Join FAQ

The annual National Registration fee is $230 per youth with $15 of each membership going directly to the local group to help support fun adventures.  Local Groups may also charge an additional registration fee. 

Throughout the year, additional costs may vary by Group related to uniforms, camping, special events or activities.  To learn more about your Group’s additional costs or subsidies, please contact your Group Commissioner or the Help Centre, helpcentre@scouts.ca. 

The value of Scouting is much greater than the fee.  Youth who are registered in Scouting gain valuable skills through fun and engaging non-formal programming that prepares them for success in the future. 

Early registration allows Groups to plan for the upcoming Scouting Year and enables as many youths as possible to enjoy the benefits of Scouting.

Scouts Canada’s membership runs on an annual basis from January to December. Not many other youth activities are offered for a full year at such a low cost and offering so much value and benefit. Current members can continue Scouting and sign up for next year when it is most convenient for them — whether that be in September up until January next.

Scouts Canada does not offer a different payment option. To guarantee your spot for next year, it is recommended that you renew your membership during early renewal on August 15^th. Every Section is different, while some Sections may have limited capacity and fill up quickly, others may have open spots in January. As a result, you can choose to pay for the next Scouting Year during early registration or you can wait until the end of December (provided there is still room in your child’s Section) because your child is still a member until December.

NOTE: A child is only considered registered once they have paid for their membership fees. Sections will not be holding spots for the next Scouting Year, for renewing members, once registration opens on September 1.

All Scouting members were offered free Scouting from September to January next. Many families did not feel comfortable to return to Scouting due to concerns regarding the pandemic.

Scouts Canada has always offered early registration (typically in May) where new members had the opportunity to start Scouting before the actual registration year kicked in (typically in September). This year is no different. The only thing that changes are the dates. We are now offering early registration in September before the actual registration year kicks in January next year.

Scouting is needed now more than ever, and our mission and vision has never been so critical. To fulfill that mission Scouts Canada is reaching out to as many children as possible to support the development of critical life skills that will make them the leaders of tomorrow and help make the world better.

As such, we want to eliminate barriers to registration where we can and enable as many youths as possible to benefit from the value of Scouting.

This decision was made for several reasons that have been forgotten, as we have since lost sight of the realities that were facing Scouts Canada at that time. Amid early pandemic uncertainty and lockdowns, Scouts Canada wanted to:

• Remove financial barriers and concern from registration for parents, to make fall a free Scouting experience;
• Use the opportunity to see if the change in registration cycle would address retention challenges (particularly between Sections) by not requiring membership renewal before moving to the next Section;
• Test out spring/summer program extension (weekly or event-based) and offer youth who join in spring, immediate program opportunities

Prior to the pandemic, Scouting had always faced a challenge with retention, particularly between sections.  Early results show that the change in registration to January has seen positive engagement and retention between Sections. 

Retention Percentage by Age in 2022:

Additionally other observed benefits include:

• Over 4000 youth registered since February 2022
• No increase in total refunds as a % of membership
• No registration-participation lag (multiple intake windows aligned with seasons)
• Increased spring/summer program extension for more Sections
• Best overall retention rate of 67%

Retention Percentage by Age - Pre-Pandemic:

Your Group Commissioner can transfer your role in MyScouts to the next Section when you move up in September. The correct Section will be offered to you automatically while registering for the next Scouting Year that runs from January 1 to December 31.

(Note: this isn’t a change in process. Swim up logic in the system hasn’t changed at all, only thing that changed is that the Program Year and Registration Year are no longer aligned).

If you registered in Scouting in January, your membership is valid until December 31st. You are under no obligation to renew until next January.

However, if you know you will continue Scouting next year, and you wish to register early to save your child's spot in their preferred Group – you will have the opportunity to do so starting August 15th.

For security purposes, the only available methods of payment for registrations are VISA, Mastercard, AMEX, and PayPal.

Scouts Canada offers a membership fee subsidy for low-income families called, ‘No One Left Behind.’ To qualify for the No One Left Behind (NOLB) subsidy, members must complete a Low Income Cut Off test that is confidential. Applications for the NOLB are submitted during the registration process and are processed immediately. To find out more, please visit: https://www.scouts.ca/donate/campaign-and-fundraising/no-one-left-behind.html 

The Beaver Scout program is for youth aged 5-7. To register for the Scouting year beginning January 1, youth must be born on or before December 31. 

The Scouting Year for 2023 will run from January 1, 2023 to December 31, 2023.  If you registered your child anytime between August 15th (returning members)/ September 1st (new members) in 2022  and January 1st, 2023, you can receive a full refund up until January 31st, 2023.  For registrations after January 1st, 2023, the standard 30-day refund policy applies.  All refunds are issued in the manner in which original payment was made.

Terms and Conditions.