to be moot, since they don't look to have been having audits done. 

[Sutasaurus]

4 hours ago, Richard Lesher said:

For many it is. In my case I either worked and used that money toward college, or I used that money toward marching. Nowadays that relative expense is even a greater portion of today's spending power. 

I guess good for them that can afford to do both. 

Drum Corps is more and more an upper end economic activity. 

It’s been this way for at least the last 15 years.

[GUARDLING]

1 hour ago, Sutasaurus said:

It’s been this way for at least the last 15 years.

Even more! I have a relative that spent over 3 grand for their 6 year olds dance classes, a bumble bee costume , dancing  bee recital...lol ( used once )  some sparkle thing ( another costume , also once used ) Then their son for summer camp last year, lets just say it rivals drum corps.

Edited May 9, 2023 by GUARDLING