|
Troop 230 |
The cost of $couting is fairly reasonable, especially when considered against other youth activities. To join the troop, all that is required it to fill out an application and to pay the dues, and then get a uniform. The scout council's registration fees are paid out of the dues, including the boy's subscription to scoutings "Boy's Life Magazine." For Troop 230, our yearly dues are $48, which is $4/month, usually paid once a year in the late fall. Of that amount, $10.80 goes to pay for Boy's Life, and another $10 pays for his registration. We spend another $1 for medical insurance. It's just supplemental insurance, but it has been helpful to a few scouts in the past. That leaves the troop with about $2 per boy per month. Normal weekend campouts are $15, for one night, which usually pays for three meals per kid. For two night campouts the normal troop fee is $20, which typically covers three meals on Saturday and one or two on Sunday. Hard as it is to believe, we do feed the teenagers in the troop for that. Sometimes a campout may be higher, as if there are council patches we have to purchase, or port-a-pots that are mandated and must be rented. If we are renting canoes, or other equipment, then those fees will be passed to the scouts attending. There are two ways that scouts can help parents and literally pay for their program. The first way is through the Troop coffee sale. We have received authorization to sell Kaladi Premium fresh roasted coffee, and any scout in the troop is authorized to do so. The coffee prices and kinds can be downloaded by taking this link--->COFFEE. The fund raiser works well. The scout prints out a form, then makes his sale, collects the money, and orders the coffee. A week later, at the next troop meeting, he picks up his coffee and delivers the merchandise. For every pound of coffee a scout sells, he earns $1 into his troop account, which can be used to pay for extended campouts such as summer camp. The troop also makes about a buck, so its a win/win for both the troop and the scout. For example, if a scout found fifteen neighbors that purchased coffee from him each month, he would earn $180 in a year, which he could use to offset the costs associated with summer camp or a longer canoe trip, etc. This program is totally optional, and is in place to give parents and scouts and opportunity to reduce the cost of the program and help the troop at the same time. |