2008-2009 Cheer Parent Thread!!!!

[goofy!]

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[donnajon]

My two DDs - ages 5 and 8 - tried out for All- Stars in May and are on the youth level 1 (which I expected). Our gym just started All-Stars last year and they did pretty well. The Juniors won first place in all but their first competition in which they place second. And the seniors usually placed in the top 3. This year they have three teams. And just last week my girls convinced my DS11 to join! I am going to be doing some major fundraising!!!!!
We just finished selling cookie dough and I sold $624 worth (and get half) so that will more than pay for one uniform. But the kids all love it. DS is the only boy on his team and he doesn't care. A year ago that would have bothered him but I'm glad he is doing what he wants. He said if anyone says anything to him, he will tell them at least he has the guts to do it. He is also a black belt in karate so the extra tumbling will fit in well with that.

 

[polkadotminnie]

Hey everyone!-When is your first competition?

 

[goofy!]

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[rbuzzotta]

Cheersport is a great competition!!!! I enjoyed it last year. It ws so easy to walk to all the different arenas to see so many teams!!!

Stephanie has her choreography today and tomorrow!! 10 hours both days!! Her ankle is getting better but is a little stiff still. It is still swollen (scar tissue) but she is plugging along.

Her team is not going to Cheersport this year but will be going to NCA Dallas and WSF INDY and hopefully Worlds 2009!!! Anther National they will attend is Athletic in Providence (that got a paid bid there last year but not sure if they are awarding bids there this season). Her team is quite talented this year and very enthusiastic!!! I hope they keep it up!!! Once school starts, the kids get busy and a litte complacent with cheering!!

They already had their stunt choreography and all I can say is WOW!! I hope they can hit them............they are so hard!! I think they have their pyramid choreography next week!!

WE just got back from OKW last week and I happened to be at the Milkhouse (watched Tampa Bay Bucs practice) and I walked inside. I finally got to see what it looked like not ja mmed packed with people 100 deep!! I hope the newarena willbe finished for Worlds 2009!!

Hope you all have a safe summer!!! Can't wiat for the season to begin

 

[Cindyluwho]

Just remember that you cannot set up individual accounts within a 501c3. So, if you send out letters to parents and friends to sponsor, all the money would have to go into a general fund and be divided equally amongst all the cheerleaders. The friends and parents could not specifically sponsor their child or friend.
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I'm not sure how our charity organization does it but we are a 501c3 and we do have seperate accounts for each family or at least the $$ are kept track of so each family gets their specific donations. We have 80+ families that bring over kids every summer from the Chernobyl area. It costs about $1500 per child and each family and their sponsors sends in $$ to the charity. It is put towards that families costs. Don't know why you couldn't do the same thing with any 501c3??

 

[goofy!]

I'm not sure how our charity organization does it but we are a 501c3 and we do have seperate accounts for each family or at least the $$ are kept track of so each family gets their specific donations. We have 80+ families that bring over kids every summer from the Chernobyl area. It costs about $1500 per child and each family and their sponsors sends in $$ to the charity. It is put towards that families costs. Don't know why you couldn't do the same thing with any 501c3??

I don't know . Apparently we are getting different legal advice.

Our tax lawyer told us that it was a huge no-no to set up individual accounts within any 501c3. That is why we have the individual accounts set up under the parent booster club.

 

[poohbearluvr]

We were at Cheersport last season. It is a huge venue. We are not going this year. Our travel national will be in New Orleans.
Most of my DD team is down in Miami right now at a tumbling clinic
w/ Top Gun. They were so excited to have a chance to go down there and
tumble with them. Spoke w/ DD last night and she was sore but happy. She was doing her standing full w/ some of the guys. Jamie Parrish from the ex- Georgia All stars is coming next month to help w/ their choreography which they are also looking forward to. Looking forward to new season with a lot of new faces on her team.

 

[goofy!]

 

[Cindyluwho]

hmmmm, maybe it's because the dollars raised are all being used for the airfare, translater costs, etc for the organization as a whole. No one that donates is being helped personally, it is all going to cover the costs of hosting a child. but yes, every person pays in their fee, sometimes with the help of other donors and it does go directly to the cost of hosting "their' host child.
I also know that we can't pay in say...$500, and then use it for a trip to Disney for our host child. It would be nice, but no...

And of course, the government doesn't make it easy...

 

[goofy!]

no need for a dissertation on 501c3 101

 

[Cindyluwho]

If everybody's contributions, including friends go into a general account, all mixed up, and then you take all the money collected and distribute equal grants to all the cheerleaders, then you are ok. The grants have to be equal and as mentioned above, you cannot discriminate between how much each cheerleader fund-raised, or volunteered, or contributed.

