Tips for selling cub scout popcorn???

[zoemurr]

I'm curious, I'm on our Boy Scout committee (I did end up allowing my DS to participate this year) and I'm wondering what kind of fundraising people who oppose selling door to door would approve of. I mean, what would you support with your money if you wanted to support the BSA? Would you be more willing to support them if they provided a service such as a carwash? I'm not being facetious, I really want to know, I think it would be useful information.

This month our troop is selling water bottles at a booth at the state fair, they make a lot of money doing this and to me this is an awesome fundraiser. The water bottle prices are in line with what other vendors are priced at and something people need. We have also sold tickets for a pancake breakfast at Applebees which seemed to go over well, but that did involve selling door to door.

I think it's anything where I don't have to look a cute kid in the face and say, "no thank you", or hide in my house when the doorbell rings. A car wash, spaghetti dinner, garage sale, babysitting night.. any of these I would let DS do. Honestly, I would rather a service then more "stuff". I just don't want food or coupon books. I'd like something where the kids get all the $, not have to split it with the company that made the item.

Someone else said going door to door is not begging but I really feel it is. A vacuum salesman comes to your house to sell a vacuum. If you don't need a new one you say so and they move on. A cute kid comes "selling" popcorn and you have a whole different mindset. It's not about if you need popcorn or not, it's about disappointing a small child. Very different dynamic in my mind.

 

[DawnM]

As I have mentioned before, our yard sales are HUGE hits. We have at least 2 per year.

It is amazing what people are willing to get rid of if you offer to pick it up.

We typically net over $3,000 per yard sale.

Now, it is a HUGE amount of work, which I think is great for the boys. They need to learn to work hard and work together.

I much prefer this to selling things like popcorn.

Dawn

I'm curious, I'm on our Boy Scout committee (I did end up allowing my DS to participate this year) and I'm wondering what kind of fundraising people who oppose selling door to door would approve of. I mean, what would you support with your money if you wanted to support the BSA? Would you be more willing to support them if they provided a service such as a carwash? I'm not being facetious, I really want to know, I think it would be useful information.

This month our troop is selling water bottles at a booth at the state fair, they make a lot of money doing this and to me this is an awesome fundraiser. The water bottle prices are in line with what other vendors are priced at and something people need. We have also sold tickets for a pancake breakfast at Applebees which seemed to go over well, but that did involve selling door to door.

 

[bellebud]

I'm curious, I'm on our Boy Scout committee (I did end up allowing my DS to participate this year) and I'm wondering what kind of fundraising people who oppose selling door to door would approve of. I mean, what would you support with your money if you wanted to support the BSA? Would you be more willing to support them if they provided a service such as a carwash? I'm not being facetious, I really want to know, I think it would be useful information.

This month our troop is selling water bottles at a booth at the state fair, they make a lot of money doing this and to me this is an awesome fundraiser. The water bottle prices are in line with what other vendors are priced at and something people need. We have also sold tickets for a pancake breakfast at Applebees which seemed to go over well, but that did involve selling door to door.

I'm against any fundraising for any and all organizations that come up to people asking them to buy something. That means door to door, calling out to me when I walk in the supermarket, bringing in a flyer to work (unless you work in a fairly large place and just plop the flyer down somewhere), but in any small company, co-workers will feel put on the spot.

I love your water bottle fundraiser. Perfect (and very, very smart!!!!) It's something people need and want, at the right time and place, and at a good, fair price. And people walk up to you - you are not soliciting. And if the kids are working the booth, all the better to build their confidence. But I'd buy even if the kids weren't working the booth. The soliciting thing is what I mainly have a beef with, I guess. I just HATE being asked to look at a flyer or "would I like to buy some popcorn". I feel like it's an invasion of my personal space (not really the right words, but I can't find them right now).

I've seen some people post on facebook "we're selling girl scout cookies, contact me if anyone would like some". That I love. Letting people know, so those who want them contact you, and those that don't aren't put on the spot.

And yes, I'd probably feel better about paying for a "service" more than just feeling like I'm handing over money for something over-priced or junk. So car washes sound great to me.

