What do you charge for Scouting?

[Eagle732]

$150 or $180 a year for dues! Wow we need to charge more!

 

My troop charges $50 a year which includes registration, Boys Life and rank, merit badges, etc. Also new Scouts get a handbook, necker and slide, and unit, council strip. We also provide a sleeping bag, for each Scout and have all the equipment that most troops have. We charge a fee for camping that covers the cost for the trip including food, camping fees and sometimes a couple of bucks for gas. Usually trips cost about $25 per Scout.

 

We rarely do fundraising, only when we need to purchase new equipment like tents. We do have some donors who help support a few Scouts that can't afford even the meager amount we charge.

 

Frankly, the new Journey to Excellence budget requirement has us looking at our dues structure. Maybe we won't be offering BL as part of the dues. Other than that we're in good financial shape.

 

So what does your unit charge for dues and what does it cover?

[Twocubdad]

Annual dues are $90 per year, which seems to be a little below most troops in the area. Most are $100-$125 with a few higher. However most troop activities are ala carte. Patrols divvy-up food costs for all campouts, for example.

 

We do NO troop fundraising, although Scouts who participate in popcorn or another council-level fundraiser apply 100% of their profits against dues. (We don't get into all the scout account stuff, just apply the profits like a payment.)

 

One thing we do which is different from other troops is to charge a one-time equipment fee of $125 to all new members. We started this a few years ago when we were in dire need of some serious equipment upgrades, and due to rapidly expanding membership. We now have what we need but continue to charge the fee to cover replacement costs and out of fairness to the existing members who paid-in to buy the troop gear in the first place. We allow families to pay the fee over two years if they want.

 

We also have a package of stuff (hat, necker, shirt, name tags, etc.) worth over $30 we give to every new Scout. I'll also add we're pretty generous with financial assistance and have a huge uniform closet which is open to anyone.

[SeattlePioneer]

Many Cub Packs around here charge around $60/year.

 

I started rebuilding a Cub Pack two years ago that was down to one boy. No history of costs available, so I've aimed at charging $5/month as a fee.

 

Parents can choose to pay the $60 in cash, or get a free membership by selling $200 or more in popcorn. 70% of the families rechartering with us this year sold $200 or more in popcorn.

 

For spring recruiting in May, we will be charging $40 to join, again $5/month.

 

We have a treasurer who signed on a few months ago and I hope will be giving us a better idea of what we can pay for out of those funds + the popcorn revenue and put together a more formal budget for next year.

 

My bias is to pay for as many activity fees as possible out of pack revenues, plus recognition and advancement awards, and expenses for den programs.

 

It might be nice to give boys their new Handbooks in the spring. Perhaps new neckerchies too. But that would be a secondary priority for me.

 

This pack is in a relatively low income area, although only some of the families are low income. My aim is to have a quality program with low costs to families.

 

Another of my biases is to have Tiger Cub-Bear activities fairly near by. In my view there are lots of things boys that age can do without a lot of driving.

 

 

Webelos should probably be doing more traveling to find adventure.

[ScoutNut]

The Cub Pack charges no Pack dues at all - $0 - to either the youth, or the leaders.

 

We average about 40+ boys in the Pack, and the entire budget is covered by Popcorn sales.

 

The Pack pays for neckers, slides, handbooks, red "brag" vests, any/all awards/patches including bead totems, Webelos Colors, council patch for brag vest, participation segments for around the council patch, religious emblem knots and devices, parent ribbons and pins, belt loops and pins, etc. The Pack also pays for the Scouts cost for any Pack activity, decorating for Pack meetings, cookies/cocoa for our tree decorating activity with the Girl Scouts at our CO, part of the cost for each den to decorate their section of the Pack Haunted House, special presenters at Pack meetings, Pinewood Derby cars, Halloween gift bag for all youth (scout & sib), Christmas gift bag for all youth, the main dish at the Christmas Pot Luck dinner, entertainment at the B&G dinner, Pack Family Campout, Fishing Derby bait/gifts/drinks/snacks, the bus to attend minor league baseball game, and hockey game, Estes rocket kits to boys who make their non-mandatory popcorn goal, whipped cream "pies" to toss at leaders for the top 10 popcorn sellers, burgers/dogs at Pack Picnic, and more.

 

The CO pays for the Scouts and Scouters recharter fees and Boys Life fees. They also pay for the Religious Emblem booklets, and medals.

