Cost to a District Per Unit....

[Basementdweller]

Heard an interesting discussion...... and had a question.

 

 

How much does it cost a district to have a Pack registered in it???? or Troop or Crew?????

 

Where does that cost come from?

 

DE????

 

Support staff????(This message has been edited by Basementdweller)

[Papadaddy]

The correct answer is "nothing". A District is not a distinct entity with its own operating budget. It's merely a geographic division of labor among the professional staff. And having districts keeps events like training and camporees to a somewhat manageable size.

[Eagle92]

In regards to what?

 

I know starting a unit is VERY manpower intensive if done correctly. DE going in, commissioners goign in and helping, other leaders providing training, mentoring, etc.

 

As to actual money costs, that just depends as a variety of factors are involved.

 

I know I started one unit that needed a lot of help, both manpower and financially. They found a "sponsor" to help get them started with new troop equipment, as well as a few folks who gave them used, but durable and usable, personal gear.

 

DFS wasn't too happy with me since the sponsor lowered his FOS pledge as a result of getting the troop off the ground. Told me not to start anymore units like that one. Me personally I saw no problem with it.

 

My only regret with the troop was that when the troop folded 8 year later, the gear vanished. I personally would have loved to see the gear donated to one of the other troops were just started that was in the same shape they were in starting out.

[SR540Beaver]

Ditto what Pappa said. When districts hold events like day camps, they develop a budget and charge a per head charge to cover the cost of the event.......plus the 15% profit the council expects for their coffers.

[John-in-KC]

In the area I serve, the cost per Scout to deliver the program is $150 per fiscal year.

 

Event fees cover cost of facility rental, porta-potties, supplies for the event, insurance specific to the event and as the Beav mentioned, a fee to the Council.

 

Scout Camp fees cover food, staff salaries/housing costs, supplies (chlorine and acid for the pool...), power above the base (year-round) load...

 

 

[Basementdweller]

John is that a district cost or a council cost.

 

Our DE threw a figure out of $100 something per scout is the cost. I raised my hand and asked what is the actual dollar amount total.....

 

The next question is how much profit did the council make on the popcorn sale......

 

Is the first total after we subtracted the popcorn revenue or before???????

 

Other than the DE's salary what on the district level is an expense???????

 

 

 

[OldGreyEagle]

This will all be assumptions, but them, what else isn't?

 

The Cost of an UNit in a District?

 

Well, there is the Cost of the DE, and that includes the Direct Cost of the Salary and then the indrect costs of Benefits and Travel expenses for Training.

 

Then there is the Indirect cost of whatever the Council appplies to overhead such as Secretarial support and Office Space for the DE. Then there is the overall Cost of the Council as has been pointed out, a Distrct rarely has a budget all its own. There is the cost apportionment of the Council Exec, Assistant, HQ Executive Secretary and various Field Directors all who are supposed to support the DE and the Cadre of VOlunteers in the District. There is also the COuncil Properties and Ranger costs, both Disrect and Indirest and cost of upkeep on the Camp(s) and Scout HQ building.

 

Add in Computer replacement/respair programs and all the other costs of running an office and it can tend to get pricey. KInda see why there was a resistance to Pro fessional Scouters in the first place

 

Payment for either the lease on the Scout Office or mortgage for the property unless the Council actually own the property and I am sure many other things.

 

I can see that a COuncil would break it down to the cost per scout registered member then per unit as units can vary so wildy in number, per person is probably a better gauge. And I mean both youth and adults as well

 

 

[Jeffrey H]

Our Council claims that it cost $175 dollars per scout per year. This is also their suggested minimum donation to Friends of Scouting.

 

The cost for a Pack or Troop? I've never seen those numbers since they always measure per scout. That said, my Pack should not cost our Council anything really other than possibly tiny administrative expenses for recharter and our unit account at the Scout Shop. The Council makes a 40% profit from our Popcorn sales so I don't think we really cost them anything that's worth measuring.

 

 

 

[John-in-KC]

OGE: I think the cost is measured per youth member, since they are the target audience. Adults are support staff.

 

Basement: That is a council cost per youth member. As stated, I don't think anyone calculates cost per youth member by district.

[Basementdweller]

The reason I ask is there is discussion of a unit fee paid to the district to be a member.

