Popcorn Guy

Should Units Participate in a Prize Program

A debate often heard in Units is “Should we participate in the Council Prize Program or take the Cash Out Option”.

There are really two questions in this statement:

Do we want to do something different from the Council Prize Program?

Do we want to increase our commission percentage to Scouts and have and no prizes?

Let’s talk first about why there is a ‘incentive program’ with most fundraisers. …

Popcorn Games for use at Unit Kickoffs

If you have not looked at Cub Scout Ideas, I highly recommend it.  Sherry has compiled an amazing amount of materials on the Cub Scout program including information on the new Cub Scout Program. There are several popcorn games listed Packs can use at their Popcorn Kickoffs.  Here are a few: POPCORN RACE • Give each player a straw and have them  select a popped kernel of popcorn. • Each player…

For those Units who use the Square reader to process credit/debit card payments for your popcorn sales, please make sure you have the most up to date readers on hand. The newer model is thinner and wider than the older version. The main reason for the change is to comply with new security features on new credit/debit cards.  You may have received a new card in the mail from your bank or credit…

2015 Tax Deduction for Popcorn and other Scouting related items

As we come to the time of year when most people do their taxes, it is important all Scout leaders understand all of the tax deductions available for popcorn sales and other Scouting related functions. Because every family is different when it comes to taxes, please consult your tax advisor before taking these deductions on your taxes.

The vast majority of Scouting expenses can be deducted under…

Most Units have just completed their re-charter paperwork and hopefully had a conversation with their Unit Commissioner to see what level they qualified toward the Journey to Excellence (JTE).  Now, one must understand Journey to Excellence is an evaluation of what a Unit did last year.  However, it can also be a place to start developing goals for the next year.

This is not a time to just have…

Web Sites and Popcorn Sales

To support their traditional face-to-face sales, many Scouts are building their own web sites to sell popcorn. While the popcorn companies have their own online sales system, these Scouts find it better to use their own site to augment the popcorn company’s sites.

Before we look at these sites, we must talk about internet security. I recommend Scouts of all ages to earn their Cyber Chip.  To help…

How to Get Others in Your Unit to Believe in the Popcorn Sale

Why should people in your Unit believe selling popcorn is a good fundraiser? I was reminded of this as I read the comments from others on the Bryan on Scouting Blog referencing a very imaginative video parody of the song Do You Want to Build a Snowman from Frozen.

The comments ranged the gambit from “Adorable! Well done boys!” and “Really cute video” to “Problem is the product is overpriced” and…

To Price or Not to Price for Popcorn Sales

This weekend, I went out and visited various Units at their Show and Sell location. Most of them followed their training and set up a striking display.  Many of the Units had a poster with pictures of activities they had done or events they wanted to do in the near future.  They had their product properly displayed.  Those Units who had tables had everything nice and neat.  However, there was one…

Kickoff Time for Popcorn Sales

Everyone knows it is important to have a kickoff to your popcorn sale. Kickoffs are great when they have a theme and well-scripted.  Fortunately, many Units have decided to record their kickoff and post them online. Here are a few examples from Units around the country.

  Pack 95 – Tuscarora Council – 2013 They used a superheroes theme and interviewed many of their favorite superheroes. [youtube=h…

How Blitz Days Can Launch Your Unit’s Popcorn Sale

As identified in last week’s article, time is one of the most important commodities a parent has.  Time can be even more valuable to those in single parent households.   Blitz Days take advantage of the time restraints families have.

Time is one of the main reasons parents prefer Show and Sell opportunities.  Show and Sell gives them a set time slot, usually two hours, to sell popcorn with their…

4 Things I took away from NextConnect and how it could affect Popcorn Sales

This August, I was fortunate enough to attend Next Connect ’14, the National Marketing Summit for the Boy Scouts of America.  The majority of the conference discussed ‘Millennial Moms’ defined as women born between 1977 and 1995.  This group is currently between 18-36 years old.  It is important to look at the research of this group as they will be the moms of new boys entering the Scouting…

How Much of What Type of Popcorn Should We Order for Show and Sell

I am back from a recent break traveling around the country.  One question I was asked over and over again was “How much of what type of popcorn should I order?”  Before I answer this question, let’s look at factors which may affect how much you should order.

1.  Council Return Policy– This is the number one factor when determining the items you order for Show and Sell.  Many councils around the…

A Scout is not the only one who needs to be Thrifty

As we start the month of August, it is time to build your Unit Calendar and Unit Budget. As a matter of fact, to get your full point value for Journey to Excellence, Units need to have their Unit Budget “Completed before the next program year”. For many Units, the program year starts sometime in the next several weeks.

Completing the Unit Calendar and Unit Budget requires the Unit Committee, if…

Membership and Popcorn Sales

Recently, I was asked if there was any correlation between Membership and Popcorn Sales.

Membership is a hot button in many Councils as they try to find a way to recover from the recent decline in the number of youth served. Nationally, the Boy Scouts of America from May 2013 to May 2014 had a decline of 8.1%. In addition, there was a 4.4% decline over that same period in the number of Units.…

Debit/Credit Cards and the Popcorn Sale

Originally posted on Popcorn Guy:

This is an updated version for 2014

One question that I am asked is if our Unit should accept credit/debit cards. The answer is an emphatic YES! For the sake of simplicity, I will refer to them strictly as credit cards. There are four main reasons a Unit should take credit cards.

Ease of use – More people use credit/debit cards than use cash/checks for…

Independence Day sparks remembrance of parades, barbeques, fireworks and the American Flag. In this issue I want to share how Units have used the iconic American Flag with their popcorn sale.

When people are asked what image they think of most when they think of Boy Scouts, the number one thing say is the Boy Scout Uniform. The number two item they think of is the American Flag because of its…