· TETA is still compiling information that will allow us to review all disbursements made in 2012 and 2013. When we have more information, we may retain a forensic accountant to help in the review of disbursements. We have finally submitted all the paperwork that was needed in order to take Gene Dickey off the SouthsideBank account, and he is no longer able to write checks on that account.
· We are still trying to get bank statements,check copies and deposit records dating from 2012- to the present. The bank charges a fee for this, and TETA will pay the fee.
· The Board of Directors is still trying to obtain all the financial records that are in the possession of Gene Dickey. Mr. Dickey continues to be unresponsive to these requests. TETA has filed a civil suit against Mr. Dickey, since he continues to be non-responsive and un-cooperative, and has not produced any TETA financial records in his possession.
· The Board is also aware that the Office of the Travis County DA has indicated that it is conducting an investigation into the actions of Mr. Dickey. TETA is NOT involved in that investigation, and the Travis County DA is not obligated to keep TETA advised with respect to any actions it is taking, or the results of those actions.
· TETA now has control of 23 of the 34 boxes of records that were at a Safesite location in Austin. The first 11 of these boxes are Contest Judge Records and are in the hands of UIL. Only 4 of the boxes may have information that will help us in our search for financial books and records. These four boxes are available for any interested member to examine. If you wish to do so, please contact me so I can arrange a time for you to exercise your right to examine whatever TETA now has in its possession. Quite frankly, I don't think these boxes contain what you are interested in, since most appear to be logs of deposits sent to the Austin PO Box, and collected by Jennifer Nichols. These would be deposits for convention registration and membership fees and dues. It will give us an idea of how much was deposited into TETA's account at SouthsideBank and attributed to registration and membership for any given year.
· TETA has a new address.The Austin PO Box has been closed. All mail is now being forwarded to the new address. The new address has been filed with the Secretary of State. You and your schools should use this address for communication with TETA, Inc. from now on.
Texas Educational Theatre Association, Inc. (or TETA Inc.)
650 W. Bough Ln., Suite 150-199
Houston, TX. 77024
· Checks from convention onsite registration, and from those forwarded to me in the weeks since convention were deposited into the new account with Bank of America Total checks + cash from onsite registration and received in mail from PO Box 15990, Austin = $123,711.
· I cannot give you total expenses since I am awaiting a Master Bill from the Hyatt, and have not been able to examine logs of deposits and expenses paid by Gene Dickey or Jennifer Nichols prior to Theatrefest 14.
· As soon as I have all this information, you will hear a very loud whoopeee from the Texas Gulf Coast. That will be me exclaiming in great joy that I finally have something concrete to tell you!
Now, on to other matters. I want to share a little from my experience about working with your school secretary, bookkeeper, coaches and booster clubs. We teacher/directors of theatre often feel neglected, overlooked, put upon, and in many other ways like the lowest person on the school totem pole, especially when it comes to anything that costs money, or involves a schedule of activities. We are the ones who have to give rehearsal time up because a coach needs Jessica or Johnny for basketball practice, or the Choir Director can't work with the schedule you set for the musical, even though you asked his/her input before giving the schedule to the students! We are the ones who have to fight for time on the very stage which is our right to rehearse and perform upon.
And in so many cases, YOU have become Masters of the Game, of sharing, communicating, cajoling, begging, crying, and yes, winning this game for your students and for your program. If you are one of the Masters of this Game, I suspect that you know what I am about to tell you already. If not, listen to Mama, she has some good advice.
First, be the person who is easy to work with. Not the one who gives in all the time, but the one who will listen to reason and search for a solution that every party can agree with. Next, make friends with the school secretary. Don't be the person everyone dreads seeing because all you ever do is make demands. Be the person that actually tries to make her job easier. Be the person who is happy and pleasant to deal with. If you are asked for a report by a certain time, do your best to meet the deadline. If you can't, don't plead ignorance, plead the truth, whatever it is. Maybe you can get help from a parent in filling out some of those forms and filing some of those papers.
More people you want in your corner are the coaches. Their jobs are difficult too, and even though they don't ALL know that your program, and your students' needs are just as important as theirs, many of them are as interested in student success in all endeavors as you are. Hard to believe, I know, but nevertheless true. So, go to some of those games, especially when you have students that are in your program and are also involved in sports, or even other arts activities. TALK to the coach whenever you can as you try to work out a mutually beneficial shedule that will allow the student to continue participation in both activities.Get the Principal on your side, in terms of common sense approaches to solutions that will benefit the students in all cases. Be the reasonable one. You will not always win, but with honey you will win more than with vinegar.
What about the school bookkeeper? Don't you want your checks to vendors, etc. to be written on time? Don't you want the school to know that you, at least, will try to stay within your budget, and that when necessary (all the time) you will have those fundraisers (as permitted) in order to supplement whatever account needs supplementing? Then, keep your own books! (And if you can't find the time, maybe a parent can come in once a week to help you fill out purchase orders, and the thousands of forms that your school district accounting department requires.) At least, if you keep records of your income and expenses and what particular account it is to be taken from (budget, activity, or special whatever its called account), and you make time to sit down once a month or so with your school bookkeeper, than YOU will know when your money is accidentally given to the Drill Team, or somehow mistakenly appropriated to another organization or department not your own.
In my opinion, this is common sense. It did allow me to know what money I had to spend, what budget it should come from, and where it went. I knew how much money I was supposed to have, and therefore could account for it. I also could track how it was spent, so for future budget requests I would know the department needed more to go into a certain account....or not. And go ahead and prepare a report of income and expenses and accounts billed for every production you do. Give it to the Principal and Bookkeeper. Don't wait for them to ask. Present it. They might appreciate your efforts to keep them apprised of your department's or activity's financial status.
In conclusion, I hope I've given you some suggestions to ultimately make your life as a theatre director in a public school a little easier. It will take a little time at first, but once you develop a system, you will be surprised at how popular it will make you....or at least respected because you are taking responsibility for some of the money matters that are under your control. And, you are being NICE about it, while actually working with others! (And where a Booster Club comes in, is when you ask a parent to help, and he/she does, then you are on your way to a Booster Club for your area. If your school just has one, and most of the activities it supports are sports....here I go again....make friends with the head coach and see if that Booster Club is supposed to be an ALL activities club.)
Be the squeeky wheel..... be Master of the Game, but be nice about it. Just never give up! Keep trying. If you give up, you lose. If you keep trying, you will win some, and therefore bring more respect to you, your students and your activity.
Whew. Hope this didn't tire you out too much. Let's keep moving forward in our efforts to bring the best to all our students through honesty, positive communication, and transparent actions and activities in our professional lives.