2016 Friends of Scouting Family Presenter Guidebook
What is Family Friends of Scouting? Family Friends of Scouting (FOS) is an annual, council-wide presentation conducted in every Pack, Troop, Crew, Team or Post from January through April. The Family FOS Campaign asks parents and families to consider financially supporting the Scouting program in an effort to offset the cost of providing Scouting to their child. Why is Family Friends of Scouting Important? The Pikes Peak Council is working hard to provide the necessary resources to provide life-changing experiences that youth cannot receive anywhere else. Through the Scouting program, young men and women are shaped into responsible and caring young adults; however, the resources that are needed are not free. While many leaders and parents see the visible costs of Scouting like uniforms and handbooks, unit dues, and event fees to participate in programs and camping experiences, the true cost of Scouting is much deeper. Through Friends of Scouting and Council coordinated fundraising programs like Popcorn and Camp Cards, the Pikes Peak Council is able to provide: Programs and activities throughout the council service area A Scout Service Center that coordinates Scouting activities and provides customer service to its members Training for adult leaders and a robust youth protection program designed to keep your child safe Accident and liability insurance to protect all registered members and family during Scouting activities Professional staff who counsel, guide, provide programs, and inspire volunteer leadership Camping facilities for year-round camping and Cub Scout family outdoor events Advancement programs like Merit Badge Saturdays where scouts are recognized for learning and the achievement of goals they set. Camperships for Scouts who cannot afford a camping experience Leadership training for young people who will become future community leaders Why should every family in my Pack, Troop, Crew or Team give to FOS? Every family should be given the opportunity to experience an FOS presentation, learn more about the ways in which FOS benefits the program that their child enjoys, and consider making a gift dependent on their giving ability. We ask that each family consider making a pledge at the $190.00 level to help fund their Scouts experience. For additional information, call your District Executive or your District Family FOS Chairman. Contact information can be found on the last page of this guide. Please be a Friend of Scouting by supporting one or more youth today! 2 2
True Cost of Scouting 2016 Family Presenter Guidebook Pikes Peak Council uses $2.3 million annually to provide the Scouting programs to the young men and women of the Council. Our Council relies on the financial support of our units and families to maintain quality programs, camping facilities, accident and liability insurance to protect our adult volunteers and youth, professional staff to guide and train adult volunteer leadership, and scholarships to support underprivileged youth in our area. This crucial support comes in the form of three major sources of funding: Popcorn sales, Camp Card sales and Friends of Scouting. The True Cost of Scouting plan is designed to be a discussion between unit and district leadership in order to analyze the associated costs to provide Scouting to a Scout by unit. To maintain these quality programs, it is our hope that our units and families will be active participants in the fundraising opportunities that are presented. Analysis of the True Cost of Scouting $2,356,180 Council budget- 2015 -($1,221,587)Revenue from camp and activities buy up programs $1,134,593 Cost to operate the Council. 5,950 Number youth July 2015. $190 Per Scout cost to run the council operations Sample Unit 30 Number of youth in Troop X x $190 Per Scout cost $5,700 Cost for the council to support Troop X Amount needed to raise by fundraising program if used exclusively Net to council Net to unit Program Dollars Needed (gross) 30% 35% Popcorn $19,000 50% 50% Camp Cards $11,400 100% ------ FOS $5,700 You would need to sell $19,000 in popcorn in order to raise your unit s True Cost of Scouting if you did not participate in either Camp Cards or Family FOS. Likewise, if you did not participate in Popcorn or Family FOS, you would need to sell $11,400 in Camp Cards. 3
How will unit goals be determined? Unit goals will be determined by multiplying the number of Scouts registered in each unit (in July of 2015) by the Support One Scout amount of $190. Units may reach this goal by using one or all of the Council fundraising programs (Popcorn, Camp Cards, and Friends of Scouting) and will qualify for free rank advancements (includes card and patch) for a full year when the goal has been met. Goals will be based on a unit s program year. Units will have from July 1st, 2016 until June 30th, 2017 to reach their fundraising goal. Units that meet the fundraising goal may use the free rank advancement incentive from July 1st 2016 through June 30th, 2017. Individual Recognition Items A pledge of $190.00 or more receives the fourth in a series of 12 limited edition shoulder strips that will highlight important locations and programs within the Pikes Peak Council service area and the 12 points of the Scout Law. All participating units will receive a 2016 FOS Supporter unit ribbon 3 4
