October Scouts Check-in

[funchicken]

mamaturtle, I think GS uniforms are cheaper, too because they only need a vest or sash. GS has revamped their program a lot in the past couple of years (based on input from girls) to add a lot more outdoor and stem-based badges. My troop loves doing stuff outside, so this is great for us. I don't know how GS enrollment is going nationally, but in our area enrollment has been up for the past 2 years. The biggest challenge is finding enough volunteers. It doesn't matter how many girls want to join if we don't have enough adults willing to be leaders.

[auntie]

My Eagle Scout is all for it.

I don't know that they're desperate but rather that they want to expand the brand and make it relevant; in most countries scouting is already a coed endeavor. DS has camped with young women at National Jamboree, The Scoutmasters Council Invitational Camporee at West Point (where a girl scout troop took top honors the first year he attended) and at Haliburton Scout Reservation because Canada. He's also camped with sisters as a cub scout and later with young women on venture crew when they tagged along with the troop.

I suppose local unit culture will play into what this looks like, but I don't anticipate a whole lot of drama aside from finding 2-deep adult female leadership for events. 

Cost varies a great deal in terms of membership fees as these are partly set by the chartering organization- starting on Dec 1- the cost will be $33 per registered adult or youth member (does not apply to LDS or council paid aka scholarships-memberships) . Units typically add on more to cover events, the cost of awards, etc . 

[miranda]

Oct 12, 2017 11:27:57 GMT -5 auntie said:

My Eagle Scout is all for it.

I don't know that they're desperate but rather that they want to expand the brand and make it relevant; in most countries scouting is already a coed endeavor. DS has camped with young women at National Jamboree, The Scoutmasters Council Invitational Camporee at West Point (where a girl scout troop took top honors the first year he attended) and at Haliburton Scout Reservation because Canada. He's also camped with sisters as a cub scout and later with young women on venture crew when they tagged along with the troop.

I suppose local unit culture will play into what this looks like, but I don't anticipate a whole lot of drama aside from finding 2-deep adult female leadership for events. 

Cost varies a great deal in terms of membership fees as these are partly set by the chartering organization- starting on Dec 1- the cost will be $33 per registered adult or youth member (does not apply to LDS or council paid aka scholarships-memberships) . Units typically add on more to cover events, the cost of awards, etc . 

Our district is piloting $155 membership. It includes a handbook and your advancement badges/beltloop/pins, and Boys Life. It doesn't include any other uniform attire, camping, etc. We used to be at $33/yr. DH is livid over the cost increase. I pointed out that it hasn't been a deterrent in membership.  

So does that mean den leaders have to pay too? I never have. I am registered.

[orval]

Our pack fee is $100. That includes all awards, food/supplies for banquet, picnic, PW derby (some is potluck). Council is going up $15 when we recharter in March - that is a decent amount when you add all the scouts. Our pack has increased by 15 scouts this year. We did add Lions.
Leaders have to pay $25. That is the cost to the council when we recharter. We make leaders pay. I don't like it since we donate time, but whatever.

[auntie]

Oct 12, 2017 13:01:16 GMT -5 miranda said:

Oct 12, 2017 11:27:57 GMT -5 auntie said:

My Eagle Scout is all for it.

I don't know that they're desperate but rather that they want to expand the brand and make it relevant; in most countries scouting is already a coed endeavor. DS has camped with young women at National Jamboree, The Scoutmasters Council Invitational Camporee at West Point (where a girl scout troop took top honors the first year he attended) and at Haliburton Scout Reservation because Canada. He's also camped with sisters as a cub scout and later with young women on venture crew when they tagged along with the troop.

I suppose local unit culture will play into what this looks like, but I don't anticipate a whole lot of drama aside from finding 2-deep adult female leadership for events. 

Cost varies a great deal in terms of membership fees as these are partly set by the chartering organization- starting on Dec 1- the cost will be $33 per registered adult or youth member (does not apply to LDS or council paid aka scholarships-memberships) . Units typically add on more to cover events, the cost of awards, etc . 

Our district is piloting $155 membership. It includes a handbook and your advancement badges/beltloop/pins, and Boys Life. It doesn't include any other uniform attire, camping, etc. We used to be at $33/yr. DH is livid over the cost increase. I pointed out that it hasn't been a deterrent in membership.  

So does that mean den leaders have to pay too? I never have. I am registered.

That seems pretty reasonable. DS's cub fees were close about $100 back in 2001- it included handbooks (new one each year for cubs), rank and advancement patches, cards and insignia (these can get ridiculously expensive- By the time DS was a Star Scout, the cost of his "flare" was a bit more than the cost of an actual BSA shirt in an adult size). It covers most outings, the raingutter regatta boats, snacks at Pack meetings and covers the registration for all registered adult volunteers. Units often get a preferential pricing at the local scout store for being 100% "Boys Life". Adult leaders should be getting "Scouting" as well. There are even better perks for full participation in "Friends of Scouting". DS's old troop collects and extra $20/family as a FOS donation because it gets them free patches and discounts which is huge in a large active unit. 

Maybe it's one of those things where raising the price raises the value in the minds of a consumer. Sort of like colleges raising tuition to seem more selective. That said, $155 for a year round activity isn't bad- band cost way more than that.