Would this upset you?

[FlightlessDuck]

I think turning children into salesmen is detrimental to not only the children, but also the perception of the organization. It's OK to ask someone to buy popcorn to support the Boy Scouts, but training kids on specific sales pitches, etc., is just wrong.

 

[LilyWDW]

I don't see it as a true/false statement. I see it more as a opinion statement. Plus, they are not saying (based off of the wording) that THEIR popcorn is what is causing the trend. They are saying in general that the flavor may be popular based off of other products and what is on shelves.

And I have had a bit of experience in marketing/sales.

 

[sbell111]

I think turning children into salesmen is detrimental to not only the children, but also the perception of the organization. It's OK to ask someone to buy popcorn to support the Boy Scouts, but training kids on specific sales pitches, etc., is just wrong.

I disagree. If you are wanting a kid to sell something, you have to teach the kid how to sell. That's true regardless of whether the sales technique is to sit there and look cute or to walk the buyer through why he wants the item.

 

[Tralliam]

Well, I agree that you (we) don't have enough information to know if the statement is true. However, if it's not, then I would have no problem reminding the troop that they are to be "Trustworthy".

It's fine to give them an "ice breaker" and it's fine to teach them about "marketing" and putting the product in the best possible position to sell....but it is not OK to tell them (teach them) to outright lie about the product. If the statement is true, then no problem, of course!

This is what I'm hoping. I still haven't heard back if the statement came from the distributor. Seeing that some of you have assumed that the suggestion did come from the distributor I may have just read more into it than is there.

I also find it interesting that there are several responses that say their pack/troop aren't participating.

 

[SaraJayne]

No it wouldn't bother me. It's for a good cause and if a little boy told me it was a trending flavor on the west coast I would laugh and probably buy more. I think what the people were trying to say was west and east coasts set the new trends for the rest of the world. It's a little joke saying "hey don't you wanna be cool?".

I guess you just didn't get the joke.

If a little boy told me it was a trending flavor on the west coast, I'd laugh, say no thanks and walk away.

East and West coasts set the trends for the rest of the world? I think the only people that believe that are people that live on either coast.

 

[Bob NC]

Wouldn't bother me because I'm not buying Boy Scout popcorn anyway.

We support most folks that come to the door, girl scouts, school groups and bands and various other groups.

We find the things we buy, with the exception of GS cookies, to not be a very good value. To be honest, we don't EXPECT them to be a good value, but we like supporting many of these groups.

With the Boy Scouts though, it feels like they are around the corner laughing, or, proud that they are able to take such advantage of people who WANT to support them.

The value is sooooo poor that I refuse to participate. I have to wonder, if the GS's can fund raise in a way I enjoy supporting them, why can't the BS's find a way that I don't feel taken advantage of by supporting them?

 

[Jedana]

I'm very sad that we aren't selling the Triple chocolate this year. It was so freaking addicting...

With that being said, I would just market it as the new flavor. My son would have no idea what "trending on the west coast" means. He's a little salesman too--we were selling camp cards two years ago, and someone was hedging on whether or not to buy one, so he comes up with "Listen, I dont' know how long we are going to have them, so I would buy one while supplies last." His other sales technique--"so, how many can I put you down for?"

 

[Jedana]

For those who are asking why this is what we sell---it's because this is the edict handed down from council. If it were up to most packs and troops (cub scout packs, boy scout troops), most would rather hold car washes or pancake breakfasts, or sell things like candy. We also sell the $5 camp cards in March-April, and last year they didn't sell well at all...the year before they had a $5 card from Publix on them, so people were basically making the money right back when they went shopping...this year it was $3 on a $75 purchase. Much easier to sell them the year before!

We make a lot of our money for the pack from the popcorn sale--35% of total, including online sales and the military donation--and we spend about 2-3% of that on prizes for the boys.

The rest of the money helps keep our pack dues down for the scouts; it pays for part of all our pack campouts (so instead of charging $15 per person for the site plus food, we only charge for food $5-6 per person for the whole weekend). We are also subsidizing part of our "BIG MAY EVENT". Last year, we camped at the Central FL zoo overnight, the year before it was the MOSH in Orlando. This year, it's a night on the USS Yorktown--and at $100-125 per person, we need to help our families!

It pays for our monthly pack meeting activity, whether it's the 501st Squadron (awesome group--no charge, but they do ask for a donation to their local charities--we did the children's hospital here), Mad Science or the local weatherman.

It also covers the cost of advancement and the books/neckerchiefs/slides that we give each boy when they re-enroll with the pack each fall. It pays for our belt loops/pins that the boys work for, and this year, our den is working to earn the new STEM awards as well. We lost a scout this summer (his brain cancer returned and he passed away) and we made a donation to his family, to help them financially.

Yes, that means 65% is going to the company that makes the popcorn and the BSA, but it also means that we don't have to pay $40 to the BSA each year, only $15.

We do accept just donations, and we don't share those with the BSA. Unless you intentionally donate to the BSA, so you get can get your name in their newsletter or something.