I recycle my cans, I don't collect the deposit money. I'd happily give my cans to a group for them to get the 5 cents deposit. If they had a drop off, or came by once a month through a neighborhood and picked them up, that would work. Let the boys (or girls) pick them up, and go and return them in the machines at the supermarket. A little work is the best confidence builder there is. They could put a flyer in peoples mailboxes letting them know they'll be around on such and such date, and for people to leave them in a bag on their porch (or by the mailbox, etc) and they'll pick them up.

This goes for all groups too. I'm not just picking on the scouts. School fundraisers are horrible too! Any soliciting is just rude to me.

As another poster just said, it's the *assumed* community-mindedness of the scouts that is the problem. If I knew that last year, when I bought 3 $30 tins of popcorn ($90), that the cute little boy selling it was probably going to get an iPad out of the deal, there's no way I would have bought. Now I know better. I'd donate that $90 to St. Judes before I'd do that again. I'd never have bought $90 worth of popcorn for a little league, or a karate class, etc. But the scouts seemed different in my mind.

 

[bellebud]

As I have mentioned before, our yard sales are HUGE hits. We have at least 2 per year.

It is amazing what people are willing to get rid of if you offer to pick it up.

We typically net over $3,000 per yard sale.

Now, it is a HUGE amount of work, which I think is great for the boys. They need to learn to work hard and work together.

I much prefer this to selling things like popcorn.

Dawn

Love your yard sale idea! I'd donate stuff that I should get rid of anyway, so a group who is willing to put in the work gets the money. Walking door to door to bother people is not "work" to me. I know it feels like work to the parents, and the kids get very tired, but it's useless work, not productive work. It's teaching them they don't have to do "real" work to get these prizes. This isn't the way of the world. There's no real way to make money, except to work for it.

On a lighter note, I can just imagine a whole generation of young adult door-to-door salespeople, all created by the scouts and fundraising. AHHHH, I'd have to move out of the country!!! (I am AS bothered by any door-to-door or flyer fundraising as I am when a Johovah's Witness rings my doorbell). No offense to any JW's.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Thank-you for the opinions. I tend to agree about door to door selling, we have been told by the council that if we don't sell any popcorn they could cut off our other fundraisers so we have to make an effort. I'm assuming that's because none of the proceeds from the others go to the council. But I am always looking for more suggestions.

We did a yard sale the year before last and did well with it, but the following year we were unable to get that space and didn't do as well with our new spot. We're in a rural area so it's not as easy here, but not completely off the table either.

 

[KennesawNemo]

I'm against any fundraising for any and all organizations that come up to people asking them to buy something. That means door to door, calling out to me when I walk in the supermarket, bringing in a flyer to work (unless you work in a fairly large place and just plop the flyer down somewhere), but in any small company, co-workers will feel put on the spot.

I am with you on this one.

I myself is against any fund raising. Whenever the PTA sends home a fund rasing packet, I will either write a check directly to PTA or buy something myself if I do see an item that makes sense to me, which rarely happens.

One exception is that DH has a problem of saying no. He buys from some coworkers' kids every year. I do ask him to bring the packet to those coworkers, and those only, expecting them to do the same for my kid.

 

[bellebud]

I am with you on this one.

I myself is against any fund raising. Whenever the PTA sends home a fund rasing packet, I will either write a check directly to PTA or buy something myself if I do see an item that makes sense to me, which rarely happens.

One exception is that DH has a problem of saying no. He buys from some coworkers' kids every year. I do ask him to bring the packet to those coworkers, and those only, expecting them to do the same for my kid.

us too. One year at our school, we HAD to sell $200 worth of those huge chocolate bars. We wrote the $200 check, and I handed the bars out at Halloween. My house was a popular house that year!

and yes, I'd have your dh definitely take your flyer to the co-workers who ask him to buy.

 

[4GoofyCrew]

I am with you on this one.

I myself is against any fund raising. Whenever the PTA sends home a fund rasing packet, I will either write a check directly to PTA or buy something myself if I do see an item that makes sense to me, which rarely happens.

One exception is that DH has a problem of saying no. He buys from some coworkers' kids every year. I do ask him to bring the packet to those coworkers, and those only, expecting them to do the same for my kid.

