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Dear Booster........

Does Your Booster Club Measure Up?

Fact 1: The average booster club raises $23,000 per year through a combination of activities such as fundraising, concessions, raffles, tournaments and barbeques.

Fact 2: Booster clubs provide funding for numerous expenses, which in many cases are not covered by school districts. A sample list includes: summer camps, clinics, assistant coaches salaries, practice fields, trophy cases, field upgrades, transportation and meals to tournaments and non-league games, new equipment, new uniforms, team supplies and scholarships.

Fact 3: A Booster clubs average membership is approximately 5% of a schools parent population.

Fact 4: The average booster club provides in excess of 1,200 man-hours annually with regards to volunteer support for activities ranging from chaperoning school events to improving and maintaining facilities.

Dear Readers,
We welcome those of you who are just receiving Booster Trends for the first time. 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.

REACH OUT AN MAKE A DIFFERENCE

This month I want to dedicate my article to encouraging each of you to reach out and make a difference in your communities.

I was driving to the office a few days ago and had slowed down to allow a group of school kids to cross the road. As the weather in Eastern Washington had already started to turn cold I noticed out of the corner of my eye that there were two young children who seemed to be brother and sister. The sister who was older and probably in 4th or 5th grade was walking with her little brother who looked to be in kindergarten or 1st grade. As I watched they both stopped and the big sister who was dressed in a big ski coat, took the coat off and gave it to her little brother to put on. The look in his eye was enough to bring a smile to anyone. You could tell that at that moment he was proud to have a big sister and now the beneficiary of walking to school a great deal warmer because of her generosity.

I don't know whether the little boy forgot his coat or whether his family was to poor to be able to afford to have bought him one. It did however get me to stop and give thought to the fact that there are a great deal of less fortunate who cannot afford to provide their children with the luxury's of items such as warm coats or new shoes and it is because of the generosity from a young girl to her little brother that I am dedicating my column this month - "a month where we give thanks for the blessings we have received". I would like to encourage all of our readers to help support the needs of the less fortunate in your communities.

Your contribution doesn't have to be financial in nature, it can be as simple as donating a coat that has been hanging in your closet for the past few years, or giving the gift of a thanksgiving dinner to a needy family. Whatever your contribution, it will be gladly welcomed by the receiving family or child.

In closing, I would also like to encourage each of you to make a point of volunteering just one extra hour this month with your booster club or school. You will find that both will welcome your support with open arms.

I welcome your emails and look forward to assisting you in success. Happy Boostering!

Steve M. Beden
Executive Director

Welcome to an exciting place were fun musical journeys are mixed with important life lessons to create an amazing world of imagination.

WELCOME TO STORYTIME ADVENTURES

Imagination is possibly the greatest tool a parent has to teach, guide, and influence during the fleeting years of childhood. It’s reported that a child of 5 is learning 25 times faster than adults and that by age 10, a child will have learned half of all they will learn in their lifetime.

Storytime Adventures is a series of audio adventures, CD’s, activity books and coming soon videos designed to utilize that window of opportunity by engaging and entertaining children with characters, stories, songs and games, while teaching Biblical and life lessons that every loving parent wants their child to learn.

The first two stories in the series are “The Ant and the Sugarcube” and ”The Berry Bear Cape.” Come along with Able and his many bug friends on a musical odyssey as they discover first hand the dangers of making wise or poor life choices. Also, join three colorful bear cubs and their friends as they are taught a life lesson about obedience that every loving parent wants their child to learn.

Storytime Adventures is ready tot take you on an unforgettable journey that is safe and fun for the whole family. Contact Mike Stitts with StoryTyme Adventures.

Over the past five years, in excess of $500,000.00 has been raised by our participating schools for their fundraisers through the resale of Stitchware's custom embroidered products. You can too! With 20 products from which to choose and all reasonably priced for resale, you will be amazed at how easily you can reach your financial goals. All of our products are customized with a brilliant embroidery of your school logo or school mascot and in your school colors. Our minimum orders are extremely low and we NEVER charge for your design set up. (Find that elsewhere.) Contact us for a FREE sample of one of the many time tested and proven winning products that we offer.

Call: (818) 345-2407

We would like to welcome the following companies to the National Booster Club Association:

Stitchwear, Inc. – What a fun company. They have great products such as duffle bags, CD covers, backpacks, and blankets. Their embroidery work is wonderful. Take a look at their work online.

Pixie Girl – Pixie Girl is a fun company that offers trendy items to teen-age girls. Go there to find all the latest jewelry, make-up and other items that are the latest fashion.

Dura Works – Provides booster clubs with website's. So if you are interested in having your own website, give them a jingle.

Blue Heron Ent., Inc. – When you want a discount card that is different and interesting try this firm. Besides being nice to work with, they have several different ways you can get your discount cards so you make more money.

The Pasta Shoppe – Who doesn’t like pasta? It comes in all shapes and sizes and is pre packed in separate servings.

Good to Go Sports - Screenprinting gurus. If you have an idea you want put on your T-shirts for your team or organization, contact this group, they will help you out.

Corinthian Productions – Music, music, music. What a neat fundraising idea. Corinthian Productions has a CD with all kinds of music on it that runs from mellow to fast toe tapping. And on top of that, you make money selling it!!!

Joan Castillo - Cherubs-N-Chocolate Dealer - You have a wedding or bridal shower or baby shower or special dinner coming up? How about a chocolate bar with the wrapping made just for your occasion? Sound interesting, contact Joan.

Concessions Manufacturing – Long name for a company that makes the best kettle corn around. They have people with the kettle corn makers throughout the United States and are willing to help you set up a fundraiser almost anywhere. Just think about good popcorn, smelling it from the parking lot and knowing that you are going to have a good sales record, yummmmm.

