new pac help

[bear dad]

Hello, need some help from all you experts, real quick.

We are starting a new pac at school, wife is C.Chair as well as popcorn person, I am going to Bears DL have all the DL's expect for wolves. We are still trying to get people to help as always.

Here is where we need help, we have not had or first den meeting yet and popcorn orders are due in a few weeks, so we need to kind of need a "ideal" of what the "basics" are to include for to set up dues fees?

Also how do we need to set up a the checking account for our new pac, what type of info do you use on the face of the checks, i.e. BSA doing DBA as Pack#?

 

Have some more questions later, thanks for the help, Bear Dad

[raisinemright]

First, Congratulations and thanks for stepping up.

 

Rule one-Have fun and make it fun.

 

Dues are minumum $15 for registration and $12 for Boys Life. Since you're new and have no money for operations, i would add a few bucks to that to get you off the ground.

 

My pack is self chartered, but I think if you have a charter organization, you can use their tax ID number.

 

Our checks just say Friends of Pack ####

 

Get yourself and your DL's and other leaders trained ASAP. Maybe visit another local pack and see how they do stuff. Ask other local scouts, even boy scout leaders, most of whom were cub leaders in the past. Some of us lead both because of our kids.

 

Expect a few hiccups and roll with 'em.

[Sephrina]

My pack charges dues based on the age level of the boy. This year they range from $102 for Webelos 2 to $175 for Webelos 1 with the other levels falling somewhere in between. The dues include registration, boys life, awards, pinewood derby, awards, den supplies, and generally the book for the next level. They do not include day camp, but if the pack has funds they may pay for part, or council activities, it also did not include our spring campout last year, and I expect it to be the same this year. At the location the committee chose, each family paid for their own site and costs for swimming.

 

We do two fundraisers in the fall, popcorn and wreaths. The proceeds for each individual boy are credited toward his dues, so it is possible to fund raise the entire amount.

 

We also do a yard sale in the spring, with the proceeds from the yard sale going toward the dues for the following year, with any concession sales (we had muffins, donuts, coffee, and ice cream this past spring) going to the pack's general fund.

 

If a scout fund raises more than his dues for the current year, the additional funds are credited to his account for use on council events the pack participates in, council camps, or toward the dues for the next year.

[bear dad]

Thanks for the suggestions, I have been talking to a another C.M. for some insight he has helped. he even told me that we could use the track they have for the PWD sine we are just getting started. he said thats what we are about helping one another. He even gave me some tips on how to get checking account set up.

 

We are still need a treasuer at this point and a Wolves DL, has 2 people say they be willing to be a ASST DL, but not the main person.Like everything else, everyone wants some one else do step up. We have that problem in church, people wonder why things get done a certain way or should did this or that, but where was you we ask for help or insight? Okay enough of the soap box blues.

 

Guess I want to get this going before boys or parents loose interest, we have not even had any den meetings yet, pop corn orders due in 3 wks, think people may start to wonder about things. Most of leaders have been basic training on line done, we are having training blitz on OCT 3rd for the rest.

Guess I don't know why it is taking so long to get going??

Think we have a ideal of dues issue when the committee meets and discusses all that stuff. please keep ideals coming use all the help we can get thanks Bear Dad

[ScoutNut]

Your wife (CC) might find these resources on the BSA National site helpful -

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/CubScouts/Leaders/PackPlanningResources.aspx

 

Pay particular attention to the "Planning Your Ideal Year of Cub Scouting", and "Pack Budget Template".

 

Your Pack is owned by your Charter Organization (CO). The CC should contact your Charter Organization Representative (COR) as to how they want the checking account set up. Usually they will have the name of the CO, then the Pack number (Whoville School PTO - Cub Scout Pack 1234) and use the CO's tax ID number, with the head of the CO, and/or the COR, named on the account, along with the Pack CC, Treasurer, and sometimes the Cubmaster (CM).

 

Your wife (CC) and the Cubmaster (CM) need to start working together to get the Pack and the dens moving. This is their job. Yours is to start holding meetings with your Bear den NOW!

 

Get together with your other Bear leaders. Sit down with the council & Pack calendars, and the Bear Handbook, and plan your year (or at least the next 3 months). Part of that planning process is to decide how much you want to charge for den dues. If your Pack has a central meeting place, with storage, everyone might be able to share basic supplies. If not, you will need to start collecting stuff like paper, crayons, glue, etc. Get your Bear families to pitch in with stuff from home.

