Enroll your booster club to become a member in the National Booster Club Association today!

Benefits include:
* Club Database Program
* Discounted Insurance
* Club Documents & Forms
* Unlimited Fundraising Sources
* Product Directories
* Conferences and Seminars
* Training Aides and Resources
* Much more....

ENROLL TODAY!

Seeking NBCA Advocates 

Dear Readers,

For those of you who are just receiving Booster Trends for the first time - Welcome! You join a growing list of fellow booster associates from around the country.

We encourage you to keep your letters, emails, comments and questions coming. Staying in touch with your needs is our key focus. As we work to help provide a support system for booster clubs we thank you for allowing us the ability to play a part in helping you and your club succeed. Together, we are making positive progress that counts!

Now, on to this month's issue.

• Executive Directors Column
• NBCA Moves Forward ...
• Vendor Spotlight of the Month
• Proud of Our Business Members
• IMC Mascots
• Vendor of the Month
• Do-It Yourself Fundraiser
• The One Minute Shopper
• Dear Booster
• Seeking National Helpers
• 2005 Wrist Bands
• Fast Facts

Have you ever noticed how much attention costume charters receive at large sporting events? There are many benefits to your school having a mascot costume.

A mascot is not limited to visual attention alone but through careful planning and consistent use, it can portray a character with definite personality and purpose.

Character costumes will be instantly associated with your sports teams or school and create a lasting impression in the public eye.

A mascot is very versatile and can be used in a variety of applications; generating goodwill, it provides the best return on investment by participating in community activities, media promotions, sporting events, parades, and other local applications.

It establishes a strong reputation for your school and creates a highly visible image.

Now is the time for your school to have a mascot character created!! Start the excitement today with our conceptual design service!! Visit our website at www.imcmascots.com, or call our toll free number for more information on our services, 1 800 668 9995.

9350 – 49 Street * Edmonton * Alberta * Canada * T6B 2L7
Telephone: (780) 465-7906 * Fax: (780) 469-2133 * Toll Free: (800) 668-9995
E-Mail nadine@imcmascots.com Web Site: www.imcmascots.com

Preferred Seating

Preferred Seating has been a Midwest market leader in stadium and auditorium seating for 25 years. We had a request from Notre Dame University for a stadium seat that fastens onto a bleacher, because no one likes to sit on bleachers or concrete. We realized that there was a great need for this type of seating in existing facilities with tight back to back spacing. A year ago we began manufacturing our own stadium seating. As we went from school to school to see what their seating needs were, we kept adding to our stadium seating designs and applications. We also offer cushions that strap onto bleachers, and fold up, portable stadium seats. No other seating manufacturer can offer the choices of dimensions and designs that meet the retrofit needs of existing facilities like the Champion Seat product line! Please visit our website www.preferred-seating.com.

Realizing that our products could be great fund raisers, we contacted the NBCA and put our new seating products on their website. We now have over 40 Champion stadium seating installations in various colleges and high schools. Many of these installations were funded by Booster Clubs, alumni and other fund raising groups. Preferred Seating is the only seating manufacturer that focuses on the seating retrofit market; as a result, we have become a magnet for schools and athletic departments needing to raise money. We have seen schools make big profits with little or no effort by doing the following: make profit on season tickets with improved seating. Fans will pay more for a ticket to sit in a seat or on a cushion.; Alumni, parents, teachers, sponsors or businesses donating seats or cushions for fundraising; Purchasing seats or cushions to rent for a fund raiser.

Our seating is constructed of the new, no break polypropylene, a 21st century breakthrough! Owners of sport and entertainment venues will not have to wait anymore for seats that will not rust. Champion Stadium Seats will not rust or chip paint like seating with steel or cast iron standards, so maintenance costs are reduced giving you the best value for your money. This plastic is corrosion and chemical resistant and can easily be cleaned with harsh detergent power washing. Made in the U.S.A., our no break polypropylene seats are made of automotive grade durable strength, high impact and comparable to steel in durability giving you seating that will last for years to come. Your satisfaction is guaranteed.

