Panhandle Chapter of the TSCPAs

Accounting and Auditing
This Committee is responsible for the planning of the two-day, 16 CPE hours, Accounting and Auditing Seminar that is usually offered in May of each year. For several years, the Committee has been a one man team. Speakers have been retained locally, in the Panhandle and from the metroplex and even out of state. Recent topics have included FASB Update, GASB Update, Fraud, Tecnology, Liability.

Constitution and By-Laws
The Constitution and Bylaws Committee is effectively dormant, subject to the call of the Board of Directors for assistance on any issues that may arise regarding operation of the Chapter in accordance with the Bylaws. Also, if the TSCPA makes changes that they insist Chapters must make to the bylaws, we conform in the Chapter Bylaws.

Tax Committee
Primary Responsibility:
The Tax Institute Committee organizes the 2-day, 16 CPE hours, Tax Institute in August of each year. Initially, the committee decides which topics should be presented. The committee considers recommendations made on evaluations submitted by participants during previous Tax Institutes and current tax issues in selecting topics. After determining the topics to be presented, committee members determine the best speaker for each topic and contact these potential speakers. We are required to offer a 4-hour Ethics course every other year (odd numbered years).

We have always offered to pay for or reimburse our speakers for transportation, hotel and meals while at our Tax Institute. We try to keep the speaker’s fees as low as possible so that the profits to the chapter can be maximized. Historically, this has been a major fund raising event for the chapter. We will only pay flat speaker fees, no per head speaker fees, due to the large number of participants. In 2006, the committee contracted with 2 vendors during the Tax Institute. The vendors paid the chapter a fee and set up exhibits. We plan to continue to work with vendors to provide additional income for the chapter.

Secondary Responsibilities:
The committee organizes the CPE Spectacular (Tax Update) in December of each year. The committee selects one speaker for this seminar. This is an event where we give back to our members by offering this 8-hour course for a minimal fee. The objective of this seminar is to breakeven.

Currently, we have Steve Tillinger booked for the 2007 and 2008 courses.

Notes: The committee will organize additional tax seminars when issues arise that chapter members need additional information. For example, the committee presented a Margin Tax Seminar in December 2006 which provided an in depth look at the tax.

Fees for both of the above events described were raised in 2005 so we plan to keep fees at their current levels for the next couple of years.

There are currently about 8 people on the Tax Committee.

Members in Industry and Government (MIGI)
The Tax Institute Committee organizes the 2-day, 16 CPE hours, MIGI Conference usually in October of each year. Initially, the committee decides which topics should be presented. The committee considers recommendations made on evaluations submitted by participants during previous MIGI’s and other current issues in selecting topics. After determining the topics to be presented, committee members determine the best speaker for each topic and contact these potential speakers. We are required to offer a 4-hour Ethics course every other year (even numbered years).

There are currently about 8 people on the MIGI Committee.

Membership
Committee Description:
- Promote membership in Chapter and State Society
- Lead Chapter in Society sponsored membership campaigns
- Arrange recognition of new members, student members and longtime membership accomplishments
- Recruit any new CPAs in our area
- Recruit any CPA who has been a member in the past but has dropped membership
- Encourage new members to get involved in a committee

Committee Commitments:

- Membership Award Presentation: August (Tax Institute)
1.) Get list from State Society of all members and sort by join date
2.) Arrange recognition of all CPA celebrating an anniversary of 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, and 50+ years of membership

- Student Membership Drive: Fall (August- September)
1.) Attend WT Accounting Club meeting
2.) Print flyers for area school and deliver or mail
3.) Compete in State Society sponsored campaign for most student members

- New CPA/ Old member Drive: October- November
1.) Get list from State Society of all new CPAs for last year in our area who have not joined- send them a letter
2.) Get list from State Society of all old member or CPAs in area who aren’t a member- send them a letter
3.) Compete in State Society sponsored campaign for most new members for a time period in Fall

- New member Presentation: February
1.) Get list from State Society of all new members
2.) Recognize them at Chapter meeting
3.) Invite and recognize WT accounting Club and student members of Chapter

Professional Ethics

1. Disseminate information regarding TSCPA's Code of Professional Ethics and recognized interpretations thereof, using all communications channels within the Chapter.

2. Serve as a communication link between chapter members and the state committee relative to ethics issues, including those arising from changes to professional standards.

Relations in Education
1. Our committee participated in the TSCPA ACE (Accounting Career Education) program this past year in the following areas:

We had the state mail letters, program brochures and speaker request forms to schools our chapter selected in the Chapter area, including junior high, high schools and WTAMU/AC.

Provided ACE materials such as career guides, iPACKS and giveaways when schools in our chapter’s area requested them.   Contacted AISD personnel by phone to promote the ACE program.

  Had the state mail a follow-up solicitation postcard at the beginning of the spring 2007 semester to the schools we previously selected earlier in the school year who have not yet requested ACE materials or a presentation.

We have not been as successful in getting into schools as we had hoped, however the May 15 AISD-sponsored event for high school juniors will be our best venue to speak to students. We hope to participate in future "Are You Ready for the Real World" events if this continues in coming years.   We will also be involved in much the same manner next year, with a panel of speaker volunteers willing to talk to students as requested.

2. The Relations with Education committee will participate in Ready for the Real World?, an AISD-sponsored event involving all high school juniors in the district. The event, held May 15 at the Amarillo Civic Center, will allow us to provide four 30-minute workshops on financial preparation for the future and accounting careers using the TSCPA 'Takin' Care of Business' material geared toward high school students. We hope to spark interest, answer questions and inspire some of these students to become CPA's.

3. February 6th, we met with low-income housing recipients, in conjunction with United Way's Tyler Street Resource Center, to teach three areas of financial literacy. The presentation, required by the participants, addressed budgeting, balancing a checkbook and savings. There were approximately 25-30 adults who took away information, resources and tools to help them prepare for a more stable financial future. Thanks to Jean Norrell for setting this up.

Scholarship
William J. Haggard Scholarship - $1,400 scholarship awarded to an outstanding WT accounting student based on interviews by the scholarship committee and coordinated with WT accounting professors. The accounting professor screens the applicants and presents a list of candidates to the committee. The committee interviews should be conducted in March of each year. The chapter pays $2.50/member each year to the WT Foundation Fund set up for the Haggard Scholarship. The chapter also pays the fund for memorials designated for scholarships.

Panhandle Chapter CPA Scholarship - $1,200 scholarship awarded to an outstanding WT accounting student based on interviews by the scholarship committee and coordinated with WT Accounting professors.

UIL Accounting Scholarships – Five scholarships of $500/year to the top five scorers of the District UIL accounting competition from the schools within the 25 counties that comprise the geographic area of the Panhandle Chapter of the TSCPA. A recipient can only receive the award once even if they are one of the top five scorers for more than one year during High School. The scholarships are renewable for up to 5 years as long as the following criteria are met:

Must be an accounting major
Maintain a 3.0 GPA
Enrolled with full time status
Renewable for 5 years
Must attend a Texas College or University (TILF requirement)

The Panhandle Chapter counties are:

Armstrong
Briscoe
Carson
Castro
Collingsworth
Dallam
Deaf Smith
Donley
Gray
Hall
Hansford
Hartley
Hemphill
Hutchinson
Lipscomb
Moore
Ochiltree
Oldham
Parmer
Potter
Randall
Roberts
Sherman
Swisher
Wheeler

Social and Sports
The social/sports committee should serve as a liaison between (and among) Chapter members and other professionals in the area for the purpose or organizing meaningful events that have both professional and social benefits. The trick has been finding the right event and the right timing to maximize interest!