Storytime, Ltd. – Talk about neat ideas. How about a CD or video of an ant who doesn’t follow the rules and all the trouble he gets into. These life messages are taught to our younger children in a way that they can fully understand it. Books, CD’s, audio tapes, and soon videos. We hope you go and find out more information about this imaginative company.

Stahmann’s Pecans – Pecans the wonderful nut used at Christmas in cakes, candies, cookies and just plain old eating. These nuts are sold in one pound bags and the booster club makes a true 50% profit. The nuts are of excellent quality.

Anton Sport – Design-a-Shirt is an offspring of this company. Design-a-Shirt lets you do exactly that. You pick the kind of T-shirt you want and you design the image on it. What fun! What a way to express your mascot or logo!!

We are excited to have each of them onboard and look forward to the opportunity of helping you become involved in the tremendous products and services each provides.

We encourage you to visit each of them on BoosterWorld and check out the opportunities they provide to support your organizations.

Our Vendor of the Month is BOOSTER STORE .

Booster Store has been with the National Booster Club Association for quite some time. They are a fundraising company with many variations, including the unique "AuctionEze" Program! They also carry sports bags, book bags, back packs, leather apparel, sportswear, promotional products, jackets, vests, mugs, water bottles, binoculars, portable seats, T-shirts, polo shirts, golf shirts, caps, golf accessories, and rangefinders.

“Our business is solely engaged in the business of providing Booster Clubs with promotional concepts and quality merchandise designed to enhance their fund-raising achievements,” states Mr. Richard Cooper. Mr. Cooper feels that their work with the National Booster Club Association will be beneficial to both the booster clubs and the Booster Store.

The items in the Booster Store are of good quality and reasonably priced. They range from T-shirts to leather duffle bags. The Booster Store will work with you to put on a good fundraiser.

You can check out these and other vendors on BoosterWorld or send me an email if you have any questions: jevans@boosterclubs.org.

Fundraiser Insurance

Here is an novel idea to raise money for your organization or project. It works particularly well if you normally have several labor intensive, or product sales type fundraisers during the year. Instead of having several small fundraising projects, determine your total fundraising needs and sell "Fund-raiser Insurance". For $25.00 (or whatever per capita figure you need to raise), a person gets a certificate and wallet sized card that states that they are insured from all fundraising activities for 6 months, or whatever period chosen. (If you are a school or other children's group, determine the necessary amount per family.) If the person so wishes, they can purchase a policy for a year for $50.00 (or other appropriate multiple amount). Give your members a break by allowing them to simply purchase insurance for the required amount and save the hassle of dealing with multiple fundraisers.

Source: Fundraising Ideas & Products Center

Keep watching as the NBCA prepares for the national rollout of Community First and Booster Bucks. A winning combination that will help increase membership and provide opportunity to gain local business support. Stay tuned for more information next month.

Dear Booster,
Our #1 problem for our Booster Club is lack of parent/guardian involvement. We have a school population of about 1825 and we only get about 8 - 12 parents that want to participate.
Amy P., Salem, OR

Dear Amy,
Although your number of 8 to 12 involved parents is lower than the average, the shame is that this is not an uncommon problem. The lack of parent support is an issue that is experienced by the majority of all booster clubs.

The real difference between a booster club with minimal support and participation and one with a significant number of active supporters comes down to a few key factors - and if your club is sports related all of which happen regardless of whether your boy's or girl's program has a winning season or not.

1. Leadership: Your booster club must have a strong, active and knowledgeable group of leaders.
2. Mission: Your club must have a well defined mission, one that is simple for people to understand and that attracts involvement of its goals. Without a defined mission parents will always wonder in silence "what is the booster club and what does it stand for."
3 . Administrative Support: A key that many booster clubs overlook is establishing a strong working relationship with your schools administration. Hold annual planning sessions with administrators, let them know you want to be an active part of helping the school and more importantly show them you are a valuable asset that they cannot be without. Establish boundaries - showing them that you know what the booster club is and isn't will gain a high degree of respect from your administrators.
4. Understanding how to recruit: A very important part of building any successful booster club is understanding where new members come from as well as understanding how to transition old ones out. If your club isn't inviting middle school parents to attend club functions you are missing an important club building resource. If your club is ran by senior parents - you are putting your club in jeopardy of experiencing a loss of smooth transition and a constant roller coaster of growth from year to year.
5. Meetings: It is vitally important that you keep your meetings to 1 hour or less. Have well defined agendas printed for all in attendance. Invite guest speakers like coaches or the superintendent. Don't let meetings turn into gripe sessions - keep control but make people in attendance feel welcomed.
6. Fundraising: Don't fundraise your group to death. Determine prior to starting the year how much your group needs to raise then lay out a plan of activities that will help to achieve the goal with the least amount of effort.

And most importantly you need to make your club fun! Parents and supporters want to be involved with activities that are fun. Don't make being involved in the booster club another JOB. Regardless of whether it is sport or activity specific open it up to all parents. You may find that the most important supporter comes from the least likely place.

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.

Submit your answers now
We will report the results in next months Booster Trends e-newsletter.

Fact of the month-
Fact of the month-
More results from a recent survey conducted by Quality Education Data (QED) on behalf of Schoolpop, Inc.-

Top fundraising activities in urban schools raise nearly twice as much as in schools in rural areas.
And, the average annual fundraising goal for schools is $40,505.

Quote of the month-
"Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no help at all."

Dale Carnegie

Booster Trends is an online e newsletter provided by The National Booster Club Association. NBCA, BoosterWorld and Booster Trends are trademarks of The National Booster Club Association. All rights reserved. Copyright© 2003.

National Booster Club Association
100 N. Morain St., #208
Kennewick, WA 99336
info@boosterclubs.org
509-735-2878
Fax: 509-735-4917