From Troop #315 Scoutmaster Shawn Benjamin
Pictures are from the camporee held at North Baltimore Park on October 14. Some Cub pack 372 scouts included:
Scoutmasters Minute
Now that we have all the business of October out of the way, I’ll be working on scout accounts totaling up everything we did to earn money. Recharter is fast approaching and there is a lot of dialogue at Erie Shores council level in regard to membership fees going up. They’re stance is the hard fact of ” cost of doing business”, after bankruptcy and new insurance costs to the organization.
In North Baltimore, we have a really great group of scouts and families as well as awesome leaders making N.B. scouting go against the grain in regard to the trends. The trend is numbers in membership have dropped by over a million youth and adults across the U.S. Sometimes you wonder what Scouting will look like in 10 years with all the challenges and hard topics the organization has had to deal with.
Eire Shores council has informed its leaders of membership dues increasing to $140.00 per scout and $100.00 per leader each year. $80.00 would go to National office and $60.00 would go to an adventure fee in the council. A presentation to all had shown that our council has been operating in the negative since Covid and felt it necessary to not increase any dues until after the virus and after the bankruptcy, all total each council had to pay a certain amount to that. Eries shores paid 7 million.
Second. Troop 315 has been chartered by the Rotary Club for 40 years and as of 2023, has decided to discontinue its group in North Baltimore, we have been picked up by the American Legion in N.B. Way back, The Chamber of Commerce was the original charter when our troop was established in 1932. Our troop is 91 years old
I felt it important to present all the news challenging us to give you an idea of what scouting is being faced with currently. The strength of our local troop, its leadership, parents, and support of school and local government has spoken loudly. We are an important piece of North Baltimore. Numerous Eagles and their project which benefit school, church and community. Membership of 24 youth, committee and leaders all feel we have something special that speaks differently than what the rest of the US has been experiencing.
This has been a bit of a soap box for me, I hope you all understand what this means to our scouts. They are proud of their troop, what the uniform stands for, the advancement of their career all the way to Eagle. We’ve had 3 young men earn the rank of Eagle this year. Ask them what scouting means to them, my hopes are we can thrive in a time where other troops are closing up due to low membership.
Eagle Scout update
Jessee Vanlerberg has earned the Rank of Eagle on October 26, 2023, at 9:00pm/. Brian, Jen along with leadership from council and our troop sat on Jesse’s board of review. Congrats to Jesse for all his hard work and dedication to the troop.
Meat Sticks
We have begun selling meat sticks so please bring all orders to the meetings to be filled. If an item is low or out, I will order more weekly to keep up with demand. We will keep ordering until 2nd week of December.
Q-Zar and Pizza
During the planning from our PLC, scouts voted to go to Q-Zar in Toledo on November 18. Cost is $20.00 per scout which includes Pizza after at Reset. which offers free arcade and a card shop next door. Meet at the scout house at 3pm. We will need a few drivers if parents can assist.
3:00pm meet at scouthouse
3:15pm leave for Toledo
4:pmm to 5:30pm Q-Zar
6:00pm Supper at Reset
7:15pm head home
8:00pm back to scouthouse for pickup
Bowling party
November 26 from 2pm to 4pm. Free bowling parry at Ten Pin Lanes. All scouts invited, Parents feelf ree to stay for the fun.
No meeting on November 19 or 26
Recharter
As mentioned in the beginning. It is that time of year for our troop to recharter, Membership is $140.00, and we can use each scout’s account if funds are there. Financial assistance is also available, let me know if needed. All dues need turned in by December 31,2023.
After this year, BSA has decided to make membership due on a scouts joining date starting in 2024. All current scouts will still renew each December but anyone joining through the year will have different dates they renew. Example. A scout joining in May would be required to pay his dues each May thereafter and so on. National says it will keep track of this and email each family on these dates plus offer options for online payments and troop payment as scouts earn money from fundraisers.
One Response
Great job Scouts and leaders! I appreciate the update and the great leadership if our local scouts. We are all dealing with less and less volunteer participation in all aspects of our lives, as indicated by the discontinuation of our local Rotary club. We are all impacted by these reductions in participation to Rotary, Lions Club, American Legion Post, Fraternal order of Eagles, Churches, and on and on and on! Young adults in the US need to be aware and concerned about this going forward.