Troop bank accounts, scout accounts

[ASM857]

In our Troop Scout funds are never transfered when aging out if the scout transfers to another troop, then his money follows. If some one has a balance when they age out, we divide a portion for our Campership program and the rest goes in the regular fund. As to your $30,000.00 if this is not earmarked for anything, this is too much money and can only lead to issues. Have a cup of coffee with the CC & SM and set up ways to use the funds in your program or FOS. Good luck you have to slowly work on the committee, this didn't get this way overnight.

 

YIS

Doug

[John-in-KC]

I've seen three main points made thus far, and I agree with all of them:

 

1) Get on board with your PTO as your Chartered Partner. Back to school nights, flag ceremonies at monthly meetings, reports back on what what the young men are learning and doing ... and helping the PTO get more members from the parent base of your Troop. All help.

 

2) STOP THE PRACTICE of giving Scouts the remaining balance when they leave the Troop. Stop it today. The Troop can give an Eagle Scout a substantial gift when they Eagle... but make it an item, not cash, and make it the same thing each time. Protect your CC, protect your Treasurer, protect the PTO President. Stop the practice.

 

3) Get the account down. 3X over annual budget is just not right. Free recharter/Boy's Life. Free Scout Camp. Ask the PLC to consider a major, Troop-paid, high adventure. Draw the account down.

[Beavah]

Now that we've gotten da most serious issue out of the way, let's talk about that budget surplus.

 

I agree with everyone - a troop's "general fund" should be sufficient to cover da yearly calendar with enough reserve to ensure good cash flow and guard against a "failed" fundraiser. Dependin' on the size of troop and da nature of your calendar, that reserve can be pretty substantial. Camp deposits & fees, high adventure stuff, all can be pretty pricey. A good sized troop can definitely get to da point in the year where they might have a lot of money in da account (like right now, before summer camp and summer high adventure payments). So first thing: check to make sure it's really 30K of uncommitted cash, eh? And that the 30K really represents a lot more than the annual budget plus one failed major fundraiser. Some troops with a lot of equipment will also have a gear depreciation reserve, eh? I know Sea Scout Ships with boats that might easily have that much money set aside like that.

 

Now, if there really is no good reason for havin' that cash, then I'd encourage yeh to think of da cash as capital rather than operations. Instead of spendin' it on a one-time event like a free high adventure trip, spend it on capital expenses that will be of long-term use to your program. Perhaps:

 

Buy a bunch of kid-sized backpacks to loan out.

Invest in a full set of "lightweight" camping gear to encourage more adventurous trips.

Replace those old, leaky tents.

Buy a mess of canoes and a trailer. Rent 'em to other troops to pay for maintenance.

Send a couple of leaders to Philmont Training Center or a NOLS Outdoor Educator course, where they can learn things that will have a long-term impact on your program.

Set it aside to provide free "tuition" for your youth leaders to attend NYLT each year.

 

Whether it's gear that enables more adventure, or training that enables more adventure, spend your capital cash on stuff that will have a long-term impact.

 

Beavah

 

 

 

[Knot Head]

Not much to add to what others have said... but... ugh...

 

would you mind telling me what your fundraising activities are.

 

Whatever they are they appear to be working quite well.

[Ohio_Scouter]

Knot Head,

 

In addition to the usual scout popcorn and Christmas wreath sales, our big fundraiser is an annual summer garage/yard sale. Just completed one this past weekend. We raise on average about $5,000 per year on this one weekend event. Lots of work gathering/storing/pricing items throughout the rest of the year, but quite profitable for the troop.

[Knot Head]

>> In addition to the usual scout popcorn and Christmas wreath sales, our big fundraiser is an annual summer garage/yard sale. Just completed one this past weekend. We raise on average about $5,000 per year on this one weekend event. Lots of work gathering/storing/pricing items throughout the rest of the year, but quite profitable for the troop.

[evmori]

Why is so much $$$$ needed? Does this cover every Scouts expenses in the unit for the entire year?

[Mr. Boyce]

Your long-term problem is planning. You need to get everybody together on an annual budget and include a plan for capital expenditure that all agree upon. This will get everyone on the right track toward spending down the money in a way that everyone agrees upon and that benefits the pack. My sense is that if you took some time, perhaps do a "retreat" on a Saturday to talk general direction, etc., you would find that there are some wise, strategic uses of your cash resource.

[Its Me]

 

 

$30K is no one else impressed that they were able to raise $30K?

 

How do you do it? We are one outing away from a zero balance. And we have had three fundrasiers this year.

 

 

 

 

[hot_foot_eagle]

Is a large bank balance really a problem? A normal operating budget, long term high adventure buildup, equipment replacement fund, and operational reserve have already been cited as possible reasons to have a significant amount of money on hand. Would it be improper to accept a large one-time donation just because your account is "full"? I wouldn't think so.

 

I agree that the checks to departing scouts raises serious legal and ethical questions, though.

 

If there are individual scout accounts, my thinking is that there ought to be a written understanding that those funds can be used for X, Y, and Z scouting expenses, and that any remaining funds upon leaving the troop return to the operating budget, a campership fund, or perhaps even a gift to the council camp in honor of the departing scout.

[John-in-KC]

HFE,

 

There are plenty of questions I don't have answers to for this Troop. How many kids do they have, what kind of program do they present, what opportunities are available, what's the equipment replacement cycle, and on and on...

 

Even so, right now this troop has 30K in the bank and 7K annual budget. They could do absolutely nothing in terms of getting money for the next four years. They'd still have 2-3 months operating funds in the bank (factoring in inflation).

 

In my personal life, I keep a full years worth of "Personal Time Off" as a contingency reserve against family emergency of my own, of EagleSons, or of my parents. A years' reserve is usually a fairly conservative estimate.

 

These folks have a 400% reserve. IMO, they need to do some useful things for their members... as Beavah suggested, perhaps some capital procurement for the program, or perhaps some added opportunities for those enrolled over time.

 

My thoughts only.

[Pack432Centerville]

And I might add, though we have a few Scouts where there are money issues in the family, we're by and large middle to upper middle class, so don't have a huge need for providing camp scholarships, say.

 

I think the opinions shared here cover this question quite well. The only thing I would add is this: I think you misunderstood what Beavah meant when he talked about FOS. By donating to FOS, you help scouts in need go camping! Not necessarily in your Pack/Troop, but all over the country. That is one of the main reasons I donate to FOS. I can afford to send my kids camping, but that doesnt mean everyone can. I think if there are funds youre not going to use, this is a very worthy cause!

 

[eisely]

My impression is that this $30K has accumulated over an extended period of time. All of the suggestions about stepping up the program, making some investments, and curtailing fund raisers are sound.

 

I was not aware of the issue about simply cashing scouts out when they age out, but it makes sense and I am glad to have the information.

 

What about a younger scout whose family simply moves away and the boy joins a new troop in another town? It would seem fair to cash out such a scout to facilitate continuing his scouting career. I would be interested in hearing thoughts on this aspect of the situation.

[Gold Winger]

If the new unit has Scout accounts, we sent a check to the new unit for the Scout's new account.

[ghermanno]

I think you get the picture about fund usage. About donations, there are quite a few. The main Scouting ones being the F.O.S. and the WFF.

 

The WFF is the World Freindship fund and provides funding for Scouting programs in developing nations. A donation can be made from a Pack/Troop and a certificate (thanks) addressed to the CO or the Pack/Troop. Just more to think about in case donation (helpfull/friendly) was in the plans. More information is avalable in the following links:

 

http://www.scouting.org/International/worldsupport.aspx#wff

 

http://old.scouting.org/international/wff.pdf