Oddly when I was a Scout. We were not a charity and had no sales. Our parents paid dues.
Boy Scout popcorn sales- when greed kills the goose
- Thread starter GON
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GON
$100 Site Donor 2024
I have interviewed well over one hundred Eagle Scouts since 2004 and wrote a detailed report on their 16 leadership demensions and theirnear term and long term potential as a leader to qualify for a full ride college scholarship. The vast majority were very special young men. A few were not, not at all. But the vast majority were. I was proud of their very tough accomplishment of obtaining eagle scout.
I am well aware of the boy scout payout for adult misconduct of the worse nature against minor boys. I am also aware one of the larger churches in the USA that strongly supported boy scouts no longer does or will.
At my single grain of salt level, I have two grandsons. Four and two years old. In the past I would have thought being boy scouts and working towards the eagle scout would be a awesome thing. This one transaction changed all that. All I can think of now is associating boy scouts with a con to enrich a handful of people at the expense and exploitation of the actual individual scout.
This is why having ethical leadership is so critical.
I am well aware of the boy scout payout for adult misconduct of the worse nature against minor boys. I am also aware one of the larger churches in the USA that strongly supported boy scouts no longer does or will.
At my single grain of salt level, I have two grandsons. Four and two years old. In the past I would have thought being boy scouts and working towards the eagle scout would be a awesome thing. This one transaction changed all that. All I can think of now is associating boy scouts with a con to enrich a handful of people at the expense and exploitation of the actual individual scout.
This is why having ethical leadership is so critical.
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When I was a Boy Scout, we sold Christmas wreaths. We charged a fair price, and we made a modest profit. It was a lot of work, but it was a reasonable product at a reasonable price, and people were happy to support us.
I’ve always bought Boy Scout popcorn and thought the price a bit high, in memory of my scouting days and wreath sales.
But that’s outrageous.
I’ll give the BSA a $20 - they can keep that bag - it’s an insult.
I’ve always bought Boy Scout popcorn and thought the price a bit high, in memory of my scouting days and wreath sales.
But that’s outrageous.
I’ll give the BSA a $20 - they can keep that bag - it’s an insult.
Same.
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Same here. When I was a scout we never did charity stuff. I went to Webelo. No one would ever show up for our meets, so our troop fell apart. I wish I would've gone to Eagle Scout.
My first job out of college I encountered this. I think it was more a case of the company wanting to claim 100% or 97% employee participation and they didn't care at all how much you gave, even if it was $1 per check.
I wonder what would have happened if GON (or me or you) were approached by the Boy Scout, agreed to buy the popcorn but didn't have that much cash on our person? Could happen.... Look at all those threads here on the forum where people claim they don't carry cash (I am assuming the popcorn was available immediately and not special order like cookies or wreaths). Would the kid be able to accept, say, $10 or $15 if that is all the customer had? I am sure a $10 donation with a bag of popcorn as a thank-you gift is only slightly less profitable than at $25.
Sad :-(
I also quit supporting the boyscouts after many years in it as a youