Scouts/ Guides etc charging full fees

[Oileo]

Obviously all groups are different, but ours are definitely not being charged for halls (As stated on the parish website and confirmed verbally). Different if groups are being charged. However most our subs go on in session resources, towards trips etc.

My third is now ready to join, which has prompted this. The first term will be £35. Only they’ll be solely zoom. It’s a new pack.

With our current pack I’ve stepped up and contributed a lot to zoom sessions and any face to face as a leader, doing something with every week- but overall I’m not earning and nearly a year in I could do with a bit of a break on subs.

Are your groups still charging normal subs? I know nationally scouts and guides are actually increasing costs for registration.

I’m noW feeling like I’m tight because I’ve just asked if the youngest can remain on the waiting list until face 2 face starts up. They were a bit off and I’m guessing her place is lost. But she has no interest in zoom at all at age 5. Loves a hall full of friends, but by 5:30 she’s not up for screen listening at all.

How are your kids finding it at after school times if they do it?

As a leader I haven't charged anything since Jan 2020 despite sending activities and then doing zoom from Sept. All resources have been delivered for those girls wishing to take part and a request for money to cover the head office fee this term is all I have requested. Those not on zoom have been placed back on to a relevant waiting list. We are all volunteers and doing the best we can, adapting for online is hard work and we understand that it doesn't suit everyone but we are all offering what we can in the current climate. Many of us don't agree with the head office fee but unfortunately there is no way round it and even leaders need to pay it.

The costs of every unit are far more than just hall rental.

We have:

Hall rental
Badge books
Hand books
Enrolment badges
Regular badges
Materials for activities
Leader registrations and DBS
Leader training

That's off the top of my head.

We've lost a lot of money this last year, to the point where I've put in some personal funds so we aren't in a bad position. My idea, my sacrifice, wasn't asked or expected. Considered it a charity donation but it'll pay for my registration.

Oileo Genuinely - if you've lost one salary since March, then you should talk to the Group. Every group is different, and I can't guarantee anything, but yours are exactly the circumstances where Groups (generally) will do their utmost to help. Support from the Scout (and I presume Guide) Group isn't limited to people who are having to go to food banks, etc.

As I say, every Group is in a different situation, as every family is in a different situation, but all the Groups I know (which is a lot as I've had District and County Roles) would do their best to support a family in your circumstances.

Yes, I agree talk to your treasurer(s). We have set aside a greater contingency for non-payment due to need this year. While going hardcore that those remaining unpaid (through just not bothering) will not be registered and so not covered by insurance.

Because we can't have another €12,000 hole in our accounts (amount unpaid last year), but we do want all those who WANT to stay involved to be able to.

@AliceMcK

The reason a parent has to be there for zooms is for safeguarding - we just ask our parents to be in the room. Sometimes I see them buzzing around in the background making dinner, dealing with small children etc.

We haven’t charged any subs as we haven’t had any F2F, just zoom and I’ve tried to do all my zoom sessions without spending any money. I’ve still had all my cubs (bar 1) attend and get messages from parents that they are enjoying it. We have to pay capitation soon but the Exec/GSL hasn’t asked us to ask for subs. I think it depends on the group’s financial situation and whether they have their own or are being asked for rent.

Guiding volunteer here. As others have said, it's going to massively vary from area to area, and even unit to unit. The units in my area have Zoomed weekly since September, but we've only started charging subs from this week, and it's going to be £10 rather than the usual £30. We own our building but have received a number of grants which means that's largely self-supporting (and over the summer holiday and autumn term was used by Covid-secure external groups, so we had a bit of income that way). We've asked our parents if they want to stay and Zoom (£10), stay on our books but not Zoom (also £10 as we have to pay annual subscription, and they're getting resources such as badges from us), or go back to the waiting list for when we can meet face to face (although several of our girls will be too old). As ever, we make it clear to parents that finances should not be a barrier to joining. We've had some excellent feedback from parents and girls last term, and hopefully this one will be just as good, although we appreciate it's going to be different again as the children are now home schooling which most weren't doing in the autumn.

Sorry, just the first para was for AliceMcK

Having been at the AGM our pack has significant reserves that have increased this year without rent or resources beyond a zoom purchase, it’s a large affluent pack. I’m sorry for those packs that are in difficulty. The girl guides I have no idea, as I haven’t been to AGMs.

As I said I’m not in a place to claim hardship, it’s just a case of picking what we do. I could I guess pay for guides, but then I’d probably buy no craft/ paper for home. At the moment I really think that’s important and being practical with occupy them longer and I can teach more with it. I only claim hardship if I wasn’t buying another ‘extra’. We have a reasonable sole income, maybe slightly above the area average. It’s just spent on 5 kids, food and a mortgage instantly.

Rainbows here. We are charging mostly full fees, I think it’s £10 off. But we’ve been continuing sessions throughout, aubergine, and we’ve achieved what we needed to in terms of the curriculum and doing extra challenge badges on things. It’s starting to feel a bit weird though, as we are in a position where the majority of our Rainbows are people we have never actually seen in person.

