Treasurer Job Description

The role of treasurer is certainly one of the key committee positions – you have a lot of sway over where Galenicals spends its (not inconsiderable) budget and, of course, all the responsibilities which that entails. It’s worth saying at the outset that it’s a job which involves a lot of work, and no small amount of admin as the year goes on. This has included, but is not limited, to:

• Keeping the accounts in order
• Budgeting at the begining of the year
• Talking to – and at times shouting at – the bank
• Collecting, protecting, counting and paying-in large sums of cash
• Emailing, phoning, and otherwise generally pestering a LOT of people about money
• Seeing to annual commitments like the fresher’s booklet, financial fair, membership cards &c.

Sometimes it’s hard to see the wood for the trees but without question it places you in an excellent position to shape the decisions of Galenicals and its future direction. Some of the things I have enjoyed best have been:

• Meeting a lot of people in an official capacity. There’s a saying, ‘if you want something done speak to the man with the chequebook’ (or there is now…)
• The ability to influence where about £9000p.a. of subscriptions go and the satisfaction of seeing member’s needs met and (hopefully) exceeded
• Being in the loop. Learning more about business, money, medicine, negotiating, &c… oh and how to say NO.
• The freedom to start new initiatives with members’ money. For example, we’ve increased our charitable giving, blagged storage facilities for kit and equipment, bought our own card printer, and are starting a DVD library.

Finally – and making no apologies for the cliché – one of the best bits has been working with the rest of the committee. At the first meeting many of us were virtual strangers but I genuinely have enjoyed the teamwork, camaraderie and, in time, friendship which has sprung out of it. There is truth in the notion that you get out what you put in. Come to the job with enthusiasm and fresh ideas and not only will you get a lot done, but you’ll have some fun along the way.