Forced to buy popcorn

[gwd-scouter]

Our council decided this year that units could only order popcorn in full cases. I have been informed that because our Unit totals did not fill full cases (i.e., only 5 cans of caramel popcorn instead of 6) we will have to pay for the extras to make up the case and sell it later.

 

Anyone else have a council operating this way? I'm very upset about being told that our Unit has to pay for the extra popcorn and then sell it later.

[Eamonn]

I have been around when units come to pick up their popcorn orders and while loose cans are a pain, at the end of the day it seems to work out. Sure at times there might be a few cases that are half full and need to be returned to the Service Center.

I would call both the District and Council Popcorn Chairs and let them know how sad I am that I'm having to cut peoples orders because I'm rounding down!!

That ought to put the cat among the pigeons!!

Eamonn.

[flowerchild]

Our district has always done it this way. I never really thought about it until now. It makes it easier for them not to deal with open cases. Yes, it is a pain to have to pay for the extra popcorn and than try to get rid of it. I have found that contacting the other Troops in the area at the end of sale and letting them know what I will have extra, that we can usually work out a deal. Also, we use any left over as 'gifts' for people who have donated supplies or time to the Troop when they don't have boys involved in scouting.

[SemperParatus]

Heavens to Murgatroyd!

 

You can't be the only one to smell a big rip-off. Organize a council-wide protest to fight the goofy decisions of dweebs sitting behind desks with nothing better to do than come up with new schemes to enrich coffers on the weary shoulders of members and volunteers with nothing but goodwill on their heart.

 

 

[evmori]

Forcing units to buy popcorn is in violation of the Scout Law - A Scout is thrifty.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[Prairie_Scouter]

Our council has always worked with the open cases and managed to balance everything out. As I understand it, they have no obligation to do so because our supplier will only deal with full cases. Our council does it as a courtesy, I guess. On the other hand, my daughter's Girl Scout unit is forced to handle only full cases, so you almost have to manage your sales so you don't end up just going a little way into the next case during their cookie sale. I guess it depends on how much extra work the managing unit wants to take on.

[Eamonn]

SemperParatus

Is a desk sitting dweeb related in any way to the classic Twit?

Eamonn.

[scoutldr]

Ditto to what Prairie said. I can go to Council and pick up one box of butter lite if that's what I need (I've done it). That is one selling feature they use to convince units to sell popcorn over other fund raisers...NO RISK to the unit. All unsold product can be returned to council, and they sell it out of the scout shop all year round. My DE even gives it away to the faculty and staff when he goes to schools to give Boy talks.

 

Your council is just being difficult.

[acco40]

Nobody is being "forced" to sell. However, our council has some restrictions.

 

1) The "only to be opened by customer" boxes mean just that, if the box is opened it may not be returned.

 

2) They don't like dealing with the old fashioned popping corn so that is not returnable at all. We sell that as a unit by only as take orders.

 

3) They don't take back incomplete boxes of product. So, if you have a six pack with only one box sold, you end up having "buy" the remainder.

 

As I said, selling popcorn is optional so nobody is being forced to do anything. Communication with other units can help. If you are short one $15 can in a case of 8, buy one from another unit and return a full case. They can by your odd lots if needed. A little more leg work but not that much of a hardship.

[cubbingcarol]

Put our council in the column marked

 

'Have to purchase full cases'

 

We had some popcorn from last year that we had to throw out last month. We couldn't sell it. Oh well, what to do.

 

Carol

[anarchist]

Eamonn,

 

The desk sitting Dweeb is a distant relative of the classic Twit. The Twit being far more active and having numerous and loud vocalizations sounding like ME, ME, ME. The Twit generally displays many more color phases, with numerous patches of bright color, particularly during the mating season (where the usual object of affection is a large rock or perhaps an old log).

 

The Desk sitting Dweeb presents usually a more drab display in the various color phases and tends to blend in to the environment. They can be found hiding behind phones, computers and adding machines. Vocalizations are usually limited to croakings that sound something like, "you can't do that", or "it's not allowed" and sometimes the sound is something like "NO!". Dweebs do not breed atleast they appear to be sterile but scientists believe that a phenomena much like that of cow birds inserting their own eggs in the nest of others operates in the dweeb life cycle.

 

Both the dweeb and the Twit can be found in the same evolutionary lines as the dodo bird, Neanderthal and ACLU attorneys.

(see I was listening in Biology class at University)

Anarchist

[Cubmaster Jerry]

Eamonn,

Rounding down! That is great! Always count on you to come up with the subtle yet effective solutions. If you have to purchase popcorn from council in full cases, then only sell it in full cases. Troops may be different but I know of few Packs that can afford to eat the cost of the extra popcorn not sold (no pun intended).

 

Jerry

[Lisabob]

Our council requires units to buy full cases too and no, we can't return opened cases either. Argh. Anyway our pack has dealt with it by using the leftover for prizes, as thank you gifts to people who help us out (like the school janitor who bends over backwards - sometimes literally - for us and doesn't get paid any extra), and as samples for show&sells in the future. I've heard of a few packs that have an informal swap set up so they can fill small orders without having to buy another whole case from council.

 

Lisabob

A good old bobwhite too!

[SR540Beaver]

My son and I were transitioning to a new troop right around popcorn time this year, so I'm not to up on how things were done. I do know from a roundtable meeting prior to popcorn sales starting that whatever you order for show and sell is yours, no returns. If you order 20 cases and only manage to sell 12, the unit is responsible for buying the other 8 cases. The council said they didn't have the room, funds or staff to handle all the returned popcorn. I think they were attempting to put the onus on the units to be realistic when ordering.

[gwd-scouter]

Our Unit did not do a show and sell. We are a very small Troop and only four Scouts sold popcorn. Their totals did not equal full cases. So, the Troop has to make up the difference and try to sell it later.

 

The Troop sold a little over $600 of popcorn (not much, I know) and will have to shell out a bit over $100 to make up full cases. By those numbers, if we don't sell the extra, we really make very little profit.