Aibu to not help Scouts…

[SecretsOfSunshine]

Name changed as identifiable.

Ive caused a bit of fall out, and didn’t expect it. I’m a bit of an accidental scout leader, not the main Akela but there weekly. My children went through scouts, the youngest is aging out. I’ve always been happy enough to help, I like kids. It’s not however something I’m hugely attached to either. I stayed mainly as they were short of leaders, and I enjoy it enough when there.

A parent complained that at camp they are feeding and housing the adults, we don’t pay to attend camps and we do eat.

Group section leader agreed, apparently other local packs do charge leaders for food over the weekend.

I didn’t get funny or stroppy, but I did say I’m out for camps. I said I don’t mind giving up my time, but it was a line for me to give up my weekend and pay for the pleasure. If I ate at home (large family) my food costs no where near the cost as the difference between cooking 5/6 portions is absorbed in the weekly food bill the same. Plus the scouts tend to overbuy and spend a lot more than is really needed tbh.

Another leader has now contacted me to say how strongly they disagree with me, also that I’m jeopardising the camp as they are already short on leaders. GSL has implied if I’m not committed maybe I should leave. Parents are moaning apparently.

The more I think the more pissed off I am. Tbh I’m ready to leave anyone between the increase in behaviour issues and local politics in the district. Camps have a horrible side of severe sleep deprivation and I also sometimes lose work shifts going or family commitments.

Is it really normal to begrudge volunteers their food and board in exchange for a weekend away for £50 and amazing activities laid on? I know when I was a teacher we were also included in costs spread among the kids. With 30/40 kids it’s hardly the bulk of the bill either

It really is childcare and a weekend off for some parents.

Our son went camping with Cubs, and we got a call at 10pm to come and pick him up. They'd managed to disturb a wasps nest and he'd got stung in the face and his face had swollen up! He was fine and we took him back the next day to re-join the activities!

I wonder how many parents don't even think to leave an emergency contact if they go away!! Or how many are out drinking so wouldn't be able to drive and pick their child up! They'd no doubt expect a Cub leader to take their child home...

I think that's quite an important point about the Charity Commission. My husband has always felt very strongly that for accounting purposes, all expenses payable by a charity should be properly claimed, so that they have a proper idea of how much it actually costs to run their service. So even if you decide to donate back an amount equivalent to, say, your petrol claim, the cost of transport for an event is included.

This obviously requires an atmosphere which doesn't frown upon expenses claims. When I became a governor, I was told that school governors don't receive expenses... but it's very clear in the Handbook that you can claim for babysitting, if required to attend a meeting. So I made sure that everyone knew this. No one ever did claim - and you knew it would be coming out of the school budget - but potentially that could have been a deal-breaker in terms of diversifying the Board.

'Hobby', my arse.

With regards to international trips... if more leaders volunteer than needed, they split the cost of the extra places between them (so 5 leaders volunteer but three needed, the 2 extra places are split between 5).

And emergency contacts...

Don't leave your phone on Do Not Disturb at night, as you are likely to miss the call!

I feel outraged by this on your behalf. How upsetting to have your time and efforts devalued in this way. So ungrateful and unappreciative. Honestly I would resign on principle to make a statement to all who believe it appropriate for you to have to pay your food costs.

I think the phrase you’re looking for when someone gives you ‘the camp is in jeopardy’ line is “Good Luck with that”.

No, @SecretsOfSunshine you’re not being unreasonable.

You're volunteering and giving up your time for the weekend - it's totally unreasonable to expect you to pay to be there too.

I do some work with a charity and there's no way we'd expect our volunteers to contribute to food or accommodation if they're giving up their time. That's bonkers!

As to the parents seeing as holiday time or childcare.

Every parent had to sign a document stating their child was fit and well before attending camp - we checked this and no child got on the bus without it.

Despite this one parent decided to load a sick child up with Loperamide and stuff them on the bus - resulting in a large scale outbreak of D&V which nearly closed the entire camp.

When calling said parent to collect the child they complained that they were working and it was not convenient for the child to return home.

Harsh words may have been said.

People used to assume my dm got paid.

