squidly87 0 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I am the new Scoutmaster of a long established Troop of about 35 scouts. Our CO is a church. Recently the outgoing Treasurer (who is a member of the church and who's husband is the COR) mentioned to the new Treasurer that the Troop makes a yearly $300 donation to the church and said that needed to continue. The Pack that is chartered by this same church, also makes a $300 donation every year. My question to you is, does your Troop make any sort of financial donation to your Charter Organization? I have read on this forum that a number of CO's make a yearly donation to the Troop or help them with the purchase of gear, trailers, etc. That does not happen with our CO. They basically give us a place to meet and let us take some ice to fill the coolers for campouts. We have helped them advertise their food pantry and have helped them once or twice a year with their project to feed members of the community (help serve food, clean up, etc.). Other than that we really don't have much to do with each other. While the Troop has the $300, something about being told by a member of the church to give it to the CO rubs me the wrong way. While I certainly appreciate the CO giving us a place to meet, I have had the feeling for some time that the scouts are tolerated rather than appreciated by the CO and that if we all quit and the Troop disbanded the CO wouldn't be upset. The flip side of that is that I imagine we burn up $300 of the churches heating, air conditioning, water, and electricity in a year so maybe giving them $300 (or not) isn't the hill to die on. What do you think? Squidly87 Link to post Share on other sites
LeCastor 641 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 The Chartering Organization agrees to give you a place to meet, owns the unit's gear, and approves all adult volunteers. Making your unit give the church $300 per year is strange and I don't really understand why they would do that, especially since your unit's money belongs to them anyway.... Link to post Share on other sites
Gone 435 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Yes. We do two things. First, we have a fund-raiser specifically for our CO. They really don't need the money but we do it anyway. Second, we have our COR sitting on their board. When something comes up that needs doing, we step up and help. The services we provide FAR out pace our monetary donation...and goes a lot further with the congregation too. Link to post Share on other sites
Gone 435 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 The Chartering Organization agrees to give you a place to meet, owns the unit's gear, and approves all adult volunteers. Making your unit give the church $300 per year is strange and I don't really understand why they would do that, especially since your unit's money belongs to them anyway.... I'll bite. Many COs don't know they own the unit. It is more a pilot fish/shark relationship than a parent/offspring relationship. Units in my area are seen as groups that use CO resources and give back in various ways for that privilege. Link to post Share on other sites
Sentinel947 1205 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 We helped our CO build a storage shed. We donated about 800$ and our Scoutmaster provided some construction help.We also do various service projects around the CO thoughout the year. However, $300 could be a huge amount of a 35 boy Troops money. I'd ask the COR to verify that arrangement with the Institutional Head. If the 300$ isn't doable, then your PLC should talk about other ways to contribute to the CO. Link to post Share on other sites
Stosh 3452 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 If the church's youth group makes a $300/yr donation to the church; if the women's group makes a $300/yr donation to the church; if the men's group makes a $300/yr donation to the church; then I would say the scout units need to pay their free rent like everyone else. I have never heard of such a thing. My boys help out with the church's fall dinner, food pantry drive, and a number of other things for our CO, but NEVER have I heard of a unit doing this. As mentioned, the CO has agreed with the BSA to provide a meeting place free of charge. Link to post Share on other sites
LeCastor 641 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 Our CO is a United Methodist Church and their mission is to do service in the world. So our units help with the monthly soup kitchen meals and we help do food drives to stock the pantry. But giving money to the church for the privilege of using the building isn't ever expected. Link to post Share on other sites
mgood777 14 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 (edited) They should pay ME! . . . Oh, wait. I don't. I'm poor. All I have to give is my time, and sometimes little of that. I have not read the other responses yet. CO provides for the unit, not the other way around. On the other hand, $300/yr is cheap rent for a meeting place if the alternative is storing the stuff at home and meeting at the park. I'd feel better if we agreed to work a fundraiser for the CO. Maybe help staff their fundraiser, maybe organize a fundraiser for them. That seems better than saying "We'll give you [x number] dollars each year." No real difference, I suppose, from having a troop fund raiser and giving the CO $300 out of the proceeds. But it seems better to me. I imagine we burn up $300 of the churches heating, air conditioning, water, and electricity in a year so maybe giving them $300 (or not) isn't the hill to die on. Agree, not the hill to die on. Pick your battles. This seems strange to me, but relatively minor. Edited May 13, 2015 by mgood777 Link to post Share on other sites
