Increase in Registration fee

[Pack212Scouter]

We run our finances via dues and Scout accounts replenished from fundraisers. The Scout accounts can be used to pay for any Scouting activities that are paid for through the Pack. Out of the dues, we cover membership fees for the boys and leaders, leader training, all awards, meeting supplies, technology expenses (website, voicemail, etc), insurance, and a few other things. Our popcorn fundraiser last year was $36,000 and our camp card fundraiser was around $10,000. So out of those two, the boys got around $14,000 into their Scout accounts, and about the same went to council.

 

My guess is that we are one of the largest Packs in the country, or at least in the top 5% for sure. The drawback is that the "hour per week" is per boy!

 

I don't mind the $5 registration fee increase, but I wish that they had told us sooner so that we could budget for it...especially since they have yet to actually announce it.(This message has been edited by Pack212Scouter)

[Hal_Crawford]

"That's not a pack, that's a small CITY!"

 

In parts of the Nebraska or Wyoming that's a COUNTY!

 

Wow, what a huge pack! It might be reasonable to go to the parents about the change in registration fee and ask for an additional $5 per lad. It is not much to ask for and obviously the parents are pleased or someone would have spun off a new pack by now. I was a CM for a pack of about 50 and that seemed like a lot to manage. You must have a very well organized committee structure or serious sleep deprivation.

 

Hal

 

Do you feed into a similarly sized troop?

 

[Lisabob]

Wow. I can't imagine (and don't really want to!) being part of a pack that big. More power to you that you apparently pull off a good program. It sounds more like running a business than running a typical scouting unit.

 

What do we get for our registration fees? Somebody asked that earlier, and it hasn't really been addressed. I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer it but here are a few things I've thought of that are more than likely paid for out of our fees:

 

1) answers. Someone must be paying the folks in national's office who answer our questions via phone and email . It is amazing to me that any one of us can contact them out of the blue and they actually respond - usually quickly.

2) forms. I know paperwork is hardly anybody's favorite thing, but be glad that National designs and promulgates standard forms for people all around the country to use. Imagine how much worse our record keeping would be if every council had to create its own forms for advancement!

3) record keeping. Can't say I'm enamored of scoutnet (ugh) but at least SOMEBODY keeps track of all the data from all those forms. I know our council office actually does a lot of the front line data entry, but when it comes time for an Eagle rank (for example), it is national that has the final say-so.

4) appeals. Read through some of the threads about advancement appeals. I never would've guessed from personal experience, but it sounds like there are a fair few that end up going to national on appeal each year. Somebody has to spend time addressing those.

5) National training materials like course syllabi, audio/visual aids, handouts, etc. Now if only I could convince our district and council to use them!

6) Scouting magazine. I'd read it online, personally. But as it stands, it is part of our membership as adult leaders. I can't think of too many other monthly magazines to which I could get a $10 or $15 annual subscription.

7) a website with online training components. Sure the website could be improved but all that stuff does cost money.

 

I'm certain there is a lot more. Maybe some folks with a better grasp of what National actually does, could communicate that here.

 

 

 

[Nike]

The vast majority of what Lisabob details above is exactly what Girl Scouts doesn't have, and our national dues just went up to $12. I'd pay $20 if GSUSA could give us the services BSA did/will for $10/$15.

[Pack212Scouter]

Hal & Lisa, it definitely can be like a business at times, but we have a fair number of dedicated individuals. So yes, we have a great committee, but sleep deprivation does factor in from time to time As for the Troop we feed, it runs about 90-100 boys.

 

Lisa, you have good points. I think that $15 is not unreasonable for what we get, although occasionally I would like to get a little less for my money (frequent rule changes, etc.). Compared to the American Heritage Girls that my daughter is in, the dues are really small! They are $195 annually for the Troop Charter plus $26 annually per member registration. Of course they don't have the leverage of numbers that BSA and GSA have working for them.