"fair share" method of credits

[brendaeakins]

We are considering a new method of distributing profits from fundraisers. Has anyone done something similar? What do you think of this idea?

 

The treasurer determines the budget for the next year. Suppose it amounts to $100 per scout. We would have a couple of designated troop fundraisers that we would expect to generat $35 per scout. That leaves $65 that the scout would be expected to come up with. $20 is collected for dues. That leaves $45. Of the remaining 4 or 5 fundraisers, any profit up to $45 would be put in the troop account. Any profit above $45 on any combination of the fundraisers would be put into the scout's account. This would mean that no scout contributes more than $100 per person. Of course that $100 amount could be changed each year depending on the needs of the troop.

 

What's your thoughts? Do you think national would have any problem with this method?

 

 

[Bob White]

That is basically the system that has been used in any unit I have been associated with.

BW

[evmori]

Not a bad idea. We use fundraiser so the Scouts can earn money to help pay for summer camp. They pay monthly dues plus the cost of the annual registration.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[dsteele]

Welcome to the forums!

 

National doesn't have a problem with the way you're proposing.

 

If you'd like an excellent resource (granted it's tilted toward popcorn) for program planning and budgeting as well as computer management of Scout Accounts for you -- go to www.trails-end.com and look for the Ideal Year of Scouting page. You can create users and passwords and set up your unit to where you can plug in your program for the year, costs, dues, etc. and it will calculate how much money each Scout needs to make in fundraisers (it will say popcorn, but I'm pretty sure you can use other fundraisers if you want) they need to come up with to pay for their entire program year. It will also allow you to set up and manage Scout accounts which the boys can check online to see their balances.

 

Their first names are never published . . . but the last I looked, they were able to see the balances in all the other boys' accounts as well as their own. Trails End says it's a motivator for the lower dollar-amount Scouts.

 

It's free and worth a look.

 

DS

[packsaddle]

Good suggestion. I'm interested in ways to 'disguise' aid to needy boys. Perhaps that is the wrong way of expressing it but I think you get the idea. My, oops, Our, oops, the troop I serve wants to maintain a policy that no boy is left behind. I'm open to ideas on ways to accomplish this.

[brendaeakins]

Thanks for all the replies. Our troop doesn't publish the credits. The committee members get the credit report, but not the whole troop. Boys can find out how much they have in credits by asking the treasurer. Regarding disguising help to needy scouts, I learned of a troop that has a separate fund for that. What they do is put any credits leftover from scouts that have left or "graduated" from the troop into this "benevolent" fund. The fund can be used to help needy scouts or to supplement trips to Philmont. I thought that was a clever idea.

 

What do you charge for dues? Is $20 low?

[packsaddle]

I paid $0.50 a week in dues decades ago when I was a scout. Let's see, I got 3 cents deposit on every bottle as I walked to the troop meetings... It depends on what is included (registration, Boys Life, postage?) but $20 sounds low.

Edited part, You are talking annual dues, right?(This message has been edited by packsaddle)

[evmori]

Depends on wht you plan on doing with the $20 per Scout. We charge $5/month or $50/year. Registration is over & above this.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[brendaeakins]

The $20 pays the registration, boy's life, insurance, etc. (charter fee) - almost! Any expenses the troop has are paid by proceeds from fundraisers. That is what prompted the thought to change to fair share method of paying. Some big sellers are footing the bill for some boys who aren't selling much.

[Gidget]

Well, it's not quite the same, but in my pack we sell wreaths as a fundraiser. The Pack Committee comes up with the cost per cub for the pack expenses for the year. It's considered the pack dues. All expenses are added together and then divided by the number of boys, so even though the awards for Webelos are more expensive, the Tigers pay the same amount as the Webelos. Then the boys are told now many wreaths they have to sell to cover their pack dues. If they don't sell enough to cover the dues they have to pay the difference. If they sell more than the required amount the profit is split 50/50 between the pack and the cub. The excess money for the cub is put into a camping/activity account. They can use the money for camps or District Activities. Each cub gets an accounting after wreath sales are done. (How else can you teach them about money?) It works pretty well. If the boy leaves the pack, the money in his account is forfeited to the pack. When the boy moves on to Boy Scout the balance in his account is paid to his troop for him. One of our Webelos will go to his troop next year with over $500.00 to see him through his Boy Scout activities.

[kthoman]

I believe "Fair Share" will never be obtained. Our Troop fundraiser is Popcorn. We ask that each boy sells a minimum amount, determined by the activities they plan for the year. If a boy does not want to sell then we give them the option to "buy out" their commitment. For the boys that sell more than the minimum, we set up a seperate account and credit them with 1/2 of the profit. They can use this for summer camp, outings, or equipment. I have been running popcorn for 4 years now, and been involved in scouts for 10 years. What I see is the younger they are, the more they sell. So as long as you have a new supply of young scouts coming in you should be able to support the troop. My experience is that the people who push "Fair Share" are usually the ones who sell the popcorn for their sons at work. I would rather see a boy sell his minimum amount by himself than be the biggest seller because of his parent's efforts. (Not that I don't like the money!!!!)

[Twocubdad]

Please allow me to ask a more basic question. Why is it a troop responsibility to provide boys an opportunity to earn the money to cover the cost of Scouting? I don't recall "fundraising" as one of the methods.

 

I understand there are lessons to be learned in thrift, industry and economics, but can't a boy learn those lessons individually by mowing lawns and paying his Scout dues in cash?

 

We have a couple local troops which are constantly raising money for something. One of them is a troop my son is looking at and one of my primary reservations about the unit is the amount of time they spend on fundraising.

 

Scouting just isn't that expensive. Two or three bucks a week (especially if paid weekly) is not much money for all but the most needy families and would cover the annual dues and fees of most troops.

[evmori]

Fubdraising is one of the ways a Scout can learn about being thrifty & the value of money. It also provides a method for the Troop to raise funds without asking the parents to dig into their pockets all the time. Depending on what your unit does, Scouting can be expensive. The uniform itself can be expensive as well as some of the gear.

 

Ed Mori

Scoutmaster

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Bob White]

The fair share method is absolutely attainable and has been used in many units. It basically is just saying that the unit will provide the scout the opportunity to earn his portion of the budget or the family can choose to pay it. Any money over the budget amout is given back to the scout in as a credit to use toward addition purchases.

 

It works.

 

Bob White

[brendaeakins]

Bob, I am glad to hear that the fair share method has worked. Actually, I think it addresses some of the concerns of the "why do we have to sell something?" crowd. With fair share, you don't! If a scout's method of paying for his share of the troop's expenses is earning money from a job, then that works - he can just pay his fair share to the troop. He doesn't have to feel bad about not participating in fundraisers because he has contributed his fair share. Fundraising is made available to the troop because most of the scouts don't have jobs to earn money and this is a way for them to pay their own way.