Boosters

Atholton Technology Boosters (aka Tech Boosters) is a not-for-profit 501c3 organization founded to provide funding for and manage the logistics of AHS Robotics and other AHS STEM activities. Our certification is through Parent Boosters and our 501c3 number is 45-3807787. Certificates are updated in the Google Drive

Key info:

• Atholton Technology Boosters, Inc.

• Federal Tax ID: 45-3807787

• Maryland Tax ID: 31207900

• Subordinate member in good standing of Parent Booster USA, Inc. through 12/31/2023

Information about federal tax-exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code:

• Membership in Parent Booster USA must be renewed annually to maintain tax-exempt status.

• To renew membership go to: parentbooster.org.

• Parent Booster USA, Inc. is a North Carolina nonprofit corporation recognized by the IRS as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.

• Parent Booster USA, Inc. also has been issued a group exemption letter by the IRS that recognizes Parent Booster USA’s subordinate organization members as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3).

• Parent Booster USA annually provides the IRS with an updated list of its subordinate organizations in good standing.

• Subordinate organizations in good-standing are provided with this certificate to confirm their federal tax-exempt status.

• Confirming Parent Booster’s exempt status.

  • Parent Booster USA’s federal tax-exempt status and group exemption letter may be confirmed on the IRS website as follows:

  • Go to www.irs.gov

  • Under "Tools," click "More..."

  • Scroll down and click on "Exempt Organizations Select Check”

  • Click the radio button next to “Are eligible to receive tax-deductible contributions”

  • Enter Parent Booster USA’s EIN: 30-0281785

  • Click “Search”

  • Under “Deductibility Status” it says “GROUP”. If you click on “GROUP” an explanation regarding the group letter ruling that exempts PBUSA’s subordinates appears.

• 3554 West Orange Country Club Drive, Suite 250, Winter Garden, FL 34787

• Ph: 866-936- 6209 t Fax: 866-936-1672 t Info@ParentBooster.org

Officers

Tech Boosters has 4 officers:

• President: 

• Vice-President(s):

• Treasurer:

• Optional per-grade advisors (per grade, e.g. a Freshman advisor)

• Secretary:

Booster Functions

Tech Boosters manages the team funds that are raised primarily by the Operations sub-team.

• Bank Accounts

• School schedule/coordination

  • Faculty advisor

    • A faculty advisor is critical - we can't meet at the school without one. Charles Lidard is our current advisor. Recruiting more HCPSS faculty to help is very important because attending every meeting is a huge burden for a single teacher. We've received help from many HCPSS faculty including Jean Fregeau, Bryce Cramer, LKMS tech ed teacher Ed Garner. We should solicit the help of as many faculty members as possible to help reduce the load on the faculty advisor.

  • Schedule planning

    • As early as possible (late May), a schedule for the following year should be planned. The Fall schedule leading up to the build season should have 1-2 meetings weekly to allow for training and preparation. The build season schedule should have at least 5 days weekly planned (includes Sat/Sun) up to the day the robot is bagged and the schedule should include 3-5 days for at least the next 2-3 weeks to allow control systems (software) to finish their work and testing, for driver practice, and to allow any small mechanical components needed to be fabricated. The off-season competition: ​Battle of Baltimore (BoB) should be scheduled along with transportation (see below). The competitions after the build season should be scheduled as soon as the team is successfully registered for them.

  • Facilities reserved: tech-ed/shop rooms, gym, cafeteria

    • Early June: Meet with Mike Senisi ((410)313-7080) to reserve the gym, aux-gym, or cafeteria for driving/testing practice each team meeting.

• Build-season food (Note: Not applicable during 2020-21 due to the pandemic) - During build season when the team works all day on the weekends, students are not allowed off campus to get food so the team provides lunch for the students and mentors. Food is served and must be eaten in the cafeteria; food and drink are now allowed in the tech ed rooms. One or more parent volunteers manage the purchasing and distribution of food. Some students and some mentors have special dietary needs (vegetarian, vegan, halal, kosher) and should be accommodated where possible:

  • Meals Coordinator:

  • Meals Assistants:

• Competitions and Events (Note: Not applicable during 2020-21 due to the pandemic)- the team typically attends between 3 and 5 competitions each year. Competitions are held at high schools or colleges and are the highlight of the FIRST FRC season. Most students attend and the team charters a bus to take them to the event. An HCPSS faculty member *must* travel with the students and the bus service must be approved by HCPSS. We must collect signed permission forms and payment from any student who wants to attend - they won't be allowed on the bus if they have not submitted both.

