January 17, 2008

  • Well let's see... I've not much been in the mood to xanga lately.  Sure, I've commented on others but not written here.  So...

    Happy New Year!

    ahem

    I am Treasurer again for the fire dept in 2008.  We have a new President.  One of the newer members actually.  The simmularities between him now and how I was 10 years ago are eerie.  The other key positions stayed the same.

    I have spent considerable time working on the 2008 budget.  It doesn't look good.  There is no way to really make the income equal to expenses.  Both numbers are a long ways apart.  Things like the cost of diesel fuel, L.P. Gas, unfunded mandates from the state, and insurance keep rising at an alarming pace.  I don't see the fund-raising keeping up.  Last night I laid it all out for the company.  They took it well.  Or it was apathy on the part of the younger members.  Either way, a vote was held and we are going forward knowing it will be an issue.

    We are looking to add a 3rd carrier to our cell tower but that will probably not bear much fruit until 2009.  I've come up with the idea of a casino night.  So I've taken the point on looking into that.  We are hoping to make more on the golf tournament.  But we say that every year and never do.

    In the end I have Faith it will work out as it should.  I am not going to have a melt down over it.  Keep a watchful eye of course.  And report to the company monthly on our financial status.  It's a long year and one never knows what may happen.  So, ever forward.

Comments (8)

  • Tis true.... you never know!  I hope it works out some way. 

  • Good luck with that! Things always manage to work themselves out.

  • Have you thought about other fundraising ideas? 

    Guest bartending - get a bar to let some of the firefighters come in and bartend with all the cash tips going to the firehouse.

    Car smash - remove all the glass/fluids from it and then either sell the opportunity to whack it or get a few cars and have teams compete against each other to see who can dismantal their car the fastest using only hand tools.  Offer a trophey for the team that completes the dismantling the fastest.  Have each team pay an entry fee and then on the day of the event sell food and sodas to the people who come to cheer their team on. 

    Car Club Event - have a local car club come and show their cars while you sell food and drinks.  They get a free place to show their cars, you get people coming to you where you can sell them food and drink.  Doesn't have to be fancy, hot dogs, cold soda/bottled water, small bags of chips. 

  • RYC: My escape....I poked my head out of my little box, looked both ways and shot straight down the side stairs, never to look back.

  • I think everyone is struggling right now. I was wondering what happened to you,since you haven't been here lately.

  • I hope things will pick up with the fundraising efforts, the casino night sounds like a promising idea!

  • Thanks for all the ideas and support. We really need something that raises a big chunk of cash without a ton of effort (if that is possible). I don't mind paying out money if the return is good enough.

  • My Mom is the bar manager at our local fire company and they are in rough shape financially too. RYC: I'm motivated now-I will lose the weight.

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