namu35950

I have been told that at any council/district event that will have to charge the scouts and leaders for supplemental insurance.  Appearantly the going rate is $2 per scout per night.  When I called council about it they kinda gave me the run around and said its about $1.70ish per scout and most districts round up to $2.  I have a hard time understanding why there is a charge.  If the event is a camporee , I must charge for the event, but if I take my troop to the same site weither it be a boy scout camp or off site to camp I do not have to charge.  I am just wondering if other councils are being charged?  And if it is supplemental, why is it manditory?

Thanks in advance

I do not mean to step on anyone toes, as you can see I have been a member since 2008 but only 14 posts, why because I like to learn and understand, but look at the orginal posts, it was asking specific questions about something I did not understand.

Since being in BSA I have learned alot of things, and one of them is that there are more than one way to do things. Venividi, I do understand where you are coming from, and I give my scouts any oppunitity to earn MB's and not all them come from MB days, Everyone thinks summer camp is the a great place to earn MBs, but MB couslers at summer camp are usually young adults, not the local judge who is signed up to do Cit. in the Community, who is also on our troop commitee, or the head of the board of education who is doing cit in the nation who is on the council district camping commitee.

My point is this, there are plenty of ways to earn MB's. and plenty of ways to earn money.

Lets try to keep an open mind

Thanks

Ok I may just be stupid or looking at it from a different point,

Venividi, I never said anything about scouts teaching MB classes. I have a list of adults to teach the classes.

and why not a MB day to earn money, what better way to earn money for the troop than to put something on where other scouts have a chance to learn? Let me ask this question where does the money go right now from MB days?????? Not to a troop? But again my goal is to send my troop to Gilwell England. So thinking outside the box may be in order to raise 40k for the trip.

ok, I am thinking of doing a MB day in my district to raise money for a troop trip. I have been told that if you have any event with scouts present you must pay $3 per scout on insurance. Here are my questions.

1. if this is true, can anyone find the link to it on BSA web site so I can verifiy it.

2. Would scouts out of my district need to fill out a tour perment.

3. if so would the insurance on the tour perment override the insurance needed at the day event

thanks in advance

Namu

I have no clue on this, just asking

At one point were woman excluded from being leader?

Where African Americans excluded from being members?

And here is my point (however weak it maybe) these groups have been excluded, descrimiated against in the past for being different. Society changes

Ran across this article

DALLAS (Reuters) - Boy Scouts of America is discussing ending a longstanding ban on gay members and whether to allow local organizations to decide their own policy, a spokesman said on Monday.

The organization has been under attack from gay rights groups and some parents for discriminating against gay members and gay leaders.

"The BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation," spokesman Deron Smith said in an email to Reuters.

"The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue," the spokesman said.

What is everyones feelings on this

My troop has decided to go the summer camp every other year. And this year is an off year. So they decided to go to Philadephia PA, and stop at a dude ranch on the way. LOL, not sure they know it but it is 13 hour drive from Alabama to Penn. But with that said, was wondering if anyone could help with ideas, scout friendly places, events, during the summer, in Philadephia, or on the way from Alabama to Penn. Call in an net trip planning,

Thanks in advance

Greater Alabama is looking for a DE

I am with you Basement, have not given in a while, I gladly give my time and alot of money to our troop. I have yet to get anything from council. And find it laughable and distrubing that as a volunteer I have to pay for all my training. My job pays for my training, so I have to pay to be a volunteer??

A Scout it thrifty seems to be forgotten at the council level

interesting subject, I dont own a gun, just was not brought up in that environment, With that said, I think it is good for scouts to learn about firearms. If it is really safety we are worried about on outings, is there a rent a cop for a mile hike in the future>????

I have copied and pasted this from a council web site:

Friends of Scouting is a voluntary program whose purpose is to encourage the support of the Scouting Program by Scouting Families by asking them to share in the cost of the program that serves their youth. As volunteers in the Scouting Program, we invest our time to make the program successful. But there are things that volunteers cant do, that still must be done. Scouting Dollars pay for the things volunteers cant do:

Training for adult volunteers

Leadership training and advancement programs

New unit organization

Recruiting activities

Program publications

Communications

Maintenance of our Scout Camps

Program Materials

Records processing

Clerical staff

Telephone and office equipment

Other related costs to support the entire program

IMPORTANCE:

The Operating Budget for 2013 is again in excess of $6 million. Thats more than $15,000 per day. We are a United Way Agency, and they support BSA by providing about 26% of our operating budget. Friends of Scouting, including the Community and Family Campaign, provides 36% - the largest part, of our operating budget. None of the annual re-charter fees or monthly dues we pay go to support our Council. That is why we have this campaign each year.

