Camp budgets

[Twocubdad]

This relates to a minor dust up I'm involved in locally, but for those of you in a position to know, how much does you council underwrite the cost of summer camp? Eamonn mentioned in another thread that camp cost each Scout $160 per week, which is the same we pay here. Does that cover the operating cost of the camp? Does it turn a profit or carry a loss?

 

I'm not talking about capital cost or on-going maintenance or probably even the ranger's salary (which I'm sure far exceeds the income from camp fees) but only the direct cost of operating the camp program for the summer. I would think it would include things like staff salaries, food, program supplies, training and such.

[Eamonn]

There should be a copy of the Camp Budget in the Council Service Center.

The District Camping Chair Should be able to ask for a copy.

Most camp budgets will show that the camp has made a slight profit.

This is due to not taking into account the things that you mention.

While program supplies will be a budget item, new tents will not be.

While Camp Staff salaries will be a budget item, the Program Director who is at camp all summer, will not be listed.

I don't know how it works in other Councils.This is our first year with a full time Program Director, so I don't know if the camp budget will become his responsibility or not?

What I think has happened in the past is that the Scout Exec. has to prepare a budget to present to the Board. Everyone thinks that whatever they are involved in deserves special attention or more money. When I was Training Chairman, Training was the most important thing in all of Scouting. Training Chairman was not a board member position, we came under program. I would send lists to the Vice-President of program, I would bend the ear of other board members. I never got anything. Writing the budget for a Scout Council can not be an easy task. Some costs are going to go up and they let you know how much. The Health insurance people do let you know in advance that that cost is going up and what the rate will be next year. Most utility companies only get to raise what they charge once a year.But a lot of the budget is at best an educated guesstimate.

I wonder how often the guesstimate is just a percentage that is added without very much thought or investigation. This only comes to light when something goes very wrong or very right.

I know that I am shocked at how little control there is in our Council when it comes to buying things. There is no system what so ever. A little while back the SE asked one of the volunteer workers to change a lock. The guy went and spent $1,200 on special locks that only some place 3 states away could make keys. The SE thought the guy would buy a $15.00 lock. There is no purchase orders or anything. Where did the $1,200 get posted too? The locks were at camp. Is this in the maintenance budget? The properties committee budget?

Some time last year we ran out of money. Everyone was informed that they were not to buy anything. Some of the volunteers who do work up at camp just couldn't understand it. They had things that needed to be done.

What the heck was "The Old Man" doing how could we run out of money.

I didn't have the heart to tell them that we run out of money every year. We have a line of credit at the bank and there have been years when we have had to borrow money from the endowment fund. Once the popcorn money starts to come in things pick up.

Eamonn.

[SR540Beaver]

I have a feeling that most scout camps operate on a shoestring budget and break even at best. The gentleman who was supposed to run the first aid station at summer camp ended up getting sick himself and had to make several trips home to see his doctor. Our troop had a surgical nurse and an Air Force Battlefield Medical Technician who were pressed into service when this man had to leave. They were shocked at the lack of medical supplies available and talked to the Camp Director. He informed them that he had been budgeted $200 for supplies for 6 weeks of camp. They were running low by the middle of the first week. What I find odd is that our Council has a good number of "medical" people who could get 10 times what we had at camp donated, but no one thought to ask or coordinate it.