 

[bear dad]

Okay thanks, One question though is it okay to start meetings if we as a pac have not been offically approved? meaning all the paper work that the DE is sending off hs not been done yet? And that we are short people to fill the spot that we still need?

[ScoutNut]

You can't do anything until your Pack has a Charter. Without that you are not yet a Pack.

 

What "paperwork" has not been done?

 

Are you talking about the Charter paperwork not being signed and paid for by your Charter Organization?

 

I really don't understand how you got to this point without having a Charter Organization. That is usually one of the FIRST things that is done.

 

Are you saying that the youth have not all turned in paid registrations to the CC?

 

Are you saying that there are prospective leaders who have not turned in paid registrations to the CC?

 

 

[bear dad]

maybe this will help. We have a charter rep, it is the school at this point, but a local church is going to be the new one, meaning that is where are to going to have our pack meetings, etc..

Some of the leaders have not paid and turned in applications yet, trying to get those turned into the DE. Which the DE has turned in the paper work yet, maybe he is waiting on the CO payment or??

My problem which is only me, is that if all that has not been done why have boys pay to join and not doing anything yet? what I see is some parents getting upset and pulling boys out, saying if that can't get together than.... again this only my view and only mine.

As far as boys paying, not sure who has or has not?

Just don't want the boys loose interest till we get it going.

[meschen]

A couple things to consider:

 

Cost of awards - becuase of the cost of belt loops and Webelos activity badges I budget $20 / Scout a year.

PWD kits are not the all-in costs to build cars. With trophies, wieghts and incidentals, we budget $10 / Scout. Do you have a place to run your Derby? Even if the track is free many tracks require a flat, indoor location to work properly.

How much do you need for Blue and Gold decorations?

Have you budgeted for a US and Pack flags and stands?

Do you have a place to meet that doesn't charge?

 

Our basic costs is $95, before Den dues.

 

 

 

[Melgamatic]

$175 a year?? $95 a year?? Wow, I am surprised.

 

Our dues are $50, which includes registration, Boys Life, Pinewood Derby car and all the awards the kid can earn. We also have professionals come in for 2-3 pack meetings a year (science guys, reptiles, wolves, magician, etc), and we'll include catered meals at "campouts" if we have too many people.

 

I figure it costs us around $125 each to cover this, but we make the $75 difference up in popcorn without a problem. Averaging just $200 or so per scout gets us there.

 

I am in a very affluent area (although the pack actually has a number of "scholarship" cubs where we cover all or part of their expenses), but I think I'd have a very much smaller pack if I charged that much.

 

I know that sports can be much more expensive, and that $175 for a season of baseball or soccer is probably average, but we just don't seem to have that with scouting!

 

[bear dad]

That is about what I figure it will take a least $50 per scout for the basics, than can use money they earn to help pay for this or camps etc.. But committee still has to come up with a cost still.

[Sephrina]

Melgamatic,

 

Our committee sets the dues higher, but lets the boys fundraise so the parents have a choice to participate in fundraisers or pay the dues themselves. Our dues have been going down. When I checked the pack out for my son's tiger year, the tiger dues were over $200, but included several council events. We ultimately chose a different pack for his tiger year with dues of $5.00 per month. The choice had nothing to do with the dues. We had friends in the other pack and my son did what I required to earn the choice of packs.

 

Karen

[meschen]

Melgamatic,

 

I can see an established Pack with an expierenced Popcorn Kernal raising $70 per Scout. I think a new Pack without any popcorn expience will be inviting trouble if they rely heavily on fundraising during year one.

 

 

[Melgamatic]

I think a new pack is also going to have a hard time getting their pack to grow if the fees are too high. Maybe you can slide into that, but starting that high is going to be rough.

 

$70 per scout popcorn profit is only around $180 of sales. $200 can be done by selling 10 units of $15 microwave popcorn and two $25 popcorn for the troops. Parents buy one, grandparents buy one, one neighbor buys one, you're 20% there.

 

We get far more than this, honestly without an experienced colonel/kernel, because we just explain to the parents that the reason dues are $50 instead of $125 because of the sales. They understand and help push it along.