Scoutmaster Musings

How much does a year of Scouting really cost?

With the 81% increase (from $33 to $60) in annual dues imposed by the BSA national organization starting in January 2020, there has been plenty of hand wringing, teeth gnashing, and hair pulling in angst, anguish, and apprehension.

So, I was curious just how much that mandatory fee increase really affects the full cost of being involved in Scouting for a year. I made a poll to collect data from Scouting families.

The data is only what people estimate and share, and won't exactly match your situation, but it gives a rough idea of what others out there are spending to have youth involved in Scouting.

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With 182 Cub Scout responses and 247 Scouts BSA responses, as of today, here's how the annual costs look:

• Cub Scouts costs about $550 and Scouts BSA costs about $950 - this does not include uniform costs
• Almost half have a council fee of $27 on average
• About 70% have an additional unit fee of $67 on average
• About 90% of Cub Scouts go to a summer camp costing $164 on average while virtually all Scouts BSA members do summer camp costing $334 on average

A few things that I found surprising:

• Weekend campouts cost around $35 each and the average scout attends almost 10 each year.
• Only a quarter of troops do their own high adventure outings. But, a scout will attend them every year or two and they cost around $425.
• Less than half of troops use the BSA high adventure bases, and a scout will spend about $1625 every 3.5 years to attend.

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The bottom line is that the $30 BSA fee increase is around a 5% raise in the average cost of scouting for Cub Scouts and 3% for Scouts BSA. The impact is more significant on Cub Scout families just getting started.

Go ahead and have a look at the results page for more numbers.

I'll modify the survey and ask again next year. If you have some suggestions, feel free to email them (or comment).

Scout On!

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Are you curious what a typical year of Scouting really costs? I am.

There's been quite a bit of chatter about the national BSA membership fee increase that goes into effect in a couple months.

Jumping from $33 to $60 is a huge percentage increase (like 90%!), but I expect it is more of a blip in the grand scheme of Scouting expenses.

I created an anonymous survey that asks for your input. No email or other personal info is needed, just your honest best estimates.

I'll share the results here in a couple weeks - data such as the average council fee, average unit fee, average cost of high adventure treks.

Scout On!

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