Club for Lower Income Families- How To?

[Applesauce and Foils]

Hi, guys,
I am in the process of building out my club. We are already off to a good start, with several sets of equipment and a handful of students, but I have some ideas for the future which I wanted to get advice on.

First of all: The area that I live in is pretty evenly mixed as far as economic levels. People from one side of town are able to afford my $70-$90 monthly fee. But I know that people from the other side of town are not.

Fencing has been such an important and wonderful part of my life, that I am trying to share it with as many folks as possible. I want to be able to reach those kids who are underprivileged, and give them a fun, healthy, uplifting experience.

As the club owner, I have to continue charging as much as I do most of the time, but I would also like to build a program for lower income families.

I am thinking about finding a community center/rec center in those areas where I could teach for a lesser fee.

So my questions for you are:

Is there anyone I should be talking to that can help me out with this? Such as someone on the City Council? Or should I look to a different dept. or organization?

Does someone have experience with this kind of program? How much do you usually charge?

Thanks in advance,
AF

[noodle]

i'd start talking to the community/rec center first.

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by noodle

i'd start talking to the community/rec center first.

I'd start by asking yourself if this is really something that you want/need to do.

Be ready to answer the following questions:

1) Are you doing yourself a favor?

2) Are you doing them a favor?

3) Are you sure?


Be honest.

[Applesauce and Foils]

This is something I want to do, vs. need to do.

1) Don't really see how it'd be doing me any favors, except the general joy I get from spreading the sport.

2)I guess it would be, if it's something they enjoy. (If we're talking about the kids, not the rec center.)

3) ?

I think I'm missing exactly what you're trying to say. . . but I'm open to hear whatever it is.
This is still just one of those "in the future it would be great if" plans. Obviously, my main goal for my club is for it to be successful, which would probably not come through this angle. I am working on several other things currently to make the club successful.

AF

[Allen Evans]

Originally Posted by Applesauce and Foils

I think I'm missing exactly what you're trying to say. . . but I'm open to hear whatever it is.

I think what Mr. E is trying to say here is that altruism makes him itch.

[RITFencing]

Become a non-profit and see if there are any grants or other money you can apply for. You can also see about scholarship programs for athletes, but these are dangerous to advertise. Generally, I find them to be successful with an already established fencer who has come on hard times or who needs more lessons or what have you but can't afford them. Clubs I've been at have usually had such people work off the difference cleaning the club, doing armory work, reffing at competitions, etc. If you tell people about it right off the bat, though, you'll have half the club clamoring for a discount because "It's not fair that Jimmy got one and I didn't," even though not all of them really need one.

You could also email the Peter Westbrook Foundation and ask them for advice.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Applesauce and Foils

People from one side of town are able to afford my $70-$90 monthly fee.

You should charge more.

[Applesauce and Foils]

RIT, good ideas! I had thought about the Westbrook foundation. . .

Thanks for the ideas everyone!

AF

[Applesauce and Foils]

Another though for y'all: Would working with/out of a Boys and Girls club be a good idea?

I would probably need to speak with the clubs in my area, but it doesn't seem a bad way to go with this idea, since the kids and the building and the organization are already in place.

Thoughts?

AF

[fdad]

Originally Posted by Applesauce and Foils

Another though for y'all: Would working with/out of a Boys and Girls club be a good idea?

I would probably need to speak with the clubs in my area, but it doesn't seem a bad way to go with this idea, since the kids and the building and the organization are already in place.

Thoughts?

AF

It might be hard to reserve space at an existing sports facility during hours when you are likely to draw kids. It is probably already reserved for a more popular use (e.g. hoops).

[peterlista]

As a former Boy Scout (now Eagle Scout), I can tell you that many Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs are looking to bring in presenters during weekly meetings to give the scouts a new perspective on something or opportunities they may not have otherwise.

Going to a meeting and presenting the sport is a great opportunity for the Troop but also for you as a way to promote your club. Young scouts are very easy to work with and if you hook them, will likely ask their parents to continue their new found activity.

It may also be a good idea to become a registered merit badge counselor and go to the Troop to help scouts get their "Sports Merit Badge" (one of the sports in which they can participate to gain the badge is fencing). Troops often welcome people willing to help with Merit Badges, especially if they are an expert in the field.

Both are good opportunities; and I can tell you from experience, the scouts, parents, and leaders will thank you. And, don't forget, you can use the opportunity to market your club!

[Applesauce and Foils]

Awesome idea! I will learn more about becoming a merit badge counselor soon!

AF

[K O'N]

A) Separate but 'equal' is a bad long term idea. The scholarship kids should be in the main club after the first six week or whatever beginner class they take.

B) It's hard to ask a kid if they really love something they've never tried, so you have to let them fence before you try to pick a few kids to give help to. With all the goodwill in the world a kid could apply, write a great essay or something, and then hate fencing.

C) The parents and the kid have to be willing to commit to the program too, it can't be free for them.

D) Fencing at a reasonably high level has predictable costs. Plan to cover them, even if it means fewer kids in the scholarship program, it's not fair to get a kid to the point where he's ready to fence and needs real gear and entry fees and so on, and then tell him he can't go.