 

The Pack would offset any training costs by the leaders, but they are so minimal that most leaders do not ask for reimbursement. I refused to ask the Pack to pay for my cost for Wood Badge as I felt that was way to much money to ask the boys to pay for.

 

Den dues are set by the individual dens, but generally run from $0-$20 per year.

 

The Troop charges about $30 per year. They do an annual Pancake Breakfast that covers most of their budget. Popcorn profit goes into the individual Scout accounts. Troop pays for MB sash, neckers, slides, all awards/patches, gifts at Christmas, t-shirts/caps/sweat shirts, some activity costs, and more.

 

Boys pay for food for each camping trip ($10-15). All of the boys costs (Troop fee, camping fee, etc) generally come out of their popcorn accounts, and not their pockets. The Troop provides tents, backpacks, cooking gear, etc.

 

As with the Pack, the CO pays for the Scouts and Scouters recharter fees, Boys Life, Religious Emblem booklets, and medals.

 

If either our Pack, or Troop, charged $180 per person (adult & youth) in order to be a member, we would have no Pack or Troop.

[Eagle732]

One thing we started a few years ago was a flat fee figured in for food for each trip. $13 is added to the cost of the trip for a weekend's food (B, L, D, B). Patrols know they have to make their menus up so they don't exceed that amount. Grubmasters are then reimbursed for food at $13 X number of parol members camping.

[Hawkrod]

Wow, I see a lot of variation here! What we charge changes annually based on the previous years fundraising and our expenses. The committee decides what we need to stay solvent and the IH approves it (or not).

 

In this most recent year, we charged $150 for Pack renewal (new registration is sightly higher as there are extra expenses such as a shirts) and $55 for Troop, Obviously the Cub program is much more expensive but we also include a lot. Our Cub program cost over $300 per boy for the previous year and the balance is made up by the IH, donations and fundraising. I would love to say popcorn would support our pack but we have been top in sales in our district for several years in a row and that just isn't the case. As noted in the other thread, we include the book, necker, etc... and the pass through costs for each boy is just over $100. Pass through costs are those items that we collect the money for but do not keep any of like both a youth and an adult registration for each family, insurance, uniform parts etc... One of our eye opening expenses is advancement, we easily spend about $5000 a year at the Council shop as advancement is usually between $400 to $600 a month! We also have expenses that many units do not incure because our CO is community minded so we do have some unusual expenses. For example, we have a Scoutership program for those unable to afford the program (we have a very small CO choosen committee as we do not share when a family has applied for assistance), we have a military program where we send various items like magazines, DVD's, beef jerky and anything else you can think of!) overseas to an active duty station. This year money was tight so we only sent about 15 boxes IIRC, and we also have several community related events that we incur costs for (local parades, Freedom Festival, WinterFest, school carnivals etc...). many of the things that we do are things that most units would not but our CO expects it and thus it becomes a cost for all members such as building a parade float (we have done some serious ones!). When we interview prospects we always discuss this and when it does not fit in their idea of what they want to do we always refer them to one of the other local units. We would never want anybody to not join Scouts because we are more costly so we tell them upfront that there are many other less expensive programs available.

 

Our Troop on the otherhand has much lower financial demands and so our registration fee is mostly pass through costs. We do register one adult from each family so that is always an extra expense. Because the Troop is relatively small and the boys are a bit more mature, the community aspect required by the CO is mostly service to the community (our boys do service for Packs for example, offering den events and staffing Pinewood Derbys or volunteering at Cub Day Camp) so there is very little cost and thus no need to charge more. We do have a Scoutership program and our winter program was to help needy families (this year we managed to feed one family a holiday dinner and put gifts under the tree for a family of 5 children taken in by their grandmother). The boys worked hard and make these things happen but they and their families realize that the associated costs are small to each of us but are huge to the recipients and thus it is a program that the CO expects and the boys are happy to support. I know there are cheaper ways to run a program and as I have said, we make sure to let people know that when we are recruiting. We even go so far as to require our Webelos to visit all the local Troops as we do not use our Pack as a feeder for our Troop. Our program may not fit the needs of the boys and it is always more important that their needs are met than our unit gets new Scouts.

