How much to buy for show and sell + other questions :)

[CCbytrickery]

$50 for change at each location. In a lockbox. If you can, have a 2nd lockbox hidden down in a popcorn box under the table, and when you get too much money in the donation jar or in the 1st lockbox, you transfer it to the second and note it on the sheets.

 

I have sheets that have counts for both donations and popcorn money, and spots for both the incoming and outgoing parents to sign. Also, I had inventory sheets for the popcorn as well. It helped me figure out where I had 2 parents either pocket $ or lost it or ? last year.

 

Tricksy, I am.

 

The parents were asked to call me if someone didn't show--which happened on at least 6 occasions, and either the other kids stayed late, or my son went up to work. (He worked 12 90 minute shifts last year, because of this and lack of sign-ups---in our pack we don't give the boys part of the money, so this was him working to help the pack go.)

 

I also would come by and pick up the money every so often, so we didn't have a large amount sitting around. Each time I did so, I noted it on the forms, and had the 2nd parent sign that I was taking the money. Paperwork always!

 

 

I also keep balance sheets on the computer at home. It's a little more work for me, and I don't have any of them connected, so I have to enter numbers more than once, but it helps me balance where we're at. I have one that lists inventory (beginning of week, end of week, sales, etc.) and another for scout take home orders. One for scout financials--which I balance with the take home sheet.

 

One thing I do like to do is to provide a table and chairs for the adults. We display one of each box on the table, along with the donation jar (and the lockbox is under adult hand all the time). Only adults in the chairs (I use my old camping foldups). I also provided a cooler of ice water and some cups. It gets hot here, and I didn't want anyone getting dehydrated.

 

I also ask for NO SIBLINGS, but half the time they don't listen and bring them anyways--I really dislike it. I know that cub scouts are family oriented, but when the parents are being distracted by other kids, and not focusing on the situation at hand--the kids being unruly and running around, getting in the way of shoppers, for example--it doesn't look good for us at all.

[ScoutNut]

CC, it sounds like you are just as "spreadsheet happy" as I am!

 

I have a file for receipts where I keep track of the popcorn each Scout has taken/returned, and how much they have paid.

 

I have another file for the booth sales. With one spreadsheet per booth, and a total page.

 

Finally I do a Pack-wide file with all Scouts by den where I enter their take-orders, and prizes. This one also has a sheet with the totals for booth sales that are allocated back to the Scouts.

 

We don't use Scout accounts either, but booth sales allocations are added onto the boys take orders for a grand total sold. This is used for prize levels. We have some boys that do most of their popcorn sales working at booths. Their families then order the balance to bring them up to their sales goal. It works out well for families with multiple Scouts, as well as for the Popcorn Kernel. They usually only have to purchase a few pieces for personal family consumption, and the Pack gets a good group of booth volunteers.

 

Keeping up the spreadsheets might be a bit of a pain, but they make balancing product/$$ a lot easier. They also make filling out council paperwork a lot easier because you have all of your numbers at hand, and all you need to do is transfer the totals to the paperwork.

 

Ahhhh, the towers of popcorn boxes, and the smell of that microwave butter corn in the morning! Being a retired Popcorn Kernel is not a bad thing!