When are den dues considered excessive?

[KarenMcV]

.

[Baseballfan]

I think it's totally reasonable. I charge a dollar per Den meeting and have at least 30 meetings a year. Please feel free to ask the Den leader for specifics if you would feel better... but if he hasn't charged in the past I can almost guarantee he and his family are out hundreds of dollars for what he has provided for the first 2 years. $50 pack registration is pretty low, he probably isn't getting reimbursed at all for his expenses so far.

[O'Scouter]

It seems very reasonable to me also, we had small dues for each meeting throughout the year.

[Brewmeister]

It's higher than our den dues when I was a DL but not out of line. And even though we charged den dues to cover supplies (which, has been pointed out, rarely did completely, and I spent $100s out of pocket), we also needed to charge for "special" supplies, such as building model rockets.

 

It sounds like the DL discussed this with parents in attendance and didn't simply make a unilateral decision (which he certainly could have).

 

If you have further concerns about it, possibly you could offer to be the supply coordinator or treasurer, or help shop sales to keep costs down.

[meschen]

$40 is not close to excessive. I charged $30 a year which covered only about half my out of pocket costs. You son's Den Leader might well be $100's of dollars in the hole already from the Wolf year.

 

Don't make life hard for your Den Leader. They brought it up at a meeting, presumably explained how they wanted to use the money and had an open discussion. It wasn't his or her fault some parents missed the meeting. Don't make this a "thing". Your Den Leader is working had enough without this kind of push back.

 

BTW, if you get Boys Life, $50 will barely cover BSA registration, awards and pinewood derby kit, so there is nothing left over there for meeting activities.

[packsaddle]

Brewmeister, me too on that $100s thing.

Does anyone mind if I move this over to the CubScouting forum?

 

Edit: looks like the duplicate thread went bad and the OP has left the forums and moved on. Say la vis.

[SeattlePioneer]

As pack treasurer I reimburse den expenses that are turned into me. Unfortunately, relatively few den leaders turn in expenses. Last year the treasury was pretty flush, so I reimbursed den leaders for their pack dues.

 

But my preference is to have leaders turn in receipts and be reimbursed off receipts, whether those expenses are high or low. I'm not too picky about receipts though, if I'm told that some have been lost or whatever. Without receipts, I'll reimburse what's reasonable and justifiable.

 

Unfortunately though, the main problem is that den leaders aren't getting reimbursed for what they actually spend.

 

There is one exception ----ME. I do the Tiger Cub Den each year, and I'm pretty good about turning in expenses. Any expenses I have I turn in to the CC and He/She pays me what they find to be necessary and reasonable off the receipts I provide.

 

I was den leader for a pack that wanted me to collect den dues. That was NUTZ!

 

Not worth the considerable hassle, as far as I'm concerned. As pack treasurer I want to protect den leaders from that.

 

I also provide the CC with a copy of the monthly checking account statement for the pack so they can review the activity on the checking account.

[SeattlePioneer]

Accidental duplicate post.

[Sentinel947]

As pack treasurer I reimburse den expenses that are turned into me. Unfortunately, relatively few den leaders turn in expenses. Last year the treasury was pretty flush, so I reimbursed den leaders for their pack dues.

 

But my preference is to have leaders turn in receipts and be reimbursed off receipts, whether those expenses are high or low. I'm not too picky about receipts though, if I'm told that some have been lost or whatever. Without receipts, I'll reimburse what's reasonable and justifiable.

 

Unfortunately though, the main problem is that den leaders aren't getting reimbursed for what they actually spend.

 

There is one exception ----ME. I do the Tiger Cub Den each year, and I'm pretty good about turning in expenses. Any expenses I have I turn in to the CC and He/She pays me what they find to be necessary and reasonable off the receipts I provide.

 

I was den leader for a pack that wanted me to collect den dues. That was NUTZ!

 

Not worth the considerable hassle, as far as I'm concerned. As pack treasurer I want to protect den leaders from that.

 

I also provide the CC with a copy of the monthly checking account statement for the pack so they can review the activity on the checking account.

 

It's been quite a while! How are you?

[SeattlePioneer]

<>

 

 

 

Heh, heh! Good. Thanks for your welcoming comment.

 

 

 

A few years ago I sudenly was unable to log on to this forum. Couldn't figure out the problem, and of course no way to ask for help or advice!

 

 

The same thing happened to me with trying to log on to BSA on line features. QAnd then this week I couldn't log on to do internet rechartering.

 

 

Well. I usually use a public library computer. When the internet rechartering wouldn't work, I tried using the public computer of a DIFFERENT libarary system (Seattle Public Libraries rather than King County Libraries). Suddenly everything started working again!

 

 

[Stosh]

Maybe the librarians thought this might be a porn site and blocked it?

 

Boy Scouts used to pride themselves in their stalking skills. Maybe the librarian has a valid reason.

 

 

Stosh

[AKdenldr]

~~Hello All,

When I was a den leader I charged a den deposit which covered everything (BSA registration, room rent at the local school, awards, books, activities within the dens, pinewood derby cars, den supplies). I covered everything except summer camp and campouts. It ran $ 150 ($100 for tigers). I kept a spreadsheet which showed the running balance for each scout, which I shared with the parents several times a year. Sometimes in the spring we would need a little influx $ 15 or so to bridge the gap or cover a trip to the bowling alley.

 

As the pack grew and matured (and started popcorn) pack activities became covered, room rent got covered, and pack campouts got covered. My annual den deposit stretched longer. If we had an overage we applied part to camp. I had one leave with a balance and the parents donate the balance to the den.

 

I think the secret was communication. This deposit system might work for some den leaders. Having a weekly cash collection from the kids (like when I was a scout 75 cents per week) would have driven me crazy. (or nickel and dime-ing the parents for each event, activity, and supply also!)

 

I do not think $ 40 supply fee of OP was excessive. But, had she seen good communication on the spending she might have been reassured.

AK