The scouts percentage of popcorn /fundraising sales

[Scoutfish]

Okay, our packs bread and butter comes from our annual BBQ chicken dinner fundraiser. We give each scout twenty $6.00 dollar tickets to sell ( the scout supports the pack and helps the pack grow). They can get more if they sell out.We also set up a table in front of a couple local grocery stores. The scouts sell and work it just as much as the adults do.

 

And we do direct drive up sales during the event.

We cook and sell at two locations.

 

Last year, we cleared just over $5,000.00 in about 5 hours.

 

But as it is, for every $200.00 we bring in for ticket sales, we also probably average about $100.00 in donations.

 

My self ( CM ) and our new CC are thinking of ways to help the scouts.

 

WEll, in popcorn, the scouts get a percentage of what they sell. Maybe the get the units entire amount or a percentage of the units amount.

 

Well, the CC and I figured that donations were free money, and not the same as ticket sales, so we thought about putting aside all donated money and splitting it as 70% for the scout, and 30% for the den that the scout is in.

 

We are also going to sell camp cards this year and thought about breaking it down the same way: 70/30.

 

And this money is put into a scout account to be used for recharter, camping, uniforms, scout related gear, or anything from the scout shop. There are not any trips to Wal-mart. Just saying as I know some have mentioned that before.

 

 

Again, the packs money comes from chicken dinner sales.

 

Okay, I jaw-jacked enough...so my question is this:

 

What is the percentage breakdown that your pack uses?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(This message has been edited by scoutfish)

[CCbytrickery]

With popcorn, the entire amount funds the pack. We use that money to cover things like activities at Pack meetings (last month we had a magician, this month the zoo is doing an outreach); subsidizing costs for camping; paying for belt loops, etc...

 

With Camp Cards, the Pack receives 50% of the funds (2.50 out of $5. We then split the cost with the scouts (so they get 1.25 for each card they sell); also if we do a show n sale, each boy that works gets a percentage of those sales. That money is used for camping--pays for their May campout (always a big one, one year they went to Seaworld, another time they camped on a retired battleship), or summer camps, or they can hang onto it and use it for Cubaree the next year.

 

Edited to add: Last year, my son made enough on camp card sales to win a free trip (from council) to Cub day camp, plus paid for all but $20 of Aquatics camp (over $140).(This message has been edited by CCbytrickery)

[pchadbo]

With Popcorn, our pack keeps track of the boys' sales and they get 35% of the pack's 35% so if we sell 10,000 in popcorn, the pack gets 3500 and the boys get 1225 of that 3500 in thier scout accounts for camping, and other scout related expenses.

[Basementdweller]

Scoutfish.......

 

Sounds like you fund raise year round. I know in my neck of the woods the parents wouldn't stand for it. While I believe that a scout should pay his own way.....I don't want fundraising to be the focus of our Pack.

 

 

What do you do that the Pack needs that much money?????

 

 

 

[qwazse]

I was a little confused if that was 70% of all donations divided up into accounts for each scout or each scout who brought in a donation would get 70% of it in his account and 30% into his den'c account, anyway ...

 

Not a pack, but ...

Our troop sets a budget, donations first fund whatever is needed for the following year. (That includes bringing the general fund to a safe minimum, new equipment the SM thinks the troop needs based on QM's inventory, and SM's discretionary fund.) Then we consider increasing our scholarship/campership fund.

 

Then (and here's that part that may not apply to a pack) with whatever profit has not been allocated to those needs, we divide up into scout accounts in proportion to the hours the scouts worked. That way they learn about business (e.g., you can "earn" something just by waiting tables but you can add value to those hours worked by increasing sales/marketing).

 

If you have a huge bounty, I would suggest you roll it over into next years budget and ask the boys which fundraiser they liked the least, and drop that one. My second suggestion is use it to underwrite the cost of a popular activity like summer or day camp so that anyone who attends only has to pay half of it.

