InquisitiveScouter

It is always best to go to the source: https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2026-NCAP-Standards-v2.pdf Standard number SA-001, pages 25 - 29.

Sorry, I put this in the wrong thread... ------------------------------------ The biggest unadvertised cost of Scouting is the amount of volunteer adult support it takes to make a good unit level program happen. No "pitch" that I have ever heard (outside of our unit) tells parents that "We welcome your kids, but you have to come along, too, to help us put on the program." When you do get them to agree to help, then explain that "help" means a variety of getting trained, learning Scout skills so that you know what 'right' looks like, being a merit badge counselor, serving on the committee to help with budget, managing adult training, onboarding, advancement, uniforming, equipment, fundraising, etc, etc, etc, Oh, and we need drivers and adults for camping, too. Once they learn those needs, many are out. They want to take their kids to programs where they can dump and run, or show up occasionally with a tray of orange slices and some juice boxes. Once upon a time, when I served Uncle Sam, our mantra in the Air Force was "We recruit Airmen, but we retain families." And we did PR, ads, benefits, and programs to support that. Attract individuals, but make our environment such that, as they start a family while serving (which many do), we make it comfortable for their family to have the service member stay in. (This mindset varies across the services, though many of the family programs and benefits are duplicated in all services. Health care, base housing, commissary and exchange, MWR [morale, welfare, and recreation], etc. ) Scouting should be, "We recruit families, but we retain the Scout." Get the family on board, and give them benefits for their Scouts (a program of adventure) , and the youth will stay, keeping the parents involved.

The biggest unadvertised cost of Scouting is the amount of volunteer adult support it takes to make a good unit level program happen. No "pitch" that I have ever heard (outside of our unit) tells parents that "We welcome your kids, but you have to come along, too, to help us put on the program." When you do get them to agree to help, then explain that "help" means a variety of getting trained, learning Scout skills so that you know what 'right' looks like, being a merit badge counselor, serving on the committee to help with budget, managing adult training, onboarding, advancement, uniforming, equipment, fundraising, etc, etc, etc, Oh, and we need drivers and adults for camping, too. Once they learn those needs, many are out. They want to take their kids to programs where they can dump and run, or show up occasionally with a tray of orange slices and some juice boxes. Once upon a time, when I served Uncle Sam, our mantra in the Air Force was "We recruit Airmen, but we retain families." And we did PR, ads, benefits, and programs to support that. Attract individuals, but make our environment such that, as they start a family while serving (which many do), we make it comfortable for their family to have the service member stay in. (This mindset varies across the services, though many of the family programs and benefits are duplicated in all services. Health care, base housing, commissary and exchange, MWR [morale, welfare, and recreation], etc. ) Scouting should be, "We recruit families, but we retain the Scout." Get the family on board, and give them benefits for their Scouts (a program of adventure) , and the youth will stay, keeping the parents involved.

The 01 Jan 2026 number is real time... today's number. The Jan 2025 number looks to be the close out number for 31 Jan 2025.

Another facet of this that may arise under the new registration system... We have several units who cannot be renewed because the leaders have not renewed. Yet, those units have Scouts who renewed online for 2026. I hope the number will be small, but for a time, we are going to have Scouts with current registrations whose units have shuttered. They'll need to find new homes.

The system numbers I see tell a different story. As promised, 01 Jan numbers, pulled moments ago... Total Current Youth: 855,685 (Jan 2026) a 14.22% drop from Jan 2025 Same Month Last Year: 997,529 (Jan 2025) Last Year End: 907,949 (This is the 31 Dec 2025 number in the system.) Dec 2024 End of Year number was: 986,520 So, Dec 2025 year end compared to Dec 2024, is a 7.96% drop, year to year. These numbers include Learning for Life...about 27K on the books now. And, um, how is hiring an Executive VP of Membership (LOL) going stop the losses? Or hiring "unit growth executives" at the council level??? Explain it to me like I was a ten year old (who might be looking to join Scouting), please

Hey man, we only get to work when things become a Crisis. So, until it becomes a crisis, we ain't doin' nothin'. If you follow our philosophy, then all you have to do is Crisis Management. And when it becomes a Crisis, if you don't want to deal with it, then dump it on someone else and find a new position elsewhere. We just pray there are plenty of fat paychecks in the bank before the Crisis rears its ugly head, and we have to leave. (not having done the Crisis Management we have said we would do 😜 ) Now, pay us your fees and go have fun!!

