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Scouting News for the DC Metro Area

News

NCAC Service Areas Will Realign Jan. 1, 2021

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NCAC is committed to providing a quality Scouting experience for all of our youth members and adult volunteers.  Due to a recent vacancy on our management team and recent promotion of one of our Field Directors, the National Capital Area Council volunteer and staff leadership discussed an opportunity to streamline our professional organizational chart.  The leadership of National Capital Area Council strongly believed in maintaining the size of our professional staff during COVID-19 to ensure our member families continue to receive excellent support in Scouting activities. To this end, we will be realigning our service areas over the next several weeks effective Jan 1, 2021. This change will not impact program at the unit or district levels, so most of our volunteers will not see any disruption, but it will allow the professional staff to align around naturally occurring groupings in our community.  This is will also help support both volunteer and staff development with the creation of a natural pipeline of leaders that can assume larger roles in our Council in the years to come.

Effective January 1, 2021, NCAC’s districts will be arranged into the following Service Areas:

Maryland Service Area:

  • Francis Scott Key
  • Potomac
  • Seneca
  • Patuxent
  • Western Shore
  • White Oak
  • USVI/Direct Service

Virginia Central:

  • Chain Bridge
  • Colonial
  • George Mason
  • Old Dominion
  • Patriot
  • Washington DC
  • Scouting CARES

Virginia South:

  • Goose Creek
  • Powhatan
  • Sully
  • Piedmont
  • Prince William
  • Aquia
  • Mattaponi

To find your District Executive please go to http://ncacbsa.org/staff. Our cheerful, friendly team of professionals are always happy to be of service!

 

 

MSSC Reopening on July 6!

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Here’s some good news to get you in the mood for fireworks: the Marriott Scout Service Center will reopen to the public on Monday, July 6, 2020!

We will be opening in phases, so there will be limited staff support during this time. There will be someone at the front desk to assist with your Scouting needs, but we encourage everyone to continue to do as much of their Scouting business as possible electronically. If you have paperwork or materials to turn in, please visit us; otherwise, please call or email.

The Scout Shop at MSSC will reopen on July 10, 2020. They will offer modified hours Monday – Friday, 10am – 6pm,  Saturday 10am – 2pm and closed on Sunday.

All visitors are required to wear face coverings while they are in the MSSC. Bathrooms will not be available to the public, and there will continue to be no in-person meetings or gatherings. If you are not feeling well or have been in contact with someone who may be infected with COVID-19, please plan to visit us another time. We are committed to protecting the health of our staff and volunteers.

That said, we are excited to be reopening and look forward to seeing you again soon!

NCAC Forms Council Equality Committee

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The National Capital Area Council, BSA stands firmly with our friends, neighbors and Scouting families in denouncing racism and prejudice in our organization, our communities, and our world.

As Scouts we are guided by the Scout Oath and Law. We firmly believe that by instilling these values through Scouting in young people we are aiding in the goal of ending all systemic racism in our country. Our youth protection and anti-bullying programs and policies are designed to protect Scouts. The Boy Scouts of America stands against racism, violence, bullying and harassment of any kind. It is unacceptable, and it contradicts every single one of our values.

We stand by the statement released recently by the Boy Scouts of America. We also believe we must pair our words with actions. During the past week, leadership of National Capital Area Council has taken steps to create a Council Equality Committee. This committee will be charged with identifying meaningful steps, which will be taken to educate our members and ensure all families know they are welcome in Scouting and will treated fairly and equitably.

National Capital Area Council is pleased to announce that Clarence Crayton will be serving as Chairman of this new initiative. Mr. Crayton is a veteran Scouter and former NCAC Council Commissioner. He is an active member of Ebenezer African Methodist Episcopal Church and serves as chartered organization representative for their Scouting units. His knowledge of Scouting and strong community and faith-based background make him ideal for this important leadership role.

This is an important time in our nation’s history. We believe Scouting can play a role in preparing young people to become productive adult citizens, and to eliminate racism and other unacceptable behaviors from our society.