 

I would not direct it to the boy or his den. Most donors are giving thinking you are building program for boys "like" the one they are handing the check to, not the little guy himself. I think it's better to do something special for the pack as a whole and announce that it was because of some generous donations.

 

In fact, if donations were really above and beyond, your committee may want to consider putting an ad in the local paper thanking the community for their generous support.

[Scoutfish]

Well, we have a larger size pack. Right now, we are around 75 boys.

 

Personally, I don't care if we sold popcorn ever again. We as a pack don't sell very much. 3 or 4 boys will sell just a hair over $200.00, then it drops down to a handfull of boys who sell $30.00 to $60.00 of popcorn.

 

In my own neighborhood, most houses are vacation homes, so they are empty in the fall/winter months.

 

In our overall area of the district, there are 4 packs and 4 troops, 3 venture crews, 2 ships, and 2 girlscouts troops.

 

I don't even have to tell you about girl scout cookies.

 

So we are oversaturated with popcorn salesmen, and under saturated with customers.

 

My pack used to do wrteaths and candles to help make up for the lag in popcorn sales. USED TO

 

I did not mean to imply or for it to sound like we still sell wreatrhs and candles. We do not. Totally not worth the time or headache.

 

So as is, we sell popcorn ( more because we feel we owe it to council) and do a BBQ chicken dinner fundraiser. The chicken money is for the pack, We use that to fund camperships and hardship scouts, we also adopt 3 families every Christmas and we pay for neckers and scoutbooks for all scouts who attend graduation and crossover. THis money also pays for leaders recharter fees, beltloops, pins, patches, beads, bead holders, awards, knots, AOL awards.etc....

 

We also use this money to carry the pack from signup nights to recharter because all money collected at sign up goes to Council and insurance.

 

So that leaves Camp Cards. We never sold them before. Matter of fact, the leaders of my pack didn't know what they were until I showed them one and passed out flyers to them.

 

Thing is, since we don't sell much popcorn, and chicken money is for te pack...we need something for the boys. Again, popcorn profits ( for scouts) would be a well below minimum wage thing in comparison.

 

Our dues are only $40.00 a year. $18.00 ( $3.00 for insurance)to council, $22.00 to the pack for materials and crafts and awards, patches, pins, etc.....

$22.00 does not last long at all!

 

So, the point of camp cards is just that: let the boys pay for camping oppertunities instead of mom and dad breaking out the wallet or checkbook. We have at least two pack camp outs as well as one pack group council campout, two council campouts, 2 Webelos den campous, and then you have go see its and den activities and filed trips.

 

Camp cards are just what the doctor ordered.

 

Need a new uniform shirts? Belt? Hat? Other camping or scout stuff from the scout shop?

 

Camp Cards!

 

Now, I mention the donations we get during chicken dinner ticket sales. Not every scout can sell popcorn or hvae any luck with customers when he does sell. But that same scout might work a 4 hour shift selling tickets . WE set shifts for 1 hour, but some scouts and parents stick around and work longer

 

So the scouts who sells $0.00 in popcorn , can now get a share of money for his scout account.

 

Hope this makes more sense.

 

Oh yeah, I know the breakdown between the council's part and unit's part.

 

I was just wondering how your units broke down their share between the unit and scout. I think we used to give 25% to the scout and trhe rest went to the unit, but like some of you might have noticed, our chicken gives us enough that I and my CC think we can handle splitting unit shares of camp card and popcorn between scout and den.

 

Den share is used for den materials, projects, materials, and whatnot. The DL's can have a pizza party or ice cream party at the end of the year with their share for all I care. They can use it for a den activity or den go see it trip.

 

My thought is this: Make the program more fun, more exciting, and better for the scouts and they will stick with it and spend mopre time learning and having fun.

[Beavah]

Well, the CC and I figured that donations were free money, and not the same as ticket sales, so we thought about putting aside all donated money and splitting it as 70% for the scout, and 30% for the den that the scout is in.

 

Holysmoke!

