What is the new onboarding system?

The onboarding system streamlines how new youth join Scouts Victoria. It removes much of the paperwork for Group Leaders and Treasurers, allowing new members to register, trial, and pay online.

When was the system launched?

It was released on July 1, with both website and Extranet updates.

Who can access the Treasurer functions?

Only registered Treasurers (recorded in Extranet) can access the Group Admin and Finance sections. If you don’t have access, contact your Group Leader to ensure you’re listed correctly in Extranet.

How does the joining process work?

Parents can start a three-week trial or choose to join immediately. They enter youth and parent details, including allergies and emergency contacts. Once submitted, emails go out automatically to Section Leaders and the Group Leader, notifying them of the new trial member.

What happens when a member chooses to join?

They complete additional information and pay online via Stripe. Payment options include card, Apple Pay, and Google Pay. All fees are securely processed through Stripe.

What are the fees involved?

1. Branch Fee: Scouts Victoria annual (pro-rata) fee
2. Group Fee: Your Group’s set amount
3. Joining Fee: Optional (including scarf or joining pack)
4. Stripe Fee: 1.7% plus 30 cents per transaction, paid by the parent (not the Group)

Funds are held for one month due to the Money Back Guarantee. Payments are made fortnightly, so transfers may take up to six weeks in some cases. You’ll receive a remittance advice via Xero with the youth member’s name for reference and separate lines for Group and Joining fees.

What if a family needs a payment plan?

Groups can offer payment plans by selecting “Group will invoice parents” on the trial dashboard. This removes automatic charging, and the Group handles invoicing manually. This option can also be offered when issuing trail invitations.

Can Groups charge different Section fees?

Not automatically. The system assumes one standard fee per Group. If you need different fees for Sections, use manual invoicing and clearly state this in your Group Onboarding Pack uploaded to Extranet.

Where can Treasurers find reports?

In Extranet → Group Admin Page, you can access:

1. Group Financial Report: Details of transactions, fees, refunds, and Stripe charges
2. Payment Receipt Summary: Breakdowns of payments and bank deposit dates
3. Trial Dashboard: Overview of all current, expired, or joined trials
   

Can we reissue a trial invitation or view emails sent to families?

Yes. In the Trial Dashboard, click Manage Trial → Notification Log to reissue a trial link, edit trial details, or view all emails sent to parents and leaders.

What if a trial expires?

Trials can be extended from three to six weeks before expiry. Once expired, the parent must restart the process via the website or a new invite.

Can we extend trials during holidays?

Yes. Trials starting within two weeks of school holidays are paused and resume Week 1 of the next term.

What happens if a Group invoices parents but payment isn’t received?

The youth still becomes a member upon joining. Groups should ensure invoices are paid within four weeks. If not paid after that time, contact Member Services to deregister the youth.

What’s the Money Back Guarantee?

Parents can request a full refund within one month of joining. To process, email accounts@scoutsvictoria.com.au and include the youth’s name, Group, and join date. Refunds include both the Branch and Group fees. The Group should recover any items issued such as scarves issued.

How do payments appear for Groups?

Payment amounts will appear in blue in the Financial Report under refund column Refunds are typically processed by the Accounts Team after verification.

Why do some Groups get multiple remittance advices?

Payments are processed in batches. If your Group’s payments are split across batches, you’ll receive multiple remittance advices. Each batch lists which members are included.

What’s the best way to use the system?

Let the system do the work. Groups using automatic payments have fewer admin errors, clearer records, and faster processing times. Manual invoicing should only be used for special cases, such as payment plans.

Where can I find more resources?

A Knowledge Base is available on the Scouts Victoria Help Desk under Onboarding at

https://helpdesk.scoutsvictoria.com.au/portal/en/kb/youthonboarding

Yes. When issuing or editing a trial, tick “Group will invoice parents.” That means your Group handles the invoicing and can set up payment plans directly. The Branch pro-rata fee will still appear on your report, but the family pays the Group rather than Stripe.

Can we charge different fees for different Sections (for example Cubs vs Scouts)?

Not through the automatic system. The website only shows one Group fee. If you need to charge different Section rates, use manual invoicing and clearly outline the structure in your Group Onboarding Pack uploaded to Extranet.

What if our Treasurer doesn’t have Extranet access yet?

They need to be officially recorded as the Treasurer in Extranet by the Group Leader. Once that’s done, they’ll have access to the Group Admin page and Finance Reports.

Can users with Read-Only Extranet access see the trial dashboard?

Not always. This was raised for review. Visibility may be adjusted in future updates.

Can we re-enable an expired trial?

No. Once expired, the family must start a new trial registration. You can, however, extend active trials from three to six weeks before they expire.

If the Group chooses to invoice, do parents still get any notifications?

Yes. They still receive a welcome email confirming membership. However, Stripe will not charge them automatically. The Group is responsible for sending an invoice and collecting payment within four weeks.

What happens if a family doesn’t pay when the Group invoices them directly?

They technically become members when the Group marks them as joined. If payment isn’t received within four weeks, contact Member Services to deregister the youth.

Does the Group joining fee get refunded if the family cancels within four weeks?

Yes. If the refund is processed within the one-month Money Back Guarantee period, both the Group joining fee and Branch fee are refunded in full. The Group should recover any issued items such as scarves.

Who processes refunds and how do we request one?

Email accounts@scoutsvictoria.com.au with the youth name, Group, and join date. Refunds are normally processed within two weeks of request and appear as blue entries in the Financial Report.

How can I check whether a youth was charged automatically or marked “Group will invoice”?

Look at your Group Financial Report. If there’s a Stripe fee line, the family paid online. If there’s only the total amount with no Stripe line, the Group chose to invoice.

Can registrars receive the same notification emails as Leaders?

Currently no, but this was raised during the session and is being reviewed.

How can I view what emails parents have received?

Go to your Group Admin page, click Manage Trial, and then Notification Log. You can view every email sent, the date it was sent, and reissue links if required.

Where will all Treasurer help materials live?

A new Treasurer tab is being created in the Scouts Victoria Knowledge Base under the Onboarding section. It will include this FAQ, how-to guides, and step-by-step procedures.

Who should Treasurers contact for different types of help?

Onboarding System or Dashboard Issues - onboarding@scoutsvictoria.com.au

Payments, refunds, or remittances - accounts@scoutsvictoria.com.au

Member records or access - member.services@scoutsvictoria.com.au