There are at least three reasons why each of us should participate in

"Friends of Scouting":

Because we believe in the ideas and ideals of Scouting

Because Scouting has impacted OUR sons in a positive manner

Because this will ensure that the Boy Scouts will survive in the future

SUPPORT:

For 2013, we are again asking each Scouting family to consider a pledge of at least $300. This is about the amount that our Council spends on each Scout. This is less than a dollar a day. We ask you to support the Councils objectives by giving, because of what Scouting has done for our sons and our families. Payments can be made in installments. BSA will send periodic invoices, based on how you mark your pledge card. If your units parents havent had an opportunity to hear a presentation

I truly believe in Scouting, but I have issues with somethings. A couple of years ago, a pledge of $100 was the ear mark, now $300?? I think BSA is going to cost them out of existance, and I know this is volunteer, but still with cost of uniforms, summer camp, and anything that the pack or troop might charge, just wondering where it will end

We have a 2 BSA climbing instructors, have 4 Range Masters, we found out that you could not offer climbing wall, or BB/Archery to Cub Scouts unless it was a district event, but if Webelo woods is district event, how can Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts spend the night together and do the activities? You can do one of the other, just not both at the same time.

ok need everyone opinion and or facts. Another district was having their camporee/webelo woods in our district, since it was in our district they decided to invite us. No problem, after looking over there leaders guide we decided that the event was to expensive for our troop, also a couple other troops decided the same thing. We decide to hold a "mini" camporee/webelo woods, involuing 3 troops and 2 packs. We thought about holding it at a local scout camp and use the climbing tower and rifle range for wrist rockets. Took all the training, but found out that for Webelos to use wrist rockets that it had to be a district event. The general plan was this arrive at camp on friday night and stay until Sunday, have troops teach a few webelos items, cook meals for them, and open up climbing wall and wrist rockets for them. Ask the DE to make it a district event, got the email back, saying he could not do that. Stating that Webelos could not spend the night at a district event with boy scouts. but could come for day time activities.

wow

1. webelos are encouraged to spend the night with a troop

2. Webelos can use climbing tower and rifle range

3 Webelos cannot do both on the same weekend???

Does anyone else find this strange?

your thoughts please

Just saw a cool picture of troop wagon that was painted for Troop 4, The article said that this troop was the longest continues chartered. Our troop was chartered in 1934, and we have been chartered by the same CO since them, wondering how long have others been chartered and is 78 yrs by same CO a record?

Hiking MB what a great idea, have young boys explore the woods. And its Eagle required. Well may maybe not, talking with other SM in my area and its seems no one is doing the Hiking MB anymore. Think about it, you can earn the swimming MB in a MB day school, so why even look in the hiking direction. 5 10 mile hikes and a 20 miler and doing the paper work with it? seems like a few months of work when I can get swimming in one day. Plus, remember boy led? they choose which MB to earn, I took my troop on a 10 mile hike, 10 times around a mile paved track, I told them for the trips we wanted to take I needed to know who could make it and who could not, I was surprised who did make it. Does anyone else have this issue? I think Eagle MB should take time to do and not get credit in 4 hrs of class time, Is Hiking a thing of the past in Scouting? Your thoughts and thanks

Ok everyone, thinking of a cool trip for the scouts to take in 2013. Had the idea of a working dude ranch where the boys can learn about horses, cattle, and general how the west was years ago. But I dont want it to be a vacation, I was thinking also of having the scouts do some work, cattle drive, cleaning stalls, etc. What is everyones thought on this, and if you have done this before, what did you like or dislike? and where did you go?

LNT when your out

I want to thank everyone for the replies, and I understand the responses. It has been an eye opener for sure. I am still 100% for scouting and will do my best to for my troop, but at the same time makes me scratch my head and go humm. And here I thought scouting was all about the boys.