mattman578 117 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 It is funny my pack tried to give the church a donation and we were turned down told to hold a food drive instead Link to post Share on other sites
blw2 433 Posted May 13, 2015 Share Posted May 13, 2015 I think it sounds odd nice gesture, sure, but odd... not a hill to die on for sure.... just guessing, but it seems to me that this outgoing treasurer was only passing along a nugget of tradition. Somebody probably had a good idea once to make such a donation.... then the folks that followed also thought it was a good idea so it continued 6 treasurer's later this guys is probably just passing along the tradition..... saying it needed to continue.... I would take as "his opinion". Our pack doesn't do it to my knowledge our troop doesn't either Like @@Stosh suggests, I too have always considered the pack to be a ministry outreach of the parish..... not a tenant. Link to post Share on other sites
perdidochas 658 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 I am the new Scoutmaster of a long established Troop of about 35 scouts. Our CO is a church. Recently the outgoing Treasurer (who is a member of the church and who's husband is the COR) mentioned to the new Treasurer that the Troop makes a yearly $300 donation to the church and said that needed to continue. The Pack that is chartered by this same church, also makes a $300 donation every year. My question to you is, does your Troop make any sort of financial donation to your Charter Organization? I have read on this forum that a number of CO's make a yearly donation to the Troop or help them with the purchase of gear, trailers, etc. That does not happen with our CO. They basically give us a place to meet and let us take some ice to fill the coolers for campouts. We have helped them advertise their food pantry and have helped them once or twice a year with their project to feed members of the community (help serve food, clean up, etc.). Other than that we really don't have much to do with each other. While the Troop has the $300, something about being told by a member of the church to give it to the CO rubs me the wrong way. While I certainly appreciate the CO giving us a place to meet, I have had the feeling for some time that the scouts are tolerated rather than appreciated by the CO and that if we all quit and the Troop disbanded the CO wouldn't be upset. The flip side of that is that I imagine we burn up $300 of the churches heating, air conditioning, water, and electricity in a year so maybe giving them $300 (or not) isn't the hill to die on. What do you think? Squidly87 Not a cash donation, but we do donate labor. Link to post Share on other sites
scoutldr 732 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Good point about the money belonging to them anyway. Don't tell them. I have never had a unit donate money. However, "paying back" with service projects is common. Our last CO had a "portable" out back that was used for Sunday School classes, that they allowed us to use. They did ask us to not turn on the heat in the winter. Other groups did and we got blamed for it anyway. Link to post Share on other sites
SeattlePioneer 144 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Our pack meets at a Catholic Church. Our CO is a Kiwanis Club that has no association with the church. Personally, I'd like to have the pack contribute $100 "to help with the good work of the parish." They've never asked us for anything. The pack doesn't do much for the CO. No one has even hinted that the church would like a contribution, but I think it would be a nice thing to do. It would be a tangible way of saying "Thank You" for the many generous things the church does for the pack, including giving us yet another evening use of the parish hall for a recruiting event June 22. Link to post Share on other sites
andysmom 55 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 Interesting. We have tried to donate $500 every year to our CO (a church). We have been chartered there for over 100 years. Ever since I have been associated with the troop or pack we have had an outstanding relationship with them. The congregation always seemed to enjoy talking to the scouts and hearing what was going on with them. We even used to have a "column" in the monthly church newsletter. We held COH in the sanctuary and had pretty much free access to any room we needed (for Eagle project reviews, BOR, etc). We supported their food pantry with scouting for food and helped on clean up days when we were able. Last year a new Pastor took over and things have gone downhill. We have been restricted to only certain rooms in the church basement and told that we can't touch anything in the rooms because the Sunday School teachers like things a certain way. We cannot use the sanctuary for any reason between the months of November and May. We have been restricted to using a side half door when loading gear for camp outs. They are basically making it very difficult to run our program and we have to cut out some activities that the boys really enjoy. During a "sit down" a couple weeks ago the troop was told that it will cook and serve consecration breakfast and will perform 2 field days to clean up the outside of the building. We are not the only organization that uses the church but we seem to be getting the brunt of the new Pastor's micromanaging. Funny, her 2 sons are Eagle Scouts........ Link to post Share on other sites
Gone 435 Posted May 14, 2015 Share Posted May 14, 2015 @@andysmom, over 100 years at the same CO?!?!?!? Wow! Link to post Share on other sites
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