Personal Accounts for Webelos

[khorn]

Our Committee decided that to better prepare our Webelos for crossing over to Boy Scouts that we would start educating the parents and scouts how the Troop operates and how the scouts and parents become financially responsible for many of the activities that the Troop does.

 

The Troop has Personal Accounts for their boys and we are considering doing the same for our Webelos. The money they earn, as Webelos, would then go with them when they cross over.

 

In the Pack we pay 100% of the cost for summer camp as well as portions of other Pack activities so our parents are accustomed to these policies. Our Troop is very active and we felt that sending some money along with our boys would help get them off on the right foot and relieve some of the financial stress on the parents. Once the boys participate in some Troop fundraisers and start putting some cash in their personal Troop accounts that financial strain begins to be reduced. Unfortunately at they crossover they start with a zero balance and may not have the funds to participate in a Troop Activity.

 

First question, does anyone send money with their Webelos to help them get off on the right foot in the Troop?

 

Second question, whats the best way to set up these accounts? I read all the posts about accounts for Boy Scouts but my concern about giving 100% of the profits that a boy earns is how it will affect the Pack. What about the Scout that really doesnt sell much?

 

We use our fundraisers to pay the way for all the kids to the various activities we do. If we start giving away large amounts of our profit to Webelos Accounts we may not be able to offer as many activities or the quality of those activities may suffer.

 

Would it be better to offer a lump sum amount to each boy? This amount can easily be budgeted for and would make it easier to plan the yearly fundraisers and activities.

 

 

 

[molscouter]

The troop I serve has 2 fundraisers. We sell popcorn and dining tour books. The boys get 70% of the troop's profit off their individual sales for their "camp" fund. If a scout doesn't sell much, he doesn't get much. We've had boys pay for a Philmont Trek and Jamboree with their camp fund.

 

This year the Webelos who will be joining us come Feb-Mar asked if they could sell the dining tour books to get started on their camp fund so they could start to pay for summer camp. We agreed. Their popcorn sales will remain with the pack, since that is the only fundraiser the pack has. It's new for us this year, no one really ever thought about it before. If they don't come join us, the troop gets 100% of the profit.

 

Perhaps splitting 50-50 would be the way to go. The pack would get something and the boys would get something. Most troop activities don't cost all that much. They won't need a lot of cash. Summer camp is the biggest expense, and most councils will offer camperships to needy families, which usually amount to 50% of the cost. The big ticket items I mentioned above come much later in his scouting career.

[ScoutNut]

I would not deplete the Pack's account just to give money to the Webelos. They are still Cub Scouts and should still be "helping the Pack go".

 

Simply giving them a lump sum teaches the Webelos nothing. You want to give them a taste of Scout Accounts & the opportunity to have some funds to take with them into a Troop. The key word here is "opportunity". What, if anything, they make of it should be up to them, as it will be when they are in a BS Troop.

 

Plan a separate fundraiser earmarked just for the Webelos Scout Accounts. That way you are not taking money away from the Pack. If the boys participate, & make some money to take with them, great! If they choose not to participate, then it is their decision & they will not have anything in their account.

 

I would also do the fundraiser in the month before they are scheduled to cross into a Troop (Jan or Feb?). That way it will not interfere with the Pack's fundraising & they will not be tempted to use the money before they cross over.

[infoscouter]

Our pack has Scout accounts for all levels. Our Webelos, if active fundraising participants, all cross over with money to take to the troops they join. One thing to make very clear, if accounts are new to your parents, that the money stays with the pack if a boy doesn't join the troop. This is money raised for Scouting, not cash they can walk away with.

 

Currently, this is how money is allocated in our pack. The first $115 of profit raised by any Scout goes to the pack (approx $350 in sales). Anything over that, 50% goes to the pack, 35% to the Scout account, and 15% to an account for the Scout's den.

[SweetScout]

We also have individual scout accounts for all levels. We do 2 yearly fundraisers, popcorn and candybars/beefsticks. The profit from the first $90 in sales goes to the Pack, 100% of the profit after that goes to the Scout and can be used for any scout expense, including camp, scout store purchases (reimbursed when they turn in a receipt), uniforms, activity fees, recharter fees, den dues. They take all the money in their account when they cross over, if they don't cross over, it stays in the Pack.

[northlandscouter]

Our Pack has been doing scout accounts for the past couple of years. We do it for all levels and really like it.

 

We figure a budget and then set dues amounts. This year Tiger Cub dues are $30 and all others are $50. Based upon the number of scouts we have these amounts will fund our operation for most of the year. Our main fall fundraiser is popcorn and cookie dough. Say a Bear scout sells enough popcorn to generate $100 in profit, we take the dues amount from that and the rest goes into his scout account. That account goes for camps and other special things the pack does not pay for. He can build this account up over his entire time with the Pack.

 

When the Webelos II crosses over, we cut a check to the Troop he will be attending. Also, if a scout leaves and goes to another Pack we forward a check to the receiving pack. The money is technically still "Pack money" but has been allocated to his account. The only time the scout does not have access to it is when they leave and do not continue in scouting.

 

The best way we have found to track this is by using PackLedger. It is not an easy program to get used to at first as it is very close to a true accounting program - Quicken or MS Money are easier - but it is already set up with this and other helpful features.