Should units share the wealth?

[Basementdweller]

I read on bryan on scouting about units selling $35k in popcorn, several here have said $20k is easy. Really?

 

We had a cub leader who is a city council women in the burb a crossed the beltway that introduced and got passed a city ordinance that blocks us from selling door to door or at store fronts without a city issued permit. Since our sponsoring organization is not within the city we will not be issued a permit. This has always been a problem with their unit adults yelling at us and telling us to get out of their neighborhoods and from in front of their stores. They have called council who has asked us to stay in our turf.

 

That unit posted on their website that they have sold $23k in popcorn this year so far.

 

Well going with the hand we were dealt, we sold door to door, 3 weekends, 6 days and 6 hours each day. We sold $1300. for the hours and time spent the boys will get about $10 each toward recharter. yes I know it is $300 more than we had. The boys will earn less than a $1 an hour for our effort. I have spent more on gas and lunches than we made.

 

 

I am going to write this up and present it at roundtable and even to the city council.

 

I know the units in the burb will never budge and share. But I would like to at least get some of them thinking and maybe the District volunteers might intervene or speak to them about it.

 

Yes I am complaining, I know that most of you have zero empathy for me. But the looks on the guys faces when I told them how much we sold and they earned....didn't leave me with a good feeling.

 

I just isn't right. We are not asking for a hand out. Simply some time in front of the stores and the ability to knock on some of doors.

[duckfoot]

Pure Socialism...that's what that is...

 

Honestly, if you're making 23k, it's not going to be that hard to maintain even if you have competition. Let the little guy have some of the largesse...another case of adult scouters giving Scout Spirit a bad name...Good luck on your fight Base...

[King Ding Dong]

Territory and turf, total BS. We have some McMansions in our "turf" but also a lot of apartment complexes. Popcorn does not sell there at all. Why are you selling popcorn at all ? Sell pizzas or something else people can actually use. Families are going to but frozen pizza anyway, why not pay a little more for some and help out a good cause. $20 for a small bag of Carmel popcorn is a luxury. Can you find a way to put that $4k BBQ to work ?

[Basementdweller]

Territory and turf, total BS. We have some McMansions in our "turf" but also a lot of apartment complexes. Popcorn does not sell there at all. Why are you selling popcorn at all ? Sell pizzas or something else people can actually use. Families are going to but frozen pizza anyway, why not pay a little more for some and help out a good cause. $20 for a small bag of Carmel popcorn is a luxury. Can you find a way to put that $4k BBQ to work ?

Need a saniserv certification and a certified commercial kitchen to make pulled pork to sell to the public fo r a fundraiser

[walk in the woods]

BD, we don't always agree but vent on brother. My situation isn't inner city but rural town. Getting access to the big stores in the surrounding communities has been tough. That said, we did get access to a Wal-Mart and Jewel one year and the sales were terrible. We do better at the little gas station in our community than we ever did at the big store. Best part is we get some suburbanite tourist money when they head through town to spend the weekend in the country but need to stop for gas and beer.

[Scouter99]

I would definitely complain, but leave the proletariat chip at home. If your letter has the same tone that most of your posting has, it's just going to get tossed in the trash.

[Scouter99]

Territory and turf, total BS. We have some McMansions in our "turf" but also a lot of apartment complexes. Popcorn does not sell there at all. Why are you selling popcorn at all ? Sell pizzas or something else people can actually use. Families are going to but frozen pizza anyway, why not pay a little more for some and help out a good cause. $20 for a small bag of Carmel popcorn is a luxury. Can you find a way to put that $4k BBQ to work ?

Does your CO have a kitchen with the requisite certification?

[fred johnson]

Certain rules you MUST follow or there are penalties. Speed limit. Seat belts. Others are guidelines.

 

But this ordinance? I'm not sure I'd pay too much attention to it. Door to door? I'd like to see the the police officer who will write a ticket to a cub / boy scout for selling boy scout popcorn ? I'd even take that one to court and have my son represent himself. And I'd call the city attorney to confirm the process for how my 9 year old or 12 year old represents himself in court.

 

OTHER IDEA - Do you have adults who live in that burb and belong to a church or non-profit? See if one of them will write a letter on non-profit leader-head that says "Our is sponsoring Scout unit ### fall fundraiser." It doesn't really need to mean anything at all. It just means that that church is sponsoring the event.

