Cub Scouts = Expensive!

[crisi]

We won't do boy scouts for a number of reasons - and expense is a minor one.

But we are involved in girl scouts. My girls have $2 a week in dues, no required uniform, and a $12 registration fee. (When they bridged, I used cookie money to buy them sashes so they'd have somewhere to put badges). And we waived dues for one girl last year when her Dad was out of work.

To me, Scouts should about giving everyone the opportunity to participate. That may mean that you have to pass up on activities that are expensive for ones that are cheaper - there is still plenty of benefit to scouting with cheaper activities. That may mean not everyone has a uniform - not a big deal.

 

[tomthebarncat]

I had to stop because my single mom could not afford the dues, fees, and the cost of hundreds of boxes of unsold cookies. I do have fond memories of being a brownie/girl scout, and it was alot of fun!! sadly, back in the day, there were no funds for us budget friendly families!!

 

[Good Ol Gal]

Our GS troop funds everything with our cookie sales. This year we are asking that parents pay a $20 troop fee to start the year.... but we will give each girl a new vest and new books (we just bridged to Caddettes) so that will really go towards the purchase of the vest.

The girls pay $2 a meeting, basically $4 a month. Other than our dues our girls have never paid any $$ towards any programs! We go on camping trips and do lots of field trips. We also do lots of community service projects.

Of course we are lucky and our girls sold LOTS of cookies the last two years. We reached the 2008 and 2009 marks the past two years.

 

[Ali]

I just wanted to say that my gamily is currently in discussions with our pack about the constant need for money from us every time we walk into a cub scouts meeting. I'm tired of it. We just had a 45 minute popcorn kickoff meeting talking about the prizes you can win in a town with massive layoffs and no money anyway and then we have to try to sell popcorn that costs 35 dollars? sheesh!!!!!!!! the girl scouts have it so much easier with $3.50 cookies!

Let's brainstorm a new product for the scouts to sell!

Oh well, off to a show and sel at K-mart now

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

I just wanted to say that my gamily is currently in discussions with our pack about the constant need for money from us every time we walk into a cub scouts meeting. I'm tired of it. We just had a 45 minute popcorn kickoff meeting talking about the prizes you can win in a town with massive layoffs and no money anyway and then we have to try to sell popcorn that costs 35 dollars? sheesh!!!!!!!! the girl scouts have it so much easier with $3.50 cookies!

Let's brainstorm a new product for the scouts to sell!

Oh well, off to a show and sel at K-mart now

Popcorn is a different matter, I hate selling it, we don't like any of it at our house and I think it's way overpriced, sooo much easier to sell girl scout cookies!

 

[Belle5]

I just wanted to say that my gamily is currently in discussions with our pack about the constant need for money from us every time we walk into a cub scouts meeting. I'm tired of it. We just had a 45 minute popcorn kickoff meeting talking about the prizes you can win in a town with massive layoffs and no money anyway and then we have to try to sell popcorn that costs 35 dollars? sheesh!!!!!!!! the girl scouts have it so much easier with $3.50 cookies!

Let's brainstorm a new product for the scouts to sell!

Oh well, off to a show and sel at K-mart now

It sounds like it's too late for this year but BSA doesn't just sell popcorn. There are troops that sell holiday greenery, lawn fertilizer, even batteries.

My boys have found it very easy to sell whatever the troop is selling. We haven't been in a troop that sold popcorn for four years but when we were my older boys sold more than $10,000 combined totally the years they sold. People aren't (just) buying $35 popcorn--they are supporting BSA. I believe my boys figured that they sold one tin to every ten doors they knocked on. The rejection and the success taught them so many great life skills--taught them so much about sticking to something and how to handle different personalities.

 

[Earstou]

There was a big increase in cost for popcorn a few years ago and again this year, making it harder to sell. But we have a few diehard supporters who keep buying it.
Troops do vary, in regards to cost to the family and what they require.

Most troops or packs are willing to let you start a fundrasier to decrease your cost!

 

[3boymthr]

You're right, it is expensive at first with the uniforms but Wow! Your costs are waaaay above mine. And in addition to two kids in cubscouts and one in boy scouts, I'm a den leader, DH is asst cub master.

