Financial Assistance Criteria

[Twocubdad]

If any of your units are in a position to offer financial assistance to individual Scout, what criteria do you use to determine need?

 

In the past our troop has had a policy that no boy will be left out of Scouting due to finances. We have paid camp fees and written off troop dues. We've always had the cash to do so and the Scouts who needed the help were pretty clearly in need.

 

This year we've gone from one to three Scouts asking for help paying for summer camp. Two families seem to have a clear need. But the third is a two-parent/two income family that has us scratching our heads. Of course no one knows what another family's finances are really like. In this economy, we have some otherwise very well off families who are scraping the bottom (mine included).

 

In the past, a seat-of-the-pants approached was okay because we could take care of everyone who asked. Now we are looking at the day where we will have to be a bit more judicious.

 

Advice?

[John-in-KC]

One of three people (COR, CC, or Program Officer... in your case the CM) should invite Mom or Dad to a friendly cup of coffee. Find out what the real circumstances are. Then, between the Chartered Partner and the unit or the Council (ours has camperships available), do what you can to help.

 

Next fall, make sure Billy is a big part of the unit fundraisers.

[ManyHats]

At the cub level we state anyone needing financial assistance must speak with the CC. Some people that need it are too proud to ask for it. That leaves the Treasurer hounding them for the $. We ask for sweat equity - work concession, etc. in exchange for the Pack paying for the event. In some cases we will ask the CO to sponsor a boy.

At the Troop level they offer a payment plan for summer camp. Maybe they can't pay $200+ in one whack, but spread out over a few months is more managable for most.

[CA_Scouter]

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't:

 

Prior to my involvement with the troop, a family received a 'campership' for summer camp. The week after they flew to Dizzyland on vacation. The SM was P-O'd big time.

 

We did a payment plan for one family but they approached us about a month before summer camp. We had a heckuva time getting paid back and don't think we ever got all the money ( the kid quit ).

 

We've had another family pay an extra $20/month in dues, which we held for them for summer camp. That worked out well for both parties.

 

This year one of our new crossover parents was annoyed that we didn't offer a full ride for her foster son. Sorry lady.

 

With you having several scouts needing assistance, you'll have to come up with some type of solid criteria that is fair to all, maybe partial assistance from the troop and a payment plan for the rest.

 

 

 

 

[dg98adams]

I see where you are going, as our Troop does not have firm criteria either.....

 

It's my experience that the Scouts that need the assistance don't seem to be there when we do Troop fund-raising. Maybe they don't feel a little $ won't make a difference. But it's not the small amount of $ they could help us earn for the Troop, but the goodwill from the Troop.

 

What leader/committee member would not want to help a "willing Scout who throws himself into the Troop efforts of both leadership/fundraisers" go to camp or help get a shirt?

 

We are coming up on the same issue with an "Annual Eagle Scout fund raiser opportunity". It's fine when we only have 1 Scout working on Eagle, but soon we could have 3-4 working on Ragle Projects...what's the split then?

 

(This message has been edited by dg98adams)

[Twocubdad]

We discussed a few guidelings, like:

 

-- The Scout and family should have to pay something. Even and 11-year-old can rake leaves or weed flower beds to raise a little money.

--Emphasis should be given to first year Scouts, especially making sure they go to summer camp.

-- Families must apply for Council camperships first.

-- Our first preference should be for allowing the family to make payments. But CA makes a good point that the payment plan should be timed to end prior to the event. The troop doesn't need to go out on a limb unless we intend to pay the fee ourselves anyway.

 

One thought was to ask the family to write a letter stating their need in plain English -- no finacial statments or tax returns, just explain it. Something ManyHats said got me to think that maybe the way to go is to give the parents all the above options and then ask them to craft their own plan and submit it to the troop.

 

(John -- I know the user name from 2002 is deceiving, but I've been "TwoScoutDad" for about four years now. Actually just recently I became "OneEagleDad". Time marches on.)

[Pack212Scouter]

Our Pack has the policy of finances not keeping a boy from Scouting, however we have some policies for it.

 

-- They must be participants in fundraisers, unless there is a good reason (i.e. mom in hospital or some such).

-- They must participate in the activity paid for.

-- They must volunteer in some way. Not necessarily as a leader (we don't want leaders that don't want to be there), but at least help at events, concessions, etc.