Varsity Huddle
FUNDRAISING!!!!!!!!!
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What are the benefits of a boy working for the
money he needs?
The Church Handbook says
regarding fundraising and cost of activities:
(13.2.8) “Most activities should be simple and have
little or no cost. Expenditures must be approved by the stake presidency or
bishopric before they are incurred.” and
“Stake and ward budget funds should be used to pay for all activities,
programs, and supplies. Members should not pay fees to participate. Nor should
they provide materials, supplies, rental or admission fees, or long-distance
transportation at their own expense. Activities in which members provide food
may be held if doing so does not place undue burdens on them.”
Exceptions to this rule include (13.2.8):
1. One annual extended Scout camp or similar
activity for young men (High Adventure).
2. One annual young women camp or similar
activity.
3. One annual day camp or similar activity
for Primary children ages 8 through 11.
Scout Camp, High Adventure and
Girls Camp
Fund-raising activities are not usually approved because expenses for
stake and ward activities are paid with budget funds. As an exception, a stake
president or bishop may authorize one group fund-raising activity each year.
Such an activity may be held to raise funds for the following purposes only:
- To help pay the cost of one annual camp
or similar activity as outlined in 13.2.8.
- To help purchase equipment that the
unit needs for annual camps as outlined in 13.2.9.
If a fund-raising
activity is held, it should provide a meaningful value or service. It should be
a positive experience that builds unity.
Contributions to fund-raising activities are voluntary. Priesthood
leaders should take special care to ensure that members do not feel obligated
to contribute.
Equipment
(13.2.9) If possible, equipment and
supplies that the ward needs for annual youth camps are purchased with ward
budget funds. If these funds are not sufficient, the bishop may authorize one
group fund-raising activity annually that complies with the guidelines in 13.6.8.
Equipment and supplies purchased with Church
funds, whether from the ward budget or a fund-raising activity, are for Church
use only. They are not for the personal use of individuals or families.
Church funds may not be used to purchase
uniforms for individuals.
Popcorn sale ARE legal for LDS units and have been since
2005 no matter what anyone has ever told us.
In short (I have documentation if you need it) the Church has said:
“While the LDS Church does not endorse any specific fundraiser or
product, if conducted in accordance with the LDS Church Budget Allowance Guidelines, 1998, the sale of popcorn would be an
appropriate fundraising tool for LDS supported units.”
President Dalquist (former Church Young Men’s President)
also stated that this was the policy.
Fundraising ideas:
·
Popcorn sales
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Holiday flag
placement and sales.
·
Mulch (Purchased at a great discount from Lowes
or Home Depot, sell and deliver. Scatter
for an additional cost.)
·
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What fundraising ideas have you heard that have worked in
the area?
It is important
that any Scout unit, especially those in the Church, don’t spend money to earn
money!
It is also important
to know that a Scout may NOT sell things door to door in a Scout uniform unless
it is a BSA approved fundraiser (i.e. Popcorn).
Unit fundraisers must not be done in uniform.
Why is it important to have a boy work for the money he
earns?
3 comments:
Good post. I gotta tell you though, I instigated a holiday flag revolt last year. It became the adult leaders' responsibility, and we were tied to the flags on every holiday, while the boys were able to go enjoy a day of skiing or boating or what-have-you during this premium family time. I thoroughly enjoyed a flag-duty-free day yesterday (and I wore my country's uniform for eight years, so if anyone wants to accuse me of unpatriotic insincerity, that dog don't hunt).
If you're going to do something like this, insist that adults only drive, and only because boys aren't allowed to drive each other on Scout-sponsored activities. Also insist that boys take full responsibility for setting them up and taking them down in a timely fashion. And if it doesn't happen, that's a learning experience for them, not a reflection on you. (BTW, this activity has huge back-of-pickup-riding-violation potential.)
We should also point out this paragraph from section 13.6.8 of the Church Handbook of Instructions:
"Stakes and wards that sponsor fund-raising activities should not advertise or solicit beyond their boundaries. Nor should they sell products or services door to door."
In general, I don't really like fundraising. I stopped our holiday flag project the last two years because it basically came down to just me--and I couldn't do it all. There were (and still are) a lot of ward members who want to bring it back. I'm convinced, though, that they don't want to help the boys raise money quite so much as they want someone to come put a flag in their yard every year.
There are several wards here locally that do a dinner and auction. My in-law's ward made $10,000 on their combined primary/young women/young men auction last year. My ward tried it and didn't even break $1,000.
One idea I heard recently was to, instead of trying to sell stuff to our ward members, ask them to find jobs (yardwork, gardening, farm work, etc.)the boys could do for them earn their own way.
If we have to do a fundraiser, I would prefer the money to go toward replacing troop/team/crew equipment and have the boys pay for their camps.
I find the flag idea good in concept but not in practice. I will not do it for the boys. And only boys who work get fundraising money. We have done the dinner and auction too and cleared about $1000. Breakfast fundraiser cleared about $1800 to which a previous Scout leader took that money and told his VERY large company that it was his personal donation to his Scout group and they doubled it.
In the end the boys need to get off their butts and work. Mom and Dad need to stop using us like it is our responsibility to do their son's fundraising for them. Sort of along the lines of my babysitting issue. Scouts isn't babysitting. Come into the building and see what your son is doing! Technically parents should be on the Scout Committee and the Committee should be working the fundraiser with us and for us.......but no active committee.
In the end, parents cut a check for Camp or High Adventure because it is easier than helping their son with a fundraiser.
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