How do you pay for Round Table

[infoscouter]

Councils use financial recording systems which are generally divided by categories which broadly align with the council's overall budget. So the general ledger system will have line items for X District -- Activities, which is then subdivided by the activity name - Fall Camporee, Klondike, Spring Camporee, (sometimes) Cub Scout day camp (that can also live in Camping)- District Dinner. Similarly there's a line item for Training, subdivided by IOLS, WLOT, BALOO, basic training, etc. Those code numbers you put in budgets or write on checks represent the General Ledger account that the monies flow into and out of.

 

All the money is the council's. It lives in the council's bank accounts and is allocated to the various activities by the event chairs when they write the budgets, subject to council approval.

 

In some councils, if an activity generates a surplus, that surplus then lives in the line item for "X District -- activities" or "Y district -- Training", can subsidize other events of that category. In other councils, any surplus moves back up the ledger to the general fund.

 

**Sometimes** DEs or Field Directors have the discretion to move money around between funds, issue purchase orders (up to certain dollar amounts), spend money of Roundtable, etc. All districts are required to "zero out" their accounts at the end of the year i.e. move any surplus or loss back up to the general fund.

 

Different councils do this differently. Financial controls are tighter or looser based on how well employees respect their spending authority, the personality of the Finance director and his/her philosophy about fund accounts, the pressure the Scout Executive feels to keep the budget down or make their FOS goals.

[Papadaddy]

When I was attending CSRT back in the 80's, we would pay like 50 cents at the sign-in table. That was to cover costs of handouts and refreshments, but I'm sure a lot of it was donated by staff. The nice grandmother-types running the program, had a garage full of craft supplies that they collected over the years. I would imagine a fair price of admission would be 1.00-1.50 now. When I was District Training Chair, we would have to charge the fee dictated by Council, usually ten bucks or so. The attendees sent their check in to Council, and I never saw a dime of it. Had to make my own handouts, which I usually was able to do at work or at Kinko's.

[ForTheBoys]

Hi Ohanadad, good question - thank you for asking. I am a Cub Scout RT Commissioner and I have been guilty of making small purchases out of pocket. We like to use the Cub Scout posters (Law of the Pack, Motto, etc) as part of the RT opening and then give the posters to a first time attender. We also do random drawings and occasionally hold craft teaching classes (leather work, making AOL arrows, etc.) I'm always asking the DE for anything for the drawings and have occasionally scored some great items like left over shirts or water bottles from recent functions. Last year he found 2 fleeces that I think were from the golf tournament.

 

To offset some of the costs we put a donation box out by the sign in sheets. We emphasize that it is totally voluntary. Then I look for the sale items at the Scout Store.

 

Hope that helps.

[Ohanadad]

Thanks for all the input. A lot of good ideas. I wish we had a district website to post things (it's in works). I've eliminated making handouts because we never have the right amount, either too many or too few. I've resorted to scanning and emailing handouts, flyers, my presentation slides, etc. I wish my district had a dedicated screen and projector so I would have to borrow from friends and work all the time (on the district wish list). I got mixed feelings about the crafts part. Yes, I could make just one, but the craft making is an opportunity to get the attendees off their rumps and make something that they can show back at their packs. We'll see, maybe I can squeeze some funds from the DE.