From: Johnlebl@aol.com
Date: Sat Dec 28 2002 - 13:42:42 CST
In a message dated 12/28/2002 12:12:28 PM Central Standard Time,
olympus@frontiernet.net writes:
> When we got back, we leaders were informed that the Council had imposed
> a 15% fee which they had neglected to tell the adult leaders. This would
> have been $135 per participant for the Council to do the book work. We had
> anticipated about $5 administrative cost and $25 emergency money for each
> participant. Note they told this after the fact.
> Needless to say, the Council got lots of bad public relations over
> this,
> and probably lost over $20,000 in a possible donation. It was referred to
> as the Enron scandel of Central Illinois.
> Some other troop leaders have indicated that they would never deal with
> this Council on a high adventure as they are trying to make a large profit
> on this experience.
> I am interested in other individuals reaction to this type of fee and
> how it effects their participation in Council high adventure activities.
>
> Jon Odell
>
Jon Odell et al,
Yours is not an isolated case
I have always been a big supporter to the BSA and it's programs. From a very
young age, all I ever wanted to be was a Boy Scout.
I had about a 15 year reprieve while I raised two daughters and did the
ballet, music, band, twirling ete etc etc routine.
When coming back into Scouting a few years ago when my daughter became
interested in the Venturing program, I was appalled at the emphasis on money
and the underhanded method of obtaining it from the local council and
district.
One doesn't have to look very hard to realize that "money" and "numbers" are
what drives scout executives.
After a similar situation to the above, I flatly refuse to participate in the
Friends of Scouting fundraiser either as a solicitor or a donor. I used to
do both.
My Scoutmaster, a wise and old fashioned Scouter who had personally met and
talked to Lord Baden Powel, once told me "in your Scouting career, you will
be most happy working at the unit level with the boys (before girls came
along) and will be ultimately disappointed with the operation of councils".
I did not see that at the time and did not experience it as I moved on to
become a Scoutmaster and served on district committees back in the 60's and
70's.
Today, it's different. It's all about MONEY and obtaining it by devious
means.
That STINKS!
I know that it does take money to pay the light bills at the council office
and it does take money to operate a Scout camp, but I am appalled that Scouts
are held hostage to pay to have the lawn manacured at the local Scout office.
AT least be up front about chargign a 15% service fee. Why do they keep it
under wraps? Because they know full well that the hue and cry will hit their
salaried pocketbook. What kind of man is that who holds 13 and 14 year old
hostage for a "service charge" tacked on the boys Philmont fee and isn't man
enough to say it up front?
There are proper ways to raise money and improper ways to raise money.
Stealing it from Boy Scouts is impropper.
Being underhanded and telling about the 15% "service fee" after the fact is
stealing pure and simple. It's dishonest. It's fraudulent. It's against
the scout oath, promise and law.
Finally we reap what we sew. If we as Scouters allow this to happen, then we
should suffer the consiquences and will see out Scouts suffere the
consequences. Squeaky wheels get the oil and I for one raised ten kinds of
hell about this process and I'm not through yet.
If money talks, then shout loud and clear about the dastardly deads.
Give freely to the local units to buy field equipment or whatever they need
with the money you USED to donate through Friends of Scouting.
The second part of this equation is to move out professional Scouters who do
such things and move in those who don't.
That's what I do and I feel really good about it when a Scout gets direct
benefit from my benevolence instead of a high priced lawn maintenance
company. I feel really good about it when an adult gets his hand slapped for
"surcharging kids after the fact" too.
Scouting works because of volunteers, NOT because of the paid professionals
assessing "surcharges" after the high adventure is over..
I know a lot of Scouting professionals who would agree with this
wholeheartedly.
Off my soap box.
John LeBlanc
Eagle Class of 1959
Phirst Phil Ptrek 1959
PhilTrek 2002 630H2 Trek 16
My latest adventure was yesterday,
Today is not over yet!
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