Recharter Issues

[fred8033]

September dues are the way to go. Fully agree with momof2cubs and MarinesWife.

 

Families expect to pay at the start of the school year and recruitment happens in September. As such, we get everyone to pay dues all at once and then be done with it. It's just not realistic to expect people to step forward and pay after the year has started. And it's too much for volunteers to chase funds later in the year.

 

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SeattlePioneer - I sympathize with your challenge.

 

Our troop used to discount dues based on fundraising and other things. But it got to be too much work and too hard to explain. And financially, it was almost a wash with the simple way we are doing it now.

 

Now each scout gets a higher portion of fundraising profits. Right now 80%. We are aiming for 100% profit to the scouts. Our goal is to keep the troop spending within the annual dues. I think we are already there. Now, it's just a matter of good financial discipline to prove that.

 

We treat everything as adjustments to scout accounts. Each scout account looks something like this.

 

 

Date Charge Balance

9/1/2011 ........ $ 10 Starting balance as of 9/1/2011

9/1/2011 $ -75 $ -65 Annual dues of $75

10/01/2011 $ -30 $ -95 Camp - District camporee

10/01/2011 $ 30 $ -65 Camp - Payment

10/30/2011 $ -200 $-265 Fundraising - Sales total

11/30/2011 $ 200 $ -65 Fundraising - Collected funds

11/30/2011 $ 72 $ 7 Fundraising - Share of profits

 

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SeattlePioneer wrote: "The real key is understanding that it's not especially important for a Scout to be re registered as part of the rechartering process."

 

Ummm... that depends. I'm not 100% sure of your point. If they are not on the rechartering paperwork, they are technically not scouts. The key issue is if they are not registered they are explicitly "not active" and can't receive advancement. You can still give them stuff, but it would be unofficial. It could be an issue if they ever need clean records for an Eagle application or Arrow of Light award.

[frankpalazzi]

Our Pack's situation is a little different, as our recharter is due at the end of March. We fund the Pack through dues ($7/month) and popcorn sales. We offer a discount incentive of $10 if the parent pays the entire year's dues up front; so, $60 squares that. I was surprised how many took us up on the offer! A majority of the projected dues income was paid before October 1st! Dues collection had always been a problem in the past, and this way it was better to get most of it than to get very little. We also instituted the old "dues envelope" system for the Den Leaders to accomodate those who wish to pay monthly. The old brown envelopes are almost impossible to get from the Scout Shop, so we just make our own! Seems to work for us! CM and CC didn't realize that this is how the Pack did it ages ago! They thought the envelope system was a "new" idea! But humble old me refused to take credit.