Popcorn - Is it finally too expensive?

[Bob White]

First off the Girl Scouts have been selling cookies for decades longer that Bot scouts have sold popcorn.

 

The Girls Scouts (according to the GSUSA so don't bother posting about how your wife is a GS leader yada yada) The girl scout units get .55 per box. The council gets OVER 2.50 per box. Do you really want popcorn to work that way.

 

Try a word association. Ask someone what the first think that pops into theri head is when you say Boy Scout. I'll bet not a one says "popcorn" thank goodness. Ask the same person what they think of when they hear the words "Girl Scout", I will bet the majority say "cookies".

 

The BSA is not trying to make the association that strong. They are merly supporting a project that has been very successful in helping to finace scouting at the local level in both the unit and council operations.

 

 

[Hunt]

"Try a word association. Ask someone what the first think that pops into their head is when you say Boy Scout. I'll bet not a one says "popcorn" thank goodness. Ask the same person what they think of when they hear the words "Girl Scout", I will bet the majority say "cookies". The BSA is not trying to make the association that strong. They are merly supporting a project that has been very successful in helping to finace scouting at the local level in both the unit and council operations."

 

So you're saying BSA deliberately chose a less attractive product in order to avoid being too closely associated with it? C'mon. That association is gold for the Girl Scouts, and everybody knows it. Even though the coucil takes a big chunk of the cookie sales, it still works out because they sell a lot of cookies. If BSA could come up with a product that formed that association, that people really wanted to buy, year after year, they'd jump at at. Popcorn isn't it, however, and never will be, because it's exactly the same as what you can buy in the store for less money--popcorn is just a vehicle for seeking donations,just like most of the stuff youth groups sell. I'll bet a substantial percentage of the people who buy it never even eat it--and that's something you also can't say about Girl Scout cookies.

[packsaddle]

Hey, I buy the stuff and I don't eat it. I give it away. But the popcorn that my cats reject as litter (I think because it smells so bad) gets thrown out and guess what? Birds eat it. I think that explains the term 'bird brained'.

I buy a lot of girl scout cookies and I relish every bite. Man, I'm getting hungry just thinking about them. I think I hear an ice cream sandwich calling to me....

[Bob White]

Upto and including this year popcorn has Never BEEN a national BSA activity. The national office has had NOTHING to do with popcorn sales. the BSA national office gets NO MONEY from popcorn sales. Popcorn started in a single council and spread slowly to others.

 

NOT EVERY COUNCIL even has a popcorn sales program, in fact many do not. It is a local council activity.

 

So NO the BSA never did plan to make this as big as girl scouts. Local scout councils saw it as a cooperative way to help finance units and bolster local council revenue.

 

Do you ever want the BSA to be known for ANY product sales activity or for the program they deliver using the financial resources of the council and units?

 

 

What product would you gave picked that you feel would have been more attractive than cookies?

 

If trails end came to you and offered you 66% profit for selling a popular snack food would you have said, "well it's not as attractive as cookies"? (This message has been edited by a staff member.)

[FScouter]

Thank you all for your contributions towards making this discussion informative, persuasive, thought provoking and heartwarming. It makes one proud to be a Scouter.

[un-Scoutlike comments have been deleted.]

(This message has been edited by a staff member.)