Scout Membership Fees and Costs

A Scout Group is entirely self-funded, run by volunteers of our local community.

Scout fees are comprised of three components:

• Group fees used by 1st Balcombe Heights to cover weekly activities, facilities, running & equipment maintenance.

• State fees used by Scouts NSW to cover costs of administration and member insurance.

• Ad-hoc costs for participation in additional optional Scouting activities like camping charges, travel, event fees etc.

When will I be charged?

You will not be charged anything during your trial period.

Your first invoice will be billed prior to officially joining and indicates the end of your Trial period.
If you join mid-year, your fees are automatically adjusted to a pro-rata rate for the remaining period.

Payment Plans Available?

Yes, payment plans is available for members to split the cost of the fees into smaller part-payments. 

Each member will have the ability to select to pay upfront or in six instalments during the registration process.

Members who chose to pay in instalments will have their total annual fees split into six equal monthly instalments.

The first instalment will be charged at the time of registration, and the following instalments will be auto-debited monthly until the total balance owing is paid in full.

Please visit the Scouts NSW Membership FAQ's page for more details.

Discounts

We are pleased to offer the following discounts:

• Discount per year off Group fees for children of volunteer Uniformed Leaders and Committee members.

• Active Kids Rebate (AKR) vouchers from the NSW Government.

Uniform & Clothing

A Scout Shirt is the only formal requirement of the Scout uniform. Your Scout will need this for their investment ceremony. 

You don't need to purchase a uniform during your trial period, however a uniform is needed for the membership investment ceremony.

Please purchase a uniform once you’ve decided that you would like to join as a Scout member.

All details about our uniform and clothing guide can be found online here:

Scout Uniform & Clothing Guide

Fee Purpose

The expenses of a Scout Group are varied, however we try to minimise costs to our members wherever possible.

Our Group pays for all the badges, scarves and certificates for our youth members, which are presented as soon as they are earned. There is no additional cost for parents to purchase uniform badges.

Our Group must also meet the cost of providing and maintaining Group equipment and resources such as tents, canoes, BBQs, cooking gear, ropes, trailers and games, as well as paying for and maintaining the Scout Hall itself. Naturally, we also have electricity, water, insurance and the like to pay.

Scouts NSW charges an annual State Membership Fee to cover things like member insurance and support services that ensures Scouts can operate as an organisation. You can read more about what this fee goes towards here.

The purchase of capital items is usually the subject of a fundraising program. 

Additionally, there is occasional fundraising for major events such as Cuboree and Jamboree activities. Every section helps to raise the necessary funds to continue the successful running of our Scout Group.

Since Scouting is fundamentally an outdoors-based program, from time-to-time there are camps, hikes and other off-site activities which your children will be invited to attend. The cost of these activities is usually an extra expense, although we aim to keep these costs to a minimum.

Experiencing Financial Difficulties?

We understand that families sometimes need a little extra support.
The principles of Scouting ensure that we provide access to ALL young people, regardless of your personal financial situation.

If at any time, costs present a financial strain for your family, please contact our Treasurer or our Group Leader.

We have several options available to help families in need and would very much prefer to help keep your child with Scouts than have them drop out due to financial constraints.

Please reach out to our Treasurer, our Group Leader or your Section Leaders if you’d like to enquire about options available.