• Executive Directors Column
• Coordinator Expansion Underway
• Dear Booster
• Golf For Goodness Sake
• International Mascot
• Vendor of the Month - Beary Thoughtful Fundraising
• Seeking Nationwide Support
• Datacal Enterprises
• Do-It Yourself Fundraiser
• National Hole in One Association
• Buyers Club for Boosters
• Spotlight of the Month - Bobby K Entertainment
• T.O.M.S. Asks the Question?
• Fast Facts

NO BODY WHO BOUGHT A DRILL ACTUALLY WANTED A DRILL!
I know your probably saying to yourself, what in the world does a drill have to do with booster clubs. It actually has a great deal to do with how a booster club should be promoting itself to gain support from the community, administrators and parents.

You see, the statement that "no body who bought a drill actually wanted a drill, is true. They wanted a hole. Therefore, if you want to sell drills, you should advertise information about making holes - NOT information about drills!

This theory holds true with building successful booster clubs. I don't know of a single booster club that has too many supporters, or too many helpers. It's always just the opposite and it seems that all of them are asking the same question - "how can we get more parents involved" or "how can we get our administrators to support us". Which is always followed by "we just can't seem to get the parents to join" or "our schools administrators don't support us at all".

When I ask them what it is that they do to try and gain their support - aside from the typical answer of "we hold membership drives" it's rare that I get a solid answer.

The real answer is really quite simple and the focus of my article this month - how to attract active volunteers, parents and the support from administrators.

Let's start by agreeing that its rare to find someone who actually wants to spend all of their their waking time working concessions, selling clothing and conducting fundraisers and that most people really don't enjoy attending meetings.

Now that we have agreed on this fact let me offer a solution.

People need to know why and what a booster club does. If they do not see the value of your intentions they will never join your cause. And even more, they need to see that your actions are ones that will directly or indirectly help them.

Here are 4 simple steps that I guarantee will increase your relationship with administration, gain you more community support and raise the number of parent volunteers.

Step 1: Start each season by formulating a solid plan of action. Identify what you want to achieve and make sure that it includes how you will help not just your program but your school and your community. Try to find a need that has been left unfulfilled, and that your group can accept as one that it will rally support of.
Step 2: Meet with your school administrators (AD, Principal, Vice Principal) and conduct a planning meeting to gain their support. Your goal is twofold; get them to appreciate what you will accomplish and gain their active support of your mission.
Step 3: Make your mission bigger than you. By this I mean, make your clubs mission one that reaches outside of your own team or group and impacts others - your school at large, or the community, and last:
Step 4: Openly invite (all) parents, faculty and community members to join with you as you rally around helping to make your school and your community a better place.

Remember, if you want more active volunteer support, invite people to join with you in making your school and your community a better place - then your clubs needs can be met by a larger group of supporters, more willing to lend you the support you need for your club and program.

I wish each of you the best of success.
Happy Boostering!

Steve M. Beden
Executive Director

Enroll Your Club

Dear Booster........

The NBCA is now recruiting Area Coordinators nationwide.
- Unlimited opportunity
- No competition
- Part-time or Full-time
- Help make a difference in your community!

To find out more email us your contact information and one of our qualified staff members will personally contact you or click here to learn more: Coordinator Opportunity

Dear Booster,
Hi! We are in the beginning stages of forming our booster club for a competitive cheerleading team. How do we go about appointing officers? Thanks

Jennifer D.
Involved Cheer Booster


Dear Jennifer,
The first step for appointing officers is to carry out a nomination process. You will want to formally notify your supporters that you are seeking nominations for the positions you seek to fill. Develop a nomination form, or go to Club Central and you can find samples. Set a time period where you can receive nominations and then once you have closed nominations you will need to approach each person nominated and ask them to either accept or reject the nomination. Once you have a list of people who have accepted the nominations you need to put together a voting ballot. You can also find sample ballots in Club Central.

Post notice of your date and time for elections and then carry out an election process that is recorded by your clubs secretary. If you do not have a secretary yet, have one person become the designee to record the process. After the votes have been cast you will need to have a group of people tally the votes and then officially announce the results. Once the results have been announced and there are no objections, record this in your clubs minutes.

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.

Beary Thoughtful Fundraising
Finally, a Fundraising Company doing business the way it was meant to be... with its heart in the right place, and an eye towards your success. It was 1998 in Rhode Island when Dawn and Steve LeClair, Co-Founders of Beary Thoughtful®, conceived of the idea of using Teddy Bears as a way for schools, groups and other organizations to raise funds to support their activities.

We are very excited about our partnership and are looking forward to working closely with NBCA nationwide with their growing need to fundraise. Both NBCA and Beary Thoughtful Fundraising share a common market. With our many years of fundraising experience and with NBCA’S role for continued excellence in teaching values to our youth, it was natural for us to work together.

With over 10 years experience in the fundraising industry, Steve LeClair has risen above the competition by offering only the highest quality products, the best customer service, and the most exciting fundraising programs to our customers. Our customer satisfaction and ADS (Average Dollar Sale) is the highest in the industry, we attribute this to our unique products and by offering them the wealth of our fundraising knowledge, unique fundraising programs and making campaign after campaign huge successes.

Leading The Fundraising Industry One Bear At A Time! Beary Thoughtful Fundraising offers 6 unique fundraising programs to help you achieve and even exceed your fundraising goals. Beary Thoughtful Bears promote the appreciation of family, the community, and a salute to our military that make great gifts for any occasion. Beary Thoughtful Fundraising has grown its business with a commitment to quality and a dedication to excellence.

