Author: Michael F. Bowman
Company: Attorney at Law

SCOUTS-L
----------
FRIENDS OF SCOUTING

 Date: Fri, 16 Jun 1995 00:36:08 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Michael F. Bowman" <mfbowman@capaccess.org>
Subject: Scouting $$$
To: SCOUTS-L Youth Groups Discussion List <SCOUTS-L@TCUBVM.IS.TCU.EDU>

There has been some good discussion on unit fundraising with some great
ideas and a number of questions about different Council policies on
raising money above the unit level.  I can remember all too well the
resentment I felt after struggling to raise enough money to keep a Pack
running, when the local District fellow came around wanting more money for
FOS to support Scouting.  I though what the devil?  We don't get much from
Council and need the money right here!  Boy was I wrong.  The high quality
program we got was the result of a lot of unseen effort.  I started
thinking about what it cost to run the high adventure bases, camps,
camporees, pinewood derbies, etc.; what it cost to keep the records, to
have inventories of badges on hand, and just about everything else we take
for granted.  Its no small cost.  And oh yea - there's the professional
staff that's always there working a lot more hours for a lot less money
than many of the folks that complained loudest in my Pack.  Got to
thinking that maybe it was just a little reasonable to have to pay for all
this good stuff.  Which brings me to this:

Now is a tough time for Scouting financially.  Used to be that Scouting
was one of the main beneficiaries of United Way/United Fund/Community
Chest/Combined Federal Campaign fundraising efforts.  Now we all know just
how bewildering the list of supported organizations is - it takes over a
hundred pages just to list them in our area.  Scouting's cut of the pie
has diminished.  Over the years Scouting has attempted to shore up its
finances with SME/FOS and other finance campaigns.  At the same time the
costs of maintaining camps, service centers, etc. has been increasing. 
Worse the number of lawsuits has been rising and they are expensive to
defend, even if you win.

A lot of Scouting's financial support is also tied to the fortunes of the
surrounding community.  And when the local area is experiencing tough
times, that means that Scouting is also going to feel the pinch.  

Many smaller Councils and many in areas hard hit by economic problems are
finding it increasingly more difficult to make ends meet.  Our own Council
has had the same experience of less community money and the devastating
effect of downsizing economies.  

Each of these Councils is and will continue to try to find methods to keep
the program operating and open to as many boys as possible.  For a very
long time it was taboo to charge the actual cost of camp, the actual cost
of programs, etc. because we wanted as many boys as possible to join
regardless of financial circumstance.  

Now each Council is coping in the best way it can.  You will be seeing new
approaches like Council registration fees, more emphasis on FOS, Councils
taking a percentage of fundraisers, etc., depending on what the local
Council feels is the best way to deal with its situation.  Some Councils
are merging to get a healthier financial base too.  

Each of our Councils will be taking different approaches depending on
circumstances and needs. And a lot of these approaches are based on what
the volunteers in the local area have decided; e.g. the Council Executive
Board.  

Scouting needs financial support to continue to provide the quality of
programs it offers.  As much as we all might bemoan FOS, etc., its a reality.

Continuing to provide a high quality program is not without its costs. 
Its great, if we can get others to help pay the bills, if not we have to
help as much as we can, whethers its a few dollars or many.  

Date:         Thu, 28 Sep 1995 10:34:30 EST
From: Peter Farnham <pfarnham@ASBMB.FASEB.ORG>
Subject:      What FOS contributions pay for

     Hi all,

     Several of you asked me privately to post the 2-page list of items our
     council spends money on each year.  You recall that I mentioned I was
     an area captain for FOS last year, and as part of the background info
     I received to help me with my job, I received the list reproduced
     below (Caps below do not denote shouting; rather, they are a verbatim
     transcript of what NCAC sent out).

                                *       *       *

                WHAT DOES NCAC DO FOR THE LEADER AND HIS UNIT?

     TO HELP THE LEADER WITH THE ADMINISTRATION OF HIS UNIT, OUR COUNCIL
     MAINTAINS A SERVICE CENTER WITH CLERICAL STAFF TO:

     1.  Handle registrations, BOYS LIFE subscriptions, and special
     requests to the National Council and other organizations.

