Tips for selling cub scout popcorn???

[Granny square]

Can they do some other sort of fundraising? Maybe rake yards or such? Just so they can feel involved with the process?

 

[RubySlippers]

[QUOTEBut can they ask for a certain amount of $$ in lieu of selling? Our troop asks each boy to either sell $300 minimum OR make a $100 donation.

I would do the donation this year, but with 3 boys, that is $300 and I have my husband and son going to Philmont next summer, so I have GOT to save somehow and I will be darned if I will give up a Disney trip!
][/QUOTE]


I really don't think they can demand that your either give a certain amount of money in lieu of popcorn sales. Our troop never planned trips that were not financially viable for the troop to cover if a family could not.

 

[Granny square]

Can they do some other sort of fundraising? Maybe rake yards or such? Just so they can feel involved with the process?

My apologies for not realizing it was an old thread. My gay brother and his partner are changing a troop from the inside out with their son's involvement. They would be so offended by some of the comments here.

 

[thelionqueen]

About where and how to sell popcorn?

It would be like someone asking a christmas tree question and you bronco gong up priests who molested. just stating my opinion of course.

I believe this is a public forum and opinions and posts from everyone, regardless of what anyone else thinks and/or agrees with or not, is acceptable. My post was not rude, but my opinion. I prefaced it as such, and commented that I admired the children selling the popcorn, but don't like the fact that not all boys are able to join, therefore I choose not to buy it. I didn't encourage anyone else to do so, just strictly stating my opinion.

 

[My5Mouseketeers]

4 cub/boy scouts and 1 girl scout here. When we need to sell things like this, I make up a separate sheet where people can donate items to a service man/woman. I can always find someone who has a friend or family member overseas. For popcorn, we only send microwave popcorn and I give people the option of buying a 1/2 box. It gets to hard to box the different size containers of popcorn that they sell.

I do pay to ship it to the APO box. Almost always under $50 and often someone will give me money towards shipping.

Our pack has a minimum amount too sell ($200 I think), a certain number of hours to sell outside a store, or you can do a buy out ($100?). This money is used for pins/patches/loops, pinewood derby cars, etc

 

[Aidan's Mommy]

Wait... it is't mandatory to sell it? My son's den said it was and the lowest amount we can set our goal is $389! A lot of people don't buy it because it is so expensive so my DS was never been able to make his goal and always disappointed. My DH as well as my employers have strict policies prohibiting us from selling at work as well.

Can someone find me the guidelaw that states they can't make it mandatory?

 

[pandamom]

Good grief......someone with only 4 posts resurrected a 3 year old thread.....was there any particular reason to do so? If so, I would like to hear it.

Doh! 2nd time I've been lured in by one of these "Zombie threads" this month. Going to be more careful about checking dates from now on...

 

[NemoMOm]

Do any of the Popcorn Kernels have a good idea when to go door to door?

I have a wolf cub that has been going door to door, we are finding most people are not at home around 7-8 PM.

When is a good time? We are trying to sell another 150! We have sold 220 so far for which he is really proud of himself.

 

[LJSquishy]

I believe this is a public forum and opinions and posts from everyone, regardless of what anyone else thinks and/or agrees with or not, is acceptable. My post was not rude, but my opinion. I prefaced it as such, and commented that I admired the children selling the popcorn, but don't like the fact that not all boys are able to join, therefore I choose not to buy it. I didn't encourage anyone else to do so, just strictly stating my opinion.

I had no idea about the Boy Scouts policy. I don't have kids and I've never really seen them out selling things, but after researching what their policy was, I absolutely will not support their organization in any way. I am shocked that they even have such a policy in place. It's very unfortunate, but by not supporting them, they may eventually see how rediculous their policy is.

 

[okeydokey]

Ghost thread, wow.

The popcorn is a worse deal now than it was in 2009 when this thread was started. For that reason, we no longer sell any to friends and family. I will not ask anyone to buy such overpriced stuff.

 

[thelionqueen]

I had no idea about the Boy Scouts policy. I don't have kids and I've never really seen them out selling things, but after researching what their policy was, I absolutely will not support their organization in any way. I am shocked that they even have such a policy in place. It's very unfortunate, but by not supporting them, they may eventually see how rediculous their policy is.