 

=========================

 

But on the general philosophy of it? Units of government have a right to establish rules for inside their territory that benefit the citizens of their territory. The city streets and sidewalks are paid by city residents. Why shouldn't the city organizations be ones that benefit from their use? ... But I'd still ignore the rule.

 

On the flip side ... The US Supreme Court has ruled other ways at times having to do with non-citizens still receiving benefits. 1982 Plyler vs Doe. And others. Very interesting topic.

 

[boomerscout]

Life can be such a bummer sometimes. Can you fundraise anything besides popcorn, although I'm certain you could apply for a peddler's license which would allow door to door; it's different than a non-profit's permit? Now that housing may be improving (?), can you organize a monthly paper drive (ex. first Saturday of every month)? Do the store-front permits apply only to stores fronting the public sidewalks? I'd find it hard to accept the town council could hassle you if you're set up past the parking lot of a strip mall

 

Politicians don't always do what is legal. Do you have access to a paralegal that would be willing to research the town council's actions on a pro bono basis? Maybe Legal Aid could refer you to someone.

 

For next summer maybe some different fundraisers. Perhaps the wealthy parts of town would hire your newly formed semi-professional lawn crew.

 

[boomerscout]

Territory and turf, total BS. We have some McMansions in our "turf" but also a lot of apartment complexes. Popcorn does not sell there at all. Why are you selling popcorn at all ? Sell pizzas or something else people can actually use. Families are going to but frozen pizza anyway, why not pay a little more for some and help out a good cause. $20 for a small bag of Carmel popcorn is a luxury. Can you find a way to put that $4k BBQ to work ?

Saniserv certification is easy to get. Finding a church kitchen to use may take some doing

[boomerscout]

Please tell us a bit about your part of the inner city. What businesses exist in it?

[Basementdweller]

BD, we don't always agree but vent on brother. My situation isn't inner city but rural town. Getting access to the big stores in the surrounding communities has been tough. That said, we did get access to a Wal-Mart and Jewel one year and the sales were terrible. We do better at the little gas station in our community than we ever did at the big store. Best part is we get some suburbanite tourist money when they head through town to spend the weekend in the country but need to stop for gas and beer.

Simple genius....we have a huge travel center/ gas station not too far away on the correct side of the highway.

It is about volume...8 out of 10 people will tell you no. But the other two are yes. So a gas station with 300 people thru the door an hour makes 6-10 sales an hour.

 

 

Thx

[Basementdweller]

Territory and turf, total BS. We have some McMansions in our "turf" but also a lot of apartment complexes. Popcorn does not sell there at all. Why are you selling popcorn at all ? Sell pizzas or something else people can actually use. Families are going to but frozen pizza anyway, why not pay a little more for some and help out a good cause. $20 for a small bag of Carmel popcorn is a luxury. Can you find a way to put that $4k BBQ to work ?

No our co is a soup kitchen but has no certificate.....I don't understand the difference.....but just might mean I need to go do it.....I know they do not have sinks in the right configuration for it.....I do like the Pulled pork sand wick idea for a fundraiser.

[Basementdweller]

Stop and robs are about it. Habibs corner grocery.....a few united dairy Farmers....a walgreens with a CVS directly a crossed the street and a few pizza take out places and that it. A few Somali and Latino grocery and a number of dive bars

[boomerscout]

Stop and robs are about it. Habibs corner grocery.....a few united dairy Farmers....a walgreens with a CVS directly a crossed the street and a few pizza take out places and that it. A few Somali and Latino grocery and a number of dive bars

Sounds pretty grim. Off the top of my head there is bagging groceries for tips, weekly window washing service for the businesses. Do you have access to a steam cleaner? Steam clean about five feet of sidewalk in front of each business; do this in the wee hours. Later, ask the store manager if he'd like his remaining filthy sidewalk spruced up for a donation to the troop.

You may do better with rent-a-Scout. Scouts work in at least pairs to clean garages, basements, attics, store backroom; wash first floor windows, small painting jobs, weeding, walking people home with their groceries, watching the kids when at the playground, fixing bicycle tires, other chores and errand type jobs. You will need someone who is home all day to take calls and act as dispatcher. Good for a homebound parent.