Post edited 12:47 pm – January 29, 2010 by BigMc

Training is a must – you will learn things to do you didn’t think of and you will establish a local network of Scouters that you can use as resources. 

Learn what your area has to offer and utilize it.  Here in Houston, the museums, zoo, local community college, NASA and various interest groups offer classes geared towards Scouts.  Given your location, it will take a little planning, but see if the Wichita Thunder will teach the Hockey belt loop and pin in the off season.  See if one of the colleges can get a few players to come out and teach another sports belt loop (or twelve).  The Sedgwick County Zoo offers overnight opportunities – see if they will set a night just for Scouts and adapt the program to addreess Cub Scout requirements (we’re going to the Zoo in 3 weeks to do Bear Achievement 5).    Same thing for the museums – if they don’t have a program, see if they will start one.  WARNING – if you go this route, tap a parent who has “drunk the kool-aid” to make the contacts and set things up – or at least help.  See if someone in the Pack already has a membership to one of these places and put them in charge of organizing that one.   Get Scouters from other Packs to back you up.

Always have a back-up plan or seven.  My den meeting last night was going to be outside, but with rain in the forecast, I went to plan B.  When a certain scout whom I needed at the meeting in order to complete the agenda didn’t show up, I was at plan C.  The good news was that we got out early, because plan C wasn’t as involved as A or B.

Don’t sweat the small stuff.  When (not if) something goes wrong, learn from it and move on.  See the comments from the AHAW #211 where several of us mention the fact the CM Chris talks about those times in his show.  And remember – it is all small stuff.  I vaguely remember the fiascos from my scouting days, but definitely remember the great times.

Finally and most importantly, have fun.  If you aren’t having fun, the boys won’t either.  From popcorn sales, CM Chris took 23 shaving cream pies in November and I took 12 last Saturday.  The boys had fun, I had fun and one of the parents who says very little positive looked at me afterwards and said, “Kevin – you rock!”  Be goofy, be silly, and keep it Scout-centric.

And you're wrong – you don't need everything.  As MISS Liberty said – you’re doing something right or the boys wouldn't be having fun and you wouldn’t have doubled in size!

Checking account protocol will vary by unit, but you should probably go with two signatures required.  Check thru the forums for several discussions (usually related to someone’s misdeeds so check the old AHAW show notes because Chris usually mentions these) about that and having a regular review of the finances by the Committee.

501(c)(3) tax exempt status.  Some units go through their charter organization others get their own.  Our Pack has its own id; our Troop uses the CO.  Why?  The Troop has a church as the CO and the Pack has the elementary school PTO.  The agreement between Council/District and the school district prohibits our using the tax-exempt id of either the school or the PTO. 

Personally, and I’m a tax guy, I would get one for the unit.  Technically, every fundraiser you do has to be included in the annual return the CO files with the IRS.  Depending on the size of the CO, you could cause them to file the long form which is much, much more painful to complete (and might irritate the CO).  Additionally, I think (and this is not my area of expertise so don't hold me to it) that there is a limit to the number of tax-free fundraisers you can have.  Yes, I know I'm probably giving some folks heartburn, but it beats a bad audit surprise!