Unit Funds

[Stosh]

Raise what you need, and spend what you raise!  Keep enough in reserve for startup at the beginning of the Scout year, and enough to replace all your equipment in case of catastrophe.

 

@@frankpalazzi Welcome to the forum... I like you already.  

[frankpalazzi]

@@frankpalazzi Welcome to the forum... I like you already.  

Thank you Stosh! I've actually been around for a while, though, old account: Frank Scout.  My old account got messed up somehow, I think deactivated.  We think very much alike, for sure!

[5yearscouter]

Any unit that carries over a $25k fund which is expected to grow each year is systematically stealing from the boys and their program.  Money was raised to be spent on program not squirreled away in the bank.

I agree.

It''s very very obnoxious.

Unfortunately the CO thinks we need to keep a high balance, so when we spend $2000 more than we bring in during a year we hear about it as they talk about how hard they worked to bring in that much money.  CO= old SM's and friends who formed a non-profit to protect the scout lodge and charters the unit.

[5yearscouter]

Yes I have seen a few troops in these parts with this interesting problem. Parents are in the dark about balance. Annual fundraisers continue so scouts continue to "earn" their way as those before them. Troop Committee reluctant to spend on large expenses,say a HA trek or even an annual scholarship to Philmont, as parents would start asking where did the money come from. Council knows and stops by annually, outside of FOS, to "wet their beak" . 

 

Ugh.

You'd think it would be parents not knowing the balance.

It's more the parents not realizing that we don't need that high of a balance.  We get new parents coming to committee mtg usually about the time we are collecting and paying out large amounts for summer camp.  So if they see 40 scouts going to summer camp at $500 a pop they think well we gotta have a LOT of money on hand to pay that bill. Of course we had already collected most all of the payments.

 

WE have 62 scouts but usually less than half can afford summer camp.

We have a flag fundraiser that brings in about $9k a year, which is about what we spend, give or take donations we receive on top of that, which can be $3-4k more. 

Scout fundraisers like popcorn sales the scouts can use that for registration and camp fees. [illegal scout accounts]

 

It's one of those committee run units that everyone moves and seconds and nothing gets done. 

We spent more on summer camp underwriting this summer than ever before, which makes me really happy. 

 

Unfortunately I've been fighting this battle for years, my oldest is 19, so all his years of boy scouts, and my youngest has a couple years left I'm not sure I can fight that much longer.

Waiting for the 'old bulls' to retire....

 

I've explained many times that it would be better for the troop to run out of money paying the way for boys to camp like crazy than it is to lose the boys for charging (or overcharging) for everything and we have $25k extra money but no scouts.

Edited August 11, 2015 by 5yearscouter

[Gone]

Scout accounts are not illegal if there's no private benefit.

 

Balances can be necessary if you are successful in fund raising.

 

If your unit has a budget which covers operations for the year plus the "rainy day fund", I don't see the issue with having a balance.

[pargolf44067]

You'd think it would be parents not knowing the balance.

It's more the parents not realizing that we don't need that high of a balance.  We get new parents coming to committee mtg usually about the time we are collecting and paying out large amounts for summer camp.  So if they see 40 scouts going to summer camp at $500 a pop they think well we gotta have a LOT of money on hand to pay that bill. Of course we had already collected most all of the payments.

 

WE have 62 scouts but usually less than half can afford summer camp.

We have a flag fundraiser that brings in about $9k a year, which is about what we spend, give or take donations we receive on top of that, which can be $3-4k more. 

Scout fundraisers like popcorn sales the scouts can use that for registration and camp fees. [illegal scout accounts]

 

It's one of those committee run units that everyone moves and seconds and nothing gets done. 

We spent more on summer camp underwriting this summer than ever before, which makes me really happy. 

 

Unfortunately I've been fighting this battle for years, my oldest is 19, so all his years of boy scouts, and my youngest has a couple years left I'm not sure I can fight that much longer.

Waiting for the 'old bulls' to retire....

 

I've explained many times that it would be better for the troop to run out of money paying the way for boys to camp like crazy than it is to lose the boys for charging (or overcharging) for everything and we have $25k extra money but no scouts.

 

Like @ I see no inherent evil in having some balance.  $25k seems like a lot but if you have 62 scouts that might not be a totally crazy amount.  Where I have an issue is if half of your boys can't afford to go to summer camp and the old SM and his cronies won't help pay part of the way.  I think the boys should be paying for part of it on their own through fundraising or family but if there is quite a large balance that never gets used it is completely wrong on the committee's part.  It's amazing you still have 62 scouts if half of them can't do summer camp and you overcharge for other events.

Edited August 11, 2015 by pargolf44067

[Gone]

@@pargolf44067 we have scholarships for scouts BUT they have to participate in service projects AND fund raising to get support.

 

There's no free lunch.