I always make a donation to our children's school, church groups, etc. too instead of 'selling'. I won't let my kids go door to door nor will I let them stand outside of stores and harass (sorry, but sometimes - not all - that is what it is like) customers. When I make a donation it is 100% pure profit for their organization and, in most cases, it is tax deductible as well because they are non-profits.

A friend of mine's son was just selling for Scouts and she posted on Facebook to contact her if you were interested. That didn't bother me at all, in fact he got a sale out of me. Low pressure sales, that's what I am all about!

Neither my employer or my husband's allows solicitations. This includes placing sales brochures on the mailroom counter, etc. I do agree with you though - if allowed, it should be a two way street.

 

[crisi]

I'm curious, I'm on our Boy Scout committee (I did end up allowing my DS to participate this year) and I'm wondering what kind of fundraising people who oppose selling door to door would approve of. I mean, what would you support with your money if you wanted to support the BSA? Would you be more willing to support them if they provided a service such as a carwash? I'm not being facetious, I really want to know, I think it would be useful information.

This month our troop is selling water bottles at a booth at the state fair, they make a lot of money doing this and to me this is an awesome fundraiser. The water bottle prices are in line with what other vendors are priced at and something people need. We have also sold tickets for a pancake breakfast at Applebees which seemed to go over well, but that did involve selling door to door.

If they aren't doing community service work - parents should be writing checks, not neighbors.

If the Boy Scouts are raising money to paint the community center, buy the senior's home a piano, or plant the flowers at City Hall, knock on my door and sell me popcorn - and tell me that is what you are doing. I may not buy the popcorn, I may write a check.

If you are raising money so middle class kids who get to go to Disney World can go camping, roller skating, or visit Washington DC, don't expect me to pay for it - in the form of popcorn, car washes, or yard sales.

Prepare the kids to be able to articulate what they will do with the money - I have Girl Scouts and our cookie money goes to planting a garden at a Senior home, sending disadvantaged inner city girls to camp, and buying Toys for Tots. Our middle class girls pay their own way. (We DO have a Service Troop - we do some fun things like bowling - but the girls pay their own way for that)

 

[DawnM]

This indicates that girl scout cookie sales' profit goes to pretty much the same thing the boyscout popcorn goes to:

http://www.gssjc.org/program/cookies-general.cfm

Our local girls sell cookies and it isn't going to only community service projects.

If your troop ONLY uses profits for community work and you all pay for the amount you need to donate to counsil and the amount your local troop needs for awards, etc....then great, but that isn't how I have ever heard it to be.

If they aren't doing community service work - parents should be writing checks, not neighbors.

If the Boy Scouts are raising money to paint the community center, buy the senior's home a piano, or plant the flowers at City Hall, knock on my door and sell me popcorn - and tell me that is what you are doing. I may not buy the popcorn, I may write a check.

If you are raising money so middle class kids who get to go to Disney World can go camping, roller skating, or visit Washington DC, don't expect me to pay for it - in the form of popcorn, car washes, or yard sales.

Prepare the kids to be able to articulate what they will do with the money - I have Girl Scouts and our cookie money goes to planting a garden at a Senior home, sending disadvantaged inner city girls to camp, and buying Toys for Tots. Our middle class girls pay their own way. (We DO have a Service Troop - we do some fun things like bowling - but the girls pay their own way for that)

 

[sk!mom]

I'm curious, I'm on our Boy Scout committee (I did end up allowing my DS to participate this year) and I'm wondering what kind of fundraising people who oppose selling door to door would approve of. I mean, what would you support with your money if you wanted to support the BSA? Would you be more willing to support them if they provided a service such as a carwash? I'm not being facetious, I really want to know, I think it would be useful information.

This month our troop is selling water bottles at a booth at the state fair, they make a lot of money doing this and to me this is an awesome fundraiser. The water bottle prices are in line with what other vendors are priced at and something people need. We have also sold tickets for a pancake breakfast at Applebees which seemed to go over well, but that did involve selling door to door.

I would not approve of or donate to any solicitation fundraising that BSA or GSA do. I support causes/ charities that help someone in need.

In the case of BSA, the money goes to camping and fun. It is a program that many feel is beneficial to their children. If it enables your child to have fun even if it's beneficial/maturing/whatever? then you should pay for it.

