Registration and Crossovers

[Stan]

Here's an issue at the Troop level. I'd like to know if others have
encountered it, and if so, how do you handle it?

In our Council, ALL units have a registration year from April 1 thru
March 31. It has also been "decreed" that the 5th graders cross over
to a Troop in February or March.

The issue we have at the Troop level is that the Packs collect dues
for the entire year, but after the first year will kind-of realize a
windfall if a boy drops out before March 31 or crosses over into a
Troop (i.e., the dues they collect in September include registration
on April 1, but it never has to get paid since the boy is no longer in
the Pack). Between registration, council charter fee, insurance, and
Boys' Life, this is close to $40 a boy, and basically the Troops get
stuck paying it for those who cross over; the question then becomes
whether the Troop should collect it from the 5th graders, since they
just paid, perhaps, $85 to the Pack the previous September.

Does anybody else have this situation, and if so, how do you handle
it? The only counterargument the Packs may have is that they're
simply recovering at the boy's exit what they had to lay out the year
he first joined; specifically, they had to pay for 7 months pro-rated
in September and then again for a full year in April.

[Stephen Henning]

Post by Stan
Here's an issue at the Troop level. I'd like to know if others have
encountered it, and if so, how do you handle it?
In our Council, ALL units have a registration year from April 1 thru
March 31. It has also been "decreed" that the 5th graders cross over
to a Troop in February or March.
The issue we have at the Troop level is that the Packs collect dues
for the entire year, but after the first year will kind-of realize a
windfall if a boy drops out before March 31 or crosses over into a
Troop (i.e., the dues they collect in September include registration
on April 1, but it never has to get paid since the boy is no longer in
the Pack). Between registration, council charter fee, insurance, and
Boys' Life, this is close to $40 a boy, and basically the Troops get
stuck paying it for those who cross over; the question then becomes
whether the Troop should collect it from the 5th graders, since they
just paid, perhaps, $85 to the Pack the previous September.
Does anybody else have this situation, and if so, how do you handle
it? The only counterargument the Packs may have is that they're
simply recovering at the boy's exit what they had to lay out the year
he first joined; specifically, they had to pay for 7 months pro-rated
in September and then again for a full year in April.

This is fairly common. There is no easy solution. The best solution is
when a pack and troop work together and do what is best for the boy and
his family. That is obvious for both the pack and troop; have a
different fee for 2nd year Webelos. In that case, the pack announces up
front whether this fee includes a portion that will be turned over to
the troop or not. Then it is obvious what will happen when the boy
crosses over.

Normally most troops don't charge a fee immediately at crossover since
they don't want to loose the boy. However, they usually do ask for the
registration payment, either from the pack or the parents.

Most troops have more of a pay-as-you-go policy rather than the
pack-pays-all like in Cub Scouts. This is part of "A Scout is Thrifty".
The fees are such that the Scout pays as he goes and is given the
opportunity to earn the money he needs, usually through fund raisers.

[John]

Post by Stan
Here's an issue at the Troop level. I'd like to know if others have
encountered it, and if so, how do you handle it?
In our Council, ALL units have a registration year from April 1 thru
March 31. It has also been "decreed" that the 5th graders cross over
to a Troop in February or March.
The issue we have at the Troop level is that the Packs collect dues
for the entire year, but after the first year will kind-of realize a
windfall if a boy drops out before March 31 or crosses over into a
Troop (i.e., the dues they collect in September include registration
on April 1, but it never has to get paid since the boy is no longer in
the Pack). Between registration, council charter fee, insurance, and
Boys' Life, this is close to $40 a boy, and basically the Troops get
stuck paying it for those who cross over; the question then becomes
whether the Troop should collect it from the 5th graders, since they
just paid, perhaps, $85 to the Pack the previous September.
Does anybody else have this situation, and if so, how do you handle
it? The only counterargument the Packs may have is that they're
simply recovering at the boy's exit what they had to lay out the year
he first joined; specifically, they had to pay for 7 months pro-rated
in September and then again for a full year in April.

I guess the Packs have a valid point about how they're making up for
what they laid out in the first year, so it's hard to disagree with
them.

In our Troop, even though the charter renews in February, we run our
calendar, and collect our fees, from September to September. When a
new boy joins the Troop (which usually is in February or March) we
charge a pro-rated share of the annual fee, so it usually comes out to
about half the full-year cost. That covers the Scout until September
when the next full-year payment is due.

It probably works out about right for us because our fee covers both
the registration/insurance/Boy's life costs and the cost of Troop
activities (gas and toll reimbursement for drivers, fees for Camporees
and the like). There aren't a lot of activities in the summer months,
so we come out a little ahead on that, and that probably makes up for
the registration and other costs that we take a loss on.

Reply-to address is real
John

[cnyscouter]

There are many ways to handle this. It depends on the individual troop and
pack. .

In our troop's situation we pay dues in Jan that cover recharter and other
troop expenses. The fee is decided on by the committee. When a cub crosses
in March we ask for only half of the fee. Since the cub is already
registered for the year, in Jan, by the pack we just transfer him to the
troop. Also, we end regular meetings in June, and just have summer camp and
high adventure outings, which are separate fees, so the cost to the troop
for the new scout is minimal. As for leftover den/pack money for the scout,
the pack usually buys him the troop neckerchief and scout handbook to get
started.

YIS-Bob

Post by Stan
Here's an issue at the Troop level. I'd like to know if others have
encountered it, and if so, how do you handle it?
In our Council, ALL units have a registration year from April 1 thru
March 31. It has also been "decreed" that the 5th graders cross over
to a Troop in February or March.
The issue we have at the Troop level is that the Packs collect dues
for the entire year, but after the first year will kind-of realize a
windfall if a boy drops out before March 31 or crosses over into a
Troop (i.e., the dues they collect in September include registration
on April 1, but it never has to get paid since the boy is no longer in
the Pack). Between registration, council charter fee, insurance, and
Boys' Life, this is close to $40 a boy, and basically the Troops get
stuck paying it for those who cross over; the question then becomes
whether the Troop should collect it from the 5th graders, since they
just paid, perhaps, $85 to the Pack the previous September.
Does anybody else have this situation, and if so, how do you handle
it? The only counterargument the Packs may have is that they're
simply recovering at the boy's exit what they had to lay out the year
he first joined; specifically, they had to pay for 7 months pro-rated
in September and then again for a full year in April.