 

I understand processing youth apps....But I am required to put my own advancement into scoutnet.....I do my own recruiting, I pay for my training, Other than the DE who does nothing for me I want to know what I am paying for??????

 

 

[Eagle92]

Base,

 

I 've seen council budgets, and I am guessing the $100 figure is a council one. Let's face it district's are a subgroup of the council, and while the DE is the main contact for the district, there are a lot of support folks at the council office and elsewhere.

 

Yes salaries need to be paid, not only the executives but also the secretaries, rangers, summer camp staff, etc.

 

Insurance is a biggie. If memory serves, there are two types: liability and accident. While some councils add the accident insurance to the annual registration, liability is added to event fees.

 

Camp maintence is another biggie. And I can tell you that in my expereince what the council pays is less than what is actuall spent. I know my OA lodge puts in a lot of time and money on the camps, and my local chapter has raised over $12K over the past 10 years to support the camp in the district. And that doesn't include private donations and equipment.

 

Supplies is another big expense. not only supplies for camps and activities, but FOS cards, recruitment fliers, banners, etc.

 

One I should have known, but it just hit me, TRAVEL EXPENSES. I remember the milage I put on my car when I was a DE, and my district was the size of a county. One of my coworkers had a 5 county large district and put on some serious miles.

 

BUT the SDE we had that was covering 3 districts for a total of 6 counties put on his brand new Prius over 109K miles in about a year. Say 10K of that was personal (yeah right he had no personal life ) so 99K miles reinbursed at $.55/ mile is almost $55,000 dollars right there!

 

Ok more later

[Tampa Turtle]

Perhaps they should just rename it "the franchise fee".

[Basementdweller]

But camp maintenance is not a district worry or fee.....right????

 

"Supplies is another big expense. not only supplies for camps and activities, but FOS cards, recruitment fliers, banners, etc."

 

I have never seen district supply recruiting flyers, banners and such.....I will admit to having seen FOS cards and a jem dandy of a FOS presentation DVD. I make my own recruiting flyers, buy my own paper, deliver them to schools ect......

 

Supplies for camps should all be paid for by the participation fees.......

 

So exactly what is the DE doing traveling???? Ours doesn't do Boy talks, I see him at roundtable occasionally...

 

[Eamonn]

Councils do have to pay a fee for members on top of what the member pays.

As others have posted Districts are an arm of the Council.

A few years back there was a recommendation from National that there should be a DE for every one thousand youth members. -In my neck of the woods that might mean we fire three of them!

The numbers that most Councils put out when they are trying to get FOS funds are almost laughable. That little pie chart really doesn't tell anyone anything.

The more Scouts and volunteers a Council has the more money it is lightly to bring in.

More youth mean more sales in the local Scout store, more Pine Wood Derby cars, more popcorn sellers, more people that might support the FOS more Scouts who will attend summer camp and the list goes on.

One cost that must be hurting Councils with rural Districts is the cost of petrol used in DE's cars.

Our DE's have been informed to work out of their homes and only come to the Service Center for meetings.

Where does the money come from?

Councils get funds from all sorts of places. Some get grant monies from the United Way and other foundations, some have wealthy people who give so much a year or leave a big sum when they die.

We know about the sales and the FOS.

But there are also windfall things such as the sale of timber from Council owned properties and the sale of Council owned properties sometimes camps but sometimes someone will leave a house or parcel of land that isn't going to be used and this is sold.

Strange how this type of thing never makes that little pie chart?

Eamonn

[Eagle92]

Base,

 

The SDE in question was driving to RTs, trainings, roudn ups, etc. The only time he was home was to sleep, and sometimes he would stop at one fo the camps to do that.

 

As for event fees paying for camps, I wish. I know the one in my district gets between $10K-12K of FOS monies in addition to the event fees. One of the camps is divided into to parts. The larger part was leased and the smaller part was a Scout camp. when the leasee decided not to renew, my council went from having a revenue source with the lease, to a deficit b/c not only did they lose the lease money, they also had to maintain the camp.

 

Sorry to hear you have to supply your own flyers. While we have to put our contact info on the bottoms of the flyers, the flyers come printed. We also get yard signs and other recuriting items.

 

E,

 

Depends on the council. While mine doesn't list each specific category, it does generalize and show how much came from UW, shop and popcorn sales, etc.