Scout accounts for cubs

[TundraHawk]

Has anyone ever been involved with a pack that utilizes scout accounts? In my son's former pack, they did away with scout accounts because of the problems it created -- I'm not sure if it truly was a hassle or rather just someone unable to keep up with the work (before we arrived the old CM ran the pack like a one man show so many things suffered).

 

In a related thread, OneHour described how only a handful of scouts in his troop do the majority of the fundraising; that has been my experience with cubs. In addition, NONE of the money raised by these boys actually went towards summer camp, etc. It simply ended up in our pack's general fund.

[ridges54]

Technically scout "accounts" aren't supposed to happen at any level. There are troops & packs that do this but, my understanding is that if council finds out they come in and can make life heck for us. The only way I have found it to work and be o.k. with the higher ups is to run one or two small fundraisers that the boys don't have to participate in, but can if they would like to earn money for camp. Then whatever profits they earn, are paid directly from the scout troop/pack bank account to the camp.

[CubScoutJo]

Why do you say scout accounts are not supposed to happen at any level?

 

The "Ideal Year of Scouting" materials that many councils are promoting specifically mention having scout accounts.

 

Jo

[fotoscout]

I know one pack that does this. The pack is from a very blue collar community where every dime counts and scouting is expensive for them to participate in. Ultimately the families that worked hard at fundraising got tired of watching the loafers benefit from the hard word of their children. So they started Scout Accounts. By the way this is a pack the formally paid, (or at least contributed to) many of the pack outings and functions. One of the more immediate outcomes was better uniforms. The boys wanted to use there Scout Accounts to help pay for uniforms.

 

However, it is an accounting nightmare. With the turnover that packs have it has been very difficult for them to manage this , both financially and personally. The current treasurer, spend a lot of time managing this thing. They have rules, but of course the adults dont read the rules. And of course that makes for a whole other set of problems.

 

[Eamonn]

While the Ideal Year Of Scouting is used by a lot of Councils, it is worth remembering that the company that puts it out is trying to sell more popcorn.

While I am almost sure it would never happen, all unit accounts are in fact owned by the CO.

A CO, could get a flea in his ear and close the account and put the money back into the coffers of the CO.

Back in the day...

We held our Annual Pack Planning Meeting.

Some things were Pack Events. I was at that time also the Day Camp Program Director, so I pushed for making Day Camp a pack event. We added the $15.00 it cost into the "Pack Obligation" The money that each parent had to pay or raise for a years worth of Cub Scouting in pack 155.

Some events were not Pack Events. A few Den Leaders wanted to take the boys to a ice hockey game. This wasn't covered by the money paid into the pack obligation. If the obligation had been met and there was extra money in the individual account the Cub Scout could use that money.

We didn't put Cub Scout Resident Camp,under Pack Events. This again could be paid for with money from the account that each boy had if the other money had been paid.

The budget ideas in the Ideal Year Of Scouting are great. But at the time our Council was only paying 25% commission. So if we were to put everything into popcorn sales we would have needed all of our Lads to each sell about $900.00 worth of popcorn.

Eamonn.

[anarchist]

I am unclear as to what cubs would need scout accounts for??? Den level activities? Resident camp for Bears and Weblos 1s? Our pack tries to keep fund raising to a minimum..it is such a drag and the kids now days are always selling something for something... so why scout accounts??

[pack561]

I started something similar with our pack this fall. We do a port-a-pit chicken sale in the spring as our major fund raiser for the pack. We never really did popcorn because it was a PIB since in the fall there are so many fund raisers going nobody participated. For those Scouts who sold popcorn I split half the 30% profit with those who sold and am giving them "council gift certificates" to use for any scouting related activity at our camp drive next month. We had rather poor response, but I hope when the parents see those who sold getting something they will be more resopnsive next fall.