Several weeks ago, BSA alerted local councils that it would be
necessary to increase the annual membership fee effective January 1,
2020. Below is a message from the National Council, BSA with details of
the new fee structure.
The Iroquois Trail Council serves more
than 2,500 youth in our 5-county area. We understand the hardship this
may pose some units with this announcement coming so late in the year,
especially after many units have planned their budgets for 2020. While
the Iroquois Trail Council cannot delay the implementation or collection
of the fee, we do offer fundraisers throughout the year to help your
Scouts cover these fees as well as camp fees. The next fundraiser on our
schedule is the peanut sale, set to begin in February. To learn about
this fundraiser and others that are available, please reach out to your
unit commissioner or the council office. The Iroquois Trail Council
will continue to bring Scouting to our communities and families through
our camping and training programs and supporting our local Scouting
volunteers.
Scout Executive Jim McMullen, Council President Bob Confer, Council Commsioner Paul Fleming
A Message from the National Council, BSA
As we continue the Scouting mission, it is important that we keep pace
with an ever-changing world. While costs to the organization have
increased every year, the Boy Scouts of America national organization
has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible by
subsidizing core costs as part of the National budget, including
liability insurance we must carry to cover all official Scouting
activities.
Unfortunately, it is no longer possible for the
National organization to subsidize at the level it has in the past,
especially as the cost of insurance has increased dramatically. BSA has
kept the cost low to make Scouting available to as many young people as
possible, but keeping the cost artificially low for many years now
magnifies the impact of changes.
No portion of the annual
membership fee is retained by the Iroquois Trail Council. However, to
ensure that BSA has the resources to fulfill the promise of Scouting
despite increasing operating costs, the National Executive Board of the
Boy Scouts of America has made the difficult but necessary decision to
increase the annual membership fee effective January 1, 2020 to:
- $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts,
- $36 for youth members in Exploring, and
- $36 for adult members
Every dollar of the national membership fee will go toward the cost of
essential services, including liability insurance for those
participating in approved Scouting activities, program resources, safety
standards, youth protection and personal safety training, and services
to councils nationwide to sustain Scouting.
The National
organization will also continue to develop and improve resources that
support our volunteers and youth members such as online registration,
Member Care, and Scoutbook , which now includes the Den Leader
experience to ensure the safe and consistent delivery of Cub Scouting;
as well as improvements aimed at simplifying the annual renewal process.
For more than 100 years, Scouting has helped build future leaders by
combining educational activities and lifelong values with fun and
adventure in the outdoors. At Boy Scouts of America, we are dedicated to
developing leaders of character by preparing young men and women for
life by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Scout Law.
The timeless ideals of the Scout Law, such as being trustworthy,
helpful, kind and brave, make up the foundation young people need to
address and overcome challenges in their lives and the issues facing
their generation.
Across the country and in our own community, we
know that Scouting remains one of the most valuable investments we can
make to support young men and women today so they can become the leaders
we will turn to tomorrow. From once-in-a-lifetime adventures to merit
badges that spark interests and future careers; from campouts under the
stars to service projects that leave a lasting impact on our
communities; Scouting’s year-round program expands horizons and provides
young people with a safe and welcoming place to learn, grow, and
thrive.
That is why we are committed to ensuring that all youth
can experience the character-building benefits of Scouting regardless of
their financial situation. In addition to our existing council and unit
membership assistance, we have established a national Growing Future
Leaders Fund , which is funded entirely through donations, to provide
additional financial support to those who need it.
Thank you for your continued role in empowering a generation of future leaders of character through Scouting programs.
FAQ
Q: Why are the fees increasing now?
A: While costs increase every year, the Boy Scouts of America
has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible to make
Scouting available to as many young people as possible by subsidizing
core costs, including liability insurance we must carry to cover all
official Scouting activities. As the organization’s financial situation
has shifted over the past several months, it is no longer possible to
subsidize at the level we have in the past, especially as the cost of
insurance has increased dramatically.
Q: The Iroquois
Trail Council charges an additional annual fee of $7 to cover insurance.
Does this change mean that fee is no longer necessary?
A:
No, the liability insurance that we need to carry for all Scouting
activities at the national level is different from local fees that are
collected to address local needs, which include local property insurance
and accident insurance.
Q: Does this National Membership fee apply to all youth members and volunteers?
A: Yes, the new fees apply for youth and adult members. Effective January 1, 2020, the new fees are:
- $60 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, and Venturing youth + $7 local insurance fee
- $36 for Exploring youth + $7 local insurance fee
- $36 for adult members + $7 local insurance fee (adult fee
includes the cost of criminal background checks and Scouting Magazine )
- $60 for unit charter fees (flat fee per unit)
Q: Will the national membership fee continue to increase?
A: Although no decision about future increases have been made,
the cost of operating our organization and services increases every
year. Should it be necessary to increase fees in the future, the
National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America has agreed to
evaluate the needs and make such decisions, whenever possible, at the
National Annual Meeting in May or early in the summer so that they can
be announced with as much lead time as possible to allow for councils
and units to be able to plan accordingly.
Q: Is Scouting still a good value?
A: Absolutely! While most extracurricular activities are
seasonal, Scouting is a year-round program that remains one of the most
valuable investments we can make to support young men and women today so
they can become the leaders we will turn to tomorrow. For most of our
youth members, the new registration fee amounts to $5 a month, which is
an enormous value when you consider that many seasonal extracurricular
activities often start at $100 for programs that last a few weeks.
Q: What will the money be used for?
A: Every dollar of membership fees will go to cover the cost of
essential services, including liability insurance for members
participating in approved Scouting activities, background checks for
adult leaders, program development and training resources, continuously
updated youth protection and youth safety training, improved IT/digital
experiences and services to our councils nationwide.
Q: Is this increase being implemented to cover the cost of the additional background checks?
A: No, the cost of background checks is not prompting the fee increase.
Q: Why is this being announced now?
A: We recognize the timing of this fee increase creates
challenges as units have already begun collecting fees for their 2020
registration renewal process, and we would not make this difficult
decision if it were not absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, the cost of
liability insurance we must carry to cover all Scouting activities has
increased dramatically over the past several months, and the
organization is no longer able to offset the cost of insurance. We are
committed to supporting you through this process and are making
necessary adjustments to the online rechartering system to ensure units
can carry out the recharter process.
Q: Does this increase cover financial challenges the organization is facing?
A: The increase was prompted because the cost of liability
insurance we must carry to cover all Scouting activities has increased
dramatically over the past several months, and the organization is no
longer able to offset the cost of insurance. The national membership fee
also enables us program development and training resources,
continuously updated youth protection and youth safety training,
improved IT/digital experiences and services to our councils nationwide.
Q: When will this increase take effect?
A: The new membership fees will take effect starting January 1, 2020 for the 2020-21 program year.
Q: Is financial assistance available?
A: We are committed to ensuring that all youth can experience
the character-building benefits of Scouting regardless of their
financial situation. In addition to the many existing council and unit
membership assistance funds, we have established the donor-funded
Growing Future Leaders Fund to provide financial support to those who
need it.
Q: What measures has the national organization taken to offset the financial challenges?
A: In addition to ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify the
organization, the national organization has taken a number of steps in
addressing its financial challenges, including the recent elimination of
more than 35 positions at the National Service Center and ongoing
consolidation of departments for the most effective utilization of
resources in support of Scouting.
Questions? Contact Us.
Iroquois Trail Council, Boy Scouts of America
585-343-0307 info@itcbsa.org
