How to handle need for scholarships

[Momleader]

How do other packs handle the need for financial aid? Say for fees for the year of cub scouting? Anyone ever get assistance from their council office?

[Tampa Turtle]

We used to quietly put the word out, maybe mention once or twice at a Pack meeting. No help from council funded by popcorn sales or leaders. I'd say majority of those boys did not stick around long. We did have a "clothes closet" of uniforms that had been outgrown...

[scoutergipper]

We give all boys the opportunity to fundraise to pay any part of the Scouting program their family feels they cannot pay for themselves. We expect the boys to "do their best" at that effort - a Scout is Thrifty. If they don't make it, the Troop scholarships them. The Council provides partial scholarships for Summer Camp and we pick up the rest if necessary. Our policy is that no boy is going to miss out on the program for financial need. Now, fortunately, we have only a handful of families who need help, and some of those have good "salesmen" as sons, which further reduces the scholarship amounts. We probably provide $1000 a year in various subsidies, mostly for Summer Camp.

[Polaris]

We have extra funds from popcorn sales. It is funded from scouts selling over the amount needed for dues. Availability of dues scholarships is announced and put in a Pack **** Handbook and distributed at the New Scout Parent Orientation. That being said, in Sept, we had a new scout parent send an email complaining about our dues and said they had to quit. We offered up a full dues scholarship, to include Pack camping fees, Blue and Gold banquet costs, etc., and the family quit anyway. Excuses..... Our Council only covers the cost of Council Summer Camp, BSA registration fees and handbooks with their aid program. They do not cover Pack dues. Popcorn fundraising is for dues.

[packsaddle]

Back when I was Cubmaster, we managed to keep all activities within the limits of the pack budget so everyone could afford everything we did. But most of the cub scout things are relatively inexpensive in comparison to Boy Scouts. That is where the troop has to cope with this question. The scoutmaster and other leaders try to get to know the families well enough to detect these problems without prying too much. Then there are some very nice people in the church we go to for help with expenses if we can't 'earn' our way past the problem. And yes, sometimes, it is insurmountable. Those times we just have to move on. There have been years in the past when I personally and very quietly laid out $hundreds for certain boys. I sacrificed to do it but it was worth it.

[howarthe]

We set our pack dues equal to the annual registration, so this year they went up to $24 per year. I am trying to re-charter right now, so I am asking everyone to pay $60 for the year $24 + $24 + $12 = $60. We offer four ways to pay: (1) sell popcorn, (2) write a check for the entire amount, (3) pay $5/month, (4) request a scholarship. No one has requested a scholarship yet, but we would fund it from the pack budget. I believe we could request help from council. There was a guy from council at our recruitment training who said he would help us, but he recommended that we require the families to pay at least $5. It's important that they contribute something, but the boys are really more important that the money. The dues and the pack budget really only cover the awards and the regular meetings. We have several events during the year which are pay as you go, most notably, camp. We have a candy fundraiser in the spring to help pay for camp, but we offer scholarships then, too.

[Jeffrey H]

Our council provides scholarships for camps, registrations fees, and uniforms based on financial need. Scholarhsip forms are filled out confidentially by families and submitted to the council office.

 

Direct financial assistance from our Pack is done on a confidential case-by-case basis. These are rare occurrences since families can pay for most of the cost of the Pack through participation in our annual fundraiser.

[Basementdweller]

In my council there is only help for national registration. Nothing for unit dues or fees. I hear them year after year raising money for scout shirts and books for those in need. But request one. In 5 or more years of requesting I have received two shirts from council. thats it.

 

With that said, of all the boys I have bought shirts for, paid summer camp fees, outing fees, bought gear. Only one has remained in scouting for more than a year or so and he has been with me now for about 6 years.

 

So I have a less than smiley face when I have parents driving new cars or with new cell phones asking me for a free trip to summer camp for their scout.

[scoutergipper]

In my council there is only help for national registration. Nothing for unit dues or fees. I hear them year after year raising money for scout shirts and books for those in need. But request one. In 5 or more years of requesting I have received two shirts from council. thats it.

 

With that said, of all the boys I have bought shirts for, paid summer camp fees, outing fees, bought gear. Only one has remained in scouting for more than a year or so and he has been with me now for about 6 years.

 

So I have a less than smiley face when I have parents driving new cars or with new cell phones asking me for a free trip to summer camp for their scout.

I can't stand families who will take advantage of the good heartedness of others like that. We also have families who are truly destitute, but who believe they should just be "given" Dues & Summer Camp fees without their Scout having to sell anything or make any fundraising effort at all. Different side of the same coin.