Troop Dues

[jethro]

Our pack's only fundraiser is an annual pancake breakfast held on a Sunday morning each November. Each family is responsible for selling one $35 packet of tickets. Just like y'all have mentioned, some sell the tickets, some write a check. No surprise there.

 

However...

 

Each boy also provides service at the breakfast. They staff the bake sale table, carry and wash trays, collect trash, provide counter help, etc. Only an hour or two of service is required, but the boys are thrilled to play a meaningful role. Some want to keep helping when their parents tell them it's time to leave! I've seen examples of "cheerful service" that would teach even OA folks a thing or two.

 

There's no formal consequence for a boy who doesn't participate. Most do, though. Those who don't get to look forward to a host of questions from their buddies at the next den meeting.

[Beavah]

service should be done because it's the right thing to do (not to mention the Scout Oath)...not something to be done only in exchange for a reward.

 

Yah, true.

 

Same thing can be said about Thrifty and payin' yer own way, which is what the parents seem to be sayin' to rwh1955!

 

It was just an idea; Jethro's idea is also a nice one - give boys a chance to work together for fundraising - both organizing and working. Both ideas might be more acceptable to families than selling junk, because there's so much else that service teaches.

 

We do require service for 2nd Class, Star, Life, and Eagle in exchange for those awards eh? Should we be droppin' the service requirements for rank (and Camping MB, and...)?

 

Beavah

(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[hotdesk]

Expect boys to do the unexpected and you will see the unexpected become the new excepted.

 

During my first year on Boy Scout Summer Camp Staff the Camp Director had to skill lessons that he shared each week during the closing fire. The first involved listening and setting the example. He told you to clap on three, but showed the example of clapping after three. The other involved reaching higher heights. He instructed all the scouts to raise their arm as high up as they could. He then instructed them to raise it higher.

 

Gold Winger stated in his post that """Boys cannot be expected to anything other than horse around at the PLC while the SM plans the activities.""" As I opened with expect the scouts to do things you wouldn't normally expect. With training and direction scouts will plan and you will quite satisified in the results of a Boy Led troop. The Scoutmaster is appointed to train scouts in delivering the program. The Scoutmaster is not there to plan the activities himself.

 

As with fundraising set the example yourself, as adults. Be the firsts to sign up. Show euthasim. Work hard during the fundraising. If you started not expecting the scouts to work fundraisers, show the example like this, the unexpected will become expected. Setting the example goes far. Expecting the unexpect should be a rule of thumb.

 

[jethro]

Nicely said, hotdesk.

 

Your post got me thinking about our fundraisers when I was a boy. We held spaghetti dinners and hoagie sales (subs for those who aren't from the Philly area ). The Scouts and parents made and served/delivered EVERYTHING ourselves. Pride of ownership was never more evident. We even wore the smell of garlic and onions on our uniforms as a badge of honor.

 

Furthermore, the hoagie sale featured a contest among the Cub Scouts to see who could sell the most. For placing in the top three all three years I was a Cub Scout, I won a fishing pole, an old-style canvas haversack, and an official BSA sleeping bag. I still have all three, and my Webelos son still uses the sleeping bag 30+ years later.

 

I'm not sure what lesson this trip down memory lane teaches us, except that I remember when fundraising was a source of excitement and pride.

[CalicoPenn]

What is the purpose of the dues and what is the purpose of the fundraising? That's a basic question each unit needs to ask itself.

 

In general, dues are for rechartering, for awards, and for day to day operating expenses (bank fees, office supplies, program supplies, library books (merit badge books, handbooks, etc). Fundraising money is for equipment purchases, outings, etc. I wouldn't apply fundraising money to dues (unless as part of a "scout account").

 

In cub scouts, the best motivator is the chance to win prizes (and it doesn't have to be the top salespeople either - you can set levels and have a prize for each level - then any cub can earn a prize or two or three). In boy scouts, the motivator should be to help the unit (for example, a troop may need to buy 10 new tents - let the PLC (and even the whole troop) vote on which tents to buy then fundraise for the tents - with the proviso that no tent will be bought until all ten can be bought).

