Membership and Unit Renewal 

This message has been sent to all unit key three members, and it's purpose is to provide a short overview of the annual membership renewal process and alert key leadership that a decision is needed on selecting one of the two options on how to handle payment.

The default option is for individual members to pay the fee directly to the national office.  However, there is an option for units to pay the fee. Both of these are described below.

Please be aware that a simpler message about the changes to the membership renewal process will be sent by email to all member households on July 10. A draft copy of that message is available here. Members who joined last fall will start to receive messages from the national office in the near future, as their membership approaches its expiration.

The reason for the delay until July 10 is to allow unit key three leadership to have some time to consider their options and, potentially, communicate with their members. If a unit is going to use the "Family/Self Pay" option, advance communication may not be necessary.

What has changed?

The annual membership renewal for individual youth and adult members in Scouting has been separated from the annual unit renewal. Both processes used to be part of an annual charter renewal process (also known as "recharter").

When do memberships expire?

There are no longer pro-rated memberships for new members from the date joined through the end of the calendar year. All memberships are for 12 months. 

Members who joined:

• prior to August 1, 2023, have memberships that expire each year on December 31. 
• on or after August 1, 2023, have memberships that expire on the last day of the month prior to their 12 month anniversary. 
• For example: For a member who joined on September 16, their membership will expire each year on August 31. 

What messages will a member receive?

Two months before a member's annual membership expires, he/she will receive an email notice from the BSA national office. 

What action does the unit need to take right now? 

Units can choose how individual memberships will be renewed:

• Option 1: Family/Self Pay (default): Individual members renew their own memberships and pay the national membership and local council service fees directly.
• Option 2: Unit Pay: Units will pay for membership renewals for all of their members. 

Units must pick one option or the other. The "Family/Self Pay" option is the default. Instructions to switch to the "Unit Pay" option are in the FAQ section.

Important Note About E-Mail Addresses

For this process to work smoothly, all member email addresses need to be correct/current in MyScouting or Scoutbook Plus. Confirm or update your members' email addresses in either portal (myScouting at https://my.scouting.org or Scoutbook Plus at https://advancements.scouting.org) so that all members receive the renewal notification. 

Considerations Check List

Here are some factors to think about when deciding which option to use and what the unit may need to make a game plan to address:

• Youth & Adult Are Handled Same Way: All members, youth or adult, are handled the same way based on the option you choose. So, if a unit wants to use the "Family/Self Pay" option for youth, but they want to pay for adult leaders, they will want to plan to reimburse the adults after they pay.

• Membership Renewal Payment Dates:  As new members join, their 12-month memberships will expire in different months throughout the year. They will not all be at the same time at the end of December like with the old "recharter" method. Does the unit want to be responsible for monitoring renewals every month?

• Unit Dues: What dues/fees does the unit charge in addition to the BSA national membership and council service fees that are paid through the online membership renewal? How will the unit explain what types of expenses those dues cover to their members?

• Collection Timing: When will the unit collect any needed dues and/or fees?

• Fundraising: How does the amount and timing of fundraising impact renewal payments?

• Individual Accounts: Does the unit maintain financial accounts for individual members to track their financial transactions with the unit, including any fees/purchases, payments/debits, and credits from fundraising? Does this need to change in any way?

• Adult Leaders: Does the unit pay for or reimburse all or part of an adult leader's fees?

• Scholarships: Does the unit pay for or reimburse all or part of a member's fees if that member has a financial need?

• Payment Risk: What if a member doesn’t pay the unit for their membership renewal in time? Will the unit cover the costs or allow the member to be dropped from the roster?

• Payment Method: Online payment by e-check (ACH) or credit card is encouraged to eliminate the handling and timing issues of paper checks.

Frequently Asked Questions 

Where can I find more information?

Helpful resources including videos and job aids are available for both membership renewal and unit renewal at https://www.scouting.org/resources/unit-and-membership-renewal/

The document "Unit and Member Renewal Processes May 2024" is particularly useful.

How do we enable the "Unit Pay" option of membership renewals?

If the unit has decided to pay their members' annual membership renewal fees:

• Login to https://my.scouting.org
• Select Menu > unit number > Organization Manager 
• Check the box to change the "Renewal Payment" setting and save changes.