 

We know others may disagree with how we do it but things have been this way for a very long time and the CO is very involved in our unit so the standards they set for us are much higher than that of most CO's. We do recognize that we have a costly program (but not the most expensive for sure!) but it has been effective for over 40 years. The cost of each unit will be defined by the benefits. Some people would say that requiring a unit to be in a local parade is an expense that we should not incur but the CO does require it as they believe it makes the boys more aware of being part of the community and it fits in their goals. JMO

 

Recent Troop run engineering activity pin event for local Webelos held at the Calico mining area (yes, the parking was undesirable but it was Cub car camping and the facility has rules about how and where you park!):

http://mysite.verizon.net/tcherry3/pictures/100_1894.jpg

 

Pack flag folding:http://mysite.verizon.net/tcherry3/pictures/IMG_5336.JPG(This message has been edited by Hawkrod)

[Nike]

Our pack charges $50 a year that includes recharter, Boys' Life, necker, slide, hat, book, and awards. We apply for grants from community groups that makes up another $30 or so per boy. Our fundraising options are limited on post, however, we also have a lot of post facilities that cost much less to use than they would on the economy or in the States. Twilight and Cub Resident Camp are extra and run by district and council.

 

Our troop charges $15 a year for recharter, extra for BL. That's it. We fundraise with an annual tree sale and quarterly brat burns. Plus we also get grants from community welfare groups. Our boys pay for each campout/outing as they come. Summer camp is extra.

 

 

[ScoutNut]

Wow, $400-$600 every month for advancement for 50 boys! That is $8-$12 per boy, per month. What the heck are you buying every month?

 

For our 40 boys, if they all make rank the same month, rank awards, parent pins, and additional misc awards might come up to about $250. For end of the year it can get pricey, and go up to $400-$450. However that includes new neckers, handbooks, all last minute loops/pins/patches, and gifts for the Webelos. Our cheapest month might come in at around $160 or so. I would say we average about $2200/year, $6 per Scout per month, at the Scout Shop, and that includes just about everything from soup to nuts, not just advancements. It might make it up to about a $7 per Scout average if you add in their Pinewood Derby cars.

 

$5000 per year for 50 Scouts for just advancements is an awful lot.

[CA_Scouter]

We are $5/mo or $50/yr if you pay up in Jan. We have a Xmas tree fundraiser and we run concession booths are our small town Independence Day parade.

 

For campouts we split the cost of the location by the number of attendees... but because we backpack a lot, probably half our activities each year don't have a cost.

 

We ask for $5 per person for gas, more if its a longer trip, paid directly to the driver.

 

The adults do not handle food money at all. That's up to the patrols.. we encourage them to keep it to $10-15 per kid, but if they want to spend more, its their deal. I haven't touched patrol food money in 4-5 years...

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hawkrod]

ScoutNut, we have an extremely active unit. There are usually at least a couple of big events every month. We had to buy an extra Pack flag just so we would have one when two groups go to different campouts (it happens a lot). We also have a hiking program that recognizes quite a few boys every month and many other events. One of our more recent and also expensive events was we took a large group of Cubs and spent the night on the USS Midway down in San Diego (it's a fantastic experience, I would go again in a heartbeat) yes, it can be a lot. We also have over 50 boys (after the last discussion I checked and we are down to 53 currently but we have had between 50 and 60 consistently for most of the year. At one point we had over 80 and it actually hurt the program because we were too big to be effective and there was times when there were 4 events scheduled on the same day! As I noted, we are active and involved in a lot of events. Our boys always do Klondike camping, summer camp, the Webelos do Tribe of Wisumahi and Webelos Woods, our pack provided most of the staffing for summer day camp for the last several years (when the adults go the kids are there as participants!), We participate in a Civil War re-enactment program, Rocket academy, The childrens parade, Freedom Festival, Fall Festival, Community flea market (twice a year), Sherrif's Stampede, Calico Ghsost Town and a whole bunch more (I can only list what I have done and remember off of teh top of my head in the last year, there are other events that others went to because I was with the Troop part of the time). If you do a lot, the kids earn a lot.

[dScouter15]

Surprised to see dues are so much. Our troop charges $50/year, which covers annual dues to the council, insurance, and advancement materials for the year. We do charge $75 the first year, as the troop will provide a neckerchief, handbook, unit numerals, a troop t-shirt, and some other "introductory" material. Each year we make a new troop t-shirt, which we sell pretty much at cost, generally $7-$10. We do not charge adults any annual dues.

 

Our camp outs, with the exception of summer camp and some high adventure activities, are subsidized by the troop, and the cost to each Scout is typically $12-$30, depending on the venue. The troop will try to subsidize most of the cost of renting the camping facility, so the majority of what the Scout pays covers food, transportation and any special program activities for that given camping trip. We generally charge adults only for the cost of food for the weekend, which typically runs $8-$10. We also do reimburse adults who drive Scouts to events for mileage.

