Beavers

[wickedfairy]

DS has not long started Beavers and enjoys going. I am glad that he likes it but.....

Every week - numerous, numerous emails/texts telling me about what is happening this week (usually only a few days before) and I need to do/buy something, which doesn't give me a lot of time to get it sorted, especially as we are working and sometimes the emails come the day before and DS is at the childminders straight away before Beavers the next day. It costs 400 pounds a year (yes, really) and although I think it is expensive, we can/will pay, as DS enjoys it. There is a parents rota, which you are automatically put on and our working hours will make it difficult to ba around for the majority of these times, although they will not be too frequent.

Thing is, for paying a hefty amount - I just want to pay and leave them to it, tbh. I don't want to help, I don't want loads of mails asking me to do things - I just want to pay and for him to turn up and enjoy himself.

So - AIBU and a total grumpy cow? (I am suspecting that I probably am - what do you all think?)

How much??

YANBU. At all. About any of it.

For that money, I'd expect the Chief Beaver to put my kid to bed too.

I don't think you are being unreasonable. They should be keeping extra costs to a minimum. I would be asking what your £400 is paying for!

I don't agree with the idea of forcing parents to help either. That shoul be by choice and when fits them

Blimey, ours is £30 a term. The only thing we pay extra for is camps/sleepover and district parties (usually £1). Parents aren't expected to help although they're delighted when we do and they do loads of activities, ds1 loves it .

Sounds a little on the steep side !

Late texts/emails are annoying. Have you spoken to them about it?

How on earth does it cost that much?? I pay £2 per week for cubs and £2.50 for explorers!

That money doesn't seem right! Ours is about £15 a term!

Ooh! I thought you meant my neighbourhood menaces!

Why is it £400 per year?

Our Beavers/Cubs/Scouts is £30 per term - so £90

£400 is a ridiculous amount. Scouts generally try to keep the cost down. My DS's cub pack charges £25 a term which I thought was about the norm. I'd want to know where the money is going (I guess potentially they have very high accommodation costs).

Parents rota is standard for these type of organisations - sorry. If you genuinely can't manage the occasional time your name comes up (or find some other friend/relative to cover) speak to the Beaver leader. most will be sympathetic to genuine difficulties.

The constant emailing is just rubbish. Sounds like the leaders are very disorganised. However, if your son has just started is it possible that he's missed out on info sent out at the beginning of term?

Our is £1.50 a week and we dump and desert them.

£400! We pay £25 per term. Sleepovers are extra but not very much, less that a tenner.

Can you look for a cheaper group, that just seems ridiculous!

ours is £60 annual fees and then £2 each week you attend. plus extra money for camp nights or days out. no parents are forced to help out, i can drop ds off and go.

is there nothing similar near you that doesn't cost as much?

No parenting rota at ours at all. I wouldn't be able to do it anyway as I have a 2yo. Can you speak to the organisers and mention that you'd like a breakdown of costs as other groups are cheaper. Also point out that you can't fit on the rota.

YANBU.

the subscriptions you describe are high but just cover costs, Beavers like all parts of the Scout movement are run by volunteers. The need for a parent rota is due to the lack of volunteers to run the sessions as a high ratio is needed due to the age of the children.

Beavers = £7 per month
Cubs = £8 per month.
I have had a DD set up, since the week he commenced Beavers.
£400

Saying that, TOTALLY get what you are saying about last minute.
Ours do that. Soooo annoying. Get a text 1/2 an hour before, saying 'tonight we won't be at the scouthut becasue we are going to xxxxx'.

£400 a year? Just for normal beaver meetings? You must be joking??

At our Guide unit, 400 would pay for a years subs, a weeks camp (inc. food, transport 100 miles, and activities), 2 sleepovers, a 3 day camp and you'd still have change for uniform and kit for the camps.

£400??? Really???

DS1 started in May and I started as a leader in Sept, and the kids pay £5 per half term.

We do stuff on a shoestring and try to keep contributions to stuff out of the recycling bin, food for parties, and lifts and parent helpers on the occasional trips out.

We have a parents rota, which parents can swop amongst themselves, but if a parent couldn't make it, we'd understand and figure something else out.

You can have an awful lot of fun on very little funds - the only reason we might have to put subs up is to fund a new heating system for the hut, but that'll only be if we can't do it through other fundraising events.

£400!

All ours pay £1.50 per week (term time only) payable a term in advance.

I would check with other packs/colonies to see what the norm is in your area. I can only think they are having to pay to hire a hall.

If you really can't help out at any of the evening meetings tell the leaders and maybe offer to help when they do stuff at weekends. Our beavers take part in district sports/swimming sometimes on a Saturday and do a church parade for St Georges and Rememberance Sunday.

I agree £400 is way too high ! With the holidays even if they do 40 weeks that's £10 a week ! We pay £30 and extra for trips but they are always optional

£400 pounds isn't even what I pay for 3 of mine to do Cubs/Scouts! We pay £10 each per month plus an annual fee of £45 for all of them. Obviously camps cost extra, but at Beavers they only do an overnight stay.

Parent rotas are pretty normal, I think most groups do them.

We rarely have to bring stuff in but do usually get lots of notice if we have to. Mind you, ours are quite behind the times technology wise and we rarely get emails! So we get told stuff in person. This means I forget a lot!

Christ does your Beaver leader have a condo in Cannes that you are subsidising?

ours is £30 a term too

As a Guider I think YABU about not wanting to help. Every Guider in my village is either running two or more units or has had to rope in their family to help prop up units (we are an interbred group of mothers, daughters and siblings). Why? I can tell you it isn't for the love of it. Over the last 5 years the level of help, support and even basic manners and respect we get off the parents has gone down hill rapidly. Most of us would walk away if we could get some one to take over, but no. Last summer I told my parents I am unlikely to continue for much longer without more support (I run my own business and home educate my kids) and nothing - 50 families I contacted and nothing. I do have a parent rota, although I ask people to sign up so it can fit around them. But as I am then left trying to cover gaps it makes more work for me so may have to go down the route of your Beavers.

On the other hand £400???? £85 a year for Beavers here, £28 a term at my Rainbows

My post was meant to say we pay £30 a term !

Ours are £38 per term. So £400 does seem extortionate. Also, think the last minute e- mails show a lack of organisation.
However, you've said your DS enjoys it and volunteers are needed to allow that to happen. If a group don't have enough genuine volunteers, they will co-opt parents in on a rota basis. The alternative would be less children in the colony and then your DS may miss out.

Ours is £40 a term, as is Cubs and Guides. Weekendy events extra. That sounds very odd.