Brochure Fundraising, Onsite Sales, Custom Bears, Custom Hangtags, Partnership Bears. We offer 50% NET PROFIT, Free Shipping, Free Sorting, Free Incentive Bears, and No Minimum Order. No fundraising group is too large or too small. Please visit our website at: www.BearyThoughtful.com or call (866) 842-3277 for more information on the fundraising program that is right for your group.

NBCA Sign-up Bonus: Schedule your next Fundraiser by August 1st 2005 and receive an extra 5% Profit. Use Promo Code # 54621.

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

DataCal Enterprises, LLC, prints Picture Balls - genuine sports balls that are autographable on which we print 4-color photos of a team or individual player along with appropriate wording to make unique trophies; mementos of a successful season; gifts for seniors, coaches, or special boosters; or individual awards. They make excellent fund raisers! Picture Balls are available for basketball, football, soccer, volleyball, baseball, and softball. In addition we have hockey pucks, 3" golf balls, 3" ornaments, and 5" home plates. There is no minimum quantity so we can prepare as few as one and we offer very quick turn-a-round. Please see www.pictureball.com for examples and more information.

How much money did your school’s sports teams and clubs spend on spirit merchandise, apparel and uniforms last year? Are you leveraging your club’s purchasing power to your advantage? What if you could join a national buying service for booster clubs with predictable, deep discounts on the things you buy every year?

Thanks to GR8sports USA, you can! The SpiritCentral Buyers Club, a membership buying service exclusively for booster clubs, provides access to dozens of distributors and vendors allowing you to buy from their catalogs at up to 40% off! So, step up to buying like the pros as a SpiritCentral Buyers Club member!

Buyers Club members buy at the best prices from dozens of catalogs representing hundreds of manufacturers including sweatshirts, T-shirts, caps, jackets, polos, warm ups, denim shirts and more. Choose uniforms from manufacturers with hundreds of styles and even design-your-own in price ranges from budget to premium. Browse spirit merchandise including window clings, antennae balls, cups, water bottles, key chains, gel bracelets, license plate frames, temporary tattoos, squish balls, megaphones, seat cushions, stadium blankets, towels and more. It’s like having a Costco for booster clubs!

You can't consistently buy at these prices from any other source! Think about how simple this makes your purchasing decisions. You always know how much to pay and you always know how much profit you can make. Pooling your club’s sports and club purchasing can save you money. Pooling the purchasing for hundreds of club's can save everyone even more money.

Visit GR8fundraisers.com for all the details and join now to save money on this fall's spirit merchandise!

Bobby K Entertainment
Bobby K Entertainment has been providing entertainment for the Northeast United States since 1984 starting out as a mobile DJ company. Since that time we have expanded our offerings to include TV style game shows, a Quizathon fundraiser, Fantasy Casino, Inflatable Novelties, Carnival games, arts and crafts and large theme parties.

While we have worked with several school organizations (including booster clubs, post grad and post prom groups, SAAD, MAAD, and PTOs), everyone is looking for something different. Our wide variety allows us to provide a single item such as Sumo Wrestling for a school rally raising money for the sports program to a full blown school carnival with inflatables that can raise thousands. Some parent’s groups use Fantasy Casino parties as fundraisers while still others help keep the kids off the streets following their prom or graduation with a variety of entertainment.

In searching out a unique fundraiser, we created the Quizathon, which has students solicit pledges for each point they earn in a fun and educational TV style game show. Everyone plays and the questions are grade specific. Thousands can be raised in just one day of fun!

The most common comment we receive from our customers is their satisfaction with our attention to detail. Safety comes before anything and Bobby K Entertainment is a member of several national safety organizations dealing with amusements. Our staff is trained to be responsible but also friendly to all our customers.

New ideas are constantly being developed – we have just unveiled new theme parties including Hawaiian Luaus, Western Hoe Downs, and a Roaring 20’s Casino. Come see for yourself visit us at www.bobbyk.com or call us (800) 640-5034 for more information.

IS ANY MEMBER OF YOUR FAMILY OVERWEIGHT?

Will diabetes affect you or your children some day? Unfortunately, there is a good chance it will. Type 2 diabetes is most common in people over 45, but the number of younger patients (including teenagers) with the disease has grown dramatically in recent years. It is estimated that the worldwide annual health care cost for diabetes will be over $153 billion by 2025 if we don’t change our eating and exercising habits. In fact, in some countries diabetes is a greater financial strain on their health system than the AIDS epidemic.

According to Duke University Sociologist Kenneth Land, there is an obesity epidemic that has seen obesity in our children triple since 1975. It has taken 30 years to create this problem. Let’s not take 30 years to correct it. The best way to help prevent diabetes is a healthy lifestyle. The One Minute Shopper can be a major step to eating a variety of proper size portions of premium meats and fish. Learn to satisfy your appetite with more vegetables, fruits and fiber. Cut back on sweets or candies, fast foods, and starchy foods like mashed potatoes or pasta that contain carbohydrates which quickly turn into sugar. Sugar levels that remain high for too long can damage blood vessels and nerves within your body, possibly leading to heart disease, kidney failure, blindness, impotence and amputation of toes, feet and lower extremities.

The National Boosters Club Association has come up with a way to help address this problem where everybody wins. Students win. Schools win. Taxpayers, the custodians, teachers and superintendents win. EVERYBODY WINS!!!

Here is how it works. You are offered a variety of ten (10) premium meat and fish programs that are portion controlled under government supervision. Something for everyone. Each program costs $99.00 with the price including delivery to your home.

For a healthy and financially rewarding fundraising solution contact The One Minute Shopper Today!