Troop Finances

The Troop needs money for various expenses throughout the Scouting year. These include charter renewal and re-registration, renewal of  Boys' Life  subscriptions, accident insurance, replacement and replenishing of the Troop’s camping equipment, purchase of various literature and training aids for adult leaders, and purchase of awards (merit badges and badges of rank) for Courts of Honor. This expense money is gleaned from three sources: an annual fund-raising event, dues, and donations.

Troop 16 has one major fund-raiser each year, a sale of frozen pizza, cookie dough, and other products. This activity begins in late November and ends with the delivery of the products in late January. Up to $50 of the profit for the sales of each individual Scout are used for rechartering fees and troop needs. If the Scout’s sales make less than $50 profit, the Scout or parents are expected to make up the difference at the time of rechartering (March). Any additional profit is put in the individual Scout’s campout account, used for campout fees or to assist with summer camps. All boys and parents are expected to participate. The proceeds from this fund-raisers are earmarked for special projects such as tents and cooking equipment.

Dues are payable annually (in March) at the time of Troop recharter. The dues pay for National registration fees, Boys' Life, troop accident insurance, all awards earned by the Boy Scout, and troop operating expenses. Troop 16 has yearly dues of $45 per Scout. Dues are due at the rate of $5/month, and must be current for boys to advance in rank. New members joining Troop 16 at a time other than when yearly registration is due are charged a fee of $31 per Scout. Boys transferring to Troop 16 are expected to pay the same $31 fee, and dues will be prorated. With each membership, the Scout receives a subscription to Boys Life. Each Scout is given the opportunity to purchase Boy Scout t-shirts when joining Troop 16. The cost of the T-shirt is approximately $10. Camp fees, food, uniforms, books, and miscellaneous expenses incurred by each boy are the responsibility of the boy.

We occasionally receive donations from the Elks Club, St. Vincent Men’s Association, and various organizations in the area that are committed to helping programs that serve the youth of the area. These are infrequent and are not received on a regular basis. While we are grateful for them, we cannot plan on them in our annual financial planning.

Troop 16 will not allow a Scout to miss out in monthly outings due to financial hardship within his family. Troop 16 will assist with financing a Scout’s dues when necessary. In addition, scholarships are available through the District and Council for summer camp. In return, Troop 16 expects the Scout to show good faith by putting forth the effort necessary to earn money by active participation in the various fund-raisers sponsored by Troop 16.