I didn't realize this was a ghost thread either, but their policy is the same and unfortunate for everyone. I'm glad my post created some awareness about their policy. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but being educated and aware is always helpful

 

[JamesMom]

Pack committee chair here with 2 Cub Scouts. The reason the popcorn is so "expensive" is because 70% of the sale goes to Boy Scouts, generally split between the Pack/Troop and Council/National. It says this in BIG print next to each item on the sales sheet. So, yeah you are paying over 3 times the price you would get in the store because it is a fundraiser. If you contribute to the troops then you are also donating the popcorn itself to hardworking soilders or sailers.
My oldest is rather competitve and has already sold $500 this year in the first 10 days of the sale. Last night we went door to door between 7-8pm and with only 1 saying "no thanks" sold $192 worth. His goal is $1,400.
In our pack we don't charge dues when a Scout sells $300, and pay for day camp at $600 and larger prizes at higher levels (son wants the nintendo 3DS, lol). This finances about 80% of our activities including our Blue & Gold catered banquet for over 200 attendees, an overnighter at a museum, a private pool party, 2 campouts, pinewood derby & rocket launch supplies, and orienteering event not to mention all the badges, pins, beltloops and patches the kids earn. The rest of the funds come from dues from those who chose not to sell popcorn.

 

[mrsbornkuntry]

Pack committee chair here with 2 Cub Scouts. The reason the popcorn is so "expensive" is because 70% of the sale goes to Boy Scouts, generally split between the Pack/Troop and Council/National. It says this in BIG print next to each item on the sales sheet. So, yeah you are paying over 3 times the price you would get in the store because it is a fundraiser. If you contribute to the troops then you are also donating the popcorn itself to hardworking soilders or sailers.
My oldest is rather competitve and has already sold $500 this year in the first 10 days of the sale. Last night we went door to door between 7-8pm and with only 1 saying "no thanks" sold $192 worth. His goal is $1,400.
In our pack we don't charge dues when a Scout sells $300, and pay for day camp at $600 and larger prizes at higher levels (son wants the nintendo 3DS, lol). This finances about 80% of our activities including our Blue & Gold catered banquet for over 200 attendees, an overnighter at a museum, a private pool party, 2 campouts, pinewood derby & rocket launch supplies, and orienteering event not to mention all the badges, pins, beltloops and patches the kids earn. The rest of the funds come from dues from those who chose not to sell popcorn.

I understand what the money is supposed to go for (although our pack still charges dues) and I understand why it's so expensive, but we live in a fairly "poor" town and I can't in good conscience ask people to pay that much for popcorn. We try every year and the most my son has sold is $200 not counting show and sells in front of stores. It would honestly be much easier to sell more of a less expensive product. We've had a really easy time teaming up with Applebees and selling tickets to a pancake breakfast there.

As far as the issues with not allowing gay leaders or scouts, that bothers me and I have been torn about taking my boys out of scouts because of it. While it does not affect me directly I oppose that kind of discrimination, however one of my boys has been in since he was a Tiger and he's now a third year boy scout and he loves it and doesn't do any other extra-curricular activities so it's a hard decision for me.

 

[dis-happy]

But can they ask for a certain amount of $$ in lieu of selling? Our troop asks each boy to either sell $300 minimum OR make a $100 donation.
Dawn

Sounds like an awesome troop to belong to!

 

[zoemurr]

Wife of a former "Popcorn Kernel" here...LOL... PLEASE remember that going door to door and REQUIRING ANY scout to sell popcorn is against National Councils policy.

We no longer are a scout family because my teenage son felt he could no longer be part of the orginazation for several ethical issues but when we were involved the popcorn sales consumed of lives.

One year we could not sit in our dining room for 2 weeks because of all the boxes of popcorn!

My son's troop sells overpriced wreaths ($30 each I believe) instead of popcorn. We have stated numerous times that he will not be going door to door and asking neighbors to supplement his activities when we are capable of paying for it ourselves. We have been told that there is no buyout option and he has to sell 30.

We have no problem with him helping at a fundraiser where people go to him: spaghetti dinner, car wash etc. but they don't do any of that. Huge incentives (a great deal of the fund-raising money is used for them) for boys that sell a lot.

Is this against any national policy? Can someone help me find it?