  • Event Registration - as soon as possible, the boosters and lead mentors should select the competitions to attend and register the team. Competitions fill up quickly so this should be done as soon as possible after the competition venues are announced.

  • Bus reservations for competitions should be made as early as possible because the less expensive services fill up quickly. reservations for the Fall competitions (BOB should be made in May or June - as soon as the decision to attend the competitions has been made. Bus services must be HCPSS approved:

    • Zum, required by the county.

  • Permission slips and forms

    • Emergency Procedure Health Form

    • Participation Form

    • Field Trip Student Permission Form

    • General Accident Waiver and Release of Liability

    • Field Trip Request Form

    • Virginia FIRST Consent and Release

  • Student payments

1. Team Admin

   • TIMS and Roster (brief description,approx. time required) Putting together student and parent roster (name, emails, phone numbers, grades, etc) (10 hours/mo - more in Sept/Oct?, less after) 1, Collecting and checking participation, consent, waiver forms

     • Collecting verifying member payment

   • Providing this info to Randy for alias, check and review to finalize.

   • Keeping TIMs updated (3 hours/mo)

     • Registering team

     • Listing sponsors(this in conjunction with NEMO lead)

     • Keeping mentor list up to date

     • Approving students- identifying award submitters (this in conjunction with NEMO mentor)

     • Providing other info (robot info, descriptions, etc) (this in conjunction with lead mentor)

     • Registering for competitions and kickoff in coordination with Lead Mentor

     • Ensuring payments are made, regranting if needed is done

     • Alerting mentors to anything critical from TIMS

     • Entering award write-ups

   • Inviting Parents to register students for TIMS (5 hours/wk Sept)

   • School Coordination (PTSA, enews) (5 hours)

     • Staff breakfast in August

     • New Student Orientation and Back to School night presentations

     • Tech Boosters fliers in PTA packets

     • Organizing our appearance for 8th grade visit

     • Organizing our appearance for New Student Orientation

     • Organizing our appearance at Back to School Night

     • Keeping school informed of meeting dates/times

   • Tech Boosters (5-10 hours)

     • Coordinating date/time/place for meetings

     • Sending out meeting notices

     • Putting together agenda and slides

     • Running the meeting

     • Reviewing and sending out meeting notes after

     • Any bylaw updates ?

     • Determining/finding volunteers needed

     • Team Handbook (in coordination with school and mentors)

     • Populating info on Tech Boosters Web Site (if there is one!)

   • Form/Payment collection for team activities (varies alot)

     • Drafting /handing out/collecting forms (permission slips, medical, participation, ety)

     • Tracking who has turned them in, not turned them in and reminding

• Team Funding: Time Requirement- approx. 10 hours a month.

  • Work with the Business Mentor, the Tech Boosters leadership, other parents, and possibly some students to brainstorm and follow upon fundraising ideas. This may involve requesting demo space from local businesses or working with Outreach to demo the robot, researching grant options, writing grants if you'd like, etc.

  • Tracking financials in conjunction with a faculty advisor and lead mentor

  • Coordinating with mentors on expenditures

• Parent Relations (5-10 hours/mo)

  • Reminders to parents and students of meetings, deadlines etc for admin info

  • Keeping parents informed of all admin activities, dates etc

  • Answering questions

• Recruiting Volunteers

• Transportation Coordination

  • Transportation Organizer: Work with the school liaision and faculty advisor to ensure students have transportation to competitions. This requires contacting and tracking students to finalize who is going to what competitions on what days, keeping accurate lists and headcounts, working on bus rental and/or sharing options. Time required roughly 10 -12 hours during Sept/Oct and Feb/March.

• Build Season Meal Planning:

  • Organize or support the lead organizer is planning and serving meals during build season as well as supporting at competitions. Time required- varies: for the lead 3-4 hours a week Jan-March, for volunteers anywhere from 3-12 hour a month. Also plans and organizing banquet- time required 8 hours in April/May

• Shirt and other items ordering