Re: Pack Annual Dues and Surcharge
AspenDr01@AOL.COM
Sun, 25 Jul 1999 15:41:10 EDT
I commented on this thread earlier....stating that if the pack was having
trouble (with earning enough funds / getting enough participation), they
should put a minimum requirement on popcorn sales or some other fundraiser. I
gave the example of selling a minimum of $50.00 of popcorn, or contributing
$10 to the pack. I still feel this is a realistic approach.
At the same time, I too have had to support several of my den's Cubs over the
past several years because of a lack of support at home.
I had one boy who made some incredible progress in Cub Scouts. When he
started, he was really withdrawn....except for when he was acting out,
because he didn't know how to fit in. His parents didn't have the money to
buy a shirt, so I gave him one that my son was about to outgrow.
The Cub became very involved in Cub Scouting & made a lot of progress with
his achievements. I found out that his older brother (13) was signing off on
his achievements & asked the Cub about it. Evidently it was the only way he
could get the acheivements done, because his parents wouldn't help him. I
bent a rule in this instance because the Cub assured me that he and his
brother were really completing the acheivements.
In another matter with this same Cub, I had trouble collecting popcorn money
after it was to have been turned in (parents said the money had been
"misplaced"). I had never been to the Cub's home before...but made several
trips during the period when I was trying to collect this money. It was very
evident when I visited the boy's home, that his parents were using (and
possibly distributing) drugs. I didn't make a big deal out of collecting the
money. In fact, I kicked in the missing $50, and the parents payed me a
little at a time over the next few months until it was payed off. Being the
husband of a social worker...I knew there was little that I could do to get
the boy out of this situation....so I swallowed hard & tried to be nice to
his parents whenever I talked with them. I wanted to keep the boy in Cub
Scouts.
The Cub continued to make good progress in Cub Scouting until he left our
den. It broke my heart when the boy & his family moved away. I even contacted
the Cubmaster in the town that the boy moved to asking that he, or one of his
DLs reach out to the boy / family & get him enrolled again. As far as I know,
he's never enrolled in Cub Scouts again. :(
While I try to be compasionate & do anything I can to help a boy through Cub
Scouts... I still feel that expecting boys & their families to help with fund
raising is not to much to ask. I don't expect, or want them to be involved in
the program in other ways if they don't want to. Why, in fact, would we want
anyone involved in our program who isn't just as enthused about it as us?
Let's keep on doin' it for the boys!
YIS,
AspenDr01@aol.com
