Anyone else offended by student "sponsor me" pleas?

[Lisa loves Pooh]

My thought is either the parents should be to afford whatever they are seeking sponsorship for or they earn the money themselves ("a-thon" type activities or even a job).

The idea of asking someone other than mom and dad to foot the bill and not be willing to work for it--just doesn't set right with me. I guess a work ethic sort of thing.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

interesting-thought i might be flamed for taking this position.

i think i may be viewed as the "skin flint" in dh's family for this position. i have staunchly refused to sponsor his nephews and neices who go on "christian missionary" trips to russia, south america and europe to "build churches". my thought is-"the $100 you are asking me to front to cover your travel and meals could be much better spent providing that same overseas child with medical care, shelter and food. just because you WANT to travel there and witness your "good works" first hand does'nt justify my financial support".

I feel differently about that--I know some mission kids on trips. And though I didn't sponsor them--that wasn't the reason why (doing my own fundraising for other stuff was limiting my assistance to others). They worked their little booties off when they got to their destination. And sometimes helping to pay for that manpower is a good thing. The children I know did a variety of things to raise there money--seeking sponsorship was one and doing jobs like babysitting, offering parent night outs and similar was the other. They knew they had to work to get it.

A big difference between that and *modeling* camp or the senior trip to mexico to learn the "culture".

 

[barkley]

I feel differently about that--I know some mission kids on trips. And though I didn't sponsor them--that wasn't the reason why (doing my own fundraising for other stuff was limiting my assistance to others). They worked their little booties off when they got to their destination. And sometimes helping to pay for that manpower is a good thing. The children I know did a variety of things to raise there money--seeking sponsorship was one and doing jobs like babysitting, offering parent night outs and similar was the other. They knew they had to work to get it.

A big difference between that and *modeling* camp or the senior trip to mexico to learn the "culture".

i agree-we were very supportive of the 2 who went for an extended period to work (one spent a year in south america and another 2 years in africa doing very good works)-the ones that i had issue with were the one or two week turn around trips. realisticly, how much quality/safe "construction" are you going to realize with a group of unskilled highschool kids who leave on a saturday, arrive in another country on sunday nite and have to be back on the plane friday (with side trips to "points of interest" figured in)? and the trips to russia and europe were largly to "help take donations and visit orphans". if it had been some college med students taking medical supplies and helping in some function i would have had a different take on it-but i can't see it benefiting anyone but the student who wants a travel experience to go on this type of trip (and their experiences seemed to support this-the would return home with stories of the places they had been to and seen and how they had played with/sang to "the orphans"-not exactly the way i would prefer to see charitable donations used).

 

[Marseeya]

Marseeya, it was the same thing with us in advanced chorus. We went and participated in Magic Music Disney Days every year (it does not get any cooler than singing in WDW!). We all did fundraisers and whatnot to help with the expense.

OMG, you just brought up the biggest tragedy in my existence (okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a tad).

Every four years, the band went to WDW for some kind of thing, and I would have gotten to go my senior year. BUT, our beloved band director retired and the assistant band director took over. He put more of his time and effort into the jazz band, and forming a second jazz band, so informed us, "Nope, no Florida! We're taking the jazz band to Washington DC!" He almost had a mutiny on his hands. My friends and I still cry over that when we get together!

And the next year... guess who he took to WDW? The whole band.

Anyway, sorry to hijack.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

That makes sense. While the kids I knew--didn't complete the church--they were there for the summer (something like 8-12 weeks, I forget what it was).

The one I knew who did an orphanage--actually worked in the orphanage for the same amount of time.

And these did include sidetrips--b/c they were high school students...and they had to have something to do in their downtime.

not quite the peace corps--but definitely not their dream trip to whatever location they ended up in.

I agree with your opinion on the turnaround trips though. Parents should support that or the kids work for it. Begging--not the right thing to do.

 

[trip]

Through the years my DD's have recieved letters stating "Your child has been nominated and selected to attend ......." One of the "fundraisers" suggestions was to send out letters to friends and relatives to ask (beg) for money.

To me - such a turn off. My children are my financial responsibilty. If they needed extra money they had to work for it.

 

[castleview]

As a sports coach, I have become so skeptical of everthing...even AAU. I know they do some great things, but when someone tells me "my kid was selected for an AAU tournament and needs to raise $3,000", I don't think so.

I've seen it in baseball, soccer, basketball, and drama. Kids are talented enough to be "selected" for a camp, but not talented enough to get a better rate? Hmmm...

 

[MamaLema]

UG. I hate that.

One time a pre-teen came to our door asking for money so he can go to summer camp. I felt like saying "Um. I can't afford to send my own kids to summer camp"

 

[lovetheparks]

For me it all depends on what the cause is. Usually if it's a school partially funded or sponsored activity, I'll chip in if I can. Having played softball & been a cheerleader in HS, I know we had to raise money to get to competitions, for uniforms, etc.

What I absolutely will not donate to - and you see them outside our Wal-Mart all the time - are the "elective" sports. Like the Rebel or All-Star cheerleading,. etc. these are not affiliated with schools and the parents have to pay for the kids to participate at a local gym. It's a hobby and no one pays for me to enjoy my hobbies, why should I pay for theirs. Only my opinion on that one.

 

[In a hurry]

Ugh! Socially accepted begging! It makes me crazy!

 

[barkley]

do you think some of it may derive from parents not taking into consideration what the expenses an activity their kids are "dying" to be in incur.

i mean-my brother and sister in law are HUGE horse people (equestian events, showing, the whole nine yards) and my dd has expressed a desire to take riding lessons over the years because of what she sees and hears from them. i won't even entertain the notion because i know that my brother and sister in law are financial slaves to hobby. they opted not to have kids, take vacations, work extra jobs to meet the financial demands their hobby demands. i just won't let dd get into something that i know there is no financial means possible for her to pursue.

i've seen parents whose kids got into cheerleading, dance, sports, martial arts at an early age and are now seeking sponsorships to support the kids in an activity that has financialy drained them (to the point of the other sibs doing without any extra curricular even at a bare bones expense). they (in my opinion) were short sighted and only looked at the bare bones cost of an activity and never took into consideration the additional expenses that would come as a result of their kids wanting to continue on with something "they've always done-is her only interest, would "die" if she could'nt continue on in".
just seems like setting the kid up for either (1) major disappointment down the line or (2) a sense of entitlement to do whatever you want-damn the financial consequences.