Update on National Fees:

• The new registration fee structure of $85 per youth & $65 per adult will be effective on May 1, NOT April 1.
• The elimination of the new member $25 joining fee will still be effective April 1.

Effective April 1, 2024, the BSA will eliminate the $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting.

Effective May 1, 2024 (formerly April 1), registration fees will be as follows:

• $85/yr for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants ($5 increase)
• $65/yr for all adult volunteers ($5 increase)
• $30/yr for Scoutreach (No change in fee)
• $25/yr for Merit Badge Counselors (No change in fee. Only for Merit Badge Counselors not already registered as leaders)
• $50/yr for Exploring participants Youth & Adult (No change in fee)
• $100/yr unit renewal/affiliation fee (No change in fee)
• $15/yr for Scout Life magazine (No change in fee)
• Council Program Fee will remain at $48 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants until July 31, 2024 and then will increase to $68 on August 1, 2024

Over the past year, a great deal of discussion has ensued regarding the district leadership structure of Mayflower Council. It has become increasingly challenging to fill the many district committee positions and ensure that the support needed for the Scouting program is being provided in the most efficient, effective, and consistent manner.

A committee was formed last summer of individuals from across the council to determine the best path moving forward given the current number of unfilled positions. A wide variety of options were considered and discussed at length; it was decided that to best way to provide a quality scouting program in Mayflower Council was to adopt a more Council centralized support structure in place of what has previously been a District-centered approach. It is extremely important to note that the continued involvement of current leaders, and recruitment of others, will be a critical element as we move forward. The knowledge base and dedication of the current corps of volunteers will be integral to the new leadership structure.

To facilitate a smooth transition to this type of structural leadership change, an Implementation Team has been identified to collect information and identify “next steps” for the transition. It is anticipated that the roll out will occur in a stepwise fashion during the 2024-25 program year. In the coming months there will be in-depth discussions amongst various committees and constituents to solicit input and help the Implementation Team develop a well-defined roll out plan. This will be an evolving process, with information to be provided as it becomes available. The Implementation Team is planning to hold a Council-wide Summit in October, open to those currently serving in District leadership positions and all others who are interested.

A contact email (click here to email ) has been set up to ensure that individuals can ask questions at any time as we move forward with the transition. Every effort will be made to ensure responses are sent as quickly as possible, recognizing that answers to many questions may not be available until the roll out plan is better defined.

Sharable announcement flyer

Effective April 1, 2024, the BSA will eliminate the $25 one-time joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting.

• $85/yr for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants ($5 increase)
• $65/yr for all adult volunteers ($5 increase)
• $30/yr for Scoutreach (No change in fee)
• $25/yr for Merit Badge Counselors (No change in fee. Only for Merit Badge Counselors not already registered as leaders)
• $50/yr for Exploring participants Youth & Adult (No change in fee)
• $100/yr unit renewal/affiliation fee (No change in fee)
• $15/yr for Scout Life magazine (No change in fee)
• Council Program Fee will remain at $48 for Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants until July 31, 2024 and then will increase to $68 on August 1, 2024

What Does Mayflower Council Do For Units & Scout Families?

To help unit leaders, the council maintains a service center with administrative staff to:

• Assist with online registrations, Scout Life subscriptions, and initiate special requests to the National Service Center and other organizations.
• Maintain a supply of literature, insignia, forms, certificates, etc., needed by the leader to carry on the unit’s program.
• Keep records of advancement, membership, training, etc. necessary to unit operation.
• Publish a weekly newsletter to keep leaders informed of the latest local and national Scouting news, coming events, etc.
• Produce notices, minutes, agendas, etc., for district and council committees that are developing programs for leader and unit benefit.
• Handle inquiries and visitors to our service center for information related to unit operation and Scouting procedures.
• Provide a myriad of forms, applications, certificates and literature helpful in the unit program.
• Produce district and council calendars and schedules, programs, kits and special aids to assist leaders and their committees.
• Manage reservations for long-term camping, short-term camps, camporees, jamborees, high adventure bases, training courses, meetings, annual council and district meetings, troop leader and den leader events.

To protect the unit leader, the council:

• Maintains a liability policy for the protection of all leaders and chartered organizations.
• Maintains accident and sickness insurance policy for all registered youth and leaders.
• Screens requests for services and money earning proposals, guarding against improper use of Scouting for commercialism and exploitation.
• Has staff members available on what is practically an around-the-clock, around-the-calendar basis to meet any emergency.
• Manages and processes Criminal Offender Records Inquiry (CORI) checks
• Provides assistance with any Youth Protection issues that may arise.

