Online Scout Manager (OSM)
We use Online Scout Manager to manage personal details, badges, attendance, and payments. It is also used to send out emails to parents containing invitations to events or camps.
https://www.onlinescoutmanager.co.uk/
You will be invited to join the OSM “Parent Portal”.
You will receive an email inviting you to set up an account.
Once you have set up an account you will then be able to check and update your child’s details (please be advised you will need to set up a new account when your child moves to a new section).
Once you are logged in, on the left-hand side under “My Child” you will see several headings:
Noticeboard – An area where your leaders can leave a message for its section members.
Payments – Under here there is a list of payments made by yourself, plus due and upcoming payments.
Events – Details of events that your child has been invited to and signed up to.
Badges – Details of badges that your child has completed or working towards.
Personal Details – This is where you can update all of your child’s details, medical details, allergies, dietary needs, emergency contact details, school, religion and provide your consent choices for photo publicity.
Emails – You can see all the emails that you have been sent to you by your section and by the group during the past 3 months.
Gift Aid – You can see/update your Gift Aid Declaration.
Guide to Online Payments
Online Payments for Termly Subs and Activities
As of April 2022, all subscription fees for 18th Ipswich Scout Group are collected by Go Cardless i.e. Direct Debit. You will receive an email with a link to set up the Direct Debit. Note: If you have more than one child in the Group, you will receive serval emails. Each needs to be dealt with separately.
We use a system for our administration called Online Scout Manager (OSM) which offers us a facility that allows all parents the ability to pay for their son/daughter’s termly subscription fees and selected activities by an online payment method.
This facility is through a company called GoCardless. (GoCardless is sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority).
You will be sent a Payment Request email via Online Scout Manager when a payment is due.
You will also be sent automatic reminders as the due date for payment approaches.
We have two different payment schedules:
- Termly Subscription – This is charged three times a year, at the start of the Autumn, Spring and Summer Terms.
- Activities – This is for all events.
You will need to log into your Parent Portal Account.
Please see below a tutorial video which will hopefully help you through the payment process.
TUTORIAL VIDEO
Parent Portal: Payments
The system operates in two modes:
• Create Subscription – your direct debit will automatically be debited when there are payments needed for your child
• Pay Now – you have to approve each payment by logging into the payments area of your parent portal
Whether or not you choose to authorise each payment individually, or subscribe to them all, you will be emailed each time a payment is needed and you’ll be able to cancel it if you want. All payments are protected by the Direct Debit Guarantee.
When you click on ‘Pay Now’ or ‘Create Subscription’ you will be taken to ‘GoCardless’ which is the secure payment provider where you will be asked to enter your bank details.
If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions about Payments
Q: Will the Direct Debit transfer when my child moves sections? (e.g. from Beavers to Cubs or Cubs to Scouts?)
A: The Direct Debit in OSM is established for each section. When children transfer to the next section it will require you to accept the subs schedule for the new section. Our sections have identical schedules, this process is a requirement of the OSM system.
Q: Do I have to use GoCardless via Online Scout Manager, or can I just pay by bank transfer like we used to?
A: We are asking all parents/carers to pay through GoCardless via OSM to ensure accuracy of accounting and tracking of payments.
What happens if I don’t pay?
Payment of the membership fee is a condition of membership of The Scout Association (which includes any Scout Group), therefore failure to pay on time, without adequate explanation, would mean that your child’s membership with the Group would be cancelled (POR rule 15.8).
If a payment is more than 30 days overdue, you receive a letter advising you that your child’s membership of the Group has been cancelled. You will also receive an invoice for any outstanding subs, up until the day of cancellation. If they wish to re-join, they must first contact the leader and pay any outstanding amount and then join the waiting list (if any).