     2.  Keep records of advancement, membership, training, etc., necessary
     to unit operation.

     3.  Produce monthly and special council bulletins to keep leaders
     informed of latest local and national news, coming events, etc.

     4.  Produce notices, minutes, agendas, etc., for district and council
     committees that are developing programs and service for leader and
     unit benefit.

     5.  Handle countless phone calls and visitors for information related
     to unit operation and Scouting procedures.

     6.  Provide, without charge, dozens of regular and special forms,
     applications, scoreboards, certificates and literature, helpful in
     unit program.

     7.  Produce district and council calendars and schedules, programs,
     kits, and special aids to assist leaders and their committees.

     8.  Make reservations for films, equipment, long term camping, day
     camps, short term camps, camporees, jamborees, training courses,
     meetings, Cub Pow Wows, Exploring activities, annual council and
     district meetings, and troop leader events.

     TO ASSIST LEADERS, THE COUNCIL EMPLOYS A TRAINED, FULL TIME STAFF
     WHICH COUNSELS, GUIDES AND INSPIRES:

     1.  Through informal training in unit operation.

     2.  Through person-to-person counseling on unit relationships,
     administrative and operational problems.

     3.  Through guidance of all committees, commissioners, roundtables,
     meetings, conferences, courses, district and council activities in the
     development of programs that directly benefit leaders and units.

     4.  Through contacts with the community resources (clubs, churches,
     government, etc.), securing help for all units that they alone could
     not obtain.  The use of parks, recreatioinal areas, use of buildings
     for special affairs, picnic areas, camp sites and swimming facilities
     are a few examples.

     5.  Through contacts with institutional heads giving guidance on unit
     organization, relationships, leadership and unit problems.

     PROVIDING THE UNIT WITH DISTRICT AND COUNCIL ACTIVITIES AND SERVICE,
     THE COUNCIL:

     1.  Sets up and conducts various types of activities in which units
     participate such as Scout Anniversary Month, Scout Show and community
     service projects.

     2.  Organizes camporees, Cub Day Camps, Webelos Day, Explorer events,
     and absorbs the losses where they occur.

     3.  Works with various community groups to arrange for Scout
     participation in civic affairs.

     4.  Recruits and maintains a corps of commissioners for unit leader
     and committee visitation and counseling and roundtable planning and
     direction.

     IN EDUCATIONAL AND RELATIONSHIPS PROGRAM, THE COUNCIL PROVIDES THE
     LEADER WITH:

     1.  A library of films, filmstrips, records, projectors, and screens
     for use in training and promotional programs, at no cost to the unit.

     2.  Informal and formal training courses with most of the cost of
     trainer literature and materials, etc. and all the staff time included
     in the council budget.

     3.  Monthly roundtables for the benefit of leaders, committeemen,
     assistants, and den leaders, materials, staff and other costs.

     4.  Scouter's Key and training awards, Den Leader's Training Award,
     Silver Beaver, Arrowhead, and other Scouter recognitions and Eagle
     Badges.

     5.  The major portion of expense connected with troop leader training
     camps and programs, den chief conferences, Cubbing Pow Wows, junior
     leader training courses and council-wide Explorer activities.

     6.  A merit badge counselor corps offering assistance in more than one
     hundred subjects.

     7.  A variety of advancement forms and certificates without charge.
     These are processed in the thousands each year.

     IN THE FIELD OF CAMPING AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, THE COUNCIL:

     1.  Maintains Goshen Scout Camps for year-round camping and Cub family
     and Webelos outdoor events.

     2.  Offers units the use of equipment for short-term, weekend and
     year-round camping.

     3.  Employs full time camp rangers for the protection of the Goshen
     Scout Camps and the convenience of units using facilities.  They keep
     these facilities available at all times.

     4.  Provides campers's savings cards, unit leaders' guidebook, camp
     slides, folders, literature, and other aids to help units with their
     outdoor program.

