participation in council fundraising

[Lisabob]

In another thread someone mentioned that GSUSA generally allows units to do extra fund raising only after the unit has participated in the council-sponsored fund raiser.

 

Without getting into the merits of a particular council fund raiser (ie, don't tell me how much you dislike popcorn!), what do you think about the general idea?

 

Although I'm not generally excited to be told what I *have to* do, at the same time I know that a lot of units (mostly troops) in our area do not participate at all in council fund raisers, and that our family FOS is down by about 40% this year, and that our United Way funding is drying up, and that units still want the same or better facilities, services, programs, etc. to be provided by the council and district. Maybe the above isn't such an awful idea after all?

 

 

 

[scoutldr]

The problem I have is when I see council fundraising supporting 6 figure salaries. The units see very little of that. Sure, it goes to maintain council properties (camps), but none of it goes to the units to buy all the stuff they have to buy from the Scout Shop (badges, cards, books, etc). The units have to fund that somehow, otherwise our yearly unit dues would be $100 and up. If the council said, "if you support us, all of the program materials will be free", then I could maybe begin to see it. But there ain't no free lunch. And as gas heads towards $4 a gallon, a lot of families are having to make hard choices (let's see...FOS donation, or buy gas so i can go to work...Hmmmmm.) I'm afraid we are in for some lean years.

[Oak Tree]

This gets back to the question of what is the best way to fund a council. If you just made the rule the way you describe, you'd probably get units that 'participate' in council fundraisers, but not very whole-heartedly. Our troop does this with popcorn - we participate because all the council people want us to, but we really sell very little popcorn.

 

I have no great objection to the rule, but I do think it might generate some backlash as you describe - not very many people are really excited about being told what they have to do. I think the rule would be counterproductive. I could imagine a council saying that they need a certain contribution per boy - and that it could come from fundraisers or that the troop could just pay it. This is similar to a council charging dues, though, and the BSA doesn't seem to want that for some reason.

 

I don't know. It seems like we've gone over these options before, and no one's really all that happy with the current system, but all of the alternatives have their own problems.

 

Oak Tree

[Eamonn]

Of course being as the GSUSA don't have CO's things are a little different.

Right now I'll admit that I'm not happy with the service the Ship is receiving from the Council or the District.

Still I do feel it all does come down to a matter of Service and Value for money.

If we (A unit) are going to hand over a chunk of money (I don't see how the money is raised as making any difference.)What do we get in return.

I'm happy to pay the real cost of going to a Camp.

So I don't see Camp or camp sites as being a service.

Training is delivered by volunteers very often with them digging deep into their own pockets. The cost of training should be just that. So that isn't a service.

I could go on!!

I'd much prefer if the Council came up with a Council Membership Fee.

If you let me know how much the service costs and what it covers? Even if I don't have the choice of not paying it! I can at least look at the fee and see if I'm getting value for the money.

Telling me that you need "Support" and "We need Money" is fine and dandy.

But I want to know what the money is really being spent on!!

Hiding behind a mass of budgets that no one really understands is not the way to go.

Ea.