 

We do relatively "heavy" fundraising. We usually do two bigger fundraisers a year, usually popcorn sales and Christmas wreath sales, which we run simultaneously. We do a few other smaller fundraisers through out the year - a dunk tank, manning a beverage booth, etc. The proceeds from each event are split between the troop's coffers and the Scout Accounts of the Scouts who participated. The exact percentage split is determined per fundraiser by the committee, with strong input from the PLC. Most Scouts are able to cover the cost of annual dues out of their Scout Accounts, and the more industrious Scouts can also apply some of the money towards summer camp and weekend camping trips. We don't require, but do *strongly* encourage participation in a majority of fundraisers by all Scouts.

 

This model has worked fairly well for us. The troop has had enough funds to cover the costs of program materials, camping equipment, and to subsidize many camping trips and activities. We are also in a position to provide camperships and assistance with annual dues on a confidential, case-by-case basis, though we do require fundraising participation from the families we assist.

[ScoutNut]

Ahhh, I see. So by "advancements" you mean mostly those big $2 participation patches. Gotcha! Yep, those can add up fast.

 

Our Pack is quite active too, but I can say we have never overbooked our unit (except for popcorn booth sales one year only. Never did that again because it was a large pain in the backside!). We have also never done multiple Pack Camping trips on the same date (not really a Pack outing that way). Between Pack and den service projects, and outings, Pack/council/area events, those pesky booth sales, and regular den and Pack meetings, we stay pretty busy all year, and the boys and their families have fun. Yeah, I (and my son and other members of my family) have staffed many summers worth of Cub Day and Summer Camps. Even ran a few. Hard work, but fun to see the boys having fun, and the Cubs love to think they have an "in" because they know the staff!

 

We use small segments that go around the council patch on the back of their "brag" vests as participation patches. A lot more cost efficient for us, as they are under $1 each. They look great on the vest too!

 

One of the things I like about this forum is the chance to see how Scouting is done in other areas. It is interesting to see how units differ on things!

 

[eagle90]

Wow! We sure undercharge compared to most. We charge $45 for dues and registration (Boy's Life is optional). New scouts receive a troop neckerchief and T-shirt.

 

For most campouts the fee is in the $20-$30 range depending on the venue and what the activities for the weekend are.

 

Dale

[Hawkrod]

I am a little concerned by what I see people posting about not charging enough. I think it is critical to understand that you should be charging based on what your expenses are not what other units charge. Our expenses tend to be higher because we both do so much and we live in southern California which drives expenses. For example, we use a local facility for many of our events and it is over $450 to rent it for 3 days. We try and trade service for facility use but that does not always happen and even when we trade for service we still have to pay for porta potti's (it is a requirement to use the facility). There are expenses that most people never think of and I will be the first to admit that our unit can be way over the top (our PD is a racers dream!). As far as multiple events on the same day, it is not the Pack that sets the dates and so different groups will go seperate ways pretty regularly. We kind of have adapted to that mentality. If it is a Pack coordinated event like B&G or Crossover or even family camping then all go there but there are so many other District and Council and even other Council events. For example, we always have a large group at LA Council's Rocket Academy and it is always scheduled the same time as a local event. One of our den leaders is an 8th grade science teacher (and an amazing one at that) and so he will always go to Rocket Academy (and if you are in So Cal you should do it at least once, it is amazing, they do a mind blowing job!). Another event that always splits us are Webelos only events such as Webelos Woods and Tribe of Wisamahi where tag alongs are not welcome. When these events are on our calendar we almost always have another event for Wolf and Bear and probably Tiger (depends on what is available). We are also unusual as our participation level is extremely high and we have actually had events with 100% participation (not too common though!). We can always count on an 80% participation rate for any big event though. We do use patch segments for a lot of stuff but the bigger patches are used for specific things. For example we recently had Webelos at Calico and Joshua Tree National Park. We purchased local patches at both events and those are $3 or more. I cringe at times but the committee decides not me (I am actually super cheap, my friends call me Sanford because I save and reuse everything!). The bottom line is you must charge whatever you have to to stay solvent and provide whatever program you are providing. Just because another group spends more does not mean that their program is better, it may just mean it is different and their unit has a different set of expectations. I know that compared to some units in Orange County we are flat out cheap to join! LOL(This message has been edited by Hawkrod)

[ScoutNut]

>>"Just because another group spends more does not mean that their program is better"