 

Yah, Scoutfish, see da other recent thread on scout accounts. Personally, I don't think it's ethical to divvy up any portion of donated dollars to individuals for what amounts to personal benefit. That includes personal benefit in da form of personal scouting or camping gear, personal discounts on fees, etc. If yeh want a legal opinion on da practice, yeh have to pay someone . Generally speakin', though, the law tracks pretty closely with da ethics in these things.

 

Honor the intent of da donors and reserve donated dollars to the program as a whole. Use da funds for group gear, or for reducing costs for every boy, or for paying for lads in economic difficulty. Avoid even da appearance of committing fundraising fraud or tax evasion as incompatible with da principles of Scouting.

 

Beavah(This message has been edited by Beavah)

[Scoutfish]

Well, I am not saying that we are going to hand cash or credit card to the boys.

 

It would go into a pass account that can be used only toward scouting related stuff.

 

Either for pack , district or council camping. For uniforms that are worn during pack, disrict, or council scouting events. Equipment or gear that is used duriong pack, district, or council scouting activities.

 

Could be the scout needs a new uniform shirt because he outgrew the last one.

 

They are not given a gift card that they spend at WalMart of Gamestop. They do not blow it at the candy store either.

 

Thing is with donations..they are intended for cub scouts to do cub scout stuff.

 

What stuff is that? Well, I don't know as alot of people think we will be throwing hatchets whiule wearing our Davey Crocket coonskin hats, shooting .50 calibre blackpowder muzzleloader rifles, canoeing across Lake Michigan , and using sticks to light 3 story tall bonfires.

 

But that's isn't how it works does it?

 

We have quite a few boys who are single parent kids who's moms ( well one is a dad) who work all day and most of the night to make ends meet. They cannot afford our cheap dues, uniform costs, camping fees, or much else. But they find time to help out at events and to sell tickets too.

 

That scout gets credit for those non specified donations by working "X" number of hours and that's where he cets credit to his scout account to pay for camping, uniforms and other stuff that they could not afford otherwise.

 

Now, I want to clarify, when we get donations during ticket sales, we are talking a dollar here, a dollar there, sometimes $5.00 and on rare occasion, a twenty.

 

WE are not talking about people who are dropping 100 dollar bils at our feet.

 

Also, agin, look through the donors eyes and not our "been in the system and know what really happens eyes". These people donate for 2 reasons: to help the pack do whatever it is that it does, OR they donate to get us out of their face at that moment.

 

Of corse, I suppose te word "free" might be the cause of confusion. I do not mean free without obligation or intention of use. I do not mean we stick it in our wallets.

 

What I mean by "free" is that the money does not have to be specifically tied to recovering expenses or the costs of food, drinks, plates, napkins, utensils, LP gas, or any other costs associated with the fundraising dinner. , but could be set aside and used for scout accounts since they are working for the good of the pack.

 

In that regard, they are no more unethical than scouts who use camp cards for personal gain( they are the ones camping on somebody elses dime after all, right?)....or popcorn for personal gain ( same thing..camping, scout related trips, etc...)

 

Pretty much anthing a scout does in scouting is for personal gain wether the education, the mentoring, or any and all trips, camping, or other experiences or awards.

 

But i am pretty sure the word "free" was misunderstood.

 

 

I just meant free of the chicken dinner.

[SeattlePioneer]

Our Pack charges a $60 annual membership fee.

 

A family that sells $200 in popcorn gets a paid membership for the next year. 25% of sales over $200 go into the boys Scout account.

 

That seems to be pretty motivating, and the pack gets the additional 10% of sales plus donations to operate the pack.

[ScoutNut]

There is a difference between sharing a % of profits that a specific boy has brought in with that boy, and giving him a cut of a cash donation, no matter how small. He did not work to bring in that money.

 

I also have a problem with allowing personal gear and equipment purchases with Scout Accounts. Personal gear/equipment is not necessarily used for Scouting. It is owned outright by the Scout/family, and can be resold for a profit if they so wish.

