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The Nitty Gritty Blog – BSA National Annual Membership Fees Announced

Council Leadership, Commissioners, Scoutmasters, Cubmasters, Committee Chairs, and Charter Reps.

This is a series of communications meant to help you develop grit in your Scouting unit.

The National Council of the BSA confirmed an increase in membership fees beginning August 1st, 2023. As an organization, we continue to strive to share our program in a safe environment. With that comes some needed changes to help continually better local Scouting and the experience our families have.

The new fee for membership within the Crater Lake Council will be as follows:

  • $120.00 for renewing Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting youth members
  • $145.00 for new Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting youth members
  • $100.00 for adult volunteers
  • $25.00 for Merit Badge Counselors*

*New Fee only applies for Merit Badge Counselors that are not already registered as unit leaders.

  • $90.00 for Exploring youth and adults
  • $100.00 for Unit Charter/Affiliation fee
  • $15.00 for Scout Life magazine subscription

For a complete understanding of the new fee, please refer to this document.

These fees include both the National membership fee and the Crater Lake Council membership fee.

For details on what these fees cover, please refer to to the FAQ here.

Also effective August 1st, 2023, membership fees will be collected annually on the anniversary of when a new member joins the Scouting program. This means an end to proration for membership.

For example, if a Scout Joins in September, they will renew their membership the following September. To learn more about this change, please refer to the resources here.

We want our units to make sure that all families can afford Scouting.

Planning a budget and engaging your families in fundraising will help make sure Scouts are helping to pay their way. Utilizing the CLC Budget Tool as a template can make the budget planning process easier for unit leaders once they learn how to use it. Additional unit financial resource information can be found under the Scouting Resources on our council website.

The Crater Lake Council also has a scholarship fund that can help families cover the cost of Scouting. Information on how to apply can be found on our scholarship webpage.