After reading this thread, I will never be guilted into buying another box of BS popcorn or GS cookies.

 

[jodifla]

Wow. Can't believe all the attitudes on here against Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts!

My son sold over $1,000 worth of popcorn last year -- at show and sells, door to door, and with help from his father at work. It was a huge step for a child with a severe language disability to learn to approach strangers and speak. He was so proud and gained so much confidence. He was just beaming.

We'll do less this year, probably about half that, but still consider it worthwhile endeavor.

I get such a kick out of watching some of the other Scouts when we were selling in front of stores. Some are just born salespeople!

The popcorn sales also help support the councils, which run and maintain the Boy Scout camps and so many other Boy Scout activities. It wouldn't be feasible to just write a check for your Scout. You'd easily be talking over a thousand dollars to support your local Pack or Troop and the Councils that make Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts possible.

 

[torinsmom]

I always make a donation to our children's school, church groups, etc. too instead of 'selling'. I won't let my kids go door to door nor will I let them stand outside of stores and harass (sorry, but sometimes - not all - that is what it is like) customers. When I make a donation it is 100% pure profit for their organization and, in most cases, it is tax deductible as well because they are non-profits.

A friend of mine's son was just selling for Scouts and she posted on Facebook to contact her if you were interested. That didn't bother me at all, in fact he got a sale out of me. Low pressure sales, that's what I am all about!

Neither my employer or my husband's allows solicitations. This includes placing sales brochures on the mailroom counter, etc. I do agree with you though - if allowed, it should be a two way street.

My nephews' troop is based at our church and they set up in the vestibule when it is popcorn selling time. My sister does announcements and she let people know they were selling and said "Avoid eye contact if you don't care to buy popcorn". That got a good laugh. They usually just stand there and sell to people who come over to the table. Like I said, I will just donate to the boys when they are ready for their big trip next summer. That way, it all goes to them.

 

[bellebud]

Wow. Can't believe all the attitudes on here against Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts!

My son sold over $1,000 worth of popcorn last year -- at show and sells, door to door, and with help from his father at work. It was a huge step for a child with a severe language disability to learn to approach strangers and speak. He was so proud and gained so much confidence. He was just beaming.

We'll do less this year, probably about half that, but still consider it worthwhile endeavor.

I get such a kick out of watching some of the other Scouts when we were selling in front of stores. Some are just born salespeople!

The popcorn sales also help support the councils, which run and maintain the Boy Scout camps and so many other Boy Scout activities. It wouldn't be feasible to just write a check for your Scout. You'd easily be talking over a thousand dollars to support your local Pack or Troop and the Councils that make Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts possible.

It's not just boy scouts and girl scouts we're talking about... it's all fundraising that is soliciting (bothering people).

Some of us are just pointing out our surprise at where the popcorn and cookie money is going. Some of us (me) always gave much more weight to the scouts in my mind as a 'worthwhile' organization to buy overpriced items from. I didn't view them as the same as the little league or someones dance class. They are the same, however, and we're pointing out our mistaken thoughts.

Your story of your ds sounds wonderful for him, truly. But, it's not something I feel the community should fund. What about the shy kid who hits a homerun on his baseball team and beams with pride... I could name a million stories. They're all great, but you honestly make it sound like you feel the community should financially support your ds in his endeavor. How about boosting his pride with having him order for himself at restaurants, or having him walk up to the hostess at the restaurant and letting her know your party size. How about having him walk up to the counters at the food court and buying something himself? How about community service at the local shelter, and having him talk to the people there. There are soooooo many ways to achieve your goal of helping him with his language disability, that don't involve soliciting.

My dd has a very rare disease (a form of muscular dystrophy) and her taking dance classes and performing on stage this past year has been a fantastic experience for her. She almost missed one of her dances, because she was having an episode (she becomes very weak or paralyzed), but she made it through. I paid for her classes, bought dance clothes and shoes throughout the year, paid for costumes for the recital, and without any fundraising. I also bought all the tickets for our family who were coming to see her recital. I'd never ask them to buy tickets to watch her... I'd feel funny doing that even.

I've also funded many other activities for my dd and ds... well over a thousand dollars a year. If I could afford it, they did it. If I couldn't have afforded it, they wouldn't have signed up (just like when I was a child... I didn't dare ask to join certain clubs at school... we didn't have the money).

