Re: Lower National Membership Fee or More Services from HQ?

On Mon, 12 Mar 2007 15:59:24 -0000, "Dave Mayall"
<dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

"Paul Harris" <nospam@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:$HMWbjwi1X8FFwZu@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
In message <5bc21c1a553494ecb8ff59e00c5bbd68.8098@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Frank Healy <frankandjames@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> writes

Many groups have enough financial problems finding the HQ part of the
annual fees,

Then I would suggest that there is a lack of prudent financial planning if
they seriously cannot budget for 50p a week as that should more or less
cover H.Q., County and District membership subscriptions for most people.

If the group doesn't have the money coming in, it cannot plan its use in any
way.

Then it has to plan for what it has coming in. We are here to help,
but we also need to teach responsible approaches to money. Funds
coming in must match those going out - at least (usually). We have to
plan for that.


We have previously discussed what Groups charge and the average, if I
recall correctly, is around 1.50 to 2.00 a week. When you think what they
get for that it is in my opinion remarkable value even at 3.00 or 4.00 and
there is nothing else that I can think of which offers anything similar
for YP at anywhere near that price.

It doesn't matter whether 4 pounds would be good value or not, if you can't
get 4 pounds out of the parent.

One Group around here used that argument. As a DEC we could not for
the life of us understand how one Group had this problem when not one
single other Group reported a difficulty in getting parents to pay.
(This in one of the more affluent areas of the District).


Just look what it costs for other activities such as swimming, cinema,
horse riding etc. and I think you will find that hour for hour we give
very good value. Even baby-sitting cost far more per hour!

An poorer families may not have any of these things either.

Indeed they may not. So lets make Scouting free for everyone on the
basis that we want to help those with so little. Or, charge the haves
more so that we can subsidise the have nots - after all it is alleged
to work at Jamborees.

Oddly, when we have offered to assist those who claim to be pressed to
pay, they always pay up. When they can't afford to buy Johnny boots we
offer to lend him a pair and he suddenly appears in new boots (and
never cheap ones).

I apologise for my cynicism, but I've been bitten by the poverty
excuse too often. If there is real poverty than we can help, but we
cannot budget our whole programme and existence based on the lowest
possible payer.

Ewan Scott
.

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