Center Court Toss

There are several fundraising techniques for basketball game halftimes but they can be adapted for other locations. Numbered, rubber stars are sold and then the holders of stars line up around the perimeter of the gym and toss the stars at the center of the court. The closest star to the center gets a prize or a percent of the take on star sales. The kids love it and there is no way to predict where the stars may bounce because of the 5 points on them. Variation 1: Tossing balls of a putty type density that do not bounce or bean bags into a bucket at center court. Variation 2: Tossing tennis balls (which obviously will bounce) into a deeper container such as a garbage can at center court.

T.O.M.S. - THE ONE MINUTE SHOPPER

A year round, simple school fundraiser that provides meals for your family.

The product is premium quality beef, pork, fish, and poultry, properly proportioned and trimmed for recommended healthy consumption. Each item is individually vacuum wrapped to eliminate waste. All packages are flash frozen at 190 degrees below zero to safely preserve quality and flavor. The cost per serving includes delivery and is guaranteed affordable. Ten percent of the cost of each package goes to your favorite club or school. Visit www.theoneminuteshopper.com for further information.

Try it, YOU'LL LOVE IT.

Dear Booster,
The parents of our dance studio are trying to start a booster club which will help offset costs of costumes and competition fees. How do we get started? Do we need to setup a non-profit organization and tax ID number. What about bylaws, etc. Any help you can be would be appreciated.
Thank you Sincerely, Deborah M.

Dear Deborah,
Congratulations on choosing to establish a booster club. In addition to helping provide a structure for raising funds you will also find that the booster club can play a very important role in everything from providing new equipment, organizing volunteer support and bringing public exposure to your program.

Starting a booster club is just like starting any business. First you must conduct a pre-organizational meeting, followed by registering with your state corporation commission. Initially you don't need to seek the federal tax exempt status, just make sure when you register with your state you do seek the non-profit registration. You will need articles of incorporation and after registering you will need to conduct your first formal organizational meeting where you will draft your initial by-laws. Most states will also help you secure the federal tax ID number or (EIN), which along with a corporate resolution will allow you to go and open your bank account. I know that much of this may be overwhelming so you may want to access the sample articles of incorporation, by-laws and how to start your booster club from the members section of BoosterWorld. Tackle one step at a time and you will have no problems.

Send us your Dear Booster.... article and we will select one each month to share with the readers of Booster Trends. To submit your email send to: dearbooster@boosterclubs.org.

NBCA Advocate - This is an ideal opportunity for anyone with contacts to local booster clubs, teams and businesses. The NBCA Advocate position does not require you to make any commitment other than your interest to periodically refer the NBCA to local booster clubs, teams and businesses. NBCA Advocates receive a commission or override for simply referring the association’s services to booster clubs, teams and businesses. This is an outstanding opportunity for any person who understands the role that extra-curricular activities play in shaping our society. If you would like to register and become an NBCA Advocate, please email your contact information or visit BoosterWorld and register today.

Area Coordinators - The NBCA is now seeking individuals who would like to assist local clubs, teams and businesses. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone looking for an opportunity to work part-time, or looking to help make a difference in your community. Coordinators will receive high commissions for introducing the association’s services to businesses, schools and parent organizations. This is an outstanding opportunity for any person who understands the role that extra-curricular activities play in shaping our society. If you would like to register and become an NBCA Advocate, please email your contact information or visit BoosterWorld and register today.

Club Coordinators - The NBCA is seeking individuals who are currently working with or involved with a booster club or extra-curricular program. This is an ideal opportunity for anyone currently involved with a club, team or extra-curricular program and who would like to turn the time you are spending into an opportunity to receive prizes, awards, recognition and compensation. Club Coordinators simply do what they are currently doing, nothing more. If you would like to register for the position of Club Coordinator, please email your name, club affiliation, city and state. Email us today at marketing@boosterclubs.org