FAMILY FRIENDS OF SCOUTING UNIT FAMILY FOS PRESENTER POSITION DESCRIPTION 1. Attend Friends of Scouting (FOS) presenter training on Tuesday, January 11th at 6pm at the Council Activity Center (Food and drink provided). If you are unable to attend this presentation, individual trainings can be set up with your District Family FOS Chair. 2. Working with the District Family FOS Chair, communicate with parents and leaders about the upcoming FOS presentations and their importance. Presentation dates will be set between November and January. 3. Make the FOS presentation and tell your Scouting story to inform parents of: The importance of the Scouting program. The benefits of FOS to parents, leaders and youth. The recognition items for giving. The need to turn in a pledge form on the evening of the presentation. Additional funds may be available through Matching Gift and Gift-in-Kind programs at work. Your personal belief in the program! 4. Organize the pledge forms and donations and record them on the unit ledger sheet. Keep a copy of the completed ledger for the unit. Turn in completed pledge forms, donations, and a copy of the unit ledger within two business days of the presentation. Do not hold packets until everything is done! Donors expect their checks to be cashed or their credit cards billed in a timely manner. Turn in envelope #1 within 2 days of presentation; turn in envelope #2 within 2 weeks of presentation. 5. Leave information with unit chair to do a follow-up with any families that did not attend the presentation to solicit their gift. Subsequent pledge forms and donations can be sent to the Scout office at any time. 4 5
Sample Warm-Up Letter to Unit Donors (to be sent to every family in each unit about a week prior to the FOS presentation) {DATE} Dear Parent: *Downloadable copy available on the Council website We hope you and your family will be able to join us at our (Blue and Gold Banquet, Troop Court of Honor, etc.) scheduled on (Date, Time, and Location). We are very proud of all of the boys achievements and extremely appreciative of all the parental involvement. During the (banquet, Court of Honor), a volunteer from (enter district) will very briefly discuss the annual Friends of Scouting (FOS) campaign which helps pay for your Scouts experience. We thought it would be beneficial to send out this letter in advance for your information. Each year, (our Scout unit) is asked to support the Scouting program. The Pikes Peak Council currently supports over 3,000 volunteers who develop and enrich the lives of more than 7,650 youth, ages 6 through 20, from 8 counties including (enter your area). The council provides numerous benefits to all of our youth and adult volunteers. A few of these benefits include: The best camps, activities and programs in Colorado. Professional guidance and support that mobilizes several thousand volunteers in our immediate area who work with Scouts. Free supplemental accident and sickness insurance for all registered youth and adults. Free primary liability insurance for all registered volunteers. Friends of Scouting provides these benefits and many more to our children, as well as numerous at-risk youth throughout our 8-county area. Our (Pack/Troop/Crew) fundraising goal for this year is $ which we can meet by participating in popcorn, camp cards and Friends of Scouting. When we achieve this goal through donations from parents like you, our Scouts will receive free rank advancement for the next 12 months. In past years, parents have contributed gifts ranging from $. Pikes Peak Council asks that each family consider supporting at least one Scout at the $190.00 level. The national BSA registration fee is only $24 which goes straight to the National Service Center. Compared to most activities like hockey, basketball and even piano lessons, Scouting is a great investment and truly a bargain. During this event, you will receive a pledge brochure and form. We hope all parents will consider a gift and turn in their pledge form during that time. Please remember that any gift will be greatly appreciated regardless of the amount. Thank you for your support of Scouting. Sincerely, 5 Pack/Troop/Crew Committee 6 4
