Pricing out a district Training Event?

[moosetracker]

Ok.. I know a dry boring question.. Have pity on me, I am getting some help from my trainers, but it is like pulling teeth. All other district committee members who should be my guide, are also just empty seats needing filling at this time.

 

I sent in next years training agenda to our district Web master. He nicely put it on the page, but reminded me I need to price out the outdoor Leader, and Specific's training.

 

I kindof know with Outdoor price of food per person (whatever that it).. Price of copies of handouts (how many pages?), price for Certificate & Card (that would be maybe 10 or 15 cents.)

Specifics Training - Cost of handouts.. Cost of Certificate & Card?..

 

Is there any thing I am forgetting? Is there anyway I can firm up costs with little help?

 

I know if somewhere down the pike, they want my help in printing the handouts & buying the food, someone will have to clue me in on what food they want purchased, and hand me a set of the printouts. But, with summer upon us, I doubt I will see it before Fall. I should price it before then.

 

[shortridge]

Other possible costs:

 

- Facility rental

- Teaching supplies (laptop, projector, whiteboard, flip pad, markers, etc.)

- Perhaps a small something for the trainer's time - at least covering the trainer's meals, IMHO

 

My council has a no-charge policy for training sessions of a day or less.

[Nike]

Don't forget training aides which might be consumables (not returned in any condition to be used again.)

[Eagle92]

My council also has a $0 charge for day long training UNLESS meals are involved. Last time I did IOLS, we charged $15 that included 3 meals, facility rental, insurance, and card.

[moosetracker]

Maybe ours is also Free for the day event. That will get one pricing off my shoulders. But I remember someone saying we are suppose to be self-sufficient, so I don't think District will reimburse me for costs of the day events, that would then end up being out of pocket expense on my part.

 

We always plan ours with the Fall Camporee.. So if I put Course price and add that this is in addition to the charge for the event, I should be covered. Insurance should be covered too, being a Camporee. I would have thought BSA insurance would have just covered it if for being a BSA event even if not tied to a camporee. I am surprised some of you are charged for insurance.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Folders for handouts, name tags, charcoal, food prep materials.

 

Insurance might come into play if you are at a private, non BSA facility.

 

They don't need a hard and fast cost right now. An educated guess broken down into areas, and a per person cost is what they re looking for. Districts have budgets too.

 

While your District might be in disarray, other Districts might well have their stuff together. Give the Training Chair from one of your Council's other Districts a call. They should be able to help with an idea of cost, and what is needed.

 

 

 

 

[jhankins]

Do you have a copy of the budget form used by the council? This is a good first step. You'll need the cost center codes for your event.

 

My council insists on a 15% overhead fee to cover the time of the office staff and to make a small profit. In reality, the SE has said he wants to make a 60% profit off every council event INCLUDING TRAINING. Well, as a district training chair, I make razzberry noises in his general direction.

 

For trainings I budget for:

Snacks

Copies (5 cents per page)

facility rental

training cards (56 cents per sheet of 8, plus tax)

training record form

Meal (if required)

Program supplies: Rope, baking soda for volcanoes, etc...

 

 

Now that I've said that -- I get a lot of that donated, including the facility rental. But I still have to budget for it because I have to file "Project sales."

 

PSs are things that are the cost to run the program, but are donated. The cost is still there, I just got it for free, so that project sale is recorded as a donation, and any profit made on top of the training because of the off-set expense is all bennies for the council.

 

I got sick of filling out a purchase order for 56cent training cards, so I print those from home, and include the line item for office supplies to include the ink I use from home (With DE permission).

 

I was told by my DE to include my gas mileage because I drive 1,300 miles a month or so for training. I refused. Scouts pay their own way, and I won't set the precedent that my time is more valuable than any other volunteers. Every trainer in our council pays their own way -- Wood Badge, lunch at an event, if they need credit for a training, etc...

 

 

[moosetracker]

Thanks JHankins .. I'm meeting Monday night with the Council Training Chair at our Round table. I will have some solid items to ask for.

 

I also have asked the trainer who was kindof doing this info to sit with us. If he does, I hope to pull out of him some info on typical costs for our training events, (and hopefully plug him to get me the past Records of who took training. I ask so many times I feel like a nag over the issue.)

 

You put in THAT many hours for training? You must definately by running a very vigourous Supplemental training program. Currently ours is just the Basic courses, but I want to do some Supplemental training (not so much I log those type of hours per month though!!!)..

 

What training is with a Volcano? That sounds quite interesting.

[jhankins]

Webelos Leader Outdoor breakouts include some fun and games for the leaders to work on -- the geology activity badge (I think?) needs baking soda and vinegar to get the volcano goin

[John-in-KC]

jhankins...

 

Do keep records of your mileage. Volunteer mileage is a charitable tax deduction at the Federal level.

[jhankins]

I do keep track, thanks for the reminder, though. It's my understanding that you can only count that if you itemize, and I don't.

[moosetracker]

My husband and I do that, but we are going to have to do a better job at district.

 

Currently we Jan - Feb of the next year, whip out last years calendar.. then do the itemiziation..

Each Thursday the troop meeting,

Once a mth on a certain wed the committee..

Add in the once a mth Eagle board,

All those have set milage

The hardest was figuring out the Events attended, and the milage for those.

 

Now we have round Tables, district committee, bi-mthly Council planning meeting.. Come the Fall we will start visiting units. I will also have the training events for milage.

 

It is going to get hard to itemize from looking at last years troop calendar.

 

I did do up to mid April this year, I need to revisit it & bring it up to date again.