Requirement 6
Note: Some of the issues surrounding requirement 6 for the family meeting could be considered of a personal nature. Use discretion when reviewing this requirement with the Scout. Discussion of each of these subjects will very likely carry over to more than one family meeting.
Requirement
Prepare a meeting agenda that includes the following topics, review it with your parent or guardian, and then carry out one or more family meetings:
Check out the family meetings of fellow Scouts
Family Meeting Agenda Form
What topics are important for your family to discuss? Build your next family meeting agenda:
Now that you know how to carry out a family meeting
Let’s explore the topics that will be discussed during family meetings.
6.B – Prepare a meeting agenda that includes the following topics, review it with your parent or guardian, and then carry out one or more family meetings:
Requirement
Personal and family finances
Managing Money at Home
Take care of the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves.” This old saying suggests that doing without little things now can help you save for bigger, more important things later on. In other words, do not waste money on items you do not really need.
Discuss together:
- Determine who manages the finances at home
- Determine how money is spent
- What systems or apps do they use to track their spending?
- What is hard about managing finances for the family and what goes smoothly?
Suggested Family Activity: Managing your Money
Take a moment and think of some of the typical items you and the family spend money on.
Let’s become financial detectives:
For a week, the family keeps a simple list of everything you spent.
Needs vs. Wants Activity:
The most important step in a budget is telling the difference between a need and a want.
Create two columns on a piece of paper and put each purchase into either the “Need” or “Want” category. You’ll probably find that many of your purchases were wants, and that’s okay. The first step is simply to see where your money goes.
Need:
Something essential for daily living, like food, housing, clothing, transportation, and healthcare.
Want:
Something nice to have but not necessary, like dining out, entertainment, designer clothes, or the latest tech gadgets.
Family Budget
Based on what the family tracked in the “Needs vs. Wants” activity, create a simple budget for the next week. Decide how much you will spend on wants and how much you will save.
Create a Family Goal:
As a family, agree on a fun financial goal.
For example, saving up for a fun family activity or a special dinner out. Talk about how each person can contribute.
