Be A Part of the Adventure!!!
Compared to the cost of sports and other youth activities, we believe that Scouting delivers great value to its members and returns a lifetime of dividends.
Much of Pack 565's core operating expenses are covered by our annual popcorn fundraiser. This includes the cost of maintaining pack-owned equipment consumable materials used at pack and den meetings, storage, recruiting, and more.
Individual costs paid by the family broadly fall into two categories:
Annual costs - paid each year, typically at the start of the year (e.g., member dues)
Activity fees - paid at various times during the year to participate in certain fee-based activities (e.g., meal fee for campout)
A breakdown of estimated costs in each category is provided below. If your family needs financial help in order to participate, see the Financial Assistance section at the end of this page.
National dues: $85 per scout
Entitles the scout to membership in the national Scouting organization (BSA) for 12 months; covers insurance, program development, and support
For new scouts, this fee is paid directly to the BSA when submitting your membership application online
Returning scouts will also pay national dues directly to BSA when their 12 months membership has lapsed.
Non-refundable
Pack dues: $100 / scout | these dues go to the pack’s operating budget for equipment and program delivery
Entitles the scout to membership in Pack 565 for the scouting year of 2025
This fee Can be paid in person or through Scoutbook and will be Due by the Nov. 13th pack meeting.
All new scouts joining at the Fall JSN will pay a prorated pack dues of $41 for the remainder of 2024. These will be due by the first pack meeting on Sept 11th.
Each year as the cubs gain advancement, the pack provides the next year rank's cap, slide, neckerchief and book ($68 of the pack dues per scout are budgeted for this annually)
Each Scout receives a pack T-Shirt (class B uniform)
Non-refundable
Scout Life magazine: $15 per subscription (optional)
This glossy-print magazine is published monthly by the BSA and is sent to the scout’s home via U.S. mail; it covers topics of interest to scouts of all ages
Subscription to this magazine is optional; some scouts love it (especially for the jokes and comic strips), while others hardly ever look at it because it isn’t a screen
To subscribe to Scout Life, select to at it to your shopping cart when you pay your national dues each year (either as part of your initial online application process or when paying the annual dues as a renewing member)
Non-refundable
Uniform components: $120
The initial purchase of the scout uniform is the greatest. This will not be a cost that is incurred every year. Each year as the cubs gain advancement, the pack provides the next year rank's cap, slide, neckerchief and book ($68 of the pack dues per scout are budgeted for this annually)
Class A shirt $60.50
Cap: $23
Slide: $8
Neckerchief: $13
Belt (needed for wearing belt loop awards): $15
Scout handbook: $13-24 (for the 2024 fall enrollment, anyone who signs up by 9/30 will recieve a free handbook!)
Every rank (or grade level) has a printed book, called the Scout Handbook, that explains all the adventures, skills, and concepts necessary to earn the rank. This year all Cub Scout ranks have a new edition of their respective handbook; the changes are so great that all previous editions will not be useful; if you find a previous edition, recycle it
Uniforms and handbooks can be purchased at the local Scout Shop; see our Uniforms information page for details
Camping & outdoors gear: varies
Gear requirements for Cub Scouts are relatively basic (see our Packing List page for details); remember that on Pack campouts, each scout tents with his/her family
If there are important items (like sleeping bags or a tent) that your family does not already own, these items will need to be purchased or borrowed
Talk to your den leader for gear tips and for help tracking down gear to borrow
Activity costs are paid whenever a reservation fee-based pack event. We encourage scouts to participate in every activity.
Total activity costs for 1 scout and 1 parent/guardian to participate in all fee-based activities offered by Pack 565 this year is expected to be $80, as follows:
Fall Campout (Nov): $20 tent site fee per family + $10 meal fee per person, age 4 and under free
Spring Campout (Mar): $20 tent site fee per family + $10 meal fee per person, age 4 and under free
A refund policy for each event is stated in the online store when reserving. Most reservations are not refundable after 2 weeks before the event.
Our parent BSA district and council regularly host events that are attended by Cub Scouts and Scouting families from all over Central Texas. Such events include day outings and family camping weekends, often at BSA-owned properties in the region. In the summer, weeklong day camps and resident camps are offered. Cub Scout shooting sports activities (BB gun, archery, and slingshot) are only offered at district or council events.
The district and council publicized them via a monthly email newsletter sent to all Cub Scout families in the area. We encourage you to sign up to participate as a family or with an informal group of several Cub Scout families. These events are usually lots of fun!
District and council events generally have a modest participation fee.
Every year we collect outgrown uniform items and handbooks from older scouts and set them out during the first few pack meetings, so that families that can use them can save the cost of buying new. Availability is limited and offered on a first-come basis.
NOTE for Fall 2024: There are no hand-me-down handbooks this year because all ranks have new editions, and the changes from previous years are too great for the older editions to be useful. If you have an older edition, please put it in the waste recycling.
Pack/Council financial assistance
If your child (or children) want to participate in Cub Scouts but costs are a problem, there are several ways we can help:
Loaner gear such as sleeping bags or tents
Payment plans for fees that are paid to the pack
Hand-me-down uniforms and handbooks (limited supply)
Scholarships from our parent BSA council (how to apply)
Scouts who receive assistance are encouraged to be active in our fundraising efforts.
To request assistance, please speak in person to the Cubmaster or our pack’s Committee Chair, or send an email to pack leaders via Pack565rr@gmail.com