 

Camping fees, Troop fees, program fees, etc, are different. That money is used directly for a Scouting activity. It helps promote the aims of Scouting by paying for a Scouting program.

[IM_Kathy]

my sons troop does popcorn and then 3 popcan collections each year. this year the boys are going to try wreaths as well.

 

all profits from fundraising is split 60% to boy's account and 40% to troop account. the boys is based on amount he sold for popcorn and for popcans it's based on time worked.

 

there has been discussions to increase % toward boys, but every time that discussion comes up again it's right around when we had a fundraiser that didn't go well. So it's been that % for some time, but each year the committee sits down and looks over the $ in account and what is needed for upcoming budget and then will give out $x for each scout attending summer camp. Sometimes it's as little as $10, but most of the time it's about $25. Biggest reason it varies is based on how many we have that need full support.

 

My son does not sell popcorn - it goes on during debate season where he is in the library researching or in class each day after school (they meet right after school, leave for supper, and then return) so any of his "free time" is done doing homework for his other classes. We agreed to this as long as he participated in all popcan drives and then we donate to friends of scouting so council gets something from us since he's not doing the corn. He raises enough to cover all the monthly campouts - so just need more when it comes time for summer camp or a high adventure.

[Scoutfish]

Scoutnut,

 

A scout could also buy a uniform shirt and sell it for cash. He could take his council prize for selling alot of popcorn and sell it for cash.

 

He could use his scout account, go to camp and do absolutrely nothing to do with scouting..which would then make it a simple, plain personal camping excursion.

 

He coukld agree to transfeer $200.00 of scout account assets to another scout for $85.00 cash if he wanted to.

 

But if he buys a backpack and a mess kit and maybe a sleeoing bag from the scout shop, and just uses them only one time and quits scouting for whatever reason..then I still see it as he used it for scouting.

 

And the boys did work for what we get wether donation or ticket sales. They signed up, went out and worked it. Just because somebody makes a $3.00 donation versus a $6.00 chicken dinner ticket does not mean the scout was not selling and workling the ticket booth. It just means that somebody either didn't want a dinner, or the didn't want to break a bigger monetary note or they only wanted to part with a small amount.

 

Matter of fact, alot of people would say that since they were from out of town ( we are a beach town), they wouldn't be here during the dinner, but would buy a plate anyways and just tell us to keep the ticket or just donate the same amount as the dinner without buying one.

 

In case of telling us to keep and give the ticket away, we would give them to the needy, or on duty police/fire/ems, etc...

 

And if we want to be technical, any money the scout gets is a personal gain.

 

He went to camp on other people's dime. Other people paid fior him to go to camp. They did not go to campm themselves, the scout did not pull monmey from his own wallet..other people pay for it. And it is the scouts gain.

 

SCout goes to summer camp, gets a tshirt or patch which he could also sell. Now, if it is a weekend camp, and he or his parents cannot afford to buy a tent, or sleeping bag, or other needed equipment..what does he do?

 

[boomerscout]

What some are trying to say, I believe, is that any money given to a non-profit cannot be used for personal gain. For instance, if a Scout is given a new uniform because he can't otherwise afford one, then that is personal gain unless the entire troop is also given a uniform (the exception being the uniform closet of donated uniforms).

Tracking hours worked and sales made being used to offset camp fees seems to contradict this, but that's how life is

 

[boomerscout]

Anyone donating coin did not pay to send any individual Scout to camp. They paid to send the entire troop to camp.

An exception to this is if donations were sought specifically to be used for camperships

[SeattlePioneer]

>

 

 

Oh, I don't know. Since my pack uses Scout accounts, I encourage Scouts to talk about the things they hope to get from their popcorn sales:

 

"I'm selling Cub Scout popcorn to go to camp/buy a uniform" or whatever.

 

 

The pack keeps donations. The Scouts get 25% of what they sell for their Scout account.

 

 

Frankly, I don't think you can intuit the motivations of those buying popcorn. I think people are supposing their purchase will go to a good cause, but the specific cause may not be known or guaranteed.