How do you pay who for what?

[AnniePoo]

Very boy-led. Our troop was adult-led until about four years ago, when new SM started the change. Kids camp by patrols, kids plan meals, shop for food (but with adult along to write the check), and cook the meals. Adults along for campouts hang back and let SPL and PLs make the decisions.

 

Parents write the checks to pay for the campouts 'cause kids can't. Adults drive the vehicle pulling the trailer.

[Twocubdad]

Second Class's list of questions is why we try to stay out of the tall weeds when it comes to gas money. WAAAY too many permutations to try and make a reasonable policy.

 

Our rule is "A Scout is Courteous." Courtesy dictates you offer to cover the gas whenever someone gives you a ride. (And this is true for a Scout trip, the neighbor who gives you a ride to school every morning or an away football game.) It's then up to the driver to accept your offer or not.

 

This tends to come up everytime gas approaches $4/gal. There are always the same few who complain about gas money (one guy, in particular, is tight as Dick's hat band.) Ultimately, we tell parents if cost is an issue and they feel like they've done their share, then don't drive. What we've found is that most of the ASM going on trips want to drive just to have their own vehicles with them, so they drive regardless.

 

The one exception to all this is the guy pulling the trailer -- which is usually me or maybe one other ASM. First, you're not pulling the trailer with a Prius. My truck get 12-14mpg at best and that usually drops to about 8-10 with the trailer. And with two, maybe three boys riding with me, the $20 bucks they may chip in doesn't touch the near $100 gas bill it takes to get to camp and back. Consequently, we've said the troop pays whoever pulls the trailer. If we're local, I don't worry about it, but going to camp and back I'll fill up on the troop's nickel.

[Second Class]

Twocub, those were Fred's questions, not mine. I was answering his.

 

It may sound complicated, but it really is not. We pay for those that drive scouts, with the minimum safe number of vehicles. Simple. And avoids resentment five years from now, and countless miles of wear and tear, cut seats and spilled cokes. At least they get paid back for gas. It's the least that we can do.