My dd also used to have seizures when she was little. I used to say to dh during her many hospital visits and stays "for every day she spends in the hospital, I'm making sure she spends a day in Disney someday!" As her mom, I felt she *deserved* it. But I'd never think the community should help fund that, or they would think she deserved it. It was a personal thing.

Not picking on your post, but it's not "more" worthwhile because it's the scouts. There are many things that could give your ds just as much help and satisfaction, where people wouldn't feel pressured or bothered. That's the point many of us are making.

 

[sk!mom]

. It wouldn't be feasible to just write a check for your Scout. You'd easily be talking over a thousand dollars to support your local Pack or Troop and the Councils that make Boy Scouts/Cub Scouts possible.

Why wouldn't it be feasible? I pay right at $2000 per year for my DD's main extracurricular. That is for tuition only. We then pay for all her shoes, tights, leotards and buy tickets to all productions.

She dances at the nonprofit community ballet. I am a member of the guild and we do some fundraising. This fall we had a large rummage sale and we have a Nutcracker Tea Party. There is no pressure for either of these. People in the community came out to the rummage sale for good bargains. The Tea Party is labor intensive but sells out quickly since it's a fun event for little girls.

Some of our budget goes to a tuition assistance program for those who can't afford tuition but if you can pay...you should.

I've never really thought about scouting and where the money goes, now that I have, I will no longer purchase.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Why wouldn't it be feasible? I pay right at $2000 per year for my DD's main extracurricular. That is for tuition only. We then pay for all her shoes, tights, leotards and buy tickets to all productions.

She dances at the nonprofit community ballet. I am a member of the guild and we do some fundraising. This fall we had a large rummage sale and we have a Nutcracker Tea Party. There is no pressure for either of these. People in the community came out to the rummage sale for good bargains. The Tea Party is labor intensive but sells out quickly since it's a fun event for little girls.

Some of our budget goes to a tuition assistance program for those who can't afford tuition but if you can pay...you should.

I've never really thought about scouting and where the money goes, now that I have, I will no longer purchase.

So the proceeds from the ballet fundraising doesn't go for community service either, how is this different from scout fundraising? The money pays for scouting activities, the ballet fundraising pays for ballet. Some of the Scout money also goes to pay chartering fees/scholarships for families who can't afford it.

 

[DawnM]

Ok, so let me get this straight for those of you who said you wouldn't participate AT ALL under any circumstances (yard sale, etc...)

If I hold a yard sale in my private home and don't say it is for my kids or that it will go towards their extra curricular events for the year (scouting, football, golf, swim team) you will come and buy and have no problem even though I KEEP all the profits myself. But if our scout troop has a yard sale the proceeds go to the scout troop for activities, you won't buy anything, even if it is a good deal and something you would use?

Is the same true if my boys dog sit or do yard work? You will hire them if the profits are for them, but you won't hire them if you know they are using the money for camp in the summer or towards new golf clubs for their school golf team?

I am not getting this.

Not buying popcorn or cookies I can see. They are both highly unhealthy and overpriced. If you don't want to do that, I fully understand. I don't particularly care for it either. We would never be part of the troop that required us to sell and didn't have the option for buyout. (As I have said we need to sell $300/worth or donate $100 per scout.)

 

[DawnM]

We had several scammers come to the door one year. It was magazine sales and apparently a grey van dropped them off in our neighborhood and drove off.

Kind of dumb considering we only have about 25 homes and we all know at least OF each other.

They would start with: "I am Sally Smith. I grew up on Thomas Street right around the corner, you know the Smiths?"

It was all fake. They didn't know the Smiths nor were they related to them. They were just trying to gain credibility to sell overpriced magazine subscriptions.

Since we all knew the Smiths didn't have a grown daughter, we were on to them. FOUR neighbors called the police within the hour!

It was all over the papers and the internet to NOT buy these fake magazine subscriptions.

I don't buy from solicitors but do buy from neighborhood kids selling boyscout and girlscout things. I don't buy the wrapping paper or cookie dough stuff. I usually hand over $5 for a donation instead.

