Scouts need help to keep club going

jono. galuszka@ msl. co. nz

A Foxton couple struggling to run the local Scouts outfit are asking the community for help as they face rising bills and a fluctuating roll.

Mel and Darren Tabener got involved with the Foxton- Te Awahou scouts about three years ago when they started sending their son Edward along.

They ended up running the ship after various leaders decided to call it a day, Mrs Tabener said.

Since then, they have struggled to get enough money to cover the bills.

Some people were not paying their subscriptions and others possibly did not existed, she said.

Fees are $ 35 a term, $ 28 of which must go to the national scouts association.

Mrs Tabener said it was enough to cover the cost surance, rates and power scout hall.

‘‘ We haven’t paid our fees to the scouts association for quite a while.’’ She said the club was nearly $ 1500 behind on association fees, meaning children were unable to attend the national jamboree.

The lack of money also meant the club could not afford to buy uniforms for the children or do any repairs on their Whyte St hall.

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To try to cover the shortfalls, the couple raised funds by selling second- hand books and by cleaning up after local fairs.

‘‘ Darren is out here, in front of this hall every weekend selling books to try and help out,’’ Mrs Tabener said.

They had tried putting up the fees before – going from $ 25 to $ 35 – but some members stopped turning up and failed to pay money they owed, she said.

Angela Green said she moved to Foxton about a year ago and enrolled her two boys, aged 4 and 6, in Cubs and Keas to help them meet new people.

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worried to be fun for the it’s causing them about the health of the club and the Tabeners.

‘‘ There are parents not paying their subs, and they’ve only been charged $ 35 a term. [ The Tabeners] are actually buying resources out of their own pockets for children to do craft activities.’’

Mrs Green said it was unfair that the couple had to struggle to run something benefiting the community.

‘‘ It’s supposed community, but stress.’’

People wanting to join or help the Foxton- Te Awahou club are welcome at the Whyte St hall any Tuesday from 6pm.