What does the OA cost?

[JosephMD]

Inspired by another thread on budgets, etc.  I thought I'd do some discussion on OA related expenses.

 

Lodge Dues - $14

Banquet - $35

Spring Fellowship - $35

Ordeal - $35 (regular member price)

Conclave - $40

LLD - $10

Fall Fellowship - $35

 

That's $204 / year.  I think I captured everything.  Our lodge does a deal that includes Dues, Banquet, Spring & Fall Fellowships that saves about $15 if you pay in advance.  That's what I do for myself. 

 

Not sure why the banquet is that expensive. I suppose I could look at their budget. 

 

I will probably also attend a fall ordeal this year, so, probably another $35

 

 

 

 

 

 

[JasonG172]

Our Ordeal cost is $15 for existing members. $35 Brotherhood and $55 Ordeal

Our Conclave was $75

Banquet was $15 a person

Dues $10

[CalicoPenn]

Dues = $10

Spring Fellowship (Ordeals, Brotherhood, Vigil) = $50 for Ordeal candidates, $20 pre-registration, $25 regular registration - all others

Fall Fellowship - same as Spring costs - Vigil ceremony not done

Banquet = $30

LLD = $10

Section Conclave = $40 pre-registered, $40 regular registration

 

Assuming no pre-registrations and not an Ordeal candidate, and attending every event:  $140.00 per year.  $165 for first year Ordeal member.

 

Not a bad deal at all

[Hedgehog]

Dues = $15

Ordeal = $60 Candidate / $35 Brother (both with a $10 discount for early registration)

Conclave = $38

Fall Fellowship = $35

[jpstodwftexas]

After Ordeal Around here 95% just pay the yearly Dues...Sash and Dash is where the Money is....

[David CO]

What a rip-off.  My unit has never participated in OA, so I had no idea.  

[SWScouter]

The OP seems to belong to an expensive lodge.

 

My lodge:

Dues: $10

Banquet: $15

Spring Fellowship: $15

Ordeals: $25 for members, less for elangomats and ceremonialists. $55 for ordeal candidates (includes sash, handbook, flap, etc.)

Brotherhood: $25 (I think, might be $20 but the cost of the sashes was recently increased)

 

Also, the lodge offers an "Ididerall" for $100 that includes two plates to the banquet, Spring Fellowship, four ordeals, and a special patch. It's a good deal

[SWScouter]

What a rip-off.  My unit has never participated in OA, so I had no idea.  

 

What's the ripoff? Usually the price is commensurate with the cost to provide the activity.

[JasonG172]

What's the ripoff? Usually the price is commensurate with the cost to provide the activity.

 

He might mean that the lodge isn't being "Thrifty"

[JosephMD]

He might mean that the lodge isn't being "Thrifty"

 

Having seen what goes into budgets, you are right.  I think it comes down to, our youth do the planning and from the top down, it is stressed, you can't be negative under any circumstance.  So, they are overly cautious with their budget estimates that dictate the price.  The nice thing is, when the event comes in at a surplus, that surplus goes back into the program in different ways, so it isn't money wasted in the end, so it doesn't really bother me. 

[Tampa Turtle]

Mine is $100-$200 a year. I do not do all activities. I find it run much thriftier than many Troops.

[desertrat77]

I haven't been active in OA since the early '80s, so this conversation is an eye-opener for me.

 

I recall paying for:

 

1.  Annual dues (a very low figure)

2.  Events (meal cost and the patch/neckerchief you received for attending)

 

Financially, the ultimate goal was to keep the costs as low as possible to encourage all scouts to attend and not take resources away from the troop or families.  

 

In fact, I was recently going through my footlocker and found a conclave neckerchief that was all homemade.   The committee had pooled their resources and figured out a way to make it in-house to keep the cost down.

 

Some lodges seem to have taken on a life of their own.

[Tampa Turtle]

Our dues went from $5 to a staggering $12. Events run $25 to $45 but you often get a patch and sometimes a pretty nifty shirt. 

[Oldscout448]

Hmm, I would venture a guess that I spend $100-$150 a year of stuff for the ceremonies team. Arrows, belts, glue, an old bow at a yard sale, a couple of gallons of k1 ...My chapter advisor is a good guy and says he will try to get the lodge to reimburse me, but in 10 years of doing this I've not seen a penny yet.

I also buy treats for ' my boys' whenever we do a ceremony, cookies, cokes,etc. Which is my treat to them so I neither ask for not expect any refund.

[Back Pack]

We pay $10. I don't do much else so I cannot say. We do have events that have minor costs around $10 or maybe as high $25.