Just got this "survey" request through email. But, it is not a survey... it is a test of your knowledge and application of Safeguarding Youth policies and procedures. Incorrect to call it a survey... a survey asks for your opinion or perspective on things. This was just a 22-question outright multiple choice exam. Ignorant? Manipulative? Misleading? Deceptive? I'll apply Hanlon's Razor and move on... https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanlons-razor NOTE: Link removed as it may be user-unique... Dear Scouting America Member, At Scouting America, safeguarding our youth isn’t just a priority—it’s central to preparing young people for life. Your perspective and input helps strengthen the safe, supportive environment that families expect from our programs. As part of our continuing effort to strengthen our safeguarding efforts, Scouting America is working with USA Child, a nonprofit think tank devoted to ending child abuse and neglect, on evidence-based solutions to issues related to safeguarding youth. Your input in this process is critical. Please take a few minutes to complete USA Child Research’s brief, anonymous child‑safety survey. Deadline to complete the survey is December 31, 2025. Click here to start the survey: Thank you for taking the survey and for all you do to keep kids safe. Glen Pounder Chief Safeguarding Officer Scouting America

@mylo_cat and others, what would a fair price be, now that this is a collector's item? My son is home from college, and may part with his. He is not as "attached" to Scouting as I am.

And the aggregate of all councils today is 881,444. A change of +4219 nationally... just in 5 days. Registrars are busy at work 😜

I'd be interested to know the source... I pulled raw numbers from the Council Membership Tool on my.scouting. See attached for today's report on 092, Atlanta Area Council, which @Jameson76 had asked for. So, over five days, the current numbers changed to 15341, up from 15315 last Friday (+26). You'll notice the Dec 2024 number does not change (nor should it). The number this will be on 31 Dec, as @Eagle94-A1 points out, will be the one to watch for to give the most accurate "real time" number for comparison. Although, I suppose if a Registrar has a backlog of applications or renewals, they can tweak the Dec 2025 numbers into Jan 2026.

Another pet peeve... Scout camps that are not designed around the Patrol Method. What we have mostly these days is a Troop-amoeba campsite with individual Scouts doing their own individually tailored programs during the day. And, they are being given merit badges without having done the work. (Yes, there are exceptions, but this is the general rule, in my observation...) The hidden message is that advancement is the primary purpose of Scouting. If the flagships of the councils, the council-run Summer Camps, are not pushing the Patrol Method, then they work at cross-purposes with units who are trying to do it that way.

We are not making participation mandatory for Scouts or parents. In Scouting, there really isn't "skin in the game" unless you want to put it there. Yes, this is it. When I had the reins of the Troop, we went camping every month, with two or three big events every summer... 50-miler backpacking trips, week-long beach adventures, 50-miler canoeing, 100+ mile cycling trips, etc. Now that I have pulled back a lot from the Troop, there is no one who is willing to put that much effort into the program. So, the numbers are dwindling. Agree with you wholeheartedly... young men want adventure, not academics.

