James West Knot Question

[PACK15NISSAN 10]

Not really sure if this is best place to post this but I am hoping I can get an answer to my question.

 

We have a leader whose company is looking to donate to our Pack. This contribution would be around $5,000. I was talking to him and saying that we might be able to present the company with a James West Fellowship Award for their contribution. Is this right?

 

This is the information I got from US Scouts:

 

James West Fellowship Award - Worn by those honored for their personal donation of a minimum of $1000 to a local Council Endowment Fund, or honored by others with such a donation

 

If they make the contribution to the Pack would they still qualify?

 

Would they qualify for 3 awards?

 

We do not want this company going through our council because we know they will take a part if not all of it. We already send more money to the council through FOS and popcorn than any other Pack in the Council. We want this money for our Pack to do things for our Pack. I don't think getting the award is going to sway them one way or the other but I want to know before I tell them anything.

[scoutldr 726]

"Worn by those honored for their personal donation of a minimum of $1000 to a local Council Endowment Fund"

 

So the answer is no. The money is donated to the "Council Endowment Fund"...not to a unit. You are correct...the Council will keep all of it.

 

There is no award for donating directly to a unit, unless you make one up. And keep in mind, for IRS purposes, they are donating to your CO, since in most states, the Unit is not a legal entity and doesn't have an EIN.

 

The lawyers here will correct me if I'm wrong.

[click23 66]

If they make the contribution to the Pack would they still qualify? - No, only gifts to the Council Endowment Fund gifts count towards this award.

[PACK15NISSAN 10]

So basically if it is either the funds for us or a knot for them. Well thanks for the info., not what I wanted to hear but none the less it is an answer. I guess we won't be mentioning the knot to them because we don't want the council taking our unit money.

 

BTW, yes they will be making the contribution to our CO with the money going to the scouts.

[scoutldr 726]

Here's what I would do. There are lots of "award" items in the BSA catalog (or see www.scoutstuff.org). Buy one of those and have it suitably engraved and present it to the CEO at a Pack Meeting. (B&G would be good).

 

I recently had to have my truck towed to the nearest dealer, which happened to be a Lincoln Mercury dealer. While waiting for the repair to be completed, I had lots of time to wander around the showroom, where I noticed a display case with MANY plaques, awards, etc, from the Council for outstanding support. I have been quite active at the unit and district level for 30 years, and never knew they were such staunch supporters. Based on that, and a good experience with the repair, I will be a repeat customer...might even buy a new car there.

[dg98adams 18]

This is a "for What it's Worth" reply....

 

The Pack is not normally a charitable organization on it's own...your CO may be. Donations (especially that large) either usually go thru a charitable CO or your council, to give the donor a tax-break receipt.

 

$5k is a sizable donation, and I would hope you have your P's & Q's covered.

 

Sorry, I don't know anything about the J.W. Knot.

[PACK15NISSAN 10]

Yes, 5K is a lot of money. Our CO is a church and in the past we have had no problems with people donating to the church, using their tax id and then they forward us the funds.

 

I know if the council gets a hold of that money, whether or not it is stated that it is to go to our Pack or not, they will end up keeping all or part of it, which is just not right.

 

I hesitate on doing a plaque. Only because they are giving us money, why would we then take money to get a plaque made for them, I know we a plaque is relatively cheap but doesn't that defeat the purpose?

 

I think we are going to have the boys do something for the company, either a service project or make something to show them our appreciation.

[eagle77 60]

I would have no problem spending $40 or $50 to show appreciation for receiving $5000. That show of appreciation may be helpful later down the line too. Heck I'd give them something for less too.

[Eagle92 110]

if you don't want to buy a plaque, then make one. i'm sure you have someone with the skill and equipment to make a nice recognition. I personally like it when it has a plastic cover for a photo. OR make a photo album of your scouts as athank you.

[Eamonn 61]

As others have pointed out, the James E. West award is for a donation of at least $1,000.00 to the Council Endowment Fund.

The donation of $5,000.00 could be given in five lots of a thousand dollars.

Along with the knot, comes a very nice certificate that looks great in a frame.

While the money does have to go into the fund and can not go into a units funds, the award can be given in the name or names of just about anyone.

The company that is donating the money might want an award in the name of the company (Joe's Dry Cleaning Inc.) One award in the name of the the owner (Joe Smith) one award in the name of his wife and so on.

I have in the past arranged for a James E. West in the name of a Lad who attended the 2001 Jamboree, but sadly died in a car accident. We presented the certificate to his mother and his name is on the James E. West plaque that hangs near the entrance of our Council Service Center.

Have just looked over what was posted about the unit not getting the money!

The award is for the donation to the Council Endowment Fund. Not for any other reason or purpose. So the unit should not ever see any of it!

Whoever is making the donation needs to think and know what they are donating too?

If they want to make a donation to the Chartering Organization with the money being earmarked for use by the unit, then clearly this donation doesn't fit into the criteria needed for a James E. West Award. The donation in fact has nothing to do with the Council or the BSA.

It could be said that the donation is being made to the CO and if they want or have some way of recognizing donors? It would be up to them to do so.

The CO could or might say that they need the donation! Maybe saying it would help offset the cost of having a Scouting unit.

I don't think they would, but they could!!

Eamonn(This message has been edited by Eamonn)

[Twocubdad 665]

If it makes you feel any better, the money for West fellowships doesn't just go any old place in the council. It must be donated to the council's endowment fund, meaning that the donation -- $1,000 or more -- is held in trust and the council can access only the interest generated by the donation. (Actually it's more complicated than that, but you get the idea.) The idea is that the donation will be generating income which will benefit the council for years, not just the paying the power bill this month.

 

I think this is a pretty good deal and I've arranged for a number of West Fellowships over the years. Of course you can do what you like, but I would consider taking $1,000 of th $5,000 and making a West contribution in the orignal donor's name. Sounds like a win-win to me.

[OldScout997 10]

Wow... forty plus years of Scouting under my belt and it still amazes me how we often forget that one of the three foundations of Scouting is Character Development. In my humble opinion, the personal responsibility of 'thriftiness' is a huge element of that; teaching our Scouts and yes, our Scout families too, that we pay our own way should be one of the things we constantly put before them.

 

Moreover, I think that we often forget that we shouldn't be in the business of 'business'; we shouldn't ever work towards building huge war chests of money for our units so that we can be like so many other organizations which are all about growing through providing instant gratification to the masses, while forgetting their core beliefs. For as Baden-Powell was once quoted, "Scouting is not an organization, it is a movement." I believe therefore, that everything we do should be in keeping with the ideals of that 'movement', and 'money for nothing' has no place, no matter how well intended the giver's motives.

 

Thus I feel that in situations like this, we should take the lead of the unknown Scout, who introduced Mr. Boyce to Scouting; who after leading Boyce through the London fog, refused a tip saying, "No thanks sir, I am a Scout". And we should then direct Mr. Businessman to our local council, or to the national council... because after all, those folks ARE in the business of running the business end of Scouting.

 

 

Just my two-cents worth.

[PACK15NISSAN 10]

Well, in 40 years a lot of things change. Perhaps nothing in your district our council has changed or is better run then they are here. Our council has no need for the funds, the don't provide what they should with the money they have, so why we would pass it along to them, so they continue to do a poor job. This money will allow us to compensate for many of the shortcomings of the council and our district.

 

We are planning on getting training material, camping gear for the boys, and allowing for some uniform and camping scholarships among other things. Scouting is a movement, however we I am at, they are not moving very fast.