Popcorn

NOTE: All Forms and Materials can be downloaded from the bottom of this page.

Face it parents: we grew up in a different time. As kids, nothing was handed to us. We either worked or helped to earn our rewards: money, an activity with friends, or something we wanted. Scouting still believes in and stands for the core value of earning!

Benefits to Your Scout and Family:

• Provides positive, character-building environment that goes hand in hand with Scouting

• Teaches Scouts the value & process of setting and working toward goals

• Gives Scouts a strong sense of accomplishment through recognition

• Enhances communication, leadership skills and self confidence in your Scout

• Scouts can earn valuable rewards including gift cards and prizes

• Helps to minimize out-of-pocket expenses during the scout year

Minimum Sales Goal: $400 per Scout.

3 Ways to Sell:

Take Order

This is the most traditional way to sell; going door-to-door with the Take Order Form (Download Below), which you receive from your leader or council. Your customer chooses the product(s) he or she wishes to buy and writes the order on your form. You will collect the money when you deliver the product to your customers a few weeks later.

Advantages: Provides a personal connection with your customers. Higher dollars per customer than storefront sales.

Selling at Work

Your mom and/or dad take an order form to their work place. Their co-workers write their order on the order form. Your mom and/or dad deliver product and collect the money a few weeks later.

Advantages: Expands your customer base, and offices often need snacks and gifts.

Selling Online

Trails End is where you will set up your scout's account. This is the best way to sell to your friends and family who live out of town. You can send emails to your customers asking them to purchase Trail's End products online. Your customers click on the link in your email and can begin shopping right away. They order products online and pay with a credit card, and Trail's End ships the products directly to your customers.

Advantages: No product delivery or money collection. Ability to sell popcorn year-round and reach your friends and family who live far away.

Selling Tips

• ALWAYS wear your uniform

• ALWAYS smile and introduce yourself

• ALWAYS tell your customers why you are selling popcorn

• KNOW the different kinds of popcorn you are selling

• ALWAYS say "Thank You"

• ALWAYS make a copy of your order form

• ALWAYS have a clean order form with a pen

• BE SURE to get customer email addresses to send them a "Thank You" email after the sale, reminding them they can re-order online.

Safety Tips

• NEVER enter anyone's home

• NEVER sell after dark unless you are with an adult

• DON'T carry large amounts of cash with you

• ALWAYS walk on the sidewalk and driveway

• ALWAYS sell with another scout or with an adult

Sales Script for your scout

Hi, my name is ____________

I’m a Cub scout with Pack 1225

We’re selling popcorn to help raise money for our Pack.

You can support us by buying some of our delicious popcorn

Will you support me?

Prizes:

The Victory Lane Prize Flyer (Download Below) handout details the prize structure. Boys who participate earn at patch. Starting at the $115 level, boys get the opportunity to earn a product from the BSA online catalog. Note - this years prizes are more along the lines of scout gear as opposed to toys. For those scouts that really want the "toy", opt for the gift card prize which will allow him to shop for his prize on his own.

Fill it up campaign

Circle 10 Council is offering a bonus prize for every order form that has been filled up. These are "instant recognition" prizes - awarded as soon as an order form is filled and turned in. Submit the original form to me, and I will take it to the council office to retrieve your gift, and make sure that your scout is entered into a drawing for a second, grander prize.

NOTE - 1 will be awarded each Friday for the entire 10 weeks of the sale. The sooner you get your form in, the higher your chances to win

Fundraising FAQ's:

Why do we fundraise?

We fundraise in order to keep out of pocket costs low. Our program costs more than the $55 pack dues. We establish goals to ensure that we raise the minimum amount to fund our program.

What do our dues and fundraising money go towards?

• BSA Dues

• Boy's Life Magazine

• Non-rank patches, beltloops & pins

• Camp sites during the fall and spring campouts

• Pinewood Derby (cars + awards)

• Blue & Gold ceremony

• Leadership training

• General operations, including renting the meeting space

How much will all of this cost?

Around $7400 minimum, for the year.

Why raise more than the minimum?

The more money we raise, the higher the quality of the program - we can not only do more "fun stuff", but do them at nicer facilities. This funds can also help support special pack projects.

Why sell Trails End popcorn?

As many of you know, 70% of the total retail sales number comes back to Cub Scouts. The pack gets to keep 28% which helps to fund pack sponsored activities listed above.

Circle 10 Council gets the other 42%, which helps to support council and district owned facilities, (such as Camp Wisdom and Camp James Ray), subsize council and district sponsored activities (such as Cuborree, Day Camp, Resident Camp, and leadership training), pay for administrative and operational costs.

But why Trails End, and not another fundraising program where we can get a higher percentage of cash back?

Trails End popcorn fundraising is built into the BSA program. As such, selling Trails End is selling the BSA brand. Trails End is easily identified as the core fundraiser for BSA. Those who purchase it, do so to support the overall program.

Is collecting donations an alternative to fundraising?

BSA units may not solicit donations, however we can "accept" donations which may be offered in lieu of purchasing popcorn. Note - donations collected during the sale, other than for Military Donations, are NOT tax deductible and do NOT count towards prizes or the scholarship fund. They may however, be applied toward your "buy out" price should your scout fall short of his $400 sales goal.

Trails End Scholarship - what is it?

Scouts who sell at least $2,500 (online, face-to-face or combination) in any calendar year receive 6% of their total sales invested in their own college scholarship account. Scouts only have to hit the $2,500 minimum one time, but continue to build it during his entire scout career. More info at trails-end.com.