National Membership Fees
Scouting America has implement the following national membership fees
- $85 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting participants
- $65 for all adult volunteers
- $25 for Merit Badge Counselors (New Fee applies only for Merit Badge Counselors not already registered as leaders)
- $50 for Exploring participants (youth & adult)
- $100 for a unit charter/affiliation fee (Unit renewals will pay an additional $8.50 per month to move charter to February 2028.)
- $15 for Scout Life magazine
Alamo Area Council Program Fee
- $48 - Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouting participants (fee does not apply to adults or Merit Badge Counselors)
The Council Program Fee is designed to support the basic services that a unit receives from the council. The vast majority of funds received by the Alamo Area Council (79%) support programs and activities. The Council Program Fee is an anchor that allows the council to build on those services when combined with additional income from fundraising streams, activity fees, popcorn sales, and endowment revenue. More than 60 Councils across the United States have implemented this model and reported higher levels of family satisfaction after doing so.
Advantages of a Council Program Fee
- The Program Fee will replace the unit-level “Give the Adventure” campaign presentations at unit meetings.
- Many families have indicated that they would rather 'give up front' than be asked to make an unplanned donation during a celebration or awards ceremony.
- Increases stability in unit-level giving and allows the council to budget accordingly.
- Provides consistency of overall funding to ensure the sustainability of the program & staffing
- Allows the council to maintain camping and activity fees at the lowest possible level for Scouts and their families.
- All families participate in funding a small part of local program support, and those who feel inspired to make additional contributions toward Scouting can.
- No longer conducting Give the Adventure Campaigns during unit-level meetings, increases the field staff's availability to provide direct support to units and districts.
Let us be clear, the Council Program Fee will not result in extra money for the council but is an attempt to stabilize the revenue our council once received through the unit-level Give the Adventure Campaigns. Our Scouting community depends on these funds to sustain operations at their current level.
