how does your pack handle this

[Lisabob]

Going back to Jeff's original issue, I think part of the problem is the dues that the pack is charging. I understand trying to keep things reasonable but $10 for the year means the pack gets nothing and the entire dues goes to national.

 

If you're trying to save the families money and/or are worried about some families not being able to afford more, ask yourself whether those same families are the ones who don't typically make their sales "quota"? Because I know that if I'm trying to squeeze my paycheck, about the last thing I want is to buy a tin of over-priced boyscout popcorn, the cheapest of which is $7 or $8 and which only gives a couple of dollars to the pack. I'd rather just pay an extra $5-$10 in dues! (Don't get me wrong, I understand where the money from the popcorn goes, I support the popcorn sale, etc., I'm just thinking about it purely from the perspective of my occasionally anemic wallet.)

 

Also, a lot of "working poor" and struggling families do not have either the time or the socio-economic network to support their kid going door to door to sell a whole bunch of popcorn, because they're working two-three jobs and/or they are single parents with little family support. Not saying this is true for all people in those positions, but in my experience it is more common than not.

 

And by the way, to earn the pack about $50 will require a boy to sell approximately $150 of popcorn. That's not bad if a boy has neighbors and relatives who can each buy some, but it is more problematic if a family doesn't have a local network who can afford to do that. And if a kid can't get rid of $50 worth of $1 candy bars, I doubt they're going to sell $150 of popcorn either.

 

So - your pack is chronically short on money and about half of the folks aren't meeting the sales quota. Ok, raise dues a little bit, say $10 per family, and you've already gone a good way toward solving your problem. That's still not the $50/family you had hoped for, but then some families will sell a lot more popcorn than "required" so it should balance out.

 

And $20 for a year's worth of activity is still a real deal. Make sure families understand where their money is going when they pay dues, too.

 

If you're worried about people not being able to afford an extra $10, you can either let them pay it $1 a week (den dues) or in $5 installments or whatever works best for you/them, or you can offer scouterships (is that the word I want?) to those who need it, TBD by your pack committee upon request from a family.

 

 

[JeffD]

heres an update for all (who care )

 

we are selling popcorn this year. since it is our first year doing so - and we met other requirements - we qualify for the 50% commission.

 

we are looking at some additional incentive prizes to help motivate some kids to participate more in the fund raiser - think bike from walmart or something similar

 

participation in the fund raiser is not required and our pack fee is set at an amount to cover (hopefully) everything for the scout per year (awards - derby - rockets etc...) - its $25

 

theres no min. amount to sell and no buy out option - but this goes back to the prizes and/or incentives.

 

those that dont sell squat - well we will just have to make sure they are in the vast MINORITY. i agree with lisabob that our problem has been in participation. it has also been fairly stagnant (imho) to new ideas and creative thinking. this is something a couple of the newer leaders and i are working on.

 

any other suggestions?

[evmori]

any other suggestions?

 

Don''t over charge for awards.

 

Actually, don''t charge at all! That should have been figured into your Pack budget before you set the $25 annual fee.

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10

[JeffD]

Ed - what i think you are missing is the fact that the scouts are being charged by either way this is done. its just a matter of how you perform the accounting of it all.

 

previous method - boys life and prorated bsa dues at beginning of the year - scout does not participate in any fund raising to help the pack and buys award for $2. i already know your feelings on this one.

 

currently stated method - $25 pack fee at the beginning of the year - after all of the other expenses for the scout (boys life and prorated bsa dues) there is a certain amount to work with for awards after other known expenses. lets say its $10 from the amount allotted for awards and recognition. so if a scout earns their rank for the year, and nothing else, they just paid $10 for a $1.50 patch. did we then overcharge them by $8.50? it could easily be inferred that the pack ''profited'' by $8.50 from the scout. but, since its given at the beginning of the year in the form of pack dues, its okay?

[JeffD]

and for arguments sake - all of the fund raising money goes towards scout events like camping, blue/gold, rocket launch etc etc etc

[evmori]

JeffD,

 

If an award cost $2 charge everyone $2. Don''t charge those who don''t participate in the fund raiser $2.05.

 

If you have annual dues that are the same for everyone, this should include the cost of awards. If it doesn''t you should redo your Pack budget & figure it in. And if they are the same for everyone, that's fair. What is not fair is charging more to one Cub than another.

 

 

Ed Mori

1 Peter 4:10(This message has been edited by evmori)

[jens3sons]

JeffD,

 

It is a little more work for our popcorn kernel, but we also do a raffle of a boom box (in the past we look for a cheap one, about $25.00-$30.00, that looks cool). The boys still earn their prizes that are given by Trail''s End, but for every $25.00 that they sell they get another "ticket" in the hat. The more they sell, the more chances they have to win the boom box. There was talk of changing out the raffle prize this year, and the committee shot it down, as the boys so want that boom box! We have the boom box bought prior to the September pack meeting and we show it to the boys at that meeting, and then again for the October one. When the Trail''s End prizes are handed out in either November or December (depending on when we get the prizes from Trail''s End) that is the last order of business for giving out the prizes.