We've had to buy the "official" shirts with patches, but the class B (T-shirt) is both optional and a give-away. They also give us the Tiger cub and Boy Scouts book - though we have had to buy the wolf, bear and webelo book. And we don't pay dues - cost per den meeting are dependent upon the activity and usually each famiily sponsors an activity that costs money. No formal sell-this fundraising in cub scouts (no popcorn at all, ever and we've been with the pack for 8 years now) though the boy scouts do have to sell wreaths at Christmas time. The pack provides the training materials and the cost for the pushmobile is free and $4 for pinewood - to cover the cost of the car. Our annual dues are $50/child for the cubscouts and $10/month for the boy scout ($100/yr). The Boy scout has additional camping fees (cost of food plus cost of activity - ie $88 for the white water rafting trip last month and $22 for the trip to NH this week) which are pretty much monthly but the cub scout only has those fees two or three times a year and they are usually under $20pp.

I think it does help that the den leaders and the cub scouts are not required to have the pants. The Boy scouts are supposed to have the zip offs but they will allow green pants of the same color as the official color if you can't afford the zip-offs.

 

[3boymthr]

I just wanted to say that my gamily is currently in discussions with our pack about the constant need for money from us every time we walk into a cub scouts meeting. I'm tired of it. We just had a 45 minute popcorn kickoff meeting talking about the prizes you can win in a town with massive layoffs and no money anyway and then we have to try to sell popcorn that costs 35 dollars? sheesh!!!!!!!! the girl scouts have it so much easier with $3.50 cookies!

Let's brainstorm a new product for the scouts to sell!

Oh well, off to a show and sel at K-mart now

For troops/packs looking for ideas of different ways to make money besides selling the boy scout troop does this huge fundraiser where they make a ton of money by picking up peoples Christmas Trees/Greenery the Saturday after New Year. They haul the greenery to the town compost pile for them. The charge is $10/tree and $2/wreath. They made about $3,000 last year. The kids have to put fliers in doors the week before, it's also advertised in the school newsletter and in the local free newspaper. It takes about 3 hours the saturday of the pickup - they get the whole troop out to pick up and transport trees, getting as many free pick up trucks as they can from families within the troop - the family driving is usually asked to donate their gas, but the troop picks up the cost of a pizza lunch for the drivers. There is a crew at the compost heap to unload and a crew of two to three boys in each truck. Works great, no door to door selling and people like to have their trees gone with no effort on their part.

I will admit this would not work in a town where the garbage truck will pick up the trees but these are not allowed in the garbage in our town; no exterior organic products - trees, grass, etc. are picked up at any time of year, you must transport yourself to the compost heap.

We also held a car wash in the churck parking lot last year and made $1800 in a day.

Additional fund raisers are running the parking and collecting donations at a local fair ($4,000); selling beer at Gillette Stadium (many NFL stadiums do this fundraiser) - the pack gets paid per cup that they sell - i forget what this raised; and an eat at Uno's get 2% of all sales where the customer uses the fundraiser coupon ($400) - oh and the best because I got to clear out my clutter - a yard sale on the town common where we raised $2,500.

ETA - the popcorn is a tough one to get rid of - One reason the prices are really really high is because in addition to the profit the troop makes our council also gets 50% of what the troop makes so they really really push it as a fund raiser - I'd be willing to bet this is probably true in other councils as well. Most troops/packs go along because they want to keep the council quiet. Our pack/troop has only sold once and that's because they have to if they want to participate in the 2010 Anniversary Jamboree

 

[james'mommy]

We just joined cub scouts. Already we've paid $25 for the dues, $100 for for the uniform and so far $200 for camping equipment. We already have some camping equipment so that has helped. Plus now that we'll all be going camping I have to pay kennel fees for the dogs.

 

[rbork]

wow - I'm thankful our scouts here opted for jeans or jean shorts as part of their uniform. There are lot's of farming families and jeans ARE the norm out here. We wouldn't dare buy the expensive scout pants that they'll outgrow in 3-6 months. And the neckslide isn't real fancy either just a "shotgun shell" thingy. Now they do require and enforce no droopy pants, must be tidy, tucked in and belted. Our eldest has started to ask for different items like a new camping chair and hiking boots as gifts.
Our troop owns tents for all the boys. And DH has been using our own tent since 2001. I'll cry when that tent dies.