     5.  Provides a limited number of partial scholarships or "camperships"
     for Scouts who need some financial help to have a summertime camp
     experience.

     6.  Offers units the high adventure of Philmont Scout Ranch,
     Wilderness Canoe Trips, National Jamborees, field days, camporees, and
     the like.  These would not exist without a council giving leadership
     and coordination.

     TO HELP THE LEADER DEVELOP HIS PROGRAM, THE COUNCIL PROVIDES WITHOUT
     CHARGE:

     1.  Program helps, program planning charts and calendar of activities,
     meetings and special events.

     2.  Awards such as ribbons, certificates, roundup awards, etc.

     3.  Scores of different certificates, Eagle Award Kits, and volunteer
     leader recognitions.

     4.  Roundup, camporee and scout anniversary kits, posters, and other
     materials.

     5.  Sample song sheets, ceremonies, parents' night program outlines,
     training aids, etc.

     6.  Source materials and personnel.

     7.  Materials, books, pamphlets, folders, filmstrips, and special
     helps from the National Council and cooperating organizations.

     TO PROTECT THE UNIT LEADER, THE COUNCIL:

     1.  Screens requests for services, money-raising proposals or offers,
     guarding against improper use, Scouting commercialism and
     exploitation.

     2.  Maintains a liability policy that protects all leaders in the
     event of a suit arising from Scouting activities.

     3.  Has staff members available on what is practically an
     around-thd-clock, around-the-calendar basis to meet any emergency.

     Every year all units receive many direct benefits from the council.
     It is difficult to place an exact price tag on these as the services
     vary greatly from unit to unit.  The Family Phase of Friends of
     Scouting conducted by units helps to pay only a portion of the overall
     costs of the direct service provided to our troops, packs, and posts
     each year."
                                *       *       *

     This is what the Council gave me last year.  I understand that each
     scout in the Council is subsidized to the tune of about $90 a year.
     While we can all probably quibble about one or two or maybe even
     several items on the above list, I think it is unfair--as well as just
     plain inaccurate--to state that FOS goes solely to pay the DE's
     salary.  That just ain't so!

     YiS,

     Pete Farnham
     SM, Troop 113
     GW District, NCAC
     Alexandria, VA
     pfarnham@capaccess.org

Date: Sun, 9 Jun 1996 12:54:31 -0400 (EDT)
From: "Michael F. Bowman" <mfbowman@CapAccess.org>
To: SCOUTS-L - Youth Groups Discussion List <Scouts-L@tcubvm.is.tcu.edu>
Subject: Where Does the Money Go?

Awhile back in one of our discussion threads some folks were curious 
where the money went that was raised by FOS/SME campaigns.  In the 
National Capital Area Council, we are midway through a two year 
fundraising effort called "Investment in Character."  I thought it might 
be useful to share some of our successes here.  We set out to raise $9 
million and have succeeded in raising $4.5 million to date with 
contributions from over 3,800 companies, organizations, foundations and 
individuals.  The money has been used to:

* Retire the Council's debt (NCAC had been over $1 million in debt)
* Repair the dam and bridge at Goshen Scout Reservation (this was a
  major project that was much needed after a devestating flood last
  Spring wrecked the dam, draining the lake which served six camps.
* Build six new program shelters at Goshen
* Build handicap accessible campsites at Goshen
* We are in the process of purchasing a camp property closer to the
  metropolitan area (Goshen is four hours away on average) for training,
  OA, Wood Badge, etc.  
* Make kitchen upgrades at Goshen
* Establish an endowment for Urban Emphasis
* Hire a volunteer services coordinator for the Scout Service Center

It is wonderful to see so many suportive folks helping to raise money 
that is being used to directly improve the facilities for delivering a 
great program to the Scouts.

Speaking Only for Myself in the Scouting Spirit, Michael F. Bowman
a/k/a Professor Beaver (WB), ASTA #2566, OA Vigil Honor '71, Eagle
Scout '67, Serving as Deputy District Commissioner for Training,
G.W.Dist., Nat. Capital Area Council, BSA - mfbowman@capaccess.org