Pack Dues

[saschuster]

How do all of you handle your pack dues and getting parents to pay? We have a very big hearted COR who is finally stepping back after years of putting someone as CC who would do as he said. Now I have taken over, we had a huge huge disagreement that involved me getting the pastor of the church and our DE involved and he is now stepping back. The damage he did was allowing parents to not pay their dues and now that we are well into our year, recharter is due, we are spending $80 each month on awards and money is very very low.

 

I sent an email breaking down where the money goes and what it pays for an have informed the parents who have not paid their does or made payments towards their dues, there will be no more awards for their scout until they make arrangements to pay or make payments and if they are not paid in full by the end of the year, there will be no badges or arrow of light for those crossing over until they are current on their dues.

 

Is this too harsh?? I can already hear several of them running to our COR letting him know how mean and unfair I am but we have parents who have paid in full and our big reward for our popcorn fundraiser was if you sell $500 or more, your dues are paid and we had several scouts who sold over $500 just for that reason.

 

I hate for the boys to suffer but I also don't think it's fair for the parents who have paid to foot the bill for awards for others especially when we are allowing them to make payments and pay late to help them out.

[The Blancmange]

 

I can already hear several of them running to our COR letting him know how mean and unfair I am

Let them. When the COR approaches you about the situation, you can offer the same explanation. If he does not view your approach as reasonable, explain that if the CO wants to subsidize the Pack, you can continue to allow people to selectively not pay. Tell him the CO then needs to write a check for $ XXX in order to balance the Pack bank account. He should also offer an explanation of this policy to the families who choose to pay and participate in fundraisers.

[dg98adams]

This really needs to go out in real mail/paper to ALL of your pack.

Email is just not 100% effective, like handing something to someone. Especially when they can realistically use the "did not see it/read it/get it" excuse.

 

You can do the same thing sealing it up in an envelope with the parents name on it to be picked up at the den/pack meeting. A smaller note about unpaid dues for specific parents could be included.

 

I know my Pack did it that way. The Troop I serve now does a yearly due (with a free month) if paid in Jan., or a schedule of payments per month.

 

As an ASM I don't know when which Scouts fall behind, as that' is delt with by SM and CC. We do have an "inactive list" for Scouts that drop off until recharter time.

 

Did you advocate this at your monthly committee/leader meetings?

(This message has been edited by dg98adams)

[ScoutNut]

If this has been going on for years, how has the Pack paid for all of it? Does your Pack have a set budget? How many Scouts are in the Pack? How much are your Pack dues? How much do you typically make on fundraisers?

 

Talk to your COR and see if the Charter Org might be willing to pay the re-charter fees for all members of it's Pack. Many councils have incentive programs where units can get free rank awards. I do not know if your council has something like that, but I would suggest the Pack pay for all rank awards regardless.

 

The Pack should have a firm policy on how many Academic and Sport belt loops/pins they will pay for per year.

 

You might consider a way for those families who are truly in need to get financial help. Some councils will have scholarships for different things.

 

All activities, and participation type patches, should be on a pay-as-you-go basis for those families who do not pay dues.

 

(This message has been edited by Scoutnut)

[saschuster]

This is something we mention at recruiting when the boys first join and it's something we mention at every pack meeting and the leaders are also reminding parents. The new parents aren't dragging their feet with this, its our returning parents who have been spoiled and been able to pay what they want, when they wanted. Now, I am stuck being the collection officer!

 

This has been able to happen for years because the COR will go to the church and ask for money when the pack runs out and I don't want to have that happen this year. They do so much for us as it is, I hate that they have been used as the packs personal bank account! We are given $200 to help families that need it with their dues and I split that up 4 ways to parents that I knew needed the help and hadn't been given a hand out year after year.

 

We have a very large pack this year, 70 boys and 25 leaders. We more than doubled in size this year because I recruited a new cubmaster and we apparently impressed the parents and recruited 45 new scouts.

