2023-2024 Membership Registration Changes

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW AS A LEADER, PARENT, OR PARTICIPANT

The coming registration year brings changes to the fee structure and the process for registration.  With the fee increase, you will see more benefits within the council, and with the process changes leaders will see improvements to the recharter (unit renewal) process.  Here is what you need to know.

Membership Fee Updates

National Membership Fees and Council Program Fees will increase for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, Sea Scouts, Explorers, Adult Leaders, and Merit Badge Counselors.  As always, if membership fees are difficult for any of our members, please encourage them to make a Registration Assistance/Scholarship request.

Effective August 1, 2023, the BSA will implement the following fees:

click image for full PDF guide

$80 BSA MEMBERSHIP FEE AND $80 MCC PROGRAM FEE PER SCOUT, EFFECTIVE AUGUST 1, 2023 WITH NEW ENHANCED MCC BENEFITS:

Registration Renewal Changes

New Members:

Beginning August 1, 2023, all new youth and adult members who join Scouting will be enrolled in a 12-month membership cycle, and BSA will cease prorating fees. Both youth and adults will pay the full annual membership fee and will renew their membership on the anniversary date of joining Scouting. All proration of membership fees will be eliminated. Each registered member of the BSA will receive an email notice with a registration renewal link beginning 60 days before the anniversary date they joined Scouting. Unit leaders will receive a copy of the email and should stay engaged in the membership renewal process just like rechartering.

Existing Members:

It is important to note, existing members will renew their membership during their normal renewal/recharter cycle through March 2024. Moving forward all members will renew on their anniversary date.

  • Existing members’ Anniversary date will be their current unit recharter (unit renewal) month.
  • New members’ Anniversary date will be the month they joined.

This new process will help streamline the rechartering (unit renewal) and membership renewal process for units and councils. Additional information on this membership renewal process will be forthcoming in the very near future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Check back here for new questions.  If you have additional questions that are not covered here, please contact us at communications@michiganscouting.org.

For Youth Members (Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts): The National Membership fee is increasing from $75 to $80.  The Michigan Crossroads Council Program Fee is increasing from $60 to $80.  The total is going from $135 to $160.

For Adults, the National Membership fee is increasing from $45 to $60, and the MCC Program fee is increasing from $12 to $15.  The total is going from $57 to $75.

For Explorers, the National Membership fee is increasing from $45 to $50.

Per Year Fee * 2023 2024
Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, Sea Scouts $75 + $60 = $135 $80 + $80 = $160
Adults $45 + $12 = $57 $60 + $15 = $75
Explorers $45 $50
Merit Badge Counselors and Nova/Supernova counselors $0 $25

* All new Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturers, and Sea Scouts will continue to pay an additional $25 new-Scout fee

  • Enhanced Criminal Background check processes and investments in Youth protection and safety programs are being implemented.
  • General Liability Insurance costs to protect volunteer leaders, staff, charter organizations, units, and youth.
  • BSA restructuring costs.

The national membership fee helps cover the cost of essential services to the local council and units. Services include expanded liability insurance for those participating in approved Scouting activities, enhanced criminal background checks, a variety of program resources, youth protection and leader-specific training, and the development of national, council, and unit programs. The BSA will continue to look at the membership fee structure and how we deliver the Scouting program.

Across the country and in each of our communities, we know that Scouting remains one of the most valuable investments we can make in youth today so they can become the leaders we will turn to tomorrow. Our dedicated volunteers, staff, and Scouting families make this possible. Thank you for continuing to support one of the most valuable opportunities available to young people today.

  • Expanded General Liability Insurance protections for the chartered organization and unit leaders in the event of an incident.
  • Program research and development including, Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Exploring.
  • Access to Youth Protection Training, Incident Reporting and Scouts First Helpline: 1-  844-Scouts1.
  • Access to leadership specific training for adult leaders.
  • Investments in program literature and resource development.
  • Ability to purchase Uniforms, Insignia and Recognition for youth and Adults.
  • Provides access to Membership, Marketing, and Brand Center resources.
  • Provides important technology support including Scout Book, on-line registration, on-line advancement, and rechartering, My. Scouting, BeAScout, and BSA Brand Center for digital assets.
  • Access to the four BSA High Adventure Properties including Philmont Scout Ranch, Florida Sea Base, Northern Tier High Adventure Base, and the Summit Bechtel Reserve.

