FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
ABOUT THE BOOSTER CLUB

Many of you have asked how you can help the booster club. Here’s how:

1) One of the biggest time-saving and financially beneficial things you can do to help us out is to turn in your forms and payments on time – by the due date! Hotel and airline costs have been increasing. Plus, they are asking for group deposits and commitments way in advance of the travel dates making it vital that we receive your forms and payments by the date due. This year there will be a secure mailbox in Mr. Timberlake’s room where forms and checks can be deposited in lieu of being mailed. But please, have the forms and checks placed directly in the mailbox; do not hand them to Mr. Timberlake, or Mr. Knutson. Also, when you turn your forms in on time, we don’t have to call you – a huge timesaver!

2) The price of an invitational travel Model UN trip is based on the number of students going. When your student receives an invitation from Mr. Timberlake or Mr. Knutson, please make sure the student is able to attend before you accept the invitation. When a student says he/she can go and then backs out of the trip, it puts us in a financially difficult position. It is not always possible to substitute another student as names on airline tickets are no longer readily changeable.

3) If you need financial assistance, please call Mr. Timberlake as soon as you receive the invitation or invoice. Please do not wait until the date the payment is due. You can reach him by calling (310) 303-3350. Your request will remain confidential between Mr. Timberlake, Mr. Knutson and the executive board.

4) Read your emails from Model United Nations. If you are not receiving Emails from us, we do not have your correct email address. (Please make sure our Emails aren’t getting caught in a spam filter.) Please contact the MUN webmaster by clicking on the MUN Email link on the home page.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT INVITATIONAL TRIPS

How come we got another invoice for a trip in excess of what was originally billed?

Trip costs are calculated a number of months in advance, based on the estimated overall cost of the trip, then divided by the number of students traveling. We try very hard to keep the cost per student as low as possible based on the actual cost of the trip. Sometimes we may come up short based on unforeseen increases after the trip had been initially priced. On these rare occasions, we may have to bill parents the additional, hopefully small, amount to cover the gap. “Small” for one student isn’t small when multiplied by the number of students on the trip, therefore the total amount would be too costly for the booster club to absorb.

How do I get a refund if my child cancels from a trip?

Refunds on trips can only be given on an individual case by case basis. For example, if a person has to drop out from a trip 14 days or closer to departure we will be unable to give a refund, even if that person is replaced. If the cancellation of a trip is outside of that time frame, refunds are based on how much the Model UN Booster Club can recover, or from possibly replacing that person with another Model UN student. Please be aware that airlines and hotels are continually instituting new policies and procedures on substitutions and refunds so it is difficult to set a definitive guideline for the entire school year.

Can I use mileage awards to cover airfare on a trip?

Unfortunately we are unable to do this because Model UN travel is booked as a group, with special group rates based on the amount of people traveling. Furthermore, the airlines will not add a person making an individual booking to the group. There would be the risk that if there were changes to the itinerary (i.e. a cancelled flight) an individual booked separately might end up on a separate flight.

Can my child travel separately and join the group at a later time? Can my child leave the trip earlier?

We are unable to grant this request because of security and safety issues for a student traveling on an official school trip. The only possible exception might be made if the student is personally accompanied by a parent or adult who is approved by either the accompanying teachers or Vice President of Travel (Mrs. Stephanie Ram). However, as this also has an impact on travel arrangements, this possible situation would need to be approved in advance by Mrs. Ram.