Pack operating money

[Mom2Scouts06 10]

Bear dad you will be surprised at what your parents can sell if there is something in it for them. This is the first year we did the individual scout accounts. Year before we only sold $1500 total as a pack...started the scout account and this year we sold over $10000 worth of popcorn.

[bear dad 13]

I agree with you about that in regarding whats in it for them. Last year we started our pack when popcorn sale was going on. Parents knew about it, but personally, don't think even cared or even bothered.

Now skip ahead to the present we have cub scout summer camp coming up. don't any boy expect mine will go.he has the money to go, he worked for it. I know there are camperships out there, but you can not count on the amount or if even you get one.Also don't want parents thinking these will always be there for them. Boys and parents need to do what they can to HELP THE PACK GO.

 

 

[Pack212Scouter 10]

We had an opt-out option a few years ago and what happened is that people wanted to take this instead of selling popcorn the next year. Luckily we saw this coming and told them that it was not an option any longer and that all Scouts were expected to sell. The result was our bigest popcorn sale year ever last fall. Something to consider when offering an opt-out is that it gets your unit the "minimum" rather than all that the boy can sell. Additionally, the council doesn't get funds from this, as they do from Popcorn. The Districts desperatly need these funds, especially as their United Way funds continue to drop.

[Mom2Scouts06 10]

Oh I am with you bear dad on parents and boys needing to be willing to help the pack GROW and GO...not only when something is in it for them. Matter of fact we had a nice long parent meeting about it not long ago after I got fed up with no one volunteering at a fundraiser that was to support the pack operations funds...only ones who showed up were committee members and den leaders!

 

Unfortunately though alot of parents seem to feel this way: I will only do X if it benefits my little Johnny!

[CPAMom 10]

What we did this year -

We had around 24 scouts in the fall. We did show & sells for 3 weekends - Very time consuming on my part. One parent took over 1 of the 3 weekends, and I did the other 2. I was constantly moving and counting inventory. (However, my son was a huge help and loved it.) We did not fill all the show & sell slots. The boys who should have been there (with financial needs) weren't, for the most part. The pack sold $2500 at Show & Sell, and $2500 on take order. The other benefit of Show & Sell was that people will give donations, 100% profit. It is against BSA policy to solicit donations, but you are not barred from accepting those offered.

 

We had an earnings scale. I think the magic amount was $350 to earn recharter dues and Boys Life. If you didn't sell that amount, you had to pay those items at recharter time in January. If I could go back and change it, I would set it up so that most of the profit over $500 would go to the scout who sold that much. I only gave $10 per $100 sold at those levels. Only 3 real hard working boys & parents (including my son) did this.

 

My estimate was that we needed around $50 per scout for awards and supplies.

 

I really hate popcorn selling. I think it is over-priced and we're giving a lot of profit to Council. However, the profit per buying customer is great. And boys can be involved in the raising money.

 

Funny thing - The boys who didn't sell much in popcorn ended up dropping at recharter time or have been marginal scouts, not earning belt loops and awards.

 

I don't like the idea of a dinner fundraiser. I think that would be a lot of work falling on a few parents. However, other posters here make that work.

 

We are considering a buyout option for parents next year. Even if we let some people off from paying, it would communicate that scouting is not a free activity. Also, I can understand that some parents would just rather write the check.

 

Some more info. - The pack just charges for things that charge us. We did pay for scouts who sold popcorn to go to the local Nature Center; other scouts paid the $4 fee and $7 for a parent. We charged $1 per person for the main dish for Blue & Gold. Each family was to bring a side dish.

 

I will revisit this post when we consider the earnings scale for next year.

 

 

 

[CPAMom 10]

One more thing that I hate, hate, hate. On School Night in our area, you can join BSA for a few dollars. So, some people join that end up marginally participating or never showing up. Then recharter is in January (a very inconvenient time to hit people with any bill). I spent a lot of time pestering them for dues. Council put out announcements to hit them up for the dues at the Christmas party. Right, "Merry Christmas, please pay us $27."

 

I wish I had just sent a kind letter to owing scout parents on January 2nd requesting money to be paid by a deadline or lose your membership. It would have saved discussions with a den leader who waffled on cutting people off.

[Pack212Scouter 10]

"I really hate popcorn selling. I think it is over-priced and we're giving a lot of profit to Council."

 

CPAMom, I don't mean to sound antagonistic here, but where do you think that the money to support the camp reservations and programs that the council has comes from? For most councils, United Way funds have been steadily decreasing, Friends of Scouting donations have been going down, and they don't get much (if any, I'm not sure) from the BSA dues. If it wasn't for the income from popcorn and any other fundraisers, most of the Councils would be going under.

[CPAMom 10]

Not offended - You ask a good question. Yep, our pack of 24 selling scouts contributed almost $2000 to camps. Seems like a lot to me.

 

The part I feel bad about is asking people who are struggling financially themselves to pay a big bucks for popcorn.

 

I see plenty of packs just don't participate in popcorn selling and have come up with other income-producing ventures that cut Council out of the money.

