PROGRAM CHANGES

BOYS' LIFE SUBSCRIPTION CHANGE
Boys' Life subscription rate will change to $12/year (pro-rated $1 per month) effective September 1, 2005.  The non-Scout rate will increase to $24 for 12 issues; and, postage outside the U.S. will increase from $18 per year to $21 per year.

The fee increase is necessary due to rising paper prices, postage rates and production costs and the extra pages incurred by the three demographic editions of Boys' Life.  Boys' Life is the best value in the youth magazine market.  Even with the new fee increase, the subscription cost to Scout subscribers is still one-half to one-third teh cost of other youth magazines,while the quality of Boys' Life continues to be second to none.

BOY SCOUT AGE CLARIFICATION
At the February National Executive Board Meeting, the board amended the rules and regulations to clarify that no boy may join Boy Scouting until he reaches the age of 10. This does not lower the age requirements. The requirement previously said a boy must have completed the fifth grade or be age 11 or have earned the Arrow of Light Award to be a Boy Scout. The new requirement says he must have:

* completed the fifth grade & be at least 10 years old

* or be age 11

* or have earned the Arrow of Light Award 
   and be at least 10 years old.

This clarification became effective May 15, 2004.

CUB SCOUTING LEADERSHIP CHANGES
    Recently there were two changes for rechartering or chartering Cub Scout Packs. The first change requires only one den leader position per pack at time of rechartering or bringing in a new charter. Previously a pack needed to have a leader for each program age level (Tiger, Cub Scout, Webelos).
    Secondly, each Cub Scout pack needed two committee members to recharter or charter. This was changed to require two committee members OR one committee member and a pack trainer OR two pack trainers and no members of the committee.