Council Resource and National Registration Fee

[CNYScouter]

I just received an email from my council about a new council resource fee being added to 2017 re-charters.

This is due to the changes from the 

Presidential Executive Order that is effective December 1 and will dramatically impact the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and by force of law dramatically increase our professional payroll costs.

Registration will be increased to $60 per Scout/Scouter.$24 is National Registration fee, $10 for insurance ans the balance of $26 to go to our council.

 

Are you seeing this kind of increase?

 

[Fehler]

Yes, but ours is $144.

[Scoutmaster Teddy]

Nothing added to Illowa Council as far as I know. Buy it's probably coming.

[Snow Owl]

Southeast Louisiana has not announced anything like this yet but they tend to keep us in the dark about everything.

 

And related questions, can a unit refuse to pay these add'l fees?  Can a unit opt out of their council?   Doubling the fees will make it difficult to justify the program to many chartered organizations.

 

From a purely cost perspective of a program; Scouting is expensive compared to other after school or extra curriculum options now.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Snow Owl

[David CO]

No, a unit cannot opt out of a council.  If a unit could opt out of a council, I would have done it years ago.

[David CO]

Actually, the scouting budget is quite small compared to most of our extra-curricular activities.  Basketball and football are far more expensive (per participant) than scouting.

[blw2]

I could sure see this as an issue.....

 

As treasurer, I'm still trying to collect all of our dues for the year.  We charge $100....with $36 going to national for dues and Boys Life, and the balance being a troop "activity" fee.  If they were to blindside us with an additional fee, that would look very bad to have to go back and collect more.  It would be very tacky, IMO

[Snow Owl]

From a School or charter organization prospective - scouting is more akin to an after school programs like soccer, chess, cross country etc.  the total cost from families and leaders for a cub scout pack with 48 scouts is $9,000 +/-   This BSA fees, boys life, uniforms, handbooks, rank and recognition.  With the program we provide all of the manpower and resources.  

 

Every year when my 100+ Scout cub scout pack writes the check for charter renewal in excess of $4,000  we always have the same question.  So what are we getting for our money?  On top of this cost we then tell parents they are the manpower for the program, you now need to go but handbooks, uniforms, patches etc.  Oh and you also need to sell popcorn, camp cards and donate to FOS......  Between our Pack and Troop the total expenses paid to BSA by the chartered organization and/or the scout parents in dues, fees and scout shop is nearly $20K.   Then there are the expenses we pay for camping, pinewood derby, blue and gold, rain gutter, Arrow of light, supplemental training etc. 

[David CO]

A unit isn't required to sell popcorn, camp cards, and donate to FOS.  We don't.

 

If the council fees are becoming too much for your unit, perhaps you should reduce your FOS donations.

Edited October 26, 2016 by David CO

[T2Eagle]

Our fees are not going up.

 

But I am skeptical that the whole $26/scout is actually a direct result of the change in the law.

 

I'm not sure how big your council is, but the old exempt salary minimum was $23,660, the new salary is $47,476 so for every 900 or so scouts they would be able to increase a DE from the old minimum to the new.  How many DEs do they have at the actual rock bottom minimum, how many scouts in the council?  I'm just skeptical that they can attribute that whole increase into coming into compliance.  

 

A characteristic that I find really distasteful in any organization is when they attribute some unpleasant action they want to take on some outside agent so that they can disclaim responsibility for their own actions.

[Eagle94-A1]

Connecticut Yankee Council is doing this, but calling it a council operations fee.  https://www.ctyankee.org/resources/opsfee/opsfeefaq

[Eagle94-A1]

Apparently this is a trend as I am seeing a bunch of councils doing this, and it looks like a form letter is being used to explain why councils are charging "resource fees," "Program Fees,"  what ever it is called.

 

http://www.bsa-jackson.org/resources/annual-program-fees/64034

 

http://www.cnyscouts.org/

[blw2]

well, whatever it is..... I'm honestly embarrassed sometimes about the money....

Our troop is a mostly affluent area, so mostly it's not a big deal.... but it does seem like everytime we turn around there is something being said or asked about money

annual dues $100

then at the same time, we're trying to "push" one or more fundraising efforts

then once a month there's a camp, usually we're asking $20 a head for grub

then....oh yeah, don't forget to sign up for that fundraising effort.....

then next month another $20 grub fee

then there's an opportunity for some random MB fair..... that has a fee

then we're starting to talk about summer camp..... that'll cost you....

then the parents have to start thinking about a new uniform since he's growing.... or lost his uniform socks.....

it seems it's always about money!

[The Blancmange]

These fees don't materialize out of nowhere.  Has anyone critical of the fees spoken to anyone on your council executive board?  Does your chartered organization rep attend meetings and express your unit's dissatisfaction with the fees?  In the end, the fees are implemented by people, not some faceless "council."

[Snow Owl]

I do not know about other councils but our executive board is huge, 60 members not counting the CORs, and is made up mainly of community leaders and money people who have not active involvement in scouting other than writing checks.  The board only meets once a year for a warm fuzzy meeting.

Edited October 26, 2016 by Snow Owl