BSA Membership Fee to Increase

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Dear Scouting Families:

We have learned that BSA plans to make an announcement later today about an increase to the annual membership fees. This increase is a result of financial needs created by the ongoing bankruptcy proceedings and COVID-19, which has created a substantial unplanned loss of revenue due to mandated Scout Shop closures and shortened high adventure base seasons.

We understand many of our Scouting families are also dealing with similar financial issues. Once we receive the official notification from BSA we will evaluate how it will impact our local families. We do not want finances to be a barrier to participation in Scouting, and will do our best to assist families who need it to the fullest extent possible.

Locally, our Council also faces these same issues and are doing our best to address the impact of three months of office closure, activity cancellations, diminished fundraising campaigns, and the loss of our entire summer camp season. We know, however, that our staff and volunteers will continue to do their best to offer high-quality Scouting experiences during these challenging times.

We continue to be amazed by the innovation our Scouting family has shown at every level, from Scouts making masks for essential personnel in their community to Goshen’s new alternative summer program. We are living in interesting times, as the saying goes, but will emerge the stronger for it.

Please review the infographic below. As more information is released, we will continue to share it with you.

BSA Update: Annual Member Fee Increase and FAQ Sheet

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Earlier today the Boy Scouts of America’s national board of directors approved an increase to the annual registration fee, effective January 1, 2020.

BSA is facing some significant challenges and is making this change to properly cover their operational costs while continuing to offer the same high quality program. We recognize the timing of this increase may be difficult for our Scouting families, but we are confident we will make it through together. Please review these details and share appropriate information with Scout parents and other leaders in your unit:

Now as we continue the Scouting mission, it is important that we keep pace with an ever-changing world. While costs to the organization have increased every year, the Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible by subsidizing core costs, including liability insurance we must carry to cover all official Scouting activities. Unfortunately, it is no longer possible to subsidize at the level we have in the past, especially as the cost of insurance has increased dramatically. We kept the cost low to make Scouting available to as many young people as possible but keeping the cost artificially low for many years now magnifies the impact of changes.

To ensure BSA has the resources to fulfill the promise of Scouting despite increasing operating costs, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America has made the difficult but necessary decision to increase the annual membership fee effective January 1, 2020 to:

• $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts,
• $36 for youth members in Exploring,
• $36 for adult members, and
• $60 for unit charter fees.

Every dollar of the national membership fee will go toward the cost of essential services, including liability insurance for those participating in approved Scouting activities, program resources, safety standards, youth protection and personal safety training, and services to councils nationwide to sustain Scouting. The National organization will also continue to develop and improve resources that support our volunteers and youth members such as online registration, Member Care and Scoutbook, which now includes the Den Leader experience to ensure the safe and consistent delivery of Cub Scouting; as well as improvements aimed at simplifying the annual renewal process.”

Now that the updated fee is known, our local board of directors and staff are evaluating plans to assist local units and families. We do not want finances to be a barrier to participation in Scouting, and will do our best to assist families who need it to the fullest extent possible. We are exploring options to offer additional fundraising opportunities that would provide significantly increased commission levels to units, helping them to offset the fee increase, and are working on establishing a scholarship fund to assist Scouts who have need. We will provide specific information on these programs shortly.

Our Council is about to begin our annual rechartering process. We encourage every unit to complete the recharter process on-time; however, if an extension would be helpful to your unit, January will be available as an “extra” month. This will provide some additional time to raise funds necessary to offset the fee increase. Your Unit Commissioner will work with you to ensure the recharter information is accurate and avoid issues that could delay processing once it is submitted.

Thank you for your continued dedication to our Scouts. As Scouting navigates these turbulent times, we stand together to achieve our shared mission: helping young people in our community learn, grow, and thrive.

Yours in Scouting,

John H. Graham
Council President

Craig Poland
Scout Executive

Roy “Rick” Rogers
Council Commissioner

FAQ


Q: Why are the fees increasing now?
A: While costs increase every year, the Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible to make Scouting available to as many young people as possible by subsidizing core costs, including liability insurance we must carry to cover all official Scouting activities. As the organization’s financial situation has shifted over the past several months, it is no longer possible to subsidize at the level we have in the past, especially as the cost of insurance has increased dramatically.

