beltloops

[cubiemom]

how does your packs handle the beltloops? our pack just informed us that they will not cover the cost for them since they are an optional program. doesnt that seem unfair? aint it still a part of cub scouts?

[SemperParatus]

The overwhelming majority of packs cover the costs of all projected awards/recognitions in its annual budget, thereby establishing the amount of dues to be paid and fundraising goals. Perhaps your pack has not met its fundraising goals (or is in need of an additional fundraiser) and is looking for ways to cut costs, rather than raise additional funds. I haven't priced beltloops in a while, but I can't imagine it doesn't average out to about $5-7 per boy per year. Less effort could be put into a fundraiser to raise this amount, then to keep track of who owes what for which beltloops. How sad.

 

I hope your search for a new pack is going well.

[kittle]

Our pack pays for them. Part of the beltloops aren't optional. The specifics are evading me right now, but part of the Webelos' pins require beltoops.

 

Katrina

[TundraHawk]

The first pack we were with had a pretty limited budget so they charged the parents an extra $10 if their son wanted to participate in the Academic & Sports program. They also limited how many a scout could earn in a year (I believe it was 10/yr).

 

I'm trying to figure out how to deal with belt loops with our new pack. I've seen some boys rack up a number of belt loops and pins in a single year -- I know two Wolves that have more than 20 belt loops and probably 1/2 dozen or so pins. The cost adds up very quickly, especially for a pack with limited funds.

 

 

[OneHour]

Part of our Pack's annual dues cover enough for rank advancement and belt loops; however, we made it clear that the Pack will pick up only the belt loop once only. If the cub earns the same belt loop more than once, then it is up to his parent to pay for his belt loops.

 

1Hour

[fotoscout]

Our pack pays for belt loops, even in the case of a Webelos who may earn them twice. In a Pack of 60 boys this can become expensive!

 

I like the idea of charging an extra $10.00 to participate in the academic and sports program. Some kids and parents gravitate toward the belt loops and take great advantage of the program. Others don't want anything to do with it. If the program is sold to the parents, and they have a financial interest in participating, maybe, just maybe the participation will be greater.

[cubiemom]

I know the money isnt a factor it seems the CM is mad because I have started parents on asking why werent they told of these in the beginning. She has also stated that the pack will not pay from some of the awards that my son has earned because he would be the only one earning them since she has never even heard of them ( the emergency preparedness award, the heritage award) and that the pack would not be doing the world frienship fund patch.(she didnt know about that one either) she is moving on next year and so am I ( to a different pack) since the committee is just like her set in their ways and no one wants to find interesting things for the boys to earn. Can you believe our DL's son in the 5yrs he's been there never earned a beltloop or pin.

Semper my looks havent been to promising most packs are looking pretty much like ours so laid back and not a care in the world but Im still looking.

I have also asked that why dont the proceeds of the chinese auction we are doing at the B&G go to buying the beltloops or atleast pay back some of what was spent. I know only the boys in our den (the wolfs) have worked on them and why not up the yearly dues if they are that worried that next year more boys will be earning them. I'm just so confused with all this stuff I dont see how something that is part of scouting wont be covered by the pack. I mean most boys have earned only 4-6 of the beltloops since I worked on 4 of them with the boys. And dont even get me started there since our CM was there and never informed us that the pack wouldnt pay for them then when she knew we were working on them.

OK OK sorry for rambling its just I am very upset with all this.

[Rixkidz]

When we joined our Pack a few years ago, they also discussed limited them... I encouraged them..

 

1st off WEBELOS will need to earn some in order to earn their Webelos Pins. But what I recommended was earning them in their Tiger, Bear and Wolf year as many as possible, then when the boy actually becomes a WEBELOS he has to reearn them BUT no rebuy them so during their WEBELOS years they just have to go thru the motions but not add the 1.25 expense to the Pack.

 

We do Segments for Tiger thru Bear, but not in WEBELOS.

 

http://www.geocities.com/~pack215/academics-sports.html

 

The only thing our pack does to earn $$ is Popcorn sales & we recycle cans at every Pack meeting. We do not have a Chartered Org. we are Totally funded by the above fund raising...

 

We have a Pack of 50 boys and we spend approx. 3000 a year at the BSA store on patches, beltloops, pins, advancements etc.

 

[Rixkidz]

Forgot ....

 

Regarding those other "special" do at home awards.. Our Pack will not buy them. The BSA family program, the emergency preparedness...etc.. if you are earning those on your own then the parent buys them, but it will be awarded at a Pack meeting.

 

Just like the religious Awards, my son has earned 2, we had to buy the books and the medals and knot, but he was awarded them at the Pack meeting.

 

Encourage your Den to do things together, then the Pack will/should buy.. Our den together earned the Leave no Trace... Almost a $5.00 patch, but because the Den earned it, they really couldnt complain.. if it had been just one boy then it would of been on his parents to buy it.

[Advancement_Lady]

Our pack only pays for the beltloops and pins if they are part of a rank requirement (like webelos) or if the pack plans a activity and the beltloops can be earned.

 

The reason we have gone to doing it this way is because the boys were concentrating on beltloops and pins and not earning their rank.

 

The current price of beltloops is $1.47 each (up from last year's price if $1.35) and the pins are $1.25.

[ilovmy3kidz]

our pack pays for bl earned at camp, and 2 bl per scout per year. any additionals are paid for by the parent (also additional items like the heritage award). we pay no dues and only have the popcorn fundraiser so it keeps things tight. i have no objection to limiting them for financial reasons. since i'm not paying the $45 dues i paid in our last pack, i don't mind picking up the tab for a few bl or awards.

[anarchist]

Our pack pays for ALL BSA approved awards and pins and patches...(with a string attached). If there are books etc attached to the earning of the award...Mom and Dad pay for materials. We pay for 'multiples' in the case of Webelos (If a boy looses one Mom and Dad pay for replacement)

 

now the string...attached

If, the parents and scout participate in our fund raisers (three per year show up for two and you're 'covered') We do not charge dues although we are looking at it! If you do not participate the pack still pays for Rank awards and arrow points but parents are asked to fund 'extras'.

 

New to scouting families are not 'penalized' if they came 'in' after a fund raiser(s) but they are expected to be front and center in the new year! Seems to work...

 

we are looking at Dues 'cause lots of folks are tired. of 'selling'

sorry your pack is so tight...but the only way to really change things is to roll up your sleeves and dive into the committee and work for that change...from the inside. Sometimes it can take a few years to make that change.

[EagleInKY]

Our pack pays for them now, but that hasn't always been the case. (I think we still have some limits on our program, but I'm not sure what htey are). When we were rebuilding, we just didn't have the funds to support an unlimited program. We budgeted two per year per boy, and agreed to cover that much. We had one den leader really push them in their den. He pointed out that the majority of belt loops can be earned just by being involved in school programs. He walked in with a request for about 5 or 6 belt loops and several pins per boy in his den. It totaled nearly $200 (over 10% of the pack budget). We told him we couldn't do it, and it made him mad. But, if every den had done that, we would have been broke.

 

Budget for it, and set expectations.

[Eamonn]

Back in the day...

We paid for four per Scout per year.

We set the limit after a year when we got hit really hard.

Eamonn.

[Twocubdad]

We pay for them all. We won't, however give a scout a duplicate if he earns the same BL twice.

 

So far our pack pays for religious emblems and heritage awards, too. That can be a big chunk of change. I just ordered a bunch of heritage awards and they are $8.50 each. When my sons earned their Religious emblems they were over $20 each, including the mothers pins, etc. Pretty expensive!