I paid nearly 800 last year and this year for scouts membership.
I m a leader and we ve done mostly weekend outdoor activities and a zoom meeting every week....
The pressure to go out was huge from parentsvwanting bang for their buck...exact words.
In all honesty i wasnt comfortable or happy and felt bullied into it.....
At the minute its all zoom but numbers are through the roof locally.
I actually feel like quitting

Hi OP. I am a guide leader and we are still charging full subs. We are £3.00 per week. Some of thr money goes in our Guiding and Scouting kitty for repairs and maintaining our hall which continues to be needed even when we are not using it, some goes to materials for the sessions as we can't bulk buy or access our hall readily we put a pack together for each girl each week and drive it to their house. This is also quite expensive. We also have to contiually heat the hall as it is not being used and would otherwise get damp. We have to pay fees to central Guiding too. Your Guide leaders as you will know are doing all of this and giving their time for free coming up with creative ways to entertain and include your child in really rubbish times. Our overheads are the same and we don't claim for our petrol, we juggle our time to make sure that the girls maintain their Guiding friendships and feel happy and welcome when we do go face to face again.
I hope that you think that our time is worth the endless hours we spend planning and executing things in the background. We do this because we love working with the girls, we do this because we care. Deffo worth £3.00 per week.

Even in pre-covid times we have a few parents that pay reduced fees for one reason or another. As you are on a single wage and have several kids, our unit would take the view that we'd like to be able to help your kids stay in Guiding. We certainly don't ask any intrusive questions about what you spend your money on.

Ours isn't charging, but they have zoom for cubs and beavers, little contact for Scouts. My DC is a scout so I would have looked for a new group if they tried to charge me for nothing.

Ours is charging normal rates, but I think Scouts is the best deal in town as far as extra-curricular activities are concerned, so happy to pay. If anyone struggles with the fees, they always offer help.

@Casschops your guilt trip has ignored I also put effort in, weekly support to a pack (I have for 5 years know) and I also manage to do other voluntary roles without guilt tripping others to support me. I for example put a lot of effort into a church group, worth the money for those who do I reckon, but I totally respect anyone who doesn’t pay or join us for any reason. Money isn’t growing on trees. 2/3 of our income is a mortgage right now and most the rest is food/bills. We are counting it up and £35 is the best part of another weekly shop realistically. With 5 kids that much for each is a hell of a chunk of income, plus post Xmas . Just because you do something good it doesn’t mean you should be shown financial value by every parent regardless of their means. I volunteer for things realistically because I enjoy it and because my kids massively benefit, that’s my value and reward and it’s high, so I don’t get upset when others tell me they might spend their cash on something else and bleat ‘I hope you think my time is worth it...’ in a guilt trip. Yes it’s great you volunteer, great for girls locally... but it does not have a financial worth that should be recognised.

That moan was directed at anyone else please note, just that one specific guilt trip response.

For others, I totally appreciate its good value yes, and everywhere is stretched right now.

I think the post just got my back up because I’m already feeling guilt tripped over this from the tone of messages,like I’m a bad person not ensuring it all keeps going for others or appreciating the time volunteers give. It also dismissed the fact that I really try to give back as much I can, doing something every week, camp cooking etc... I’m not someone who sits back and wants the world for free. I’ve cooked and/or set up and packed up for example on every camp my kids have ever done. I’ve always stepped in for illness cover as I have a dbs and the skills and whatever else is needed

[quote NotSorry]@AliceMcK

The reason a parent has to be there for zooms is for safeguarding - we just ask our parents to be in the room. Sometimes I see them buzzing around in the background making dinner, dealing with small children etc.

We haven’t charged any subs as we haven’t had any F2F, just zoom and I’ve tried to do all my zoom sessions without spending any money. I’ve still had all my cubs (bar 1) attend and get messages from parents that they are enjoying it. We have to pay capitation soon but the Exec/GSL hasn’t asked us to ask for subs. I think it depends on the group’s financial situation and whether they have their own or are being asked for rent.[/quote]
There have been a lot of craft activities that adults have needed to help with. I missed a rainbows one once when bathing my youngest, my 6yo DD was upset she couldn’t do what everyone else was doing because they had parents or older siblings helping, I asked my 8yo why she didn’t help but she couldn’t do it. When it came to the brownies turn I helped and even I struggled with understanding the instructions and getting it right and I’m quite handy with crafts. If it was a matter of just being in the background it wouldn’t be too bad but it’s not.

@Oileo you're right, money doesn't go on trees. If you can't afford it currently, you can't afford it. You just need to tell them that. They may be able to help, or they may not. But they can't help if they don't know.
We are constantly telling our parents to let us know if they can't afford subs.

We are not being charged at all for Brownies. We are not having online sessions either though, as most didn't want that. It is not what Borwnies is about for most people, it is about interaction.

@AliceMcK

Fair enough - I run cubs who are 8-10.5. I’ve consciously been trying to do activities they can get on with themselves as I know if my children were still that age I would probably swerve it too

We have done one activity out of about 30+ meetings where they needed a spare pair of hands!! Even I needed them - was one of those activities that in a face to face meeting would have been easier - you live and learn!

@JerichosPenisInADeadChickHat

Ours are closed and we haven't paid a penny. Nor have they done any activities online or otherwise.

I'm quite surprised actually as they were very active. It's one thing I'm really sad for the kids about. The eldest might be too old to go back

This is our situation too. My kids have really missed it, probably more than anything else