Q: Does this apply to youth members and volunteers?
A: Yes, the new fees apply for youth and adult members. Effective January 1, 2020, the new fees are:
‐ $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts,
‐ $36 for youth members in Exploring, and
‐ $36 for adult members (includes cost of background check and Scouting Magazine)
‐ $60 for unit charter fees


Q: Is Scouting still a good value?
A: Absolutely! While most extracurricular activities are seasonal, Scouting is a year‐round program that remains one of the most valuable investments we can make to support young men and women today so they can become the leaders we will turn to tomorrow. For most of our youth members, the new registration fee amounts to $5 a month, which is an enormous value when you consider that many seasonal extracurricular activities often start at $100 for programs that last a few weeks.


Q: Does the fee increase apply to council‐paid memberships?
A: No. The cost for council‐paid membership, sometimes known as ScoutReach, will continue to be $24 for
each youth member.


Q: What will the money be used for?
A: Every dollar of membership fees will go to cover the cost of essential services, including liability
insurance for members participating in approved Scouting activities, background checks for adult leaders, program development and training resources, continuously updated youth protection and youth safety training, improved IT/digital experiences and services to our councils nationwide.


Q: Is this increase being implemented to cover the cost of the additional background checks?
A: No, the cost of background checks is not the prompting the fee increase.


Q: Why is this being announced now?
A: We recognize the timing of this fee increase creates challenges as units have already begun collecting fees for their 2020 registration renewal process, and we would not make this difficult decision if it were
not absolutely necessary. Unfortunately, the cost of liability insurance we must carry to cover all Scouting activities has increased dramatically over the past several months, and the organization is no longer able to offset the cost of insurance. We are committed to supporting you through this process
and are making necessary adjustments to the online rechartering system to ensure units can carry out the recharter process.


Q: Does this increase cover financial challenges the organization is facing?
A: The increase was prompted because the cost of liability insurance we must carry to cover all Scouting
activities has increased dramatically over the past several months, and the organization is no longer able to offset the cost of insurance. The national membership fee also enables us program development and training resources, continuously updated youth protection and youth safety training, improved IT/digital experiences and services to our councils nationwide.


Q: When will this increase take effect?
A: The new membership fees will take effect starting January 1, 2020 for the 2020‐21 program year.


Q: Is financial assistance available?
A: We are committed to ensuring that all youth can experience the character‐building benefits of Scouting regardless of their financial situation. In addition to the many existing council and unit membership
assistance funds, we have established the donor‐funded Growing Future Leaders Fund to provide financial support to those who need it.


Q: My council recently announced a new fee to cover insurance. Does this change mean that fee is no longer necessary?
A: No, the liability insurance that we need to carry for all Scouting activities at the national level is different from local fees that are collected to address local needs, which can include such as local property and
accident insurance, as well as unique local programming costs.


Q: In addition to the national membership fee, my council is implementing a program fee. Is that allowed?
A: Starting August 1, 2020, councils can choose to charge a local program fee, up to but no more than the national membership fee – up to $60 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouts; up to $36 for youth members in Exploring and up to $36 for adult members. The local program fee can include local insurance costs (i.e., accident, property, etc.), as well as cost to administer unique local programming efforts.


Q: What happens if my council’s program fee is more than the national membership fee?
A: Councils that are currently charging a program fee more than the national membership fee have one year to adjust their fees in order to be in compliance with the new rules.


Q: What measures has the national organization taken to offset the financial challenges?
A: In addition to ongoing efforts to streamline and simplify the organization, the national organization has taken a number of steps in addressing its financial challenges, including the recent elimination of more
than 35 positions at the National Service Center and ongoing consolidation of departments for the most effective utilization of resources in support of Scouting.


Q: Will the national membership fee continue to increase?
A: Although no decision about future increases have been made, the cost of operating our organization and services increases every year. Should it be necessary to increase fees in the future, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America has agreed to evaluate the needs and make such
decisions, whenever possible, at the National Annual Meeting in May or early in the summer so that they can be announced with as much lead time as possible to allow for councils and units to be able to plan accordingly.