COMMON OBJECTIONS 2016 Family Presenter Guidebook I don t have my checkbook. (and how to overcome them) That s fine! No money is necessary to make a pledge at the time of the presentation. The Scout office can send you a bill at a later date. I need to ask my spouse. Make a pledge that you know they are comfortable with and you can always change it when the invoice comes in the mail. Alternatively, you can indicate on the card Please contact me later and someone will follow-up with you. I can t give at this time. Remind them that a pledge can be paid in quarterly or monthly installments or billed at a later date. The United Way supports the Boy Scouts. Why do they want my money? The Council does not receive an allocation from United Way. The only support the Pikes Peak Council receives from the United Way is through designated gifts to the Scouting program. We already have to pay for the advancement awards and Camp. To benefit the units, the Council provides program guidance, support through Roundtables, training for adults and youth, unit membership recruitment, advancement record-keeping, yearround camp, activities, special events, and trained professional staff to support individual units. We sell popcorn and camp cards. What more do you want? Both popcorn and camp card sales are factored into the development of each unit s goal. The amount of income received by each sale is subtracted from the unit s goal. For more information about how the goal is developed see the section titled 2016 Goals and Recognition Items. The parents in my unit don t want to give. When the needs of the Council are explained, many parents are willing to make a financial contribution to support their son or daughter s Scouting experience. We are simply asking for the opportunity to tell the story and let the parents make their decision. The objective of the FOS program is to educate and inform the parents about the Council s programs and financial needs. This can only be accomplished when we have the opportunity to make a brief presentation. If the Council didn t have all those DE s, they wouldn t need so much money. District Executives recruit and train volunteers, organize popcorn sales, plan day camps, disseminate information, find meeting locations, organize new units, etc. District Executives work closely with members of the District Committee and Commissioner staff, coordinating their efforts in serving your unit. By working through these volunteers, District Executives are able to multiply their effectiveness. They spend a lot of time contacting community leaders, 5explaining the Scouting program, and enlisting support. 7
2016 January 11th January 2016 FAMILY FRIENDS OF SCOUTING CAMPAIGN TIMELINE Action Needed Family presenter training at the Council Activity Center 6pm (Food and drink provided) Packets given to Family FOS presenters WHO Development Department By District Jan.-April July Family Presentations completed (to be eligible for unit incentive goal must be met by Jun 30th) Council-wide FOS Reception Event By District TBD Statement of Support and Revenue Popcorn and Camp Cards Friends of Scouting 14% Other 21% (includes Special Event income, trading post sales & other income) 7% Foundations & Trusts 3% Direct Service 45% Camping & Activities 52% Program Supplies 24% Investment Income 2% United Way & Combined Federal Campaign Designations 1% National Service Fees Fee paid by the council directly to National BSA (includes $24 registration fee paid by members) 1% Insurance 6% Other Infrastructure Support (includes phones, postage, occupancy and printing expenses) 13% (includes professional fees, equipment rental, conferences, travel, assistance to individuals, recognition) 11% Statement of Expenses
Introduction by Cubmaster/Scoutmaster/Advisor: I would like to introduce (Name of presenter:) a volunteer from the District who is here to tell us about Friends of Scouting. Thank you so much (Name of presenter) for taking on this important volunteer role. Presenter: Thank you very much, (Name of person introducing:). It really is a pleasure to be here with you to talk about Friends of Scouting, which is vital to keep our Scouting program in the Pikes Peak Council alive. Today I would like to briefly talk about three things: 1. Friends of Scouting and what it is. 2. Why I believe it is so important. 3. How much you might consider giving and why. Question: What is Friends of Scouting? Answer: It costs the Pikes Peak Council approximately $190 per Scout to provide all of our Scouting programs to your sons and daughters. Friends of Scouting is the means by which the Council raises funds to cover these costs and comes from each family s contribution to support the programs. Question: Why I believe it is so important. Answer: You can read all about where local Scouting gets money and where they put it in your brochure, but this is the bottom line and why I believe it is so important. Tell a personal story about why Scouting is important to you or how you saw it make a difference in the life of a Scout. Question: How much should you consider giving and why? Answer: No family or Scout will be denied a Scouting experience because of their financial situation. A monthly contribution totaling an annual amount of $190 is suggested (calculate the monthly amount if they were to give this month through the end of the year) but participation at any level is important and greatly appreciated. Please donate at a level meaningful to you. (Share information about the True Cost of Scouting ) Question: How do I go about making a donation? Answer: You don t have to write out your Friends of Scouting check tonight. You are encouraged to pledge tonight and pay it when it is the most convenient. You may also separate your pledge in just about any number of installments as long as it is completed by Dec. 31. Or, you can pay with your credit card. If your company participates in matching gifts, we encourage you to fill out that section of the Friends of Scouting card. We hope you will consider supporting Scouting at the 1 Scout level. To make it easy there are several ways of splitting payments of your pledge listed on the pledge card. We do need your card back tonight. If we can raise our fundraising goal of $$$ your (Pack/ Troop/Crew) will get free rank advancements for 1 year. 9
