Dear Lake Erie Council Scouts and Scouters,
As many of you have seen, the National Council has increased membership fees. Despite premature information, the National Council officially released this information today and Lake Erie Council chose to wait until the official announcement to ensure our Scouting families have the most accurate information.
To ensure the resources to fulfill the promise of Scouting are available, the updated national membership fee is:
$66 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts participants
$42 for Exploring participants
$30 for council-paid memberships
$42 for all adult volunteers (includes cost of background check)
$75 for a unit charter fee
The membership fees will take effect August 1, 2020, for new members in the 2020-2021 program year. For renewing members, the new fee will take effect on October 1, 2020. The updated unit charter fee will take effect August 1, 2020, for all new and rechartering units.
Starting August 1, 2020, there will also be a one-time $25 joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts; however, there is no joining fee for Exploring participants, participants previously registered in any BSA program, those transferring from one program to another, council-paid memberships, or adult volunteers.
We understand these changes may come with some potential hardship for our units and Lake Erie Council has also done everything in our power to ensure the success of our units including covering the increased membership fee in 2020. We want to emphasize that the Lake Erie Council service area volunteers and professional staff are here to help and there are several ways to counter the increased fees.
Over the next couple of months, each of our units will be receiving help to review your unit budget and develop a fundraising plan. We, along with Trails End, are developing new resources and strategies to help our units have a successful popcorn sale in the midst of COVID-19. Additionally, units may still participate in our Scout’s Own online sales while supplies last. Our service area volunteers and professional staff will be discussing these options with you. Each unit should take advantage of the resources we will be providing as we work through this together.
As always, know that we are here to help our Lake Erie Council Scouting family through the good times and the bad times. While 2020 has not been the year many of us had hoped for, Scouting continues to help our Northeast Ohio community. Whether it has been participating in a “social distance” service project, the Lake Erie Council Blood Drive, or placing flags on Memorial Day for our fallen heroes, Scouting continues to be a beacon of hope and helpfulness to our community in need. The value of Scouting is undeniable for those within the program and the greater public, and we are committed to continuing to offer this unmatched opportunity to young people and families nationwide. Please do not hesitate to reach out should you have any questions.
Yours in Scouting,
Greg Voyzey Don Groszek
Director of Field Services Council Commissioner
Lake Erie Council Lake Erie Council
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