Boy Scout Activities and funds to achieve Eagle
Alan Houser (troop24@EMF.NET)
Sun, 26 Jan 1997 00:00:25 -0800
Laurence A Edwards <larryradar@JUNO.COM> asked:
>What do you do when the SM asks why a scout is not going on all the
>activities and camp outs?
>Most of the scout trips are ranging from $100 to over $500 (summer
>activity) per trip per month.
I would tell the Scoutmaster he can't afford to go on very many of
these trips because they are too expensive!
>Is this expense common in other scout troops?
Not around here! I would be hardpressed to get any of my Scouts to
come up with $100 per month (since we do 12 months of camping) to be
active campers. While most of my families are well off, they are not
that well off. And some are right at the edge!
We charge $5 per night of camping, plus food (as determined by the patrol
in their menu planning). Over the course of the year, we sometimes pay
more than $5 per person, sometimes less or nothing at all. It usually
balances out in the end. Occasionally there may be an additional cost
for something like canoe rentals, but if we are "making money" on the
other campouts, the troop will even subsidize that. Summer camp is
$160 per week, and we offer 1 week or 2 weeks.
If a Scout in Troop 24 goes on every campout during the year, that means
at least 40 nights of camping. The camping fees would amount to about $150
plus $320 for two weeks of summer camp. Trips like Philmont are figured
separately. Not every Scout goes on every campout (though one of my own
sons is very close to doing so this year!)
We offer two fundraisers, popcorn and wreath sales. High adventure crews
will do some additional things to raise money. Many of the Scouts do
only the minimum requirement (1 case of wreaths), but some have earned
all of the money for summer camp through wreath sales.
>How many of these trips does a scout need to go on before he can obtain
>Eagle?
He needs Camping Merit Badge, which requires a week of summer camp and
sufficient additional nights of camping to total 20 nights. And First
Class requires 3 campouts. I have a Life Scout who is still working on
Camping MB because of soccer and basketball.
>I am after suggestions and ideas to help this young scout. He just made
>tenderfoot, and has his eyes set
>on Eagle. I would like to help him achieve his goal. He participates in
>all scout fund raisers and troop fund raisers,
>but it does not seem to help with the expense of the outing.
It may be necessary to advise him to look for a less expensive troop.
There are many different flavors to Scouting, and I would rather have
a Scout change troops and keep his goals than to give up such a worthy
one because his family cannot afford it.
YiS,
Alan R. Houser ** Scoutmaster, Berkeley Troop 24 ** troop24@emf.net
** WWW page ** http://www.emf.net/~troop24/t24.html **
Scoutmaster, Mt. Diablo Silverado Council Jamboree Troop #637
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City | 