It's complaint if order for those parents to complain and for the GSL to not stop that kind of thinking straight away.

Our DC scout leaders are absolutely amazing and I would be horrified to think they had to pay anything to give up their weekend so my kids could have a great time. We always send treats for the leaders along to camp, I often wonder if they have time to enjoy them.

I don't fully agree with you about parents going away during camps though. If our DC are not home why should we not take advantage of that? We usually try to be relatively nearby the camp so would probably be quicker to get there than if coming from home. I appreciate not all parents would think like that.

That doesn't make any sense.

It's completely out of order for those parents to complain...

Sadly it looks like it is time to finish your volunteering. Also make sure it’s clear you’re not responsible for camp not happening it’s the parent that has complained. The scout leader needs to contact that parent and get them to volunteer and pay. Sadly no doubt this is why such organisations have so few volunteers these days.

It’s fine to pay for your food if they pay for your time. Simple.

My friend does similar. She says they overfeed them but that’s because the scout leader is so grateful that they come.

If you have to charge volunteers then you can afford the activity.

Wow it's not like you are taking their payments and going to pub whilst the kids eat cream crackers.

I'd actually be willing to offer a bit more to cater for the kind and patient leaders who are willing to do these camps. They deserve a few extra bits, more luxurious items to compensate for the pain of running a camp!

Fortunately our local group isn't like this..a recent guide camp- guides paid full price and rangers attending only paid half I believe on account of them helping out the leaders. More than generous tbh.

Walk away op.

do they know you don’t get paid? I have never paid for anything when away as a volunteer. I also don’t pay for uniform as it is classed as an expense on the unit.

OP I am so sorry they are treating you like that. My son goes to beavers and I think the work leaders do is amazing, I am so grateful for them. I would hope you'd get all your food and activities free and your petrol paid for for taking them away. What are they thinking!

Re emergency contacts: when we did Brownie residentials we asked for an extra contact in case we couldn't get the parents and we stressed they did not need to be local/able to pick up because we would only be using them in a dire emergency when we couldn't get hold of the parents, to either approve emergency treatment or, if we were tied up with a vomiting child/broken limb, to keep calling the parents while we got on to the ambulance.

I'm a scout leader.
Grown ups get everything free in our group.
Food, tea, coffee, snacks. It's part of the gratitude for giving the time, effort and taking responsibility.

It's unfair to ask people to pay at short notice and there should be no pressure to attend.

I would either take my own food and go but quit after this camp or just bow out now.

They are making you the bad guy but they have changed the agreement

I could not think of much worse that to have to lead a school trip. You could not pay me enough to do that.

Hats off and hugest thanks to everyone who volunteers for what is hard work at best and hellish at worst.

You have done more than your fair share. Its a shame to bow out under these circumstances but you are 100% correct to let them get on with it without you.

Ive done coaching volunteering for years and its such a shame parents are, in general, looking at everything as a financial transaction. I bet if you called it child care and charged for all the food and activities at the kind of money a business would they would have a heart attack at the costs.

Move on and leave them to deal with the consequences.

OP it’s no problem because I presume said moaning parent is going to now step in to replace you and pay for the pleasure of doing so?
no good deed goes unpunished sadly, but how crap.

Cub leader here. Costs are covered as part of the camp costs. Our parents are perfectly happy to pay the extra couple of quid to have enough leaders to support the camp. Occasionally we pay a little if we misjudge the cost and we pay if we want to take part in activities but my payment is the annual leave I have to take.

GSL has implied if I’m not committed maybe I should leave.

That looks like an invitation that's easy to accept.

I haven’t read the whole thread OP but I sympathise wholeheartedly with you. Just step away and don’t put up with this shit. This sort of petty stuff started happening in schools to some teachers who gave their time freely for after school clubs. They got fed up and stopped it. I won’t volunteer for any organisation or charity now as I have previously been screwed over by them.DS was willing to take on a volunteer role in addition to his full time job. The organisation wanted him to take a weeks unpaid leave or holiday from his job to undergo training. The final straw was when they asked him to contribute a sum of money for tea, coffee and biscuits as they wouldn’t be providing those either at breaks.