Effective August 1, 2023, all registered youth, adults and their respective units will receive the following:

  • Free tent campsites for unit camping in MCC camps.  Reserve your spot at the MCC Facility Rental page.
  • Free Signature Events for all units
  • Free Basic training for all leaders
  • NEW! 10% one-time discount (one time per family) at the Eagle Scout Shop or at the Online MCC Scout Shop for all members.  Coupon code member23 will be valid August 1, 2023 – July 31, 2024.
  • NEW! $20 per Scout camper discount on 2024 MCC Scouts BSA Summer Camp
  • NEW! Scout Camp: Two leaders FREE OR FREE t-shirts for your campers/leaders attending if you register by December 1, 2023.
  • NEW! Cub Camp: One FREE Cub Leader for 5 or more and 2 FREE for 10 or more Cubs OR FREE t-shirts for your campers/leaders attending if registered by May 1, 2024.
  • NEW! Free cloth Badges of Rank for all programs at the MCC Online Shop or MCC Scout Shop at Eagle
  • NEW! Free Eagle, Summit and Quartermaster Kits at the MCC Online Shop (rank badge page) or MCC Scout Shop at Eagle

As we regularly assess the cost of providing an outstanding summer camp program, the Scouts BSA Summer Camp regular fee (early bird) is increasing from $380 to $405.  Those members of MCC units will see a $20 discount on those regular fees, dropping the cost to $385.  Yes, there is a $5 increase, but that is due to the regular increase.  Units from out-of-council will pay $405/Scout.

Cub Scout fees remain the same.

2023 2024
Scouts BSA – MCC Units $380 $385
Scouts BSA – Out-of-Council Units $380 $405

As a portion of the MCC Program Fee, badges of rank and Eagle, Quartermaster, and Summit Award kits will provided free of charge two ways:

  • Online at the MCC Online Shop.  A special “Free Ranks and Kits” page has been set up to indicate which advancements are free for units.   You will still be required to pay shipping on the items.  The items will be listed at $0 from August 1, 2023 – July 31, 2024.
  • In Person at the MCC Shop at Eagle, located just west of Lansing.

This benefit is currently NOT available at any of the other Scout Shops (Grand Rapids, Troy, Auburn, Ann Arbor, Burton, Kalamazoo, or Detroit) in our council.  Those shops are not owned by the council and cannot provide this benefit.

General Liability insurance is coverage for incidents that occur during Scouting, and that was already provided by BSA National.  The $15 Adult Program/Insurance fee covers programming costs and other insurance obligations that the council holds.  The additional fee helps offset these rising costs.

The Michigan Crossroads Council purchases insurance to cover our properties and assets including buildings, equipment, and vehicles against loss or damage. The Michigan Crossroads Council provides the following insurance:

  • Accident and Sickness Insurance for registered Scouts, Volunteers and Participants
  • General Liability Insurance for registered Volunteers and Chartered Organizations
  • Property and Equipment
  • Event and Activity Insurance
  • Automobile
  • Health and Medical Insurance (year-round and seasonal employees)
  • Cyber Insurance

In the past, a member would pay upon joining and then would be included in the annual recharter of the unit.  Previously, units would collect money from members and pay for the renewal all at one time prior to the recharter deadline.

Going forward, the default will be that members will be responsible for paying their annual membership fees on the anniversary of their join date.  For example, if Joe Scout joins in September 2023, Joe (or Joe’s family) will receive a notification prior to September 2024 with instructions on how to pay annual membership prior to the anniversary date.

Notifications will be sent to members/families at 60, 30, 15, 7 and 1 day prior to the anniversary date of the member.  They can either pay online with Credit Card or Opt-Out to choose not to renew.

In 2023-2024, the above applies to members that join on or after August 1, 2023.  For existing members, the above would take effect after March 2024.  See info below on Rechartering for 2023-2024.

Units will have access to a Unit View in Organization Manager that will help them keep track of which members have not paid membership fees.  When the unit recharters, the paperwork will indicate how many members have “pre-paid”.

There will be a “Unit Pay” option that will allow units to pay membership fees on behalf of the family/member.  This will allow for units to pull all/part of the fees from Scout accounts, unit scholarship funds, or other sources to supplement the family’s portion.

For existing members, units will recharter as they have in the past.  Units will collect money from existing members and recharter by December 31, 2023 as have in past years.  Beginning March 1, 2024, existing members will begin paying for their own renewal at their anniversary date (which will be January 1, 2024).

Rechartering will look almost the same in 2023 for units.  The only difference will be in how you handle any new members that joined on or after August 1, 2023.

For members that joined prior to August 1, 2023, you will recharter as normal.  You will collect money from the member/family and complete the online charter as you have in past years.

For members that joined on or after August 1, 2023, you will still recharter them in the normal process, but you will NOT collect money from them.  In the recharter process, you will see that they have “Pre-Paid”.  So they will be listed on the charter, but no funds will be collected and submitted by the unit.