KC and Eagle thanks for the replies. I am not totally in the dark when it comes to "breaking even" at events. This was at a council property, and actually, they have put a lot of money and work into the camp in the last couple of years. And yes $5 is cheap for a weekend of camping and fun. Maybe it was just the whole weekend that put me on the soap box. Here is a short list of some of the problems we ran into.

1. sign ups: suppose to start at 6pm, arrived at 6:30pm no one around, actually sign ups didnt start until 8pm

2. Shotgun and rifle shooting canceled, no range master, this was a big selling point for alot of my scouts.

3. GEO caching canceled. something to do with problems with GPS

4. Knot tying closed when my troop was scheduled to take part.

5. No patches for the weekend, I am still trying to get patches from spring camporee

6. Closing firering, no awards where given out to the troops. I saw awards but none were pasted out. Instead a beading for Woodbadge was given.

So with canceling almost half of activities and no back up plan for the boys, they got bored fast.

As far as money, popcorn sales, friends of scouting, corporate donations, batterie sales, all this money goes into council for fixing, updating camp sites, salaries. etc. It just seems that my DE is more concerned with raising money than putting on a quaility program. I have talked to other SM in my area and the feeling is the same. One county in our district has 2 packs for 3 troops. Its not hard to see that in a few years that the troops will be hurting for boys if not folding. I would think that this would be a more important issue than money.

Sorry to get off on the wrong track but thanks for the info

I was just at out fall camporee, and the charge for the camporee was $10, at roundtable they said the charge would be for ammo, no problem. I show up at camporee, and ask what would the leaders charge be for the camporee, leaders where not shooting so I thought we would not have to share in the cost of ammo. DE said still the same. No offense to anyone, but scouting is expensive enough, so the DE pulled me aside and basicly said he had to show a profit for camporee. Profit??? I have no problem paying for something that I am doing, use of material, camp site. But if BSA is a non profit, than why do they have to show a profit? I totally understand covering cost, but there was about 400 boys, if you just make a $1 off each boy, that is $400 profit, where does that money go?? Make things worse, we had no range master at camporee, we did get a refund of $5 per person. but still $5 x 400=$2000. does it take $2000 to run a BSA camp for 2 days when they are not including food? I have several boys from low income families, and one of the boys that weekend said it was hard to get the $10 to come to camporee, so I have a problem when BSA is over charging for activities. ok while I am on the soap box, charging leaders, have maybe its just me, but as a volumteer, I give my time to scouting and some of my money, but charging leaders to come and watch over the boys and lead them, maybe thats why we are having trouble getting leaders. please give you thoughts and explain how a non profit is looking for a profit

Thanks

Ok first of all I am new and green as SM, our last one left when his son hit eagle and gave me all of one month of training. So trying to plan a summer outing besides summer camp. Troop has decided on water rafting in Tenn. I decided to break up the parts of the trip.(cost, menu, places to stay, transportation, etc.) and give each one to a scout and let them do the research on it. But I have this nagging feeling like I am forgetting something. Checked the Guide to safe scouting and could find very little on water rafting. So I guess I am asking for help in making sure I have all my ducks in a row before we set this trip in stone.

Thanks in advance

Mike

Fall Camporee is coming up and usually there is not much to do on Friday night, so I thought about taking the Troop on a night hike. Was hoping to get suggestions on things to do on a night hike. Any Ideas??

Thanks in advance

ok guys I am new to the scoutmaster duties and wanting to do a good job. I am a information junkie and like to be organized as much as possible. So I started looking into troop tracking software. Looking for suggestions about which is good and offers the best features. Also would like it to be free if possible.

Thanks in advance for the advice

popcorn is getting old and is to expensive. I have a few ideas for fundraisors, my question is if we raise money on a troop level how much do we have to give to the district??

Hello everyone, I am fairly new to scouts, (been asst for a couple of yrs) Our scoutmaster is stepping back and asked if I would take over. I dont have the experance he has but willing to try. I am looking for ways to recruit some new boys to scouting, and I read somewhere on here to invite non scouts to scout functions. I think that is a good idea, camping, high adventure, etc. My question is what type of liability will the Scouts have if a non scout gets hurt?? Myabe sign some type of waiver before going??

Thanks