Instructions for filling out your pledge card: By now you should all have a pamphlet with a pledge card attached in the middle. Is there anyone who does not? (Give blank card). Is there anyone who needs a pen? (Give pen) Give instructions on how to fill out the card tell them to fill it out as completely as possible. Recognition: There are a few recognition levels for your gift: 1. Donors of at least $190 will receive a limited edition council strip with a point from the Scout Law. This is the 4th in the series of 12 this year s patch features the word Friendly. 2. For participating in Friends of Scouting your unit will also receive a streamer for your Pack/ Troop/Crew flag. Once again the unit s goal is $. (Collect all the cards & announce how much is raised, and how close they are to their goal. Help generate enthusiasm to reach that goal). (Thank them repeatedly) Presentation Ideas: An FOS presentation can be a lot of fun. These are some of the ways that presenters have kept FOS an upbeat event. Use the Scouts in your presentation. Have them act as little bulldogs Tell parents that when they are done filling out their cards hold them up in the air and our little bulldogs will run and bring them back to the presenter. Have them hand out materials or serve as living diagrams. Prompt the unit leader to put their pledge in first and explain to the parents how important this is. Use FOS as an opportunity to thank parents for all they do. Invite them to camp to see their donations at work. Collect the cards for a drawing, hold a contest for participants to guess how much the unit will raise and give out a prize for the closest guess, or explain that there will be a raffle for a prize at the end of the presentation. Stick to your allotted time Blue and Golds Banquets and award ceremonies are busy events. You are an item in the evening, not its purpose. Stage a tug-of-war with boy scouts representing costs and income for the Council. Watch what happens when you take your FOS boys away. Tell YOUR Scouting story every leader has one how has Scouting benefited the life of a youth or an adult? Remind units of new incentives. Make sure to thank the leaders for allowing you to come. Plan! Practice your presentation with a spouse, a DE, or in front of the mirror. Time yourself and smile! Refer to their money as a vote for Scouting Scouting faces many nay-sayers. This is an opportunity to cast your ballot for Scouting values. If you are able, make a small contribution to the unit so that they recognize that you believe in the program too. 10
Do s and Don ts: Do: 2016 Family Presenter Guidebook Animated Video Available The Council is providing a NEW video presentation for speakers who may feel more comfortable with a video to supplement their presentation. The resource is a short 5-minute animated video that details the importance of Friends of Scouting and will help share the story to your audience. The following items will be available for checkout: projector, screen, speakers, extension cords and cd of the video. Presenters will need to provide their own laptop. Make sure to contact Unit Leader before presentation Get there early, introduce yourself and offer to help set-up Thank everyone right from the start Keep your presentation short, light and upbeat use an ice breaker for the crowd Be yourself, make it your own Smile! Sit and dine with people throughout the meeting if invited Use the materials you have access to Show resident camp brochures it s a benefit the Council provides Make people aware of the value they will see Be Prepared! Don t: Make a presentation YOU wouldn t want to hear Berate parents guilt trips don t work Talk down to the audience they re adults too Try to make people feel responsible for less well-to-do units. They want to hear about THEIR boys 10 11
2016 Family FOS Leadership Ute District District Executive: Jake Webb, 219-2903 Jake.webb@scouting.org Jamboree District District Director: Lynn Olson, 219-2919 Lynn.olson@scouting.org Frontier District Family FOS Chair: Pam Webb, 596-2467 colowebbfamily@comcast.net Senior District Executive: Monica Webb, 219-2900 Monica.webb@scouting.org Senior District Executive: Nathanael Mooberry, 219-2916 Nathanael.Mooberry@scouting.org High Plains District District Executive: Jeff Horner, 337-5119 horner_01@msn.com Thank you for your support of Scouting & Pikes Peak Council!