Dear Pacific Harbors Council BSA Charter Organizations, Units, Supporters, Volunteers, and Scouting families,
I was at a scout meeting earlier a few nights ago, and once again got to enjoy seeing little bolts of scouting development bounce from the loyal volunteers teaching merit badges, tracking advancement, and keeping the unit budget balanced to scouts practicing leadership, showing friendship, and willingly digging into a merit badge they probably never thought about before, but fit with their fall activities. Seeing you all in action is the best part of my volunteer role in membership.
The next best part, I am delighted to share with you, is what I shared at our last several Council board meetings – there are more of us this year than last, or the year before – a little more than 3,100 youth and about 1,200 adult volunteers! Our Pacific Harbors Council has been re-gaining lost ground in youth membership at a noticeably faster clip than the national average and most of our peer councils, and it is a credit to your cheerful participation and service.
One of the other frequent topics in our Council Board meetings is how to stretch our annual $1.5M operating budget to meet today’s obligations at the same time as we plan to become prepared for the next 3-5 years. Each month program volunteers work on scheduling a calendar of helpful trainings and multi-unit events so everyone can stress less and scout on; our paid executives work at minimum staffing levels to support safe and accredited scout programs; and facilities volunteers anticipate what physical assets need maintenance and upkeep to assure space for scouting to happen in.
All this and more are necessary for keeping scouting growing and as local as we can sustain – but our past and current funding from outside grants, business benefactors, Friends of Scouting donors, investment interest and alumni has not kept up. In fact, it is about 18%behind. Folks have pitched in and covered for gaps as we run lean, and we’ve had a couple of unexpected large gifts at just the right times, but this fall it became clear that to achieve a predictable and balanced Operating Budget for future PHC financial obligations, our $21 Council Program fee needed to be increased after the end of 2023.
After workshopping across several committees, and input from the Council Board, Resolution 11-11- 2023-01 was approved in November. For new registrations and renewals that take place after 12-31-2023*, an incremental fee increase will go into effect.
o January 1, 2024: $30.00 for youth members, $30 for adult volunteers.
o January 1, 2025: $40.00 for youth members, $30 for adult volunteers.
o January 1, 2026: $50.00 for youth members, $30 for adult volunteers.
In the first year, the increase moves the fee from about 5.6% of the PHC budget to 8%, with about 2% more in each of 2025 and 2026. Adult volunteer fees are not intended to increase after 2024 in recognition of the irreplaceable value that volunteers bring to scouting.
If you are doing mental math while reading this, you are right, the fee increase alone does not balance the budget. As Council volunteers and staff, we are still seeking increased donations to offset the costs of scouting as much as possible so that youth and volunteers in any financial situation can participate. Thanks to a past benefactor, there is a Growing Leaders fund that units can discretely use to backfill situations where needed. More details about this are in the attached FAQ sheet.
Thank you for your attention to this long letter, and your service to Scouting.
* Before closing, I do want to remind folks that recharters paid by 12-31-2023 stay at the $21 rate. Next year, in 2024, the fee goes up.
Rebecca Vader
VP Membership
Pacific Harbors Council