 

[Mouse House Mama]

$30 for popcorn? If it costs that much it better come with a whole conrfield set up as a maze for my kids to enjoy. That is insane. I could even imagine letting my children even try to sell that.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I can't get past $30 for a bag of popcorn. Sorry, trending flavor or not, this is nuts.

My first thought too!

 

[RF536]

Most packs and troops sell the popcorn, because it is strongly encouraged to do by the council. Council encourages packs and troops to sell popcorn, because they receive 30% of the popcorn sales, which allows them to run camps and other programs.


This year our pack has made the decision to not sell the popcorn, due to several reasons. In our council, there is no penalty for not selling popcorn, so we have decided to hold a car wash/bake sale and sell candy bars. We will be donating back some of our profits to council, so that we are still supporting them.

 

[Alsobrook]

On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.


And the Scout Law.....

A Scout is:

Trustworthy,
Loyal,
Helpful,
Friendly,
Courteous,
Kind,
Obedient,
Cheerful,
Thrifty,
Brave,
Clean,
and Reverent.



So, send a copy to the Popcorn Kernal and tell him that you want him "dishonorably discharged" for requesting that scouts violate the Scout Law in the name of selling popcorn.

Scouts are trustworthy, period.

 

[Becky2005]

This year our pack has made the decision to not sell the popcorn, due to several reasons. In our council, there is no penalty for not selling popcorn, so we have decided to hold a car wash/bake sale and sell candy bars. We will be donating back some of our profits to council, so that we are still supporting them.

Wow, you are lucky...around here I believe if you don't participate in the popcorn sale, then you can not fundraise in other ways either. Pretty much if you want to do anything to raise funds, you have to do the popcorn sale first.

Unfortunately for me, they got rid of the popcorn my older son likes (he's the one not in scouts & I get doubly hit with a Boy Scout & Cub Scout), so we really don't even like any of the other options they have. I know we could do the military donation thing but being part of the committee I'm not really sure many people do that here. *sigh*

We haven't started this yet but I know it is coming -- so I couldn't tell you if it is on the council information about it being a trending flavor. We usually get the order form in the mail and can't start selling until Sept. 1.

I know some troops have opened up boxes and sold the popcorns in individual packs previously but we tend to get in trouble doing that as the bags are not labeled for individual sale.

 

[littleteapot]

No it wouldn't bother me. It's for a good cause and if a little boy told me it was a trending flavor on the west coast I would laugh and probably buy more. I think what the people were trying to say was west and east coasts set the new trends for the rest of the world. It's a little joke saying "hey don't you wanna be cool?".

I guess you just didn't get the joke.

This...and $30 popcorn makes about as much sense as a tiny $3.50 box of cookies. I might buy something, but I probably just hand the kid a few bucks for his or her effort.

 

[tarheel618]

I can't get past $30 for a bag of popcorn. Sorry, trending flavor or not, this is nuts.

All for supporting causes but I am with the above poster. No way would I spend 30 for a bag of popcorn.

I'm starting to get priced out of the girl scout cookie market.

 

[scbelleatheart]

When my kids sold it (DH was Cubmaster) all the money went to the local council and thet redistributed it to the troops after they took their major cut. it was mandatory to sell so much per kids and the troop got about a dollar per package. The Girl Scouts did the same thing with cookies. They were better off doing their own fund raisers but everything still had to be turned in to the council of 5 counties for redistribution.

 

[mad madam mim78]

If a little boy told me it was a trending flavor on the west coast, I'd laugh, say no thanks and walk away.

East and West coasts set the trends for the rest of the world? I think the only people that believe that are people that live on either coast.

You're right. New York and L.A have no effect on the trends what so ever. What was I thinking?

 

[TiggerTails57]

OH goody more popcorn...........We still have some left from last year! DH bought some from a guy selling for his son at work.

 

[Sadie22]

My sons were in scouting years ago. As Boy Scouts their troops did one major fundraiser each year that earned enough money to send each boy to summer camp and paid for advancement supplies and monthly camping trips and troop camping equipment such as tents, cooking equipment, and trailers. When High Adventure trips were planned, there would be opportunities for those participants to volunteer more work and be allocated a larger share of the proceeds earned to pay toward those trips. The fundraisers included selling and delivering mulch in spring and selling citrus fruit in late fall. Participation in popcorn sales was optional and not a big money-earner, as part of the funds went to council with a smaller part going to the troop.

The prices have gone up, but they still have the fancy cans of popcorn of which I have collected a few. There is a cub scout pack that is chartered to our church that sells popcorn before and after services one or two weekends a year. I like to make a small purchase or donation so I can talk to the young scouts and their parents. It allows me to reminisce a bit. It's worth it to me.

I have never had one tell me anything about flavor trends.

 

[mom2boys]

I have never noticed boy scouts selling popcorn, but at that price, even I would pass as that would go toward my groceries. My son was not in boy scouts , but why would they sell popcorn at a price like that. Not trying to be snarky, just not understanding.

As the mother of two scouts who sold popcorn as cub scouts, I can tell you the price has risen drastically in the past few years. My boys' troop doesn't sell popcorn. I stopped by the cub scout popcorn booth at the mall last year. When those boys told me the price, I had to decline the purchase. That's not fundraising. It highway robbery.