Should your scouting ham club become a chapter of Radio Scouting, Inc?

Benefits:
  • You'll be a part of a 501(c)3 organization with the ability to take donations and apply for grants.
  • We handle federal and state financial reporting, your club just sends in a monthly minutes and report.
  • Dedicated Club Bank Account, with Paypal for donations
  • Make your club legal and formalizes your club with Chapter By-Laws, allowing for you to become an ARRL club and apply for a club callsign with the FCC.
  • @radioscouting.us club email address
  • Promotional & STEM materials including flyers, banners, premade curriculum for youth games and license classes



Why join up

Our organization was originally focused on promoting one youth organization in one location but we've recently stepped-back so that we could offer this program to several youth groups in a neutral fashion. For a hobby that explores communications, councils seem to ignore each other.


Types of membership

Affiliate clubs are those clubs that are already legal entities with their own tax ID and registrations with their state, they are independent and continue their independence and doing their own financial reporting to state/fed. RSI offers as much or as little assistance as the club needs in expanding their programs reach with materials, advice and co-operation with other members.

For clubs with no tax ID, generally informal groups of volunteers running their program, we offer a Chapter membership, where we legally formalize your existing group under Radio Scouting, Inc. umbrella. Their group becomes a legal DBA/Fictious name/Trade name under RSI.

Last option is creating a brand new Chapter from scratch, where you need to gather helpers to create a new program in your area. Then apply once you have enough support in your area.

In all cases scouting clubs should have suppporting ham clubs in their area to assist with equipment and volunteers, some clubs use several area ham clubs to help fill in their volunteers during large events.


Steps to join

If you already have an existing group of ham scouters running your club simply reach out and let us know which model most appeals to you. Your group will need to elect officers (president, treasurer, secretary), hold a formal meeting to vote on membership and RSI by-laws and submit the form to RSI for our board to vote on your membership request.


What about leaving or out-growing RSI

Chapter clubs are a part of RSI, however your Chapter club can become an Affiliate Member by getting it's own tax ID and 501c3 and spin-off as a new corporation. It will have all the regular reporting requirements as any other non-profit.

Or your club could disband where we'll assist in disposition as required by the IRS.


Initial Costs

We currently have no membership fees or dues. However there is a cost with adding a new Chapter member in state registration and FCC license fees, it varies state by state but usually less than $200.
A Florida based club: FL-DBA $50, Filing Notice $50, FCC initial club callsign + Vanity $70 = $170.
A Louisiana based club: LA-Trade Name $80, FCC initial club callsign + Vanity $70 = $150.
For Affiliate Clubs there is no cost as their corp is already legally registered.