[ScoutNut 147]

Your Pack sold $5000 in popcorn ($2500 for SS + $2500 for TO), and your councils portion was $2000? That means your Pack earned a 60% profit of $3000, and you are complaining about it?

 

Most Councils give anywhere from 30-40% profit on popcorn.

 

As to your contention that $2000 is to much to give to council. That is a mere drop in the bucket when it come to paying their expenses for a year.

 

Unfortunately, in many councils the profit from council sales like popcorn is their MAIN source of income.

 

Think about what it costs you to run your household for a year. Then consider what it costs a small to medium sized company to run for a year.

 

Your council has to pay for utilities (electric, heat, gas, water, etc) for every single property it owns. It has to pay for insurance for every single property it owns. It pays for office supplies, salaries, health and pension benefits, automotive insurance, tag fees, and maintenance for all council owned vehicles, property taxes, maintenance on all buildings and property owned by the council, paper and printing costs for all of those placemats/recruitment flyers/notices/forms/etc that are given to units FREE OF CHARGE, equipment costs (copiers/dvd players/telephones/projection screens/fax machines/computers, furniture costs, equipment costs for all camps, and lots more.

 

Then there are the special problems that happen. When you need to get a plumber in to your house it can easily cost you $200 or more. What do you think it costs when the septic system at a 600 acre camp goes bad? Or when the water pipes in the ground break? Or when a 60 year old oak tree falls thru the roof of a cabin? Or the roof over the server area for the computers springs a leak during a thunderstorm?

 

That $2000 paid for new ammunition, and repair and maintenance on all guns and arrows, for the season of shooting sports at all of the council and district day and summer camps. How do all of the rest of the bills get paid?

 

Scouts are not selling popcorn (or cookies). They are selling SCOUTING in their communities.

 

OK, off my rant and soapbox!

 

 

 

[Mom2Scouts06 10]

Right on the money with that one Scout Nut! I agree with you 100% on the selling Scouting not Popcorn!

 

 

[infoscouter 11]

On another list in which I participate, we've been having a discussion on camp fees. One poster was told by a camp administrator that their Cub Scout Resident camp costs the council $400 per Scout to operate one camp session. Families pay $135 in camp fees for that session. So the council (from FOS, popcorn, etc.) provides $265 per camper per session. Your $2000 (in that council) would have helped 7.5 Cub Scouts attend resident camp. Seems like a really good value to me.

[Scoutfish 16]

Personally,I'd rather give the council $30.00 a month straight out and not sell anything.

 

That would be $360.00 straight and clear profit without spending one minute on organizing, ordering, procesing or even touching popcorn on the council's part.

 

Same for my pack. I'd rather give them $10.00 a month every month and end up paying $120.00 a year to the pack instead of the current $18.00 . Even if I pay the $10 a month, I'd still stand behind that cooker all day for our bi-annual chicken fundraiser. And I'd still pay for camping etc..

 

 

Just saying, maybe if a council or pack spread the amout throughout the year, they might even be able to increase the amount they want.

The single biggest detriment ( In My Opinion) is that everything is all expected at once: coucil $$ , pack $$$ recharter $$$ insurance $$ magazine $$$, school $$ and school supply $$$.

 

It's bad enough as an experiences scout parent.

 

As a brand new scout parent..it can drive you away!

[ScoutNut 147]

>>"Personally,I'd rather give the council $30.00 a month straight out and not sell anything."

[Scoutfish 16]

Scoutnut,

 

You don't have to tell me. I get it.

 

 

 

Well, my son didn't particpate in any council stuff or activities last year, but I did give $50.00 more than recharter and insurance. This year I gave a $200.00 donation free and clear above the $18 that covers recharter and insurance.

 

I also offered to pay the $12.00 for the scouting magazineget free as a leader, but Beth ( the go to person for anything about anything at Cape Fear Council Scout office) gave me a "don't be stupid" look!

 

As of yet, my son still hasn't been to a coucil or district event yet, but may do so this summer.

 

As far as my pack is concerned..I have mentioned it several times. For some reason, nobody seems interested. I honestly have no idea why! Matter of fact, when ever we need to pay for something such as leader classes, I pay mine and don't ask for reimbursement. If it's camping dues or dinners,or field trips.... I usually round up. If the cost is say......$16.00 - I'll give 20 and tell them to keep and add the $4 to the pack general fund.

 

The following pack meeting, I'll be handed a receipt saying my son has had an additional $4 added to his passbook account!

 

Man, I tell you...sometimes you just can't even give money away!

 

Our yearly dues are $36.00 - half of which goes to BSA for insurance and charter, the other half goes to the pack.

 

$18.00 vs $120.00 . Hmmmmm....It's not that hard to understand!

[Oak Tree 15]

Ok, I'll take the other side of this one.

 

Why should a Cub Scout pack give money to subsidize a Boy Scout camp? Why not have the camp be self-supporting - either through dues or through capital campaigns? I guess a pack does need some professional around, just in case things go wrong, but really, our pack pretty much survived just fine with hardly any contact with the council.

 

I would personally prefer a straight up charge, too, but that might drive away some families. So I can live with popcorn and FOS going to help fund the council office, but beyond that?