 

[nchulka]

I have a DD who sells Girl Scout cookies and a DS who sells Boy Scout popcorn. I MUCH prefer the popcorn! It may be expensive, but the vast majority of the money goes directly to the scouts. Very unlike the Girl Scouts where the troop get 55 cents per box, and the boxes cost 3.50! The Cub Scouts have much better incentives also. One year my DD sold 900 boxes of cookies, and the prizes were trinkets! The ONLY decent thing she got was an ipod shuffle , for 900 boxes!!! DS on the other hand sold 1800.00 of popcorn last year (in about a third of the time DD and I spent selling cookies). For that he got vouchers to go to 2 summer camps for free (one day camp, one overnight), a voucher for 130.00 to use towards whatever cub scout expenses we would come across (we used it for the blue/gold banquet tickets for our family, registration for this year, a subscription to Boy's Life, and the packs' annual 2night/3day family camp in the summer), and he got 155.00 in Amazon gift cards (which he used to buy himself an ipod touch) He was beyond excited!!!

And for those who are saying that some are not buying popcorn because of Boy Scouts conservative stance, we have also run across those who want nothing to do with Girl Scout cookies because of their liberal stance! It's really too bad, the kids don't know anything about these issues, they're just trying to sell some food and earn some prizes

 

[Granny square]

Exactly. Dont take out your crap on kids.

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

My Girl Scout Cookie Moms this year were all provided with info on the "planned parenthood" mess and what our council has and has not done. That way they were prepared to tell the parents who were prepared when the girls were quizzed, told no etc.. The girls were able to understand that everyone does not agree with us and take that as not a personal rejection.

I fail to understand why the Boy Scouts didn't do something like this (Well actually I do understand. This is the organization that when our local school system tried to start an in school program for high risk kids announced that they would ONLY do it if "the BOY SCOUTS are in charge" and "EVERYONE else (Girl Scouts, etc) WORKS FOR US" Program failed due to thier unwillingness to work with ANYONE else. SO then the Girl Scouts did one on thier own after school they had a HISSY FIT. It's always fun to watch 45 year old men stomp thier feet and scream because they didn't get on the Evening News. Made me wonder who the program near me was really for... the boys or the adults? LOL!)

 

[badblackpug]

Exactly. Dont take out your crap on kids.

Penalizing kids for philosophies that have nothing to do with them is pretty tacky. Whether boy or girl scouts. I hate when adults take their issues out on kids.

Agreed. My 7 year old is in scouts because of the good things he can get out of it (Leadership skills, etc.) NOT because of the philosophies of a few people in a higher organizational level. He doesn't even know about these issues, and shouldn't until he is mature enough to have some semblance of understanding. If you don't like the organization and don't choose to buy from the scouts, that's fine. But a simple "no" is sufficient.

Pack committee chair here with 2 Cub Scouts. The reason the popcorn is so "expensive" is because 70% of the sale goes to Boy Scouts, generally split between the Pack/Troop and Council/National. It says this in BIG print next to each item on the sales sheet. So, yeah you are paying over 3 times the price you would get in the store because it is a fundraiser. If you contribute to the troops then you are also donating the popcorn itself to hardworking soilders or sailers.
My oldest is rather competitve and has already sold $500 this year in the first 10 days of the sale. Last night we went door to door between 7-8pm and with only 1 saying "no thanks" sold $192 worth. His goal is $1,400.
In our pack we don't charge dues when a Scout sells $300, and pay for day camp at $600 and larger prizes at higher levels (son wants the nintendo 3DS, lol). This finances about 80% of our activities including our Blue & Gold catered banquet for over 200 attendees, an overnighter at a museum, a private pool party, 2 campouts, pinewood derby & rocket launch supplies, and orienteering event not to mention all the badges, pins, beltloops and patches the kids earn. The rest of the funds come from dues from those who chose not to sell popcorn.

Many people don't consider discrimination "crap."

The reason, I, and many others choose not to buy from, or in any way support the BSA is because of the above. A portion of my money would go to support discrimination.

If you are paying dues to, or fundraising for the BSA, you are supporting their philosophy. In my belief discrimination is discrimination. Replace the word "homosexual" with "black," "jewish," or "Latino." Is it still acceptable on any level of the organization?

...and I agree, it is not appropriate to lecture little boys, a simple "no, thank you" is more than sufficient. However, along those lines, teach your children to accept that "no, thank you" and not continue to beg and badger. (parents should learn to accept it, too)

 

[DawnM]

It is. There are awesome people in it too!

Sounds like an awesome troop to belong to!