To help the leader develop unit program, the council provides without charge:

• Program helps, calendar of activities, meetings and special events.
• Awards, such as ribbons, certificates, recruiting awards, etc.
• Recruitment supplies including posters, fliers, digital targeted advertising and other materials.
• Sample ceremonies, parent’s night program outlines, training aids, etc.
• Source materials and personnel.
• Materials, books, pamphlets, folders, videos and special helps from the National Council and cooperating organizations.

In the field of camping and outdoor activities, the council:

• Maintains three Scout camps, with a total of 1,500 acres, for year-round camping and Cub Scout family outdoor events. Our Scout camps serve as year-round activities, camping and training centers.
• Offers units the use of equipment for short-term, weekend, and year-round camping.
• Covers costs of camp improvement, repairs, replacement, maintenance, insurance and administration. These and other charges are not paid for by Scout’s fees.
• Employs full-time camp rangers for the protection of the Scout camps and the convenience of units using facilities. They keep these facilities ready and available for unit and family use.
• Provides campers’ early-bird savings discounts, unit leaders’ guidebook, camp videos, literature and other aids to help units with their program.
• Provides scholarships or “camperships” for Scouts who need some financial help to have a summer camp experience.
• Offers units and individual youth access to high-adventure bases like Philmont Scout Ranch, Northern Tier and Sea Base, national jamborees, field days, camporees and other special events. These would not exist without the council giving leadership and coordination.

In educational and relationship building programs, the council provides the leader with:

• A library of videos, digital projectors and screens for use in training and promotional programs.
• Informal and formal training courses with most of the cost of literature and materials, etc., and all the staff time included in the council budget.
• Monthly roundtables for the benefit of leaders, committee persons, assistants, and den leaders, providing materials, staff and other costs.
• Scouter’s Key, training awards, Den Leader’s Training Award, Silver Beaver, District Award of Merit and other Scouter recognitions.
• A merit badge counselor corps in more than 130 subjects.
• A variety of advancement forms and certificates without charge.

Providing the unit with district and council activities and service, the council:

• Plans and conducts various types of activities in which units participate such as Freeze Out/Klondike Derby, Pinewood Derby and Scouting for Food.
• Organizes camporees, Cub Scout day camps, jamborees, high-adventure trips, absorbing some overhead costs to keep participants’ expenses to a minimum.
• Works with various community groups to arrange for Scout participation in civic affairs and Good Turn projects.
• Recruits and trains a corps of commissioners for assisting with unit program and maintaining standards.

To assist leaders, the council employs a trained full-time staff who counsel, guide and inspire:

• Through person-to-person counseling on unit relationships, administrative and operational challenges.
• Through guidance of all committees, commissioners, roundtables, meetings, conferences, courses, district and council activities in the development of programs that directly benefit leaders and units.
• Through contacts with the community resources (clubs, churches, government, etc.), secure help for all units that they alone could not obtain. The use of parks, recreational areas, use of buildings for special events, picnic areas, campsites, and meeting facilities are a few examples.

As part of our ongoing commitment to abuse prevention, the BSA is updating the adult supervision requirements for overnight activities.

In this workshop, we will discuss:

• Enhancements to the minimum “two deep leadership” requirements.
• The definition of an adult fee required position.
• Limited exceptions for Cub Scout Parents and Guardians.
• Scenarios and examples.
• Required date for policy adoption.

All districts are accepting nominations for District Award of Merit as well as recognitions for other outstanding Scouters:

Nomination for District Awards – due April 15

• Cubmaster, Scoutmaster, Venturing crew advisor, committee chair (for any unit) and charter organization representative of the year awards
• Unsung Hero Award – someone who goes above and beyond in the district.
• “Sparkplug” – each pack, troop, or crew can recognize one of their adult leaders for going above and beyond.

Nomination for the District Award of Merit – due April 15

The District Award of Merit is a council award presented by districts in the same manner that the Silver Beaver is a national
award presented by councils. The award is available to Scouters who render service of an outstanding nature at the district level. This nomination form must be sent via email to:  Mayflower Awards

The district will typically present the awards at the annual district recognition dinner.

System Maintenance – Saturday, November 5, 2022 – from 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM

The My.Scouting and Scoutbook systems will be down this Saturday beginning at 9:00 AM for a system upgrade. All features will be offline during this time. This includes all My.Scouting tools, the training site, Online Registration, Internet Rechartering and Advancement along with Scoutbook.

The attached user guide is for for parents and/or volunteers to transfer between councils using the online registration system. This allows you to login and transfer from one council to another, and once the application is approved and the overnight sync is run all the training and advancement records for the member will follow.

As we continue our work to enhance the traditions of Scouting here in the 21st Century and augment the privacy and safety of our membership, the Mayflower Council will soon look to move most membership functions online. Long story short, the days of youth paper-based membership applications are coming to an end.