[pargolf44067]

@ totally agree with that!  If you aren't willing to help others and do your part to help yourself, you shouldn't expect the help in return!

[blw2]

yep, and I know of one troop that does over the top trips too, involving air fare and exotic locales....

big money

[KenD500]

What fundraisers does your unit do?  How many in a year?  Do you have a yearly Troop equipment fee?

[Stosh]

While I can understand groups have large budgets and holding accounts of payment receipts for upcoming events, my comments were directed towards $25K of undesignated funds sitting in an account, possibly CD's doing nothing for the program that money was raised to provide.  And then there's the laundered $25K sitting in scout accounts that basically mean they earned for having participated in certain activities of the troop.  

 

Rainy day funding runs contrary to "A Scout is Thrifty" in my book.  If it rains, one does fundraisers to off set the problem, they don't rely on the efforts of others to cover for them.  Others in this case are former scouts and leaders in the troop.

 

I've been trying to wrap my head around a rainy day that would cost $25K and can't come up with one.  Any ideas out there?

[Gone]

What fundraisers does your unit do?  How many in a year?  Do you have a yearly Troop equipment fee?

 

Mulch (x2), pancake breakfast (x1) for the CO, Xmas greens (x1). Maybe a car wash if more funds are needed. We have a one-time equipment fee of $75. The fund raisers go for summer camp, high adventure and any other special funds needed to make up the budget for the next year (we plan a year in advance, high adventure 24-36 months in advance). 

[5yearscouter]

While I can understand groups have large budgets and holding accounts of payment receipts for upcoming events, my comments were directed towards $25K of undesignated funds sitting in an account, possibly CD's doing nothing for the program that money was raised to provide.  And then there's the laundered $25K sitting in scout accounts that basically mean they earned for having participated in certain activities of the troop.  

 

Rainy day funding runs contrary to "A Scout is Thrifty" in my book.  If it rains, one does fundraisers to off set the problem, they don't rely on the efforts of others to cover for them.  Others in this case are former scouts and leaders in the troop.

 

I've been trying to wrap my head around a rainy day that would cost $25K and can't come up with one.  Any ideas out there?

Well I did get them to help underwrite scholarships to camp for a few boys (boy has to pay at least 50% and be active with fundraisers/activities etc). That was about $1500, which came out of extra donations we received with our flag fundraiser payments.  People in surrounding area pay $50 a year to have a large flag put up in front of their homes by scouts at 7 holidays a year.

 

And they did about $1500 in repair on the trailer (new tires, new spare, new jack, new fender). It was getting dangerous to drag it around and blow out a tire every trip, but they won't give up the trailer, so they had to do some upkeep.  Trailer now lives at my house so I had a chance to go thru it well and bring it all to their attention. Again this came out of this year's extra donations received.

 

I know with 62 scouts, $25k isn't that much per boy.  But we don't get to spend that.  At least not much of it, and if the balance goes down we get a stern talking to in the committee meeting and spending tends to stop for a while afterwards. I have worked for 10 years to get them to spend $5k.  WE used to have $30k in excess a year....

 

The discussion was had that we need new tents, but if we buy new tents we have to do a fundraiser to raise enough money to buy new tents.  [an aside I should start a thread for tent ideas..]

 

Like the $25k is just sitting there and we can't really touch it.

I suggested writing a check from troop account to the CO account for $25k so they could keep it for us if we aren't allowed to spend it. If the CO thinks it's should be saved for a big thing like replacing the roof of the scout lodge, then that would be reasonable.  

Then we could see exactly where we stand on how much money we have and can spend each year. 

 

I think a rainy day fund to replace tents, trailer, stoves and chuck boxes would be way way less than $25k.  Someone suggested $10k but I bet it's less than that.  And the town we live in is very giving to scouts, if our trailer were to get stolen they'd step up to help us out in replacing it.  And if it gets killed in a car accident, the trailer is insured pretty well. Last time the scout lodge needed a lot of work [roof, windows, doors, carpeting] a local business donated everything.

[5yearscouter]

Oh and just to clarify,

while the area the Scout lodge is at is very friendly to scouts

 

The scouts themselves come from a diverse area.  WE used to just pull scouts from the kind of well off area of where the scout lodge is located, but now we have families from all over and lots of lower income families.  We used to only have one income, mom was sahm kind of families, now it's both parents work and some parents have two jobs. 

[Stosh]

@@5yearscouter

 

As stated in the post, "Like the $25k is just sitting there and we can't really touch it.", how does this money which was earned by the boys for program all of a sudden become the adult's money to hoard and keep from the boys.  Sounds like theft to me.

 

Need new tents?  "The discussion was had that we need new tents, but if we buy new tents we have to do a fundraiser to raise enough money to buy new tents."  So now the scouts can earn the money twice to pay for the tents to overcome the adult greed of having stashed money.

 

This isn't scouting.  When the boys raise money for events they have every right to spend it on it.