Here are our costs for 2026: 2026 Unit Charter Fee - $100.00 ------------------------------------- 2026 National Membership Fee - Youth $85.00 2026 Council Service Fee - Youth $75.00 2026 Troop Dues - $35.00 2026 Sibling Discount - $17.50 2026 One-time Equipment/Joining Fee - $35.00 --------------------------------------------- 2026 National Fee - Adult $65.00 2026 Council Insurance Fee - Adult $6.00 So, cost to remain in the Troop for 2026 if you are already registered? $85 + $75 + $35 = $195 (Don't forget to add on National's credit card fee, if you pay through my.scouting) Cost to transfer/crossover to the Troop in say, March 2026 (because they already registered with their Pack)= ($35/12 * 9) + $35 = $61.25 {That's Troop dues pro-rated, and the Troop equipment fee.) We used to pay these fees for the entire Troop from our bank account around 01 Dec thru the re-charter process. We would then assess the costs to each Scout through Scoutbook to collect. For several of our families, we would "carry" that debt for a few months until all the Christmas / New Years bills were paid. If a Scout's balance goes over $200, we ask for some partial payment to bring it back below $200. Troop has 44 Scouts currently. Eight will not renew (Seven are turning 18 years old, and one is dropping out.) Now, here we are on 15 Dec, and 25 out of 36 eligible Scouts do not have a renewed registration. That's 69.4% whose parents have ignored the emails from National to renew. (...and our one Troop reminder at the beginning of the month.) National sent emails on 01 Nov and 01 Dec. Committee has not discussed what to do in the New Year with Scouts who have not renewed registrations.

North Carolina includes: Last Dec / This Dec / % change 070, Old North State, Greensboro: 3284 / 2794 / -14.82% 414, Daniel Boone, Asheville: 1381 / 1244 / -9.92% 415, Mecklenburg County, Charlotte: 4380 / 4286 / -3.29% 416, Central NC, Albemarle: 2541 / 2546 / +0.20% 420: Piedmont, Gastonia: 3903 / 3702 / -5.15% 421, Occoneechee, Raleigh: 8170 / 8189 / +0.23% 424, Tuscarora, Goldsboro: 1839 / 1351 / -26.54% 425, Cape Fear, Wilmington: 2125 / 1954 / -8.05% 426, East Carolina, Kinston: 2597 / 2355 / -9.32% 427, Old Hickory, Winston-Salem: 2586 / 2468 / -4.56% And I'll include 596, Tidewater, Virginia Beach, VA, which extends down into NC: 3934 / 3777 / -3.99% And in the aggregate, all those councils: 36740 / 34616 / -5.78%

State of Georgia: Report database not rendering... had to find a work-around... pooled all data from all Georgia Councils: 091 - 101 091 = Chattahoochee 092 = Atlanta 093 = GA-Carolina (so, covers some in SC) 094 = N/A number not assigned 095 = Flint River 096 =Central GA 097 = N/A number not assigned 098 = South GA 099 = Coastal GA 100 = NW GA 101 = NE GA Dec 2024: 39395 Dec 2025: 35,587 -9.67% Atlanta Area Council - 092: Dec 2024: 17277 Dec 2025: 15315 -11.36%

Here is what I can see... Post here if you want your specific council numbers, or I can see by state, also. Also, if you want to know by program, sing out... As of today, National level, all programs including Learning for Life, total youth registered is 877, 225. Same month last year number was 986,520. So, overall, drop is 109,295 Scouts, or 11.08% loss, from Dec 2024 to Dec 2025 I'll check these numbers again after 31 Dec, when many current registrations expire, and again after mid-March, when the 60 day grace period expires. We are losing about 10% in our Troop, due to those turning 18. Hope to gain those back during crossover season. Please remind me

Just got this annual report in my inbox. This cannot be... Are you telling me, for the entire five boroughs of NYC, this council has only 8, 843 youth enrolled? https://p6fb9goab.cc.rs6.net/tn.jsp Yikes! I double checked on the Council Dashboard in my. Scouting, and it is true... So I ran some more numbers.... not quite perfect comparisons, but paints the picture. Pulled data from https://www.neilsberg.com/insights/brooklyn-ny-population-by-age/ Youth 5-19 in Queens: 375,462 Bronx: 289,810 Brooklyn: 469,947 Manhattan: 193,875 Staten Island: 91,517 Total youth 5-19 in the five: 1,420,611 (note that BSA uses 5 - 20 years old) Market percentage = 8843 / 1,420,611 = 0.6225% Our council has more than half that number, and we are a mostly rural geographic area. Total youth population in combined counties in our council: 108,030 Total youth registered in our council: approx 4700 (exact number changed to protect the innocent) Market percentage = 4700 / 108030 = 4.3506 % So, if the analysis is close to correct, our council is doing about 7 times better in market share than Greater New York Councils? Again... YIKES! Therefore, send not to know For whom the bell tolls, It tolls for thee.

