Tips for selling cub scout popcorn???

[Granny square]

Gee you don't by any chance WORK for the coffee company do you?

 

[thelionqueen]

Such intelligent and kind posts...

 

[Granny square]

Pretty kind and loving there too. Lol, lead by example, or you just have to snit at people with whom you disagree?

 

[Granny square]

Lol, someone must have agreed. The posts were removed. Huh, imagine that!

 

[North of Mouse]

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.

Wow, the poster with only 4 posts dug deep to find this thread. For what?

Anyhow, now I will throw in my 2 cents. I also will not buy the expensive popcorn that is not near as good as the brand name we buy - why should we eat that stuff? And no, I cannot buy it and throw it away.

I think it is so rude of parents to hound their neighbors and co workers to buy things that their children are selling (no matter what it is). They also had to ban it at my DH's workplace also. If you didn't buy, it caused hard feelings and interfered with working relationships - same thing with neighbors. We just cannot buy everything.

I would not let my children sell *anything* (the parents usually ended up doing the selling anyway) and went straight to the source, told them so, and why. They never took it out on my children either. I think it's ridiculous and sad to *dangle* a trip in front of a child's eyes, then say but you have to sell X amount of stuff to earn it. No way, and I will tell them so.

We have only so much to give to charities, and it will definitely go to a better cause that fun activities that parents won't pay for their child. There are lots of causes that mean sometimes *life or death*.

 

[Dwheels]

Here's my advice find something else to sell because their popcorn is a big rip off and I would never buy it again! The girls scouts got it right with cookies! The boys need to find something comparable

 

[torinsmom]

I know this is an old thread, but if the boy scouts would sell smaller packages, I would buy some popcorn. Maybe a 3 or 4 pack. You could even break up the box and sell it by the pack. Most people would buy at least one pack just to help.

 

[thelionqueen]

Pretty kind and loving there too. Lol, lead by example, or you just have to snit at people with whom you disagree?

Funny that my posts weren't directed at anyone yet you assumed they were directed at you.

 

[Mickeypooh99]

Not all councils follow the National Policies. My council - Boston Minuteman council have a nondiscrimination clause. As you see in the article below in the Wall Street Journal - BSA is well aware of Boston's stance and there have been no repercussions. There are other Councils mentioned in the article - but I am only familiar with Boston Minuteman Council.


http://http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443343704577551162306364148.html

I would love to read this article, but it says you have to subscribe to read it. I'm wondering if it is something our troop could to also.

 

[irishsharon]

My ds has to sell $50 worth of popcorn and has to sell popcorn outside a store for 2 hours.I'm not sure what this is really teaching as it seems like begging to me! We will do the 2 hours and whatever my family buys.I never ask friends or anyone else,I save them for jumprope for heart

 

[buzz5985]

My DS sold close to $1500 in under 2 hours going door to door in our neighborhood. It' s not hard to do. He was also required to sell in front of the PO for several 2 hour shifts also. It teaches them to work together for a common goal. Our pack gave out ipods to top sellers. It did a lot to boost kids self-esteem. It was even better for mom and dad when the pack was able to pick up the cost of camping trips etc.

You may not realize it, but you use your "salesmanship" skills every day in the business world, whether you are selling yourself during a job interview, pitching an idea for a project, the skills come in handy.

 

[irishsharon]

My DS sold close to $1500 in under 2 hours going door to door in our neighborhood. It' s not hard to do. He was also required to sell in front of the PO for several 2 hour shifts also. It teaches them to work together for a common goal. Our pack gave out ipods to top sellers. It did a lot to boost kids self-esteem. It was even better for mom and dad when the pack was able to pick up the cost of camping trips etc.

You may not realize it, but you use your "salesmanship" skills every day in the business world, whether you are selling yourself during a job interview, pitching an idea for a project, the skills come in handy.

If it was just the child selling like your ds they deserve the credit of being a top seller but in all honesty MOST children are not selling it themselves so do they learn anything,yet they get the prize when maybe another child actually did sell on his own, but not enough so this child does not get rewarded.Part of my frustration is the popcorn is really not good and overpriced.

 

[buzz5985]

If it was just the child selling like your ds they deserve the credit of being a top seller but in all honesty MOST children are not selling it themselves so do they learn anything,yet they get the prize when maybe another child actually did sell on his own, but not enough so this child does not get rewarded.Part of my frustration is the popcorn is really not good and overpriced.