 

Our dues are $100 a year. We try to do a few fundraisers, popcorn, of course, which brought us $2000 and then smaller stuff like yard sales and bake sales.

 

We had a problem last year with the boys getting 10 -15 belt loops in less than a year and I have stopped that by requiring documentation and talking with the scout if we didn't think the parents were being honest with us. Our awards were way way out of hand but we have gotten that under control but with 70 scouts and we are very active, our money for awards can be pretty high some months.

 

We had talked about doing the pay as you go and nixed that idea because we figured we wouldn't have any money for anything if we did that. The numbers work out, after recharter fees and a rough estimate for awards, we have about $25 per scouts and we use that for parties, trophies for the derby and regatta and misc.

 

[Scoutfish]

I am not a jerk..really, I'm not.

 

But sometimes, a little bit of sarcasm works where reason does not.

 

I'd compile a list of the parents who have not been paying - yet still reaping the benefits. Type them a letter saying something along the lines of :

 

" For a couple years now, you have enjoyed pack activities and events without paying for them.

 

Since a scout is:

 

Compassionate, he cooperates, is honest, has a positive attitude, is respectful, and is RESPONCIBLE....

 

We feel that you will have no problem taking your turn paying for not only your scout, but at least 4 others as well.

 

This is only fair as all your activities, awards and special occasions were paid for by others.

 

Please send a check for $....X... "

 

Yeah, those parents will be mad, outraged and calling you really fast. But what can they say?

 

Tell them you do not expect them to really pay for others, but it is not only expected they will pay for themselves, but it is required or they will not advance and will alos be promptly dropped from the roster at recharter time.

 

I have no problem supporting a scout who is financially unable to afford scouting, but this is a case of parents just trying to get around the rules...and balking and crying when they are caught.

 

Yeah, it sucks for the scouts themselves, but you will also notice that- "that" scout is not playing basketball, baseball, football or any other activitry by his parents avoiding dues and payments!

Scouting is a great and awesome youth activity, but it is not a right!

[John-in-KC]

Someone needs to say thank you and bless you to your COR. You need to have a business meeting with your IH and COR. Explain you are going to have to be the heavy here, and ask them (indeed, state you expect them) to back you.

 

Then: Be the heavy. No dues, we drop your boy forthwith. Period. If the parents choose to transfer after that, if they are in arrears, tell them: Gee, your records are not available. You'll have to ask the new unit to get a ScoutNet dump on your kid.

 

Then, make it a continuity point for the future that dues are to be paid on time, and that dues are a condition of membership.

 

Now, in saying this, I presume you and the CM know who can afford to pay, and is slacking, and who needs assistance. Work with those who need assistance.(This message has been edited by John-in-Kc)

[Pack212Scouter]

Our Pack has a scholarship fund for those in need, however as far as dues, we have a specific policy. If they need a Scholarship, we cover it (I know not all Packs are able to do this). If they just are not paying, then we give them until after the conclusion of Popcorn sales (End of Oct) to pay their dues, that way they can use popcorn income (Scout gets 25% of the gross that he sells, they are also required to sell if they are scholarshipped). If they are not payed after that, they do not get Nov/Dec awards and we don't recharter them in January. We make sure not to shock them though. Come Nov they get an "account statement" showing what is owed.

[saschuster]

Thanks for all of your suggestions!

 

The email I sent yesterday hit a cord with a lot of our parents and I was able to collect around $1400 last night in dues...wow!! The others I will definitely be sending a letter to them as suggested and let them know this is it! Scoutfish - I like your letter, it's perfect for the group I have!! If you ever more to Georgia, let me know, you and my cub master would be awesome together

 

My COR is really a good person, has been with this pack for over 10 years and he wants to do the right thing but he has hurt some of these people more than he has helped them. When the parents are walking around with $400 cell phones and buying $1500 clubhouse's for their kids, they don't need our help, they need an intervention. We do have some single mothers and grandmothers raising their boys and those are the ones I would like to help!

 

Thanks again for your suggestions!!