Below is a sample of what it will look like.  (NOTE:  Process is still being determined, so it may not look exactly like this).

To simplify the unit charter process, membership renewals will no longer be tied to the unit charter process; beginning for units expiring in March 2024; units will still renew their charters separate from their membership. The process will be much simpler as the system will validate the unit leadership and verify the unit has the minimum required youth and adults. The COR and council will approve the leadership, the unit will approve the charter, and the unit will submit the annual unit charter renewal fee of $100.

For members that have been members PRIOR to August 1, 2023, your 2024-2025 renewal will be due when you would normally recharter in 2023.  For units, that is most likely December 31, 2024.  For district/council positions and Merit Badge Counselors, that is June 30, 2024.  Those dates will be your new “anniversary date”.

For members that join AFTER August 1, 2023, your anniversary date will be the date you joined.

In both cases, you will receive emails starting 60 days prior to your membership expiration.  You will have the option to pay online or opt-out (i.e., not renew).

Email notifications are sent to the individual, COR, Committee Chair, and the Key Leader (Cubmaster/Scoutmaster/Advisor/Skipper); the unit should be able to identify that an individual is due to renew and can work with the individual to complete their renewal. Units are encouraged to update email contact information in Scoutbook. Should someone miss this process the council can pull a Non-Renewed Membership Report in My.Scouting.

There will be a one-month lapse period and then the Scout/Adults will be dropped. A notification will go to the individual/parent and the unit indicating that the person is dropped.

If there is a one-month lapse period, those who fail to register will need to complete a new application for membership.

Yes! Please encourage anyone that has difficulties to complete a Registration Assistance form.

Units WILL BE able to choose to pay renewals for all members, this option will block the online payment by the parent.  The default will be for families to receive payment reminders unless the unit takes action.

The unit will have the option to change the setting in My.Scouting which will tell the system that member renewals are due, and the unit will pay for it, like many units do today with recharter. The unit would have a Credit Card or ACH pre-set and each month membership fees are due; they would automatically be paid. A “pay at the council office” option will also be available. This will only be for renewals, not new members. The unit will have an “opt-out” option to not renew a member too.

After March 1, 2024:

  • Annually renew the registration of the members via an online link
  • Email reminders beginning 60 day before the renewal date with a link to renew or Opt-Out will be sent out. 60, 30, 15, 7 days before, and then 24 hours before and if needed 7 days after renewal date.
  • Parents can renew the registration via Credit Card payment or pay at the council office if they prefer (Credit Card details are tokenized like other renewal payments and available if the parent approves).
  • Reminder notification will be in Scoutbook beginning 45 days before the renewal date.

After March 1, 2024:

  • Units WILL BE able to choose to pay renewals for all members, this option will block the online payment by the parent.
  • Units will be able to opt out of a member so as not to pay for someone who has quit.
  • Units will get notifications via email for members to be renewed and members who renewed.
  • Renewal status will show on the unit roster.
  • Units will have access to reporting in My.Scouting for members due to renew, members renewed, and members dropped (opt-out)
  • Unit Renewal will be simplified and streamlined. The unit will validate the leadership and YPT requirements, validate the membership requirements, and pay the Unit Charter fee. This can all be done from one screen in My.Scouting by one of the unit Key-3 leaders.

Merit Badge Counselors are renewed on July 1 of each calendar year, so you will receive a notification 60 days prior to that date instructing you on how to renew as a counselor.  At that time, if you are not registered in another paid BSA position (excluding Nova/Supernova counselors/mentors), you will pay your $25 annual fee.

Nova/SuperNova Counselors are renewed on July 1 of each calendar year, so you will receive a notification 60 days prior to that date instructing you on how to renew as a counselor.  At that time, if you are not registered in another paid BSA position (excluding Merit Badge Counselor), you will pay your $25 annual fee.

No.  If a Merit Badge Counselor is registered in any unit (Troop, Pack, Crew, Ship, Post, etc.), district, or council position, they do not need to pay an additional $25 per year.  The $25/year fee applies to those counselors that ONLY serve as a counselor and no other role in the BSA.

No.  Even though they are paid positions (Merit Badge Counselor, as well as SuperNova/Nova Counselors), only adults registered in a Unit, District or Council position can camp with units per the September 1, 2023 YPT updates.

District and Counsel positions are renewed on July 1, 2024.  You will no longer renew by filling out a form on the MCC website; you will receive notifications starting 60 days prior to your anniversary date (July 1) that instruct you on how to renew and pay (if applicable).

  • Completed a new staff structure and streamlined both the professional workforce and the volunteer structure, while maintaining essential services.
  • Reduced the National staff workforce to support essential services.
  • Reduced expenses throughout the National organization.