PTAC Membership Fee Subsidy Information

Dear Pathway to Adventure Council Scouters and Families,

As you have likely heard, last month, the Pathway to Adventure Council sent out communication to all families and volunteers announcing that the volunteer National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America made the difficult but necessary decision to increase the annual membership fee effective January 1, 2020.

The new fee structure, which did not reflect the Pathway to Adventure Council insurance fee of $12.00 per member that rolled out in October, was communicated as follows:

$60.00 for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts
$36.00 for Exploring youth participants
$36.00 for all adult members

We understand the hardship that this fee increase may cause. Therefore, we are proud to announce that the Executive Committee of the Pathway to Adventure Council met on Tuesday, November 19, 2019 and approved a one-time subsidy ($27.00) of the national registration fee increase for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts on your unit roster/charter by December 31, 2019. To receive the subsidy, your unit must agree to the following:

Participate in an Ideal Year of Scouting Presentation
Complete a unit detailed assessment in 1st Quarter of 2020
Agree to and host a unit Family Friends of Scouting Presentation in 1^st quarter of 2020
Participate in a council product sale (including online sales)
Have all paperwork and fees submitted by 12/31/2019 for unit renewal

Exploring youth with receive a $3.00 subsidy for all charters in by 12/31/2019

With this subsidy, the new one-time fee structure ($27.00 discount per Scout and $3.00 per Explorer to be paid by the Pathway to Adventure Council), reflective of the Pathway to Adventure Council insurance fee rolled out in October ($12.00 per member) is as follows:

$45.00 ($33.00 registration and $12.00 insurance) for youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, and Sea Scouts on your roster/charter by 12/31/2019
$48.00 for adult members ($36.00 registration and $12.00 insurance)
$45.00 ($33.00 registration and $12.00 insurance) for youth members in Exploring on your roster/charter by 12/31/2019

This means that youth members in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing, Sea Scouts and Exploring (adult leaders fee will increase by $3.00 as released by national) who are renewing their registration with the BSA for 2020 will only need to pay the current $33.00 national registration fee plus the $12.00 council insurance fee, and the Pathway to Adventure Council will subsidize the balance for the 2020 charter renewal period through its endowment fund.

To make this subsidy work with the current national registration system, it is imperative that your unit completes its charter renewal accurately and on-time. The internet rechartering system is open, and we need all units to complete the process and submit the necessary paperwork by end of the year. Any applications or charters that are received by the council after December 31, 2019, will be charged the full national registration fee for 2020. New members joining after January 1, 2020 will pay the full (un-subsidized) national registration fee. Please visit the PTAC Rechartering page for steps you can take now to prepare for your unit’s charter renewal. If you need help with your recharter, please contact your district executive.

It is of the utmost importance that you review the FAQs and resources about the national registration fee increase and the Pathway to Adventure Council fee increase subsidy. Going forward, we encourage Units, Scouts, and their families to take advantage of a new spring sale (announced in January 2020) and the fall popcorn sales. These funding initiatives provide a great opportunity for Scouts to help fund their membership fees and to provide resources that allow Pathway to Adventure Council to continue to put our units at the center and bring Scouting to every eligible family.

We believe this move not only underscores our commitment to our families but also sets the stage for the Pathway to Adventure Council to continue delivering the promises of Scouting moving forward. In addition, be assured that the Pathway to Adventure Council remains committed to continuing to provide exceptional experiences at our camps and continuing well-run Scouting activities each year, high level support and resources from our field and unit service center team, and will continue to build strong relationships that benefit our Scouts.

On a personal note, we understand the timing and level of this change is difficult and evokes strong emotions. That said, we are committed to focusing on why families choose Scouting for their children and continuing to move Scouting forward.

At any price, Scouting would remain a true value and important part of raising healthy, well-adjusted, and centered young people. Scouting teaches leadership skills, gives youth the opportunity to learn new things, provide service to others, build self-confidence, and reinforces ethical standards. These opportunities not only help Scouts when they are young but carry forward into their adult lives.

We believe strongly in our great movement. We believe that a world with the BSA is much greater than one without it.

Finally, please be reassured that the Pathway to Adventure Council’s commitment since our inception in 2015 has been and remains that we will ensure that all youth can experience the character-building benefits of Scouting regardless of their financial situation.

If you have any immediate questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to Tim Bouchard, Deputy Scout Executive at timothy.bouchard@scouting.org

Thank you for all you do for Scouting. We look forward to continuing to serve the families and communities of the Pathway to Adventure Council alongside each of you.

Yours in Scouting,