
Money & Mission
Volume VII, Issue 18 - June 21, 2017
Editorial: Looking back, and then forward
This issue concludes Volume VII of Money & Mission. We hope you have found the various issues both interesting and informative, and helpful in better understanding the key challenges related to financial management in the Canada and Bermuda Territory of The Salvation Army.
Two innovations made in this Volume were:
- For the series on corps sustainability over five weeks in the fall, we had a lead article, followed by three commentaries on it, and concluding comments by the initial author; we hope this approach stimulated thought and discussion.
- In the January 4, February 1 and March 1, 2017 issues, we had an article which provided more background to a matter addressed in the editorial than would have been feasible in the editorial itself.
Several people helped to bring the issues to publication. Paul Goodyear reviewed each issue for conformity with Army policy and to achieve reasonable consistency of style among the articles. Angela Robertson brought her skills to bear on the presentation, formatting and distribution. Those from the Finance department who have contributed articles include Arnold Adey, Paul Goodyear, Clark Shiao and Lt. Colonel Neil Watt. We also had several articles or editorials written by persons from outside the department, and we wish to thank Captain Tony Brushett, Karen Coley, Mike Gilbert, Lt. Colonel Lee Graves, Captain Rick Honcharsky, Christine LeBlanc, Major Bradley Reid, Colonel Glen Shepherd, Jeff Skipper, Colonel Mark Tillsley and Lt. Colonel Fred Waters for their contributions.
Volume VII will commence with an issue on October 4, 2017. As always, we should be delighted to have your suggestions for future articles; please send them to Money&Mission@can.salvationarmy.org
Have a great summer!
Preventative Maintenance: Part II – Buildings
By Mike Gilbert, Territorial Property Secretary
Having discussed building equipment in Part I, we now deal with the buildings themselves.
Preventative maintenance of building components, other than equipment, is essential to maintain appearance, extend the life of the building, and reduce the need for unexpected, extensive restoration projects. Many areas of a building require maintenance; however, water infiltration into building components is one of the most damaging and costly events if undetected or ignored. We will focus on this issue.
We are seeing more frequent reports of mould in basements due to unattended water infiltration, which is a serious health and safety concern, and costly to remediate. Because water expands when it freezes, exterior building components are susceptible to damage due to freeze/thaw cycles, even with minor amounts of infiltration. By taking the following steps, expensive repairs in the future can be avoided.
Check foundation walls. If the basement is unfinished, inspect the interior for cracking. On the exterior, review all exposed foundation walls above grade. A foundation expert should be hired to fill and seal minor cracks. Large cracks or those that continue to open must be reviewed by a structural engineer.
Ensure that grading is sloped so that water runs away from the building foundation.
Extend all downspouts at least five feet away from the foundation, to guard against water entering the building through any deficiencies or weaknesses in the foundation wall or weeping tile system.
Keep the eavestroughs cleaned. If they are blocked with debris they may overflow, encouraging water or ice to back-up into the roofing system.
Check roofs. Sloped roofs should be reviewed for missing shingles, or shingles that are damaged, curled, or showing signs of missing granular material. There are many different types of flat roofs, but all should be inspected for soft spots, blisters, open seams, low areas resulting in excessive water ponding and moss growth.
Review the caulking around the building. Caulking can dry out, lose its elasticity and shrink over time, which may allow water to enter the resulting opening.
Review exterior building walls for damage. For example, brick work can deteriorate over time and require re-pointing of the mortar joints. Bricks are porous and absorb water, so any required re-pointing left unattended may lead to extensive damage to the bricks themselves, as well as interior finishes.
Keep exposed wood protected. Even pressure-treated wood will rot over time if left unprotected. Ensure that exposed wood is painted, stained, or covered with a waterproof material.
Preventative maintenance will promote buildings we can be proud of, and provide cost savings in the long run!
30 years: a look back and a dream for the future! - Part IV
by R. Paul Goodyear, Financial Secretary
In the first three parts of this article, we traced some of the key changes in the finance department over the past 30 years. After so much change, it would be reasonable to think that we might look forward to a steady state for a while, but that is not the case. The world in which we live is changing at a rapid pace, and the finance department will have to continue to adapt to be able to serve the Army well.
Over the next few years, we want to:
- Increase the level of customer service in the department, establishing service level expectations and working to better understand the needs of ministry units so that we can do more to reduce, and if possible, eliminate the administrative load associated with managing their finances that can hinder mission delivery.
- Provide more tools to help staff in ministry units, through webinars and live training sessions, as well as by making the finance department web pages and Territorial Finance Manual more user-friendly and accessible.
- Eliminate as much manual work as possible, increasing the use of technology to make our processes more efficient.
- Increase job and task specialization across the department, resulting in an increased ability to provide more assistance to DHQs and ministry unit leaders by key staff who will have more responsibility for customer service and financial statements and less responsibility for transaction processing, to free them up to provide more and better information and advice.
These and other changes should ensure that the Army’s financial management continues to evolve and serve the mission well.
Finance Department Offices
Toronto, ON M4H 1P4
(416) 425.2111 ext. 2237
116 - 276 Midpark Way SE
Calgary AB T2X 1J6
(403) 201.9223
884 - 167 Lombard Ave
Winnipeg MB R3B 0T6
(204) 975.0735
101 - 85 Thorburn Rd
St. John's NL A1B 3M2
(709) 579.3919
For more information...
For more information about the Finance Department, please visit http://salvationist.ca/departments/finance/
To subscribe:
Please click on the orange "Follow Money & Mission" button and enter your name and email address. You will then be added to our mailing list.
To unsubscribe, please click on the green "Contact Money & Mission" button and send a message saying "unsubscribe".
Money & Mission Editorial Team
Managing Editor:
Senior Editor:
Paul Goodyear
Design Editor & Production Manager:
Angela Robertson
French Translator:
The Salvation Army Translation Department