Encourage you to do this! Our Scouts chose to do a week long Troop camp in lieu of an "corporate" Summer Camp. Scouts planned menus and cooked all meals themselves, by patrol. We rotated those duties so each Scout could either finish the requirements for First Class, or complete Cooking Merit Badge, if First Class was already done. We rented a private island in a nearby river, Sunday afternoon to Saturday at noon. Included archery (IAW BSA rules 😛 ), canoes with all gear, and a 4 hour float trip on the river (with transportation). Adults taught Archery. Wilderness Survival, Cooking, Fishing, Motorboating, and we even offered Environmental Science, but had no takers... Scouts loved playing in the river every day (with life jackets on). We went off island daily for fresh water and to renew our reusable ice packs. Each patrol brought their food for the first few days, and went went off island for shopping trips on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons. Scouts had a great campfire on Friday night where each Patrol did a Song, a skit, and a cheer. It was one of the best campfire programs I have seen in all my years. And the average cost was $303.40 per head. (Some patrols cost more or less, depending on the food they shopped for.) That is less than half the cost of "corporate" Summer Camp fees in our area. If we could find a place to camp for free, then your number checks... it would have cost us about $75 per head. If you can do a week program for $71 per head, the go for it!!!

There is one thing that you can do... Do not participate in the masquerade. You are only responsible for what you do, so maintain your integrity, and do not sign off anything you know you shouldn't. I have made many a Scout a little frustrated and many a parent perhaps a little angry when I refused to sign off something that I did not personally see or test. Scout: "I tied a diagonal lashing on the camping trip last weekend!" Me: "Excellent, let me see it you do it again." <Scout cannot tie a diagonal lashing.> Me: "OK, let's review how to do this lashing." <demonstrates> <Scout ties diagonal lashing.> "Ok, will you sign me off on that?" Me: "Yes, I will sign you off next week when you show it to me again. Practice and read your Scout Handbook if you need any more pointers." <Next week, Scout cannot tie diagonal lashing.> <Wash, rinse, repeat.> At some point, I get push back from parents or even other leaders. Then, I pull out the Scout Handbook and reference the four steps of advancement. (which every Scout must know, as a requirement for the Scout badge.) 1. You learn. ..."you learn and practice skills that are required for advancement..." 2. You are tested. "Once you feel that you have mastered a skill, a leader tests you and passes you on the requirement." I explain that, in my world of Scouting, if a Scout cannot tie a diagonal lashing from one week to the next, then he has not mastered that skill. There are other leaders who do sign off something immediately, or upon the Scout saying he has done it, without seeing a demonstration of mastery. I am only responsible for what I do.

Wish we would go back to these: Those would never change. (Well, almost never...)

https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/11-21-2025-Council-Service-Territories-Map-with-HQs.pdf

Concur with your assessment. My extended guess... National wants to move more rapidly with consolidation of councils, and this will prepare the way...

Having worked in various joint commands in plans (J5), exercise (J7), and operations shops (J3), I have to tell you these things are FAR from free. Military exercises, deployments, employments, redeployment, and reconstitution (after the fact) are quite expensive, in fact. Literally hundreds of millions of your tax dollars are spent on these each year to maintain unit readiness. Difficult to stage? yes... Scarcity of opportunity? no. Quite the opposite. Military commands at all levels routinely have to cut exercises and practices from their schedules to support various "hobby horses" or "pet projects" the military is tasked to support based on political pressure. The National Jamboree is a good example of such a "pet project." Do the units supporting these get good training? Absolutely. Could the resources spent on the Jamboree be better used supporting other valid military training objectives? Absolutely. Do I support the use of military resources to enable the Jamboree? Absolutely 😜 (Sometimes the troops would rather support something at home like this, rather than flying to a third world country to practice their "wartime" skills there.)

We are potentially making much ado about nothing here. As outlined in another post, this is a leaked draft memo that could amount to a whole lot of nothing. When SECWAR or POTUS comment on it, or you see a memo with a signature on it, then it will mean something.