AIBU to be frustrated chasing unpaid Girlguiding subs Every. Single. Term?

[brownieleader]

I run two Girlguiding units who started back this week. Like every term, subs are due before the first meeting of term.

So please tell me why I am still waiting for about 15 children’s subs!

I am a volunteer. I do not want to chase you for money. I want to spend my prep time planning fun trips and activities for your children.

So if you are one of these parents who forget to pay despite several reminders please tell me how I can get through to you! I won’t turn children away for non payment, but equally I have a 2+ year waiting list so perhaps I should….

And if you are a parent who always pays for your children’s clubs on time thank you!

We are in a very diverse socioeconomic area and there is no correlation between who haven’t paid and those who might struggle to pay. But if anyone does struggle, if they let us know we can access funding from county.

Anyone who hasn’t paid by next week is being named and shamed in the parents WhatsApp group

My kids are in Beavers and I get such an emphatic thank you email when I pay my subs as soon as they’re requested (or I’d forget!). I don’t envy you at all!

I feel irritated on your behalf. Volunteers rarely get the recognition they deserve.

Ours are now all set up on online scout manager to pay automatically each term. If you can get an option like this, look into it.

Also, it helps if payment works with Apple pay /
paypal etc so people know it’s just a button click.

Anything you can do to automate reminders etc.

My dc have left scouting now but the leader got so fed up he gave all dc a letter. It said you have till the end of the month to pay or let us know your struggling as we won't be able to afford next terms rent if people continue not to pay. Then apologised to those that had paid but then said going forward from the next term subs would be via standing order and dc will be asked to leave if no payment and parent not contacted them if struggling to access the support fund.
I think give parents a warning/timeframe and let them know of the consequences and go through with them. Your a volunteer and dont need the stress. Its not the dc fault but parents have to realise that their actions have consequences.

Not scouts but other hobbies, it’s all about pay day. I don’t pay after cut off but sometimes leave it as late as I can to get paid.

I won’t turn children away for non payment

That's why you're not getting paid. People are not like 40 years ago. They have no shame, and will use you as a credit line until they've been chased to eternity.

Turn a few away. If they kick off, explain that it's like the hairdressers or the train station - you pay before you play.

Send out a message that children will no longer be allowed to return without up to date subs.

Is their a wating list?
If so say places will be filled from it.

State you are a volunteer and will no longer be chasing people for money.

My tennis club did this and meant it.
It worked and sorted out the pss takers.

Switch to a monthly automated system. My Scouts had the same problem... but monthly they dont need to think. (In fact, we often contact them after theyve left to remind them to cancel it!)

Mybown DDs Subs are Quarterly which is a pain as ut isnt connected to anything.

Pay my daughters by direct debit each month. Don’t even think about it.

You have to send out emails that due to non payment that their Dd will no longer be welcome ! I don't think there is any other way, years ago when my Dd was in guides the guider would hand out envelopes to be handed back in with either cash or a cheque to be put in a basket at the front of the hall, so people did pay because they were gently forced to.

I get you are a volunteer but you really need to chase them up if they are not paying, Y
ou couldhave a poster run up detailing what the Subs pay for.
Years ago I ran a couple of youth clubs and I had to chase parents up for money, I also put out the "poster" every week.

I feel your pain! Its a constant headache. And filling forms for trips. They forget everytime. We send through email and give a physical copy. Yet they still end up filling them in when collecting their girls. So then I have to wait longer to go home.

I’ve got 3 very slow/non payers and agreed OP it’s also driving me mad. I had some time off for a family emergency (half a term) and during that time no one chased them and now they are just taking the piss.

Thank you everyone for your replies (especially those who always pay for their children on time!).

We always ask at the end of the last term for the following term so there’s always a pay day in between. So far, they’ve been asked via email, WhatsApp and in person after the first meeting to each respective tight parent.

I’d not thought of automated payments / direct debits but they are definitely something I will look into.

I think I’m going to have to get tougher and say if you’ve not paid by the end of the weekend your child’s place is being offered to the next child on the waiting list!

See forms we are good at - if you miss the deadline for a trip, you don’t go. No exceptions and they are all good at this as a result!

We have a direct debit system at our cubs, comes out monthly. I think it’s through the online scout manager another poster mentions. Which seems to work well but locks me out frequently (currently can’t get in to pay for camp!)

Then that answers your original question, doesn't it.

DS's scout leader was still chasing up subs at half term. There's no waiting list sadly.
The parents had to chase up the Explorers leader as nobody knew exactly how much it had gone up to this time. He didn't seem concerned, but he's quite young and struggling with lack of volunteers.

" Anyone who hasn’t paid by next week is being named and shamed in the parents WhatsApp group "

Are you actually going to do this. @brownieleader ??

Or was this the bit you put in here for "lolz" from the Mumsnetters?

I'm just curious because if you are going to do this, it could theoretically be effective. But it could also cause an interesting situation in terms of how people then think about Brownies...

because they'll use the situation to try and become victims (as is the modern way) and bleat about how they weren't given a fair chance (remember - your chaser emails and texts won't be shown as part of that convo, only your naming and shaming)

Direct debit is the easiest way to avoid all this. I strongly suggest you do it, along with an email that states in bold "those who do not pay by X date will have their child removed from the register" etc.

The only problem with OSM payments is they take commission out of every payment, so the group doesnt get the while amount. (Plus the Group pays for OSM)

I actually think naming & shaming might be a good thing. I once thought I’d paid DD’s brownies subs - I’d always paid the day the message was sent and thought I’d done it as usual, but somehow didn’t this time. The anonymous reminder messages were sent several times to WhatsApp group until it was “one person still outstanding” and I was even wondering about paying for the person who was maybe struggling to not pay for so long. Until lovely leader grabbed me for “a quick word” and told me it was me. I was mortified- if names had been given weeks before then I’d have realised my mistake much much sooner! That obviously doesn’t cover the ones who aren’t so genuine but sometimes peer pressure can be a good thing.

An automated system would be great. I really do try and keep on top of it, but I'm ND and sometimes something does slip through the cracks (if it's not convenient to pay immediately I do try and set a reminder for a time I know is likely to be convenient but sometimes I fail at that step). Saying that, usually a reminder gives me the necessary kick up the arse, but appreciate you shouldn't have to send them.

I had a similarly mortifying thing with the last Brownies trip - I even remember going into my bank app to pay for it, but can only assume I got distracted and never clicked the final button.

Our scout payment is all online and automated. Don't even think about it.

But she’s already talked to the parents who haven’t paid face to face to remind them. So it doesn’t sound like an issue where they just don’t realise it’s them that haven’t paid.

I wouldn’t name and shame, I’d just say “I’m a volunteer, I’m not spending any more of my own time chasing money. We’ve got a waiting list, so you’ve got a week to pay or you lose the space.”
And then for future payments I’d give a deadline to pay by before the space is lost.

Both my DDs are in Rangers but different groups. One group uses online guide manager, where subs are automated, the other doesn’t. I can guess which one has outstanding subs to collect each term!

Why wouldn’t you use the system that some genuis has set up to solve this very problem? It isn’t expensive (not sure what the price is for guides but they offer a system for other clubs that is about £30 per year).