I hate to disagree - but we love the popcorn. Another thing we did - was have a large box at the show and sell - if someone didn't want to buy for themselves they could buy a box or can and donate it to the troops. At the end of the popcorn challenge - we would drive the popcorn over to Hascom Airforce Base and they would send it overseas. I believe now you can donate right through the order forms. I haven't been visited by a selling scout yet. My DS troop sells wreaths at Christmas - now you want to talk about a pain in the neck sell. Then the boys have to decorate the wreaths, bows need to be made, for 2000 wreaths!!!!! How I wish for the popcorn sales again!!!

Janis

 

[buzz5985]

Couldn't resist - picture of DS with all his popcorn he sold. He was so proud of himself. (Don't mind the missing woodwork around the doors - we were under construction at the time)

 

[buzz5985]

I would love to read this article, but it says you have to subscribe to read it. I'm wondering if it is something our troop could to also.

Here it is.

While gay-rights advocates and their supporters criticized last week's announcement that the Boy Scouts of America would continue to exclude gays, some troops have ignored the ban for years.

Every year when it comes time to renew its charter, Troop 729 in New York City crosses out a promise to abide by the Boy Scouts' policies because it doesn't agree with the long-standing prohibition on openly gay members and leaders.







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Associated Press
Jennifer Tyrrell takes petitions to Boy Scouts headquarters last week in Irving, Texas. She was ousted as a den leader because she is a lesbian.
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"We just don't practice discrimination in our group," said Scoutmaster Antonio Camacho. He said the troop's stance was backed by its sponsor, the Fort Washington Collegiate Church.

Mr. Camacho said the practice, which it has maintained for more than a decade, has resulted in an unexpected benefit: increased fundraising.

BSA spokesman Deron Smith said he wasn't aware of Troop 729's policies. "However, Scouting has one policy that applies to all troops and councils. Any time we're aware of any inconsistency in the administration of a Scouting policy we work with the local council to reiterate the policy and ensure its compliance with the local leaders," he said by email.

Mr. Smith said the BSA has revoked council charters in the past but very rarely. He confirmed that the national group declined to renew the charters of a number of Cub Scout packs in Oak Park, Ill., in 2001 because their nondiscrimination policy, which included sexual orientation, clashed with the BSA one.

Since the organization includes 2.7 million youth and 1.1 million adults, Mr. Smith said it recognizes that its sexual-orientation policy doesn't accommodate everyone's views. "Most of our youth members are under the age of 12, and the majority of the parents we serve do not believe Scouting is the right forum for same-sex attraction to be introduced, discussed or demonstrated in any way," he wrote.

Peter Crowley, a scoutmaster in the liberal college town of Amherst, Mass., said that for at least the past eight years during which he has been involved in scouting the ad hoc rule has been nondiscrimination based on sexual orientation.

But after learning about the national group's reaffirmation of its ban, Mr. Crowley decided it was time to publicly spell out his troop's policy. So last week the troop's parents wrote a letter to local papers avowing their acceptance of gays and lesbians.

Mr. Crowley said he was concerned that by not making a public statement the troop could be turning away potential gay and straight participants. "The policy is out of line with our community standards," he said. "It actually would make it more difficult for us to have access to things in the community that are important to us."

"We want to reassure you, our friends, neighbors and colleagues, that the local Boy Scouts, Troop 500 in Amherst, does not support BSA's policy prohibiting the participation of gay adults or youths," says the letter, which is expected to appear this week. "We do not and never will discriminate on the basis of race, religion, or sexual orientation."

A backlash against the BSA policy reaffirmation resulted in some Eagle Scouts returning their medals this week. Meanwhile, Jennifer Tyrrell, a den leader in Ohio who says she was dismissed because she is a lesbian, submitted a petition last week to the BSA calling for her reinstatement. Her petition on Change.org has more than 325,800 signatures.

The Boys Scouts Boston Minuteman Council adopted a nondiscrimination policy 10 years ago that includes sexual orientation, said Sean Martin, a council spokesman. Mr. Martin said he didn't know of any gay or lesbian leaders or scout members in the council.

Mr. Martin said the BSA has long been aware of Boston's policy and there have been no repercussions. Mr. Smith, the BSA spokesman, said he had no information about the Boston group's practice.

Many troops are reluctant to talk about their policies on gays to avoid potential conflict with the national organization. "We've had gay leaders," though they weren't scoutmasters, said an assistant scoutmaster of another New York City troop who didn't want to be identified.

The Northern Star Council, representing more than 75,000 youth in Minnesota and western Wisconsin, according to its website, came out publicly last week saying it will continue its "inclusive leadership selection."

Kent York, the council's director of marketing and communications, declined to comment further, referring to its website, which states that the council doesn't discriminate "with regard to ethnicity, religion, gender, disability, and/or sexual orientation…."

The BSA said it currently is working with the Northern Star Council to "clarify" its policy.

