PbW

I've been a cubmaster for a while and I've never charged den or pack dues. We cover all operational costs with popcorn sales and avoid having parents pay anything for the program. I introduced an optional once a month program night this year that costs $5 to cover materials, belt loops, and pins (the program focuses on Sports and Academic pins since they are going away) and I've already had parents complain to the committee chair about why they are paying for this. So relatively speaking paying $50 for pack dues and $40 for den dues annually seems really high, but if the pack does no fundraising I can understand. We make between $7000-9000 net from popcorn for a 65 boy unit, if that helps understand our situation.

I have a number of boys in my pack that also play sports. I have worked with the den leaders to make sure each one has a published schedule of what is being accomplished at each meeting. If boys miss one here or there they know what to make up with their family outside of a meeting. If, at the end of the year, they did not complete the sections missed on their own they simply do not earn their rank. I still consider them scouts and keep them on the charter (unless they ask to be removed) but I also layout the idea that this is not a "everyone gets a medal and cookie" program and the requirements must be met to the best of the boys ability based on the view of their parents and the den lead.

Scouting is nonsectarian in its stance on which god the boys have been taught to worship. Schools in the US are open to people expressing their faith, so long as it is not school led or dictated. I'm not sure how the (unfortunate, in my opinion) change to a higher focus on duty to god will change anything.