The Boy Scouts of America has worked to keep the annual membership fee as low as possible, but with rising operating costs, the fee will be increased to maintain the program.

Starting Aug. 1, the membership fee for Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting participants will be $72, a $6 increase from the $66 fee enacted last August. The fee for Exploring participants will be $45, up from $42.

The one-time $25 joining fee for new program participants in Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting will still be required. There is no joining fee for Exploring, participants previously registered in any BSA program, those transferring from one program to another, council-paid memberships or adult volunteers.

Fees for all adult volunteers will be $45, also up from $42. That includes the cost of a background check. Council-paid memberships will remain at $30 and the unit charter fee will stay at $75.

Scouting remains a valuable investment. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Scouts were forced to stay home, they still learned skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. They still helped those in need. They still became leaders in their units and communities. Scouting is needed now in America, just as much as it was in 1910.

For more information, read the whole article on blog.scoutingmagazine.org.