Popcorn DE's?

[SR540Beaver]

foto,

 

You are correct. If national and council receive no funds, they cease to exist. Guess where that leaves our units?

[Fuzzy Bear]

Let me see, the BSA program hinges on the yearly sale of popcorn?

 

Maybe, maybe not, what about:

Registration,

The sell of the most expensive uniforms and patches,

Selling of the largest supply of literature in the world with yearly updates,

Boys' Life Magazine, Scouting Magazine

(nobody says anything about the revenue from the sale of ads)

Selling of equipment and other supplies,

Summer Camp-registration, patches, hats, belts, patches, soda, food, tee-shirts

Event registration, patches, hats, and tee shirts also they usually have all concession proceeds

Jamborees with all of the many associated costs to Scouts and Scouters,

the Camping, Canoeing, and Sea Base Camps that generate money from all of the above mentioned ways

and then

Friends of Scouting Campaign that is well entrenched in many communities,

Income from the United Way Campaign,

Income generated from people setting up their wills to give to Scouting upon their death

 

These are but a few of the ways that money is made in the BSA.

 

I don't begrudge the BSA making money but I do like an open and honest accounting of where the money is coming from and where it is going. Making me feel bad because I dont want to purchase expensive popcorn just seems out of balance with all of the other areas I spend money in Scouting.

 

FB

 

[boleta]

All Scouter registration fees go to National! The Council is dependent of Product sales, FOS, other fundraisers the Council may sponsor, and the other methods mentioned above (scout shop, etc.)

Unfortunately, product sales are a significant contribution to your Council's budget. I buy popcorn and give it as Christmas gifts. So, I pay a little more. It is a gift to the person who receives it and a gift to Council.

[Fuzzy Bear]

I vote for FOS

 

FB

[BadenP]

All I can say is if its true that BSA owns Trails End then they could control the quality and the price, in actuality though I was told TE is just another brandname for a major popcorn company who packages part of its line for fundraisers with groups like the BSA, my friend works there. So I dont see any reason why the BSA could not hookup with another company, not popcorn, and offer a gift item that people would be anxious to buy. It would only increase council funds as many units boycott popcorn sales as was mentioned in here earlier.

[AK-Eagle]

Trail's End is in no way related to the BSA. National BSA does not receive a dime nor does it endorse the sale. It is not a national sale. Trail's End is the upper echelon of the Weaver popcorn company. They make most of the Crackerjacks sold. Trails End is sold only by the BSA.

Councils are free to chose whatever vendor they want. The profits are split between the unit and the council. That benefits both.

Popcorn is a good product because it is consumed and will renew buyers. First Aid kits will sit and sit. Why buy one when you haven't used the first.

 

Normally our unit's sales just cover the costs of rechartering which just seems to happen in the same frame.

[Eamonn]

I have seen Trails End in cans that support other organizations.

As I have said I see the need for product sales to support the Council and in our case we need the money. We need the money each and every year.

My only fear is that our relationship with one vendor might not be such a good thing.

Some years back a pal of mine managed to get a contract with Sears. He manufactured switches, that were used on some of the electric hand tools.Things were good, business was good. He hired more people, borrowed money to build a bigger building and then Sears didn't renew the contract. The poor guy nearly lost his house.

At present I think about 60% from the sale of popcorn goes back to in some way to the local council. They don't get to keep that 60%. There are prizes and commission to be taken out.What would happen if Trails End decided that only 50% was going to go back? Are we too close to the company that cutting all ties with them would be just too painful? If we have DE's that are hired on a grant from the popcorn company, isn't this going to cloud our judgment?

A local ski resort in an effort to support local breweries tried a few years ago to sell only beer that was brewed from three local breweries, not selling any Budweiser or Coors products. The local beers were good but just didn't sell as well as the national beers. Soon the ski resort returned to selling the national brands. Are we heading in that direction? Are we becoming too dependent on Trails End?

Eamonn.

[Fuzzy Bear]

Hi! I'm Scout Bob from your local troop.

This year it is popcorn and beer but only national brands. How many cases can I sign you up for?

 

(Note: This was meant to be consumed in small doses with your breakfast to bring only a smile, belly laughs not included.)

[Sparkie]

For the past 4 years or so our council has been selling Rural Route 1 popcorn under the name Pecetonica River for the BSA. I am also the current Coun. Popcorn Chmn.

 

I would like to note, no-one ever said popcorn was a value. It is the cause you are supporting (BSA, summer camp, whatever). If anyone sells it as a regular product, i'm sorry, it's wrong.

 

One time a person complained to me about the price and value of the popcorn. I said (half in jest) "listen, you are buying insurance that little Johnny isn't going to whack your mailbox with a baseball bat in 3-4 years because he's got nothing better to do! Scouting is a good program and helps develop a good foundation for boys to become independent and make good choices". I don't go around saying this that much, but if someone starts to bully the popcorn program, i throw this at 'em and they pipe-down.

 

Sparkie

[Fuzzy Bear]

Sparkie,

 

I tried the same tactic one year as Cub Day Camp Director to get parents to volunteer for Staff. Nobody stepped forward. I got angry, mad, then, I finally simmered. Later, I tried a more rational approach and found my staff but not where I had been looking nor how I had been trying.

 

My all new and improved approach was developed as a Scout selling some kind of product every year door to door. I developed a kind of joy for selling after taking my Dad's advice that 10% of the people that I would personally contact would buy whatever I had almost at any price. I won every contest we had in our Troop with that little bit of knowledge.

 

Now then, what did I find out?

 

1. If I had a poor product and ran to one house and knocked on the door and gave my little speech and nothing happened, I just went to 9 more houses. I would make a sell.

(By the way, I used to count the number of houses because I didn't believe my Dad. As the idea proved itself, I would increase my contacts. Sometimes I would go to at least 500 houses.)

 

2. If I had a good product, I didn't have to run so hard. It began to sell itself.

 

3. If I had a great product, people came to me.

 

4. If I had a great product at a great price, I had to take orders and make deliveries.

 

That was in the good old days, I am sure they are over. But as a Scout leader serving in many different positions over the years, I have been privileged to have recruited many great staffs.

(Thanks Dad, you were right for once!)

 

Fuzzy Bear