Re: Scout Accounts
Mark Arend (arend@PEOPLES.NET)
Wed, 6 Nov 1996 11:46:07 -0600
At 03:25 PM 11/5/96 -0500, you wrote:
>Our Troop is considering establishing individual Scout accounts, i.e.,
>savings accounts for individual Scouts. Money can be deposited by the
>Scout or earned by participating in Troop fundraising activities. Money
>can be used to pay for Scout activities (summer camp, camping trip, certain
>equipment items, etc.).
John--
Our Troop has used this successfully for many years, as have many other
Troops in our area. Typically there is a 50/50 or 60/40 split on profits
from fundraising with part going to the Troop's general fund and part to the
boy. We have better fundraisers when Scouts (and parents) can see some
personal advantage.
The money is kept in our regular bank account with the treasurer keeping
track of how much each Scout has.
Our policy is that the boy can use his money for any Scout-related expense
and we intrepret it pretty loosely. Fees for camps, uniforms, personal
camping equipment, materials needed for Merit Badge work--all are allowed.
We limit it to Scout related expenses because a former treasurer who is a
CPA told us that we could jeporadize our tax-exempt status if we just gave
the money to the boys. Money can be drawn out either by submitting a
reciept to the treasurer or by asking for it ("I need a new sleeping bag and
they're on sale now--could you give me $***?")
Advice: Have your Committee decide ahead of time what the money can be used
for and what it cannot be used for--make sure everyone understands the
guidelines. Decide *before* a fund-raiser what the Scout/Troop split will
be. Have a good treasurer who can keep track of the books (the program
our's uses lists the Scouts as "liabilities" which makes for some
interesting comments sometimes).
Mark W. Arend
Beaver Dam Community Library
311 N. Spring St. Outside of a dog, a book is
Beaver Dam, Wisc. 53916 man's best friend. Inside of
(414) 887-4631 (fax 887-4633) a dog it's too dark to read.
--Groucho Marx
Scoutmaster, Troop 736
arend@peoples.net
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