However, there is one girl who sells about 4-5 different items throughout the year. I finally told her last year I will ONLY buy girlscout cookies from her NOT her band, cheerleading or whatever it is items.

UGH!

Dawn

Love your yard sale idea! I'd donate stuff that I should get rid of anyway, so a group who is willing to put in the work gets the money. Walking door to door to bother people is not "work" to me. I know it feels like work to the parents, and the kids get very tired, but it's useless work, not productive work. It's teaching them they don't have to do "real" work to get these prizes. This isn't the way of the world. There's no real way to make money, except to work for it.

On a lighter note, I can just imagine a whole generation of young adult door-to-door salespeople, all created by the scouts and fundraising. AHHHH, I'd have to move out of the country!!! (I am AS bothered by any door-to-door or flyer fundraising as I am when a Johovah's Witness rings my doorbell). No offense to any JW's.

 

[bellebud]

Ok, so let me get this straight for those of you who said you wouldn't participate AT ALL under any circumstances (yard sale, etc...)

If I hold a yard sale in my private home and don't say it is for my kids or that it will go towards their extra curricular events for the year (scouting, football, golf, swim team) you will come and buy and have no problem even though I KEEP all the profits myself. But if our scout troop has a yard sale the proceeds go to the scout troop for activities, you won't buy anything, even if it is a good deal and something you would use?

Is the same true if my boys dog sit or do yard work? You will hire them if the profits are for them, but you won't hire them if you know they are using the money for camp in the summer or towards new golf clubs for their school golf team?

I am not getting this.

Not buying popcorn or cookies I can see. They are both highly unhealthy and overpriced. If you don't want to do that, I fully understand. I don't particularly care for it either. We would never be part of the troop that required us to sell and didn't have the option for buyout. (As I have said we need to sell $300/worth or donate $100 per scout.)

I don't think I've read any post like that (maybe I'm mistaken). It's the soliciting, not the actual act of fundraising that gets to me.

 

[jodifla]

It's not just boy scouts and girl scouts we're talking about... it's all fundraising that is soliciting (bothering people).

Some of us are just pointing out our surprise at where the popcorn and cookie money is going. Some of us (me) always gave much more weight to the scouts in my mind as a 'worthwhile' organization to buy overpriced items from. I didn't view them as the same as the little league or someones dance class. They are the same, however, and we're pointing out our mistaken thoughts.

Your story of your ds sounds wonderful for him, truly. But, it's not something I feel the community should fund. What about the shy kid who hits a homerun on his baseball team and beams with pride... I could name a million stories. They're all great, but you honestly make it sound like you feel the community should financially support your ds in his endeavor. How about boosting his pride with having him order for himself at restaurants, or having him walk up to the hostess at the restaurant and letting her know your party size. How about having him walk up to the counters at the food court and buying something himself? How about community service at the local shelter, and having him talk to the people there. There are soooooo many ways to achieve your goal of helping him with his language disability, that don't involve soliciting.

My dd has a very rare disease (a form of muscular dystrophy) and her taking dance classes and performing on stage this past year has been a fantastic experience for her. She almost missed one of her dances, because she was having an episode (she becomes very weak or paralyzed), but she made it through. I paid for her classes, bought dance clothes and shoes throughout the year, paid for costumes for the recital, and without any fundraising. I also bought all the tickets for our family who were coming to see her recital. I'd never ask them to buy tickets to watch her... I'd feel funny doing that even.

I've also funded many other activities for my dd and ds... well over a thousand dollars a year. If I could afford it, they did it. If I couldn't have afforded it, they wouldn't have signed up (just like when I was a child... I didn't dare ask to join certain clubs at school... we didn't have the money).

My dd also used to have seizures when she was little. I used to say to dh during her many hospital visits and stays "for every day she spends in the hospital, I'm making sure she spends a day in Disney someday!" As her mom, I felt she *deserved* it. But I'd never think the community should help fund that, or they would think she deserved it. It was a personal thing.

Not picking on your post, but it's not "more" worthwhile because it's the scouts. There are many things that could give your ds just as much help and satisfaction, where people wouldn't feel pressured or bothered. That's the point many of us are making.

WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Only on the budget board. So shortsighted.

But no worries. My community believes in and supports Scouting.