– I pay for those days when my kids came home from school and were “too tired” to go to Scouts but went anyway.

– I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined, focused, and dedicated.

– I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body and equipment.

– I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates, gracious in defeat, and humble in success.

– I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, and when they are faced with challenges and setbacks that they have the determination to keep going, to do their best and not give into themselves.

– I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.

– I pay for my kids to respect, not only themselves, but other Scouts and Leaders.

– I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours, years and years, of hard work and practice to build skills in whatever you do and that success does not happen overnight.

– I pay for my kids to be proud of small achievements, and to work towards long term goals.

– I pay for the opportunity my kids have had to make life-long friendships, create lifelong memories and to be as proud of their achievements as I am of them.

– I pay so that my kids can be out and about in our Scouting world instead of in front of a screen or on a street corner up to no good…

– I pay so we would spend more time together as a family.

…I could go on but in short, I didn’t just pay for Scouts…

No I pay for the opportunities that Scouts provide my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their life, give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others and become a good citizen of the world.

A Scout Group is entirely self-funded. The expenses of a Scout Group are met by the Parent Assistant Group. They take responsibility for the cost of running the Den and surrounds, raise funds, organise social events, and attend scout activities including camps and excursions. Meetings are held regularly at the Den on either the Cub or Scout meeting night for convenience.

Expenses are various. purchasing of badges, certificates etc., (badges are purchased by the Group and presented as they are earned ).

The Parent Support Committee must also meet the cost of maintaining camping and other equipment in first class, safe condition as well as paying for rates, electricity and maintenance of the Scout Den. There is the cost of providing new equipment and resources such as tents, ropes, cooking gear, games equipment etc.

Naturally we have electricity, insurance and the like to pay and there are Leader training costs to be met by the Group to ensure that Leaders are fully trained to deliver the best programs they can to your child.

Membership and Subscription
You will be asked to pay a membership fee which assists in the running of the Scout Association of Australia. With an organisation containing around 90,000 members, administration and training expenses are substantial.
See Membership Fees below A subscription fee is also required to cover the cost of  equipment, badges and certificates as well as the ‘normal’ expenses like electricity, insurance etc.
Each Scout Group works out its own budget for subscriptions and chooses its own method of charging subscriptions. However, as a guide, the combination of Group and Section subscriptions fees typically averages at $4-5 per week.
See Subscriptions below

Uniform
A uniform is also needed and can be purchased from the Scout Outdoor Centre.
For more details see UNIFORM

Equipment
The Scout Group own or have access to a large range of extensive camping and adventure equipment such as tents, ropes, cooking gear and possibly canoes and/or boats. The  cost of this equipment is met by community donations and money-raising events. When your child joins Scouts, he or she will be benefiting from the efforts of community over the years to acquire these resources.As a family, you will be expected to do your bit to support fund-raising activities toward the continuing purchase and maintenance of this equipment and other resources in your local Scout Group.

Personal Equipment
Eventually you will need to equip your son or daughter with items of personal equipment such as a mess kit, sleeping bag, rucksack, sleeping mattress and so on. The older your child gets the more of this type of equipment he or she will want. However, there is no rush to buy these things and they make great ideas for birthdays and Christmas.

It is always worth buying good quality equipment that will last and continue to be suitable for many years. Seek advice from  your Section Leader or make your purchases from a Scouts store. Our Loacal Scout Shop has a wide range to choose from equipment that is both suitable and will last.

In summary…
In summary there is a cost to Scouting as nothing comes free in this world, but be assured that you don’t need to buy it all tomorrow.

If you have a problem meeting the costs of Scouting for your son or daughter don’t be afraid to have a chat to their Section Leader as there are ways in which we can help you out.

What is more important is that you support your son and daughter throughout their time in Scouting, not just with money but with love and encouragement. We encourage you to get to know your child’s Section Leader, and other parents of children in the Section. Don’t be surprised if we ask for your help in running a number of events and activities throughout the year, as we cannot survive without your help.