 

[JamesMom]

Thanks for the replies all.

I know it will be worth it. My Tiger Cub has been putting on his uniform daily and begging me to do the same. Tuesday night is our first Den meeting and we are fishing with the Pack on Saturday. It should be fun and DS is sooo looking forward to it all.

I haven't camped in close to 30 years so this should be interesting. As a Senior Girl Scout I didn't go on one camp out - not my thing.

The uniform should be used for a couple of years and I have a future Tiger Cub who can use it too in the future. The camp gear will also hopefully last though i don't have the funds to get the 'good' stuff just yet.

It is great hearing all the Scouting stories. I loved being a Girl Scout both as a girl and as a leader. Hope to have the same experiences with my young boys. Though I am quickly finding out they are two different animals. Meeting as Dens instead of a whole at "Brownie' ages takes some getting used to. Plus the additional leadership. Dens of 5-9 have 2 leaders plus pack leaders and Denners. Wow! When i was GS troop leader I was lucky to have an assistant with a troop of 15-20 Middle school girls? LOL

Thanks again.

 

[NMW]

My oldest son did one year of Tiger Cubs (1st grade) and really disliked it, so we did not continue. However, the thing I remembered most was the whole pitch that it is only 1 meeting a month. Well, it turned out to be 2 meetings (one with their individual group and then one with the larger group they are a part of). Plus, about every weekend it was something else-putting flyers on doors for food drives, picking up the food, Christmas carols in a nursing home, making a car out a solid block of wood for some car race, stuff like that.

I suppose if that's all your child does, that's fine. However, my son played 3 sports during that year (football, basketball, baseball). Football alone is a huge time commitment-starts in August for 5 nights a week and then continues to mid November at 3 nights a week plus games on the weekends. I TOLD the scout leader this at sign ups and was told "No problem, it's only 1 meeting a month." Lies, lies lies. My son is now 13 and still plays football and lacrosse. He would give any amount of time to either of those sports.

I know several people that felt "mislead" about the time commitment scouting requires and quit after a brief time as well. I really wish that they had been honest about what huge commitment it was going to be upfront. I felt like I was constantly telling his scout leader that I was sorry but we could not make that particular weekend's event because of sports.

 

[NMW]

There was a big increase in cost for popcorn a few years ago and again this year, making it harder to sell. But we have a few diehard supporters who keep buying it.
Troops do vary, in regards to cost to the family and what they require.

Most troops or packs are willing to let you start a fundrasier to decrease your cost!

I agree about the prices...are they kidding?? I have bought from my next door neighbors kid every year and this year I looked at the form and paid $8 for a little thing of unpopped kernels. There is just no way I'm spending over $30 on pop corn my family doesn't even like. Now girl scout cookies are another matter...last year my sons were mad that I only bought 4 boxes from a neighbors daughter and made me buy more outside of Sams Club one day.

 

[mom2twinz3]

If you think Cub Scouts are bad, just wait for Boy Scouts. Especially if they want to do any of the high adventure experiences. It was over $1000 all said and done to send my son to Philmont Scout rance this year. That was on toppn of 285, plus $80 bus fee for regular summer camp.

Is it worth it? Oh yes.

Getting an eagle scout can open doors, for the rest of your son's life.

 

[Reagan&Co.]

HMMM...depends on the den and pack (did I get that teminology correct??!!).
We just signed up and my fees were WAY lower, tents already provided for camping, only a partial uniform needed.

$9.75 for registration/Boys Life. Charter runs out and more due in October, I think.
$22 for blue shirt
$5 for patches
$1 for orange cub t-shirt
$8 for handbook

 

[etraible]

[code][quote="twinmommyks, post: 33553138"]He has camped in the Black Hills and been to Mt. Rushmore, he has camped in Wyoming, and just this summer he has camped in the Rocky Mountains, went rock climbing there and white water rafting.  He goes on local campouts Bren[/quote]

[/code]

First - can someone tell me how to highlight the above quote correctly? I see others do it and can't figure it out!

Second - Can I join your troop? Sounds like you have terrific leaders.

