At the moment, I have four draft blog posts in various stages of completion. I can tell you that the one about my beliefs is going to be a long one… hopefully laden with references and at the same time informative without being inflammatory (although I will warn you in advance that my favorite section of the hymnal is labeled “The Church Militant”).
With that said, back to the title… 1/12th of my life.
It happens the last week of September every year (I remember doing this as a Cub Scout in the early 1970’s). Boy Scout Popcorn. It runs through what is usually the last weekend of October.
It started again for me in 2005 when Michael became a Cub Scout. We sold a bit the first year (I thought having over $100 in sales was pretty good actually). Then we went to over $300 the next year. Then over $1,000 the year after.
During the 2011 sale, between Michael and Luke, our family sold $6,124 of BSA Popcorn. So, why the family focus on this aspect of Scouting? It is called the “Power of Popcorn” by many in Scouting. It’s a bit pricey (but so is any fundraiser you look at… it has to be to earn money to support the organization doing the fund raiser).
1) 70% goes back to Scouting. 30% pays for the product. The remaining 70% is split between the local Council and the unit selling the product. For us that means we have a Scouting support staff and center locally to help us accomplish what we do as a Scouting unit (whether that unit is Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Venturing, etc…). It also means that we as a unit get critical funding. In Cub Scout Pack 310 this goes to support the Program itself (a pinewood derby track can cost $1,500 or more) and a portion goes to each individual Scout’s account to pay for approved items such as uniforms, camping fees, gear, etc… (this helps make possible the ability to participate for low income families). In Troop 310, 90% of our split goes into the individual Boy Scouts account. Why so big a portion? Summer camp is around $200. A good pair of hiking boots is well over $100. If a Scout attends Jamboree he is looking at $1,200. A good backpack is $200. Again, this helps all be able to afford being involved to get the fullest experience out of Scouting. The Scout’s account can be used to help fund a portion of their Eagle Scout project as well.
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| Annette & Michael |
2) The Scholarship. Once a Scout has sold over $2,300 in a single year’s sale, they are a part of the Trail’s End Scholarship program. Every year they sell after that, 6% of their sales) regardless of amount) is donated by Trail’s End to a scholarship for that Scout for College expenses. It earns interest too.
3) The sale teaches responsibility. To make sales they have to talk to people in several ways. They have to ask people to buy face-to-face (salesmanship, confidence and communications). They also have to ask parents to see if they will post a flyer at work and family to gather sales (networking, developing processes). They have to handle and count money (financial management and responsibility). They have to figure out how to make themselves presentable for the sale (grooming, uniforming, presentation, signage and sometimes a gimmick… like a garden cart loaded with popcorn wheeling don your street). It is a big learning experience.
4) Incentives… yes, they earn prizes. But the prizes are big in correlation to a BIG workload. To get good prizes… they have to work HARD.
5) With that said… its exercise. It is exercise for both the parents and the youth. You cannot sell a lot of popcorn without walking a good distance (Michael and I are over 10 miles of residential area this year), loading and unloading boxes and being outside.
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| Luke in 2010 |
6) From my point of view… it allows me to teach as a parent. How do you politely knock on a door. Should you walk on a lawn? Do you bother people mowing their grass? Do you thank them for supporting Scouting when they say they have purchased already from another? Time spent in this endeavor is not wasted as a parent.
7) It gives people a chance to ask about Scouting. What rank are you? What is that merit badge for? That is a neat Neckerchief. Some buyers even ask the Scout to say Scout Oath and Law (I love it when that happens).
8) The Scout gets to hear the stories on the door step… I went to Philmont in 1964… I did an elevated trail construction for my Eagle project… I did not make my Eagle and here is why… those stories that customers tell on door steps is a wonderful thing for the Scout to hear.
9) Where do you go to church? When that question comes up it gives the Scout the ability to relay their faith and discuss it.
10) The Troop actually gets a performance bonus back also that pays for almost a full year of awards, rank and advancement related patches.
Those are just a few of the reasons we do this massive endeavor. I know that both of my boys have handled large sums of money now. That experience is invaluable.
It wears me out.
It wears my wife out more…
She works with one of our boys while I work with the other on sales. Sometimes we trade off.
She serves as the “Popcorn Chair” for both the Pack and the Troop which is a huge job… ordering, sorting, distributing, setting up store front sales. All of this plus helping her own sons sell. She also helps the District with sorting the popcorn when it comes in from Trail’s end.
Needless to say, this is why 1/12th of my life each year, centered around the wonderful Fall month of October, rotates around popcorn. For the part of our lives that is Scouting and a personal ministry through our units. When you buy popcorn from us, that’s the story.
At this time, Michael has walked over seven miles and has sold around $2,200 of his $3,150 goal. Luke is around $1,450 of that same amount.
We were the highest selling family in the Council last year. Michael still has the goal of someday being the highest selling scout… We have not figured out how to get there… yet. Last, year that hard working scout that sold the most had over $6,000 in sales.
So, I am finishing this blog from a McDonald’s on the west side of Evansville on a lunch break from driving Michael all over Vanderburgh County.
Now for the shameless plug… If you would like to help, send me an email to gleeturpenii@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. We deliver anywhere in about a four county area.
If you don’t buy from us… please take a moment and think about the 102 years of impact that Scouting has had and still has today and buy from the Scout that comes to your door to help keep this effort vibrant and strong.
If you are at a distance and would consider buying popcorn for shipment to you, here are links for Michael and Luke:
Luke is currently a bit behind due to two bouts of illness since the start of the sale.
Thank you all, as always for what you do in your many daily vocations. Praise always to our God and his Son Jesus Christ.
God is good, all the time. All the time, God is good!
Till I next get the chance to debrief of the 4F trail… be safe!
Updated numbers... Michael at $2,701 and Luke at $1,934. Sale ends on October 27th.
ReplyDeleteMichael at $3,324. Luke at $2,525. Seven days to go. Michael is past goal. Luke still wants to hit $3,100.
ReplyDelete