 

To motivate for activity fees (using so-called Scout Accounts) - determine the annual cost of activities (minus food) for the year (ie Summer Camp is $200, weekend trips are $20 each, except the cool trip to (whitewater canoeing, camping in a cave, etc) which costs $50. The determine a prorata share based on the amount of funds raised. Say the total outing costs for the year runs to $400.00. Say everyone gets %50 of their fundraising towards activities. John Scout raised $800 in popcorn and wreath sales - he's paid for all of his activities for the year (a Scout earns his own way). If he exceeds $800, perhaps he receives a credit to be used at the summer camp trading post, or a special neckerchief - or first dibs at "shot gun" on the way to Summer Camp. If Billy Scout sells $400 worth of popcorn and wreaths - his summer camp fees are paid for and he can pay his way through the rest of the year for the other activities. Maybe Danny Scout sells nothing - and pays his way through the year for all of the activities. Sure, he's getting a "free ride" on the equipment purchases, but maybe his father is always volunteering to drive to activities. And if he isn't, don't sweat it, it'll just make you irritable and crabby.

 

I'd avoid judging the motives of parents who are just willing to write a check instead of participating in fundraising or making weekly dues payments. I hear the argument that a "Scout pays his own way" but it may very well be possible that Mom is so quick to pull out that checkbook because David Scout watches over his little brothers/sisters after school for a few hours before Mom or Dad gets home and isn't being paid for babysitting - could be said that David is earning his own way, but just isn't getting any money directly.

 

Just my random thoughts.

 

Calico

[hotdesk]

Some have mentioned that a troop should have fundraisers but not neccesarly push them. That has really been the attitude of our troop.

 

We have 1 big fundraiser a year that each scout and parent is expected to work. It's parking cars for the county fair board. We do it from Wednesday through Sunday and have about 40 hours that need to be delegated to scouts and parents.

 

Throughout the rest of the year we have a few other fundraisers, but none are "required" and none of an expectation for sales amounts. These include;

 

1. Cartridge and Cell Phone recycling.

 

we simply have a box in the troop meeting room and put a reminder in our monthly newsletter. nothing more.

 

2. Canopy Rentals

 

we have done this for years. The tents date back to the early 1980's but are kept in great condition. It has been spread word of month and by promoting (once a year when we set one of the tents up at Fair Parking so the scouts have a place to eat or relax---some work all day).

 

3. Popcorn Sales

 

We do kinda of push this one by tying the Salesmanship MB in at Troop Meetings. We encourage each scout to establish their own goals. We discuss good ways of selling and bad ways. Then incentives are usually provided at each troop meeting for selling (ex: sell to at least 2 teachers, sell to a member of our Chartered Organization, etc.)

 

4. Spaghetti Dinner

 

A lot of work is actually done by the adults. We do publicity (run an article in the chartered organization newsletter, chamber of commerce newsletter, email our email contacts, and post flyers in local businesses). We also do a Silent Auction where adults are asked to ask businesses for contributions.

 

However, the scouts are not required to sell tickets. We have provided an incentive where if a scout sells $xx worth of tickets he will receive $yy toward their scout account. Again we have provided incentives similar to popcorn sales.

 

As you can see we try to avoid fundraisers where something useless (popcorn, wreaths, candy, etc) are sold. Instead we try to provide a service (cartridge recycling) or something that people were going to do anyways (canopy rentals and silent auction---have in December---Christmas Shopping).

 

Because of the type of fundraisers we do and the fact that scouts aren't "required" to work we usually have great success. Scouts are okay with participating because they aren't forced to, but compensated if they do.

[insanescouter]

I have a bit of a personal problem with dues, mostly because of bad past experiences and internal wars over why should I have to pay dues if they don't... and keeping tracked of it all and enforcing rules like if you don't pay dues you cant go on the camp out .. etc ... depends on the unit to how all this works. also depends where you are from, your city, your location ... some areas are lower income then others - this also effects how well dues works ... in theory I like dues but at Scout level in practice to many bad experience keep me away from it ... however at cub level I am all for it ...

 

CalicoPenn - your break down on what dues and fund raisers are used for is interesting and a new way of looking at it. I am glad it is working for you

 

As I often say on here - it all comes down to what works for your unit... what works for one may not work for another ...

 

Scott Robertson

http://insanescouter.org

Helping leaders one resource at a time...

[scoutmaster52]

The Troop I serve in supports itsself in many ways. Firstoff theres Popcorn sales. The scout earns 10% of his sales towards his account. Sell $300 get $30. Second is our raceway pickups where we get a set amount and all the bottles and cans. The boys earn shares by attending or if they cant a parent can in their place. ex. $1000 in cans divided by # of shares = share price multiplied by the # of shares the boy had. Third for recharter we require each boy to pay the cost. In addition carwashes for T-shirts.