 

[marthachick]

DS came home from first grade and told us he wanted to join Cub Scouts. We thought yeah, right. You'll probably only stay in long enough for us to spend a bunch of money on stuff then want to quit. 10 years later, we are the proud parent of an Eagle Scout. Words can't describe how incredibly proud we are of our son! Yes, we have spent too much money on stuff and yes we have spent a LOT of time on Scout activities but the memories are priceless. And the Eagle Scout award is something that will look good on college and job apps for years to come. He has learned so many valuable lessons and so have we! Hang in there and ask for camping stuff for Christmas, birthdays, etc. Not necessarily for the big stuff but the small stuff or for gift cards to sporting goods stores.

Good luck!
Proud Eagle Scout Mom
Lisa

 

[DawnM]

I have found scouting to be one of the least expensive things we can do! I have 3 boys. This year I will have a Tiger, a Weblo 1, and a just bridged boyscout!

I didn't get camping equipment for a LONG time. I finally found quite a bit at a yard sale.....nice tent only used a couple of times, hiking backpacks (normally $100) for $10 each. Hiking boots at thrift stores for $4. One pair was never worn and I looked them up and they were $120!

Dues are $24 per cubscout in our pack.
Boyscouts is $33.

There are some expenses that come along during the year, but our troop/pack is VERY good about keeping the costs low. They just went camping this last weekend and it was $14 total for DH and all 3 boys.

I am in charge of the used uniform box, which gives me first pick! But I also go to thrift stores and yard sales quite often and find used items to donate to the box so I feel I am justified in first pick. We even get used books donated.

The first year was the most expensive. I only got one used shirt and had to buy all the rest, including a shirt for one boy. But after that I have tried to keep the expenses very low.

I LOVE our troop!

Dawn

 

[tinkermom23]

Hmmmm ... I also think it depends on your Pack/unit.

We have been in Scouts for 4 years, and our pack is fully funded by popcorn sales. I have been the popcorn kernal for 3 years and each year we have made $8,000+ in popcorn commission.

The only thing that we pay for are our uniform shirts (about $30 every 2 years) (our pack does not do the pants), entry fee to pushmobile ($10), recharter fee ($12), and camping equipment (and food for campouts).

We do not have dues. Our pack pays for every boy to receive a Pine Wood Derby car, all patches and awards/belt loops, all leader trainings, Blue & Gold Banquets, Camp Out Fees (including one meal), Summer Activities, and Graduations. The pack also buys each boy a gift at Graduation - each boy receives his hat, scarf, slide, and book for the next year. Webelos receive really cool backpacks and other camping gear as they transition into Boy Scouts.

Many units in our area do no operate this way. I would tell you to "shop around" different packs to see who has the best program and what the different costs are.

On a side note - I'm glad to see you volunteering! My DH is our sons Den Leader and he is also the Pack Committee Chairman. I have stepped down as Popcorn Kernal this year because I am the District Popcorn Kernal and couldn't manage both. We both know how hard it is to get parents involved, but we know our son loves us to be there and scouting is such an AMAZING program!

Ours is very similar. It depends on the pack and maybe you should look around. But, sometimes it does cost money for good programming.

We pay $12 reg. dues once, then our Charter Org. pays for each scout and adult leader each year after.
We sell popcorn and 10% goes into the Scouts account to use for camp or other activities.
The other % of popcorn goes into the Pack to pay for expenses, which includes a "Den Allowance" where each Den and the Leaders use that $ for the Den activities. We use this to buy the handbooks, neckerchiefs & slides each year. It also covers some crafts and of course snacks at each Den meeting.
We bought DS a blue shirt when we was a Tiger and we bought it big, and this year he's a Webelo and I told him he needs to get one pore year out of it! I'm not ready to sew on more patches!!
Our patches are free because we a re a Quality Unit and the council reimburses our pack for all uniform patches.
We do not pay dues, and when we have other Pack activities like skiing or a day at the water park, the Pack usually pays 1/2 and the scout/family pay the other half.
We also have one fundraiser besides popcorn. We do a French Toast breakfast and usually make about a $1000+ profit that goes into the pack for expenses.
We have 38 Scouts in our Pack right now and I have been a Den leader for 3 years. It's a lot of work but it's SOOO worth it to see my son learning so much!!