MANDATORY Fundraising!!

[CheerMom1973]

Has anyone ever heard of a principal telling the Jr. High Cheerleaders they HAVE to sell 20 Mums @ $10 each, pay the $200 or be put off the squad if they don't sell the flowers?  Our girls cheer accounts were paid off in July and this is just a way to raise extra money for the Cheer fund that is in debt $5000 from the previous years.  Is this in some Cheer rules somewhere.

Concerned Parent
from North Alabama

[bchscheer]

i'm guessing there is more to the story than we know.

I do have mandatory fundraising, for example, we did a car wash and each cheerleader was expected to sell 4 carwash presale tickets.  We have a crabfeed in January and each cheerleader is expected to sell 2 crabfeed tickets.

Explaining where the money goes is the most important.  The money goes right back into cheer allowing us to offset next years camp costs  etc.  I am wondering why cheer would be behind $5000 unless uniforms weren't paid for last year. Have you asked about it?

[candcrew]

I'd politely ask some questions about the deficit.  If it is something like uniforms or safety equipment that the entire squad uses and benefits from then I can see having mandatory fundraising.  Even thought the debt may not have been incurred by this year's squad, they get to use those items.  If it's due to poor planning (like not budgeting enough $ for competition, camp, etc.) then I'd ask more questions . . . why weren't those funds raised PRIOR to needing them or why didn't the squad that incurred the debt relieve that debt?

As a coach, I would have a hard time making the fund raising mandatory (or paying the $200) if it was the 2nd situation.  Ask for help?  Yes, but make it required?  No.

[CoachErin]

I have many mandatory fundraisers to help offset the cost of everything from competition to mats and extras, as well as several more that are optional that help with your personal account. I know my girls this year have fundraised to cover a debt from last year (and I only have 3 returners, due to many of those issues) that was not their debt to repay. Unfortunately that is just how things happen sometimes. But I would definitely want to know where the money is going and why?

[pouncer the panther]

welll. i am a jr. high mascot we have to do all of the fundraisers and such also.
we are doing a total of 4 fundraisers this year.
however,
the cheerleaders have to pay $800 dollars to be a cheerleader.
and i had to pay $500 because i dont need a uniform.
we are not in debt.

[coachamie]

Has anyone ever heard of a principal telling the Jr. High Cheerleaders they HAVE to sell 20 Mums @ $10 each, pay the $200 or be put off the squad if they don't sell the flowers? 

Yes, not necessarily from the principal, but this is common. It's a way to ensure everyone is doing their part. When some girls know they will have to pay out of pocket if they don't sell, many of them will actually try to fundraise.

Our girls cheer accounts were paid off in July and this is just a way to raise extra money for the Cheer fund that is in debt $5000 from the previous years.  Is this in some Cheer rules somewhere.

My team paid off their balances in July as well but we continue to do fundraisers year round to keep up the account so that we have money for future mats and uniforms. Are you sure this isn't money that will be held for future purchases? I know in our area at least a account is not allowed to go in debt. Its actually not possible. Our computers don't recognize anything under $1. If we don't have the money at the moment to buy something it doesn't get bought. I would address a concern if there is a $5000 debt from past seasons that the girls are expected to pay off. I know back forever ago (long before I was a coach at my school) before accounts couldn't go into debt, if one did the school usually ended up biting the bullet so to say and covering the expense.