The biggest stipulation of a 501c3 is that all funds be distributed equally. Nobody gets more, nobody gets less because somebody may have contributed more or worked more hours, etc.
But if you distribute money, it has to be equal for everybody.
Personally, if I was on your board, I would be asking to have a review by a tax attorney to double check if everything is ok. It protects you because if there is ever any question, you can show the IRS that you did everything to make sure you are following law.

I just had my "aha" moment! Now I get it! All of the money IS distributed equally among all host children. When all is said and done there is the exact amount of $$ needed to bring each and every child over plus cover the cost of translaters, etc. There is never any left over it would be great if there was, but then it would just be divvied up for the next year's visit.
And yes, I am on the board, and yes we do have a tax attorney and an audit. I knew we were doing it right but I have no head for this kind of stuff (as if that isn't obvious...) I'm more in charge of the fundraising and getting things done with the translaters.
Thank you goofey for making it clear for me. seriuosly, I thought I was losing my mind there for a moment...

 

[goofy!]

I just had my "aha" moment! Now I get it! All of the money IS distributed equally among all host children. When all is said and done there is the exact amount of $$ needed to bring each and every child over plus cover the cost of translaters, etc. There is never any left over it would be great if there was, but then it would just be divvied up for the next year's visit.
And yes, I am on the board, and yes we do have a tax attorney and an audit. I knew we were doing it right but I have no head for this kind of stuff (as if that isn't obvious...) I'm more in charge of the fundraising and getting things done with the translaters.
Thank you goofey for making it clear for me. seriuosly, I thought I was losing my mind there for a moment...

The government goes out of its way to make it confusing, doesn't it?

Even two board members, who know what they are doing can get confused by what each other is saying

I was thrown by your original post saying you had individual accounts. Sorry about that!

This is all fresh in my mind because we had somebody donate a huge check and we had to explore whether we could put some in her individual account to cover her travel expenses and some in the general account. We couldn't. If it went to the 501c3, it had to go into the general account and be distributed equally between all the cheerleaders.

 

[DisneyElite4]

It's great to see so many supportive cheer moms out there! I used to cheer both high school and all star and miss it dearly!

Will any of you be competing at the UCA All Star Nationals in Orlando the second weekend in March? Or at the USASF Worlds in April? Those are two great competitions that I make sure to attend each year. (I live here in Orlando.)

 

[rbuzzotta]

It's great to see so many supportive cheer moms out there! I used to cheer both high school and all star and miss it dearly!

Will any of you be competing at the UCA All Star Nationals in Orlando the second weekend in March? Or at the USASF Worlds in April? Those are two great competitions that I make sure to attend each year. (I live here in Orlando.)

Fingers crossed we will be at Worlds 2009 in April!! Not going to UCA though. Going to WSF Indy and NCA Dallas along with Athletic in Providence.

I think Pohbearlvr's Dd usually makes it to Worlds (may be wrong or confusing the teams!!).

Good luck everyone............

And can't wait to see Georgia back in action!!! LOVE THEM!!!

 

[kidzmom3]

It's great to see so many supportive cheer moms out there! I used to cheer both high school and all star and miss it dearly!

Will any of you be competing at the UCA All Star Nationals in Orlando the second weekend in March? Or at the USASF Worlds in April? Those are two great competitions that I make sure to attend each year. (I live here in Orlando.)

our teams are going to the UCA All Star Nationals in Orlando in March. Its our first Florida competition so all the kids are excited. We normally go to Myrtle Beach instead.

 

[poohbearluvr]

Yes, rbuzzotta my DD's team has made it to the Worlds the past few years.
It is a great time. That will be our only Florida trip if they make it again (fingers crossed) this season. Last season they went to Florida 3 times which was a lot($). Their official practices start today after the summer. Hopefully DD will be okay with practices since today was her first day of college and is commuting. DH always said school first then cheering.

 

[5Slays]

Looks like our national competition will be in Atlanta this year. Normally we go to Destin, so that will be a change.

Our first compeition will be next month. I am not sure if they are ready!

 

[rbuzzotta]

First comp, next month!! Wow..........good luck. That is early but can be a good thing to see how the team does.

Our first comp will be WSF Indy!! Hopefully there will be a local comp before so the team can get the jitters out before the big one.

I love the new choreography!! The routine is awesome, but I am sure there will be many changes over the next few months. The dance is HOT!! Practice begins this week after about 10 days off!! They will be sore tomorrow!!

Good luck eveyrone............

 

[goofy!]

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