I talked about this with a friend who owns a club a few years ago. I used to teach inner city kids in a math program, so I had some grip on the neighborhood he wanted to go into and the sorts of response he would get out of it. He is a saber coach. Nonetheless, I recommended:

Have a six week cheap (run at a loss) beginner class at a rec center, with electric epees. It's real, it's understandable, it's cheap to run and the kids love it.

Get to know the parents and the kids.

When the class is over schedule another one for two months later, and pay attention to the kids who think they won't survive without fencing for that long.

Talk to them (kids and parents) about your club, and have a formal scholarship application, and a non-profit wing to fund it. Pay funds into it from one event a year, have a button on your web site to donate money and do whatever sorts of fundraising you can think of, you'd be surprised how many people will pitch in for something like this. Have a simple number to tell people; "One month of support for a scholarship kid is $XX. We appreciate all the help you give us." Have simple reasons for the scholarship, and simple lists of benefits; it's very good for lower income kids to be in a classroom or a sport or a group or a club with kids who are all going to college, who compete about grades, and who will assume the scholarship kids will do the same. Very good. And there's real research to back this up, it's not made up fluff. You could really do a kid some good here, so pick a kid who can take advantage of it.

So you discount the regular fee a little, and the scholarship fund pays for club fees, lessons, equipment, travel and entry fees. The parents must pay some into this, it can't be free for them. You have to pick a kid with parents who are reasonable people and who understand what they're getting into. You should be able to find a few such people in a beginner class of 20 or so.

Don't be shy about the scholarship, advertise it. Make this overtly need-based as one of the factors, and the rich kids simply won't qualify. That's fine, any kid applying to college understands that there is some financial aid they qualify for and some they don't, no one will obsess about this if you don't act guilty. What you're doing is a good thing. The kid who wins the scholarship should be proud, not ashamed, don't get weird on them about it.

What do they get out of it? A kid who wants to fence gets to fence. He's around people who argue about what college to go to and what to major in, that's good for him.

What do you get out of it? You get another kid in the club and taking lessons, remember you're getting paid by the scholarship, you're not doing it for free. It's nice to not only be teaching rich kids. And, not to put too fine a point on it, you can get some tremendous athletes if you have a class of 20 to choose one or two from. Then too, you get a kid who is NOT in every damn activity under the sun, who will NOT be at freakin' band rehearsal or football practice every night of the week all through football season, who does NOT have six other things to do every night, he comes to fencing practice. Gee, how nice would that be?

I agree about the Westbrook Foundation, ask them for advice and help planning and so on, they do this very well from what I can see.

Good luck,

K O'N

[K O'N]

Originally Posted by peterlista

As a former Boy Scout (now Eagle Scout), I can tell you that many Boy Scout Troops and Cub Scout Packs are looking to bring in presenters during weekly meetings to give the scouts a new perspective on something or opportunities they may not have otherwise.

Going to a meeting and presenting the sport is a great opportunity for the Troop but also for you as a way to promote your club. Young scouts are very easy to work with and if you hook them, will likely ask their parents to continue their new found activity.

It may also be a good idea to become a registered merit badge counselor and go to the Troop to help scouts get their "Sports Merit Badge" (one of the sports in which they can participate to gain the badge is fencing). Troops often welcome people willing to help with Merit Badges, especially if they are an expert in the field.

Both are good opportunities; and I can tell you from experience, the scouts, parents, and leaders will thank you. And, don't forget, you can use the opportunity to market your club!

As long as you're not gay.

K O'N

[peterlista]

Originally Posted by K O'N

As long as you're not gay.

K O'N

A sad fact that me and many, many other former Boy Scouts are ashamed of.

Even so, it's a great opportunity for the club and the scouts.

If you plan to become a Merit Badge counselor, this website ought to have the appropriate information as well as links to the MB counselor application and the application to become an adult leader.

http://www.scouting.org/scoutsource/...ounselors.aspx

[Applesauce and Foils]

Y'all are great! Thanks for the help.

But, K'ON, I don't think any of my kids will be arguing about college right now: they're barely into grade school. LOL! As I said, we're growing.

AF

[Applesauce and Foils]

Can I become a MB counselor? I'm female. . .

AF

[peterlista]

Originally Posted by Applesauce and Foils

Can I become a MB counselor? I'm female. . .

AF

Absolutely you can, there are no restrictions (to my knowledge) based on whether the counselor is male or female. Actually, I can remember a few of my MB counselors who were female... you may be the minority, but I doubt you'd have any issues.

If you have questions, the head scouting office can answer them for you. The number and email are more than likely on that website I mentioned earlier.

[tdwg83]

Originally Posted by peterlista

Absolutely you can, there are no restrictions (to my knowledge) based on whether the counselor is male or female. Actually, I can remember a few of my MB counselors who were female... you may be the minority, but I doubt you'd have any issues.

If you have questions, the head scouting office can answer them for you. The number and email are more than likely on that website I mentioned earlier.

There are no rescrictions on gender. But in order to be a merit badge counselor, you need to be registered with BSA and take the appropriate training classes. If your not wanting to volunteer a lot of time to BSA, any registered adult can simply sign up to be the counselor for the Sports badge for the purposes of signing off the requirements. Before considering this too much you may want to find the merit badge pamplet and see how much of it coincides with what you want to do.

This link is to a the requirements:
http://www.usscouts.org/usscouts/mb/mb013.asp

[Applesauce and Foils]

Thanks for that info!

AF