@RedskyAtnight
I think leaders could be way more up front about it all - most parents won’t know about the group census fees to HQ.
It's in the standard joining information that parents get given (at least it was a few years ago when my daughter started Brownies!).
In my experience parents are told lots of things by scouts and school, but the parents don't actually bloody listen to what they are told and take shit for granted more often than not.
DS troop is run with the explicit point that ALL parents are expected to help run evenings to keep the group running and without that support the group would not be able to run some of the activities - particularly the more adventurous one which the leaders give up extra free time (including holiday from work) to train for. They then are mortality offended when they find that out that includes them.
We have even had parents who think that somehow scout/guide group leaders are paid and are professionals! Quite how they think what they pay in subs cover the cost of these wages is beyond me. The disconnect from reality is utterly amazing.
The number of times I've heard 'but I don't have time' from parents including those who work part time when the leaders of the group all work full time AND volunteer to do other things AND do extra activities with their kids but still find the time to run the group (which is far more time consuming that just running the session) for other people's kids.
Honestly, its willful ignorance. How the fuck do people think Scouts and Guides afford to run activity camps and do all this training/safeguarding etc etc? By magic? Out of thin air?
Apparently Scouts have recently sent out an email requesting details of the number of kids on the books and this is due in by January. If you haven't paid for your child the group have to either make a decision whether to boot them or find the funds from somewhere else (if they have them). I know that our group do cover the costs for families who are facing financial hardship, but they simply can't do that for everyone. Thats why emails like this are currently going out. Groups don't have a choice. They will be charged for keeping a space open for a child regardless of whether meetings are going on or whether there is zoom provision. The waiting lists are so long that District Leadership lean heavily on groups who aren't running at full capacity too.
Parents need to understand the value of Scouts/Guides and the amount that leaders put into running groups. If they don't get it, then I think the phrase 'tough shit' springs to mind. Its not up to leaders who bust their guts keeping the groups going to spell it all out to ungrateful/deluded/out of touch parents who think that Scouts/ Guides have somehow had a mysterious cloak of protection from the financial fall out of covid.