Louis Hoffman, a committee chairman of Troop 1 in Minnesota, said that "whether a person is a gay person or a lesbian person isn't relevant to their ability to be a good scout or a good scout leader." He said a former pack in which he was involved had an open lesbian serve as a liaison between the Lutheran church that sponsored the pack and the pack itself.

 

[DawnM]

We are a scout family. I have 2 boyscouts and 1 cubscout.

I cannot in good conscious push popcorn. I hate sales. (I can't emphasis that enough!) We are not a sales-man type family. I won't participate in MLMs and we tend to do things frugally to save $$.

I have a real problem with pushing unhealthy, overpriced popcorn.

We do sell it. We stand in front of stores and if people want it, they come to us. Our family tends to do better in donations than in sales!

HOWEVER, our troop does yard sales at least 2-3 times per year. It is a LOT of work. We have a huge warehouse where we keep the stuff to sell. We do go to friends and neighbors and ask them if they have goods to donate. Then we sort and organize the goods, and work the yard sale, hauling things out, etc....

We tend to work about 25-30 hours PER yard sale per person in our family. The boys are learning work ethic and working hard.

I MUCH prefer to make our money that way than selling popcorn.

Dawn

 

[torinsmom]

We are a scout family. I have 2 boyscouts and 1 cubscout.

I cannot in good conscious push popcorn. I hate sales. (I can't emphasis that enough!) We are not a sales-man type family. I won't participate in MLMs and we tend to do things frugally to save $$.

I have a real problem with pushing unhealthy, overpriced popcorn.

We do sell it. We stand in front of stores and if people want it, they come to us. Our family tends to do better in donations than in sales!

HOWEVER, our troop does yard sales at least 2-3 times per year. It is a LOT of work. We have a huge warehouse where we keep the stuff to sell. We do go to friends and neighbors and ask them if they have goods to donate. Then we sort and organize the goods, and work the yard sale, hauling things out, etc....

We tend to work about 25-30 hours PER yard sale per person in our family. The boys are learning work ethic and working hard.

I MUCH prefer to make our money that way than selling popcorn.

Dawn

My nephews sell popcorn and I was asking my sister if I could just donate money. She said she thinks the money from direct donations goes to the general troop fund, while popcorn sales(or 1/3) goes to each boy's fund toward camping costs.

 

[Jedana]

My nephews sell popcorn and I was asking my sister if I could just donate money. She said she thinks the money from direct donations goes to the general troop fund, while popcorn sales(or 1/3) goes to each boy's fund toward camping costs.

All our donations go directly to the Pack fund. Also, all popcorn sale profit goes to the pack fund. We have over 108 active scouts this year, and less than half will work a show n sell, and about a third will actually sell popcorn. I wish more would work for it, but we arent' forcing the issue. Our funds have dropped significantly this year (replacing a dining fly, purchasing a storage shed to store the gear at the charter location).


In the spring, we have camp card sales, where the boys earn half the profit for their camping fund. It can be applied retroactively, if they wish--so we have a big campout in May on the USS Yorktown...at $125 per person. It must be paid for by March 1st--we have to give a hard count by March 15th. But camp card sales dont' start until March 1st. So, if a boy earns $200 in his camp fund, we will cut his parents a check for that. Or they want to go to aquatics camp, and they have enough in the account for that--we can cut a check directly to the camp. Whatever works for the parents.

 

[Darcy03231]

Not trying to "stir the pot" as my son was in Boy Scouts briefly before I was educations about BSOA. There were several GREAT kids trying to sell popcorn and I admire their bravery and enthusiasm. But until the BSOA accepts diversity and equality for ALL boys, I will not be buying anything at all. It's time to welcome the BSOA into the turn of the Century. Just my .02

Several of our local business no longer allow the boy scouts (or any other organization that discriminates) to set up and sell anything outside their stores for this reason. The grocery store where my kids work is one of them, and its one of the busiest ones in the city. My daughter, who is an Assistant Manager, said the store just got way too many complaints and threats to shop elsewhere so they no longer will let the boy scouts set up there. Our neighbors were very disappointed because they made a lot of money there in previous years and this year they're having a hard time finding places to set up.

 

[sk!mom]

If it was just the child selling like your ds they deserve the credit of being a top seller but in all honesty MOST children are not selling it themselves so do they learn anything,yet they get the prize when maybe another child actually did sell on his own, but not enough so this child does not get rewarded.Part of my frustration is the popcorn is really not good and overpriced.

Agreed!

The popcorn is terrible and sooooo overpriced.

I'm not a fan of most Fundraising of this type anyway. My DD is involved in a very costly extracurricular- classical ballet. They do not do any fundraising of this type. The parents bear the cost of participation and then there are ticket sales to the various performances that support the nonprofit studio and company.