Who Conducts Wood/Cedar Badge Training? A Volunteer or?

[LongHaul]

dan, Don't know which part of Illinois your from but up here in Chicago Area Council we are told in no uncertain terms that staff must pay their own way. A budget is required and it must show that the participants are not being charged for staff food or materials. This is for WB NYLT or any other official training. We are also told to include a 10% to 15% "cushion" in our fees to accommodate unforeseen expenses. Going in the red is very bad.  So having money left over can be seen as the goal. 

LH

[dan]

Longhaul

I am to the West of you.

If we had to charge youth staff to be on staff, I am pretty sure we would lose half of the staff. Paying for some food I can see, but if someone is willing to give the time to staff I think there food should come from the budget, not out of there pockets, BUT materials, that is the second biggest item in out budget and should not come out of the staffers pockets.

The goal should be to break even, I know going into the red is bad, but a training course should not be looked at as a money making opportunity.

[LongHaul]

I should have written that to read "staff food or staff materials" Yes materials is #2 in terms of largest expenditure. Most courses include a hat or a backpack or a tote bag or something. They include camp rental fees if any and at the end beads or cubes or patches or some form of recognition. If the staff is getting anything they need to pay for it not the participants. I'm not saying that I advocate that just that it is what we are told when we are doing our budget.

LH

[Eamonn]

Joni4TA

It seems to me that most of what you asked has been answered.

Most Councils are happy to see trainings break even. Some SE's do get a little testy when things lose money.

The Course Director does have some say in what the money will be spent on.

When I was CD we charged $200.00.

The course started at 0800 on two Fridays and ended about 1600 on two Sundays. (Some people opted to come in on the Thursday and sleep over, we did provide them with breakfast.)

With all the "Fuss" that can arise from who wears what hat or cap. I decided that we would have a ball-cap that everyone would wear. We also provided everyone with two course t-shirts. To be honest I never thought of these as being fluff!! Having owned a couple of bars I had/still have a great collection of shirts that have beer ads all over them. Nothing wrong with the shirts! But not really the thing to wear to a Scouting event. (Yes I have seen a Scouter wearing a shirt with a marijuana plant and the slogan this buds for you at a Boy Scout Camp)

We had a full course, which did make not going over budget not so hard.

In fact we made money from the sale of photos and the sale of a CD that I made with music from the course and more photos of the participants. Other courses I have been on have sold other items, mainly mugs and patches.Of course not knowing who will want this stuff and how it will sell makes it hard to include in the budget.

Our Council does not have any sort of fund that are made available to help leaders (Adults) pay for training.

Back when I was Cubmaster I did get the Pack Committee to agree to pay for all leader training. Unfortunately when it came to Wood Badge seven leaders from the pack signed up. Of course there was no way the Pack was going to fork over $1,400.00!!

Two of the leaders were husband and wife and they had four kids (All Boys and all in Scouts) Them and a couple of others who were living on some kind of a fixed income (Social Security?) did manage to attend, we used the money from the "Lost Deposits" to help reduce the cost.

If that money hadn't been available plan "B" was that I'd ask if the funds be made available from the Golf outing that I organized for the Council.

The big thing about helping people is knowing that they need help! It really helps if they can have a quiet word in the CD's ear. Most times there are ways of making it happen without any fuss or any sort of embarrassments.

I know that my big worry about the course I was Director for, was making sure we had enough participants, I was far more worried about the course being canceled than the money!!

Take my word for it I was going to find the money that would get anyone and everyone who wanted to attend.

[emb021]

"Don't know which part of Illinois your from but up here in Chicago Area Council we are told in no uncertain terms that staff must pay their own way. A budget is required and it must show that the participants are not being charged for staff food or materials. This is for WB NYLT or any other official training. We are also told to include a 10% to 15% "cushion" in our fees to accommodate unforeseen expenses. Going in the red is very bad. So having money left over can be seen as the goal. "

 

What you state is pretty standard for all scouting courses everywhere.

 

We are expected to have a budget for any training course, even for a 4-5 hour one. Staff always pays to cover their expenses, and the 10-15% contingency fee is usually mandated by all councils.

 

Most CDs prefer to break even, to keep the fees low for the participants, then to make money for the council.

 

 

[Eamonn]

"and the 10-15% contingency fee is usually mandated by all councils. "

To date we don't have such a thing!!

Somehow I kinda think it wouldn't go over very well in our area!!

It would be as well received as that nasty tax that Alexander Hamilton, put on whiskey back in 1791.

Eamonn.