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Dear Cradle of Liberty Family,
The national organization of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) charges youth and adult members a fee that helps cover the cost of essential services to the local councils and units. Services include expanded liability insurance for those participating in approved Scouting activities, enhanced criminal background checks, a variety of program resources, youth protection and leader-specific training, and the development of intellectual property for national, council, and unit programs.
These fees do not directly fund the Cradle of Liberty Council. Instead, the council depends on the generosity of our Scouting families, volunteers, community, and corporate support through our Annual Campaign and other fundraising events. This critical support provides resources to local units and expands opportunities for more families to join Scouting right here in Philadelphia, Montgomery and Delaware Counties.
To position Scouting for the future, the national organization has been required to increase the national annual membership fees for both youth and adults. This has been a difficult decision that involved the engagement of key stakeholders, but is essential to building a strong, safe, and vibrant Scouting program for our nation’s youth.
Effective August 1, 2023, the BSA will implement the following national membership fees which were approved by the National Executive Committee:
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$80 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants ($5 increase)
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$60 for all adult volunteers ($15 increase to provide general liability insurance and enhanced background checks)
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$25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting (not prorated and no change in fee)
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$25 for merit badge counselors (new fee applies only for merit badge counselors not already registered as leaders)
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$50 for Exploring participants – youth & adult ($5 increase)
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$100 for a unit charter/affiliation fee (no change in fee)
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$15 for Scout Life magazine (no change in fee)
New Annual Membership Fee Process Announced – BSA Will No Longer Prorate Fees for New Members beginning August 1, 2023
Beginning August 1, 2023, all new youth and adult members who join Scouting will be enrolled in a 12-month membership cycle and BSA will cease prorating fees. Both youth and adults will pay the full annual membership fee and will renew their membership on the anniversary date of joining Scouting. All proration of membership fees will be eliminated. Each registered member of the BSA will receive an email notice with a registration renewal link beginning 60 days before the anniversary date they joined Scouting. Unit leaders will receive a copy of the email and should stay engaged in the membership renewal process just like rechartering.
It is important to note, existing members will renew their membership during their normal registration/recharter cycle through March 2024. Moving forward all members will renew on their anniversary date.
- Existing members’ anniversary date will be their unit recharter month.
- New members’ anniversary date will be the month they joined.
This new process will help streamline the rechartering and membership renewal process for units and councils. Additional information on this membership renewal process will be forthcoming in the very near future.
Local Council Annual Registration or Program Fees
Under the Rules and Regulations of the BSA, a local council may charge an annual registration or program fee to youth members, adult program participants and Scouters whose primary registration is with the council in an amount not to exceed the amount of the applicable individual registration fee for their position established by the National Executive Committee. In the new annual membership fee structure, a local council may charge a maximum of $80 per youth and $60 per adult. It is important to note that unlike many other councils, the Cradle of Liberty Council is not planning to charge a program fee through 2024. Instead, we encourage members of our Scouting family to make a donation to the Annual Campaign according to their interest and ability to give.
Historically, the council has charged a nominal fee per member during the annual recharter cycle to help cover the cost of accident and sickness insurance. While the cost to provide this insurance continues to climb every year, the council has made the decision to hold this fee at only $3 per member annually, but it will now be charged at the time of registration or renewal each year effective August 1, 2023.
We believe that Scouting remains one of the most valuable investments we can make in youth today and we appreciate our dedicated volunteers and Scouting families who make this life-changing program possible. We are committed to make sure every youth who wants to join Scouting has the opportunity to do so regardless of their family's ability to pay by providing fundraising programs for units, scholarship funds, and keeping local events and summer camp as affordable as possible. We will continue to provide you with updates as they become available.
Sincerely Yours in Scouting,
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