A look into SENSE’s treasury

Written by: Curtis Barrett
Published: 16 December 2024

I’ve been a SENSE member since 2011 (has it really been that long?) and in that time I served on the Executive Committee (EC) as Programme Secretary (what is now the SIG and Social Events Coordinator), as well as convener of the SenseMed SIG and chair of the Mentoring Committee.

Three years ago I was approached to serve on the EC again, this time as Treasurer. I must admit my first reaction was ‘No way; I’m not a finance guy, and I don’t know a balance sheet from a dryer sheet!’ But after letting it simmer in the back of my mind for a while, I then thought ‘Why not?’ After all, I’ve been doing my own (admittedly simple) books for years, using an Excel file I created, and it’s really nothing more than adding and subtracting numbers. You start the year with €x in the bank, you bring in €y and spend €z, and you’re left with… what comes after ‘z’?

So I decided to go for it, and I’m so glad I did! My first order of business was to make life so much easier for the Treasurer (i.e. me!) by signing up SENSE with an online bookkeeping program, e-Boekhouden.nl. I was then able to create a series of ledger accounts for our various activities (membership dues, events, etc.), and I linked the program to SENSE’s bank account. So, now everything is nearly foolproof, as each transaction in the bank account gets imported to the bookkeeping program, and I just need to assign it to the proper ledger column. And with just the click of my mouse, I can see a complete summary of our finances, export the balance sheet, profit & loss statement, etc.

By serving as SENSE’s Treasurer, I’m in the unique position of having an overview of our finances, and I get to work closely with the rest of the EC, our Team Leaders, and SIG conveners in deciding how SENSE spends its money (it’s made me quite popular in the Society!). Plus, I’ve learnt so much about finances (yes, I now know the difference between a balance sheet and a dryer sheet), and it’s helped me better organize and maintain my own books.

Although my experience has been hugely rewarding, a term on the EC is three years, and I decided it’s time to pass on the Treasurer’s baton at the next AGM in March 2025. So I’m hoping one of my fellow SENSE members is interested in taking over. Are you that person? If so, please contact me at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. I also wrote a description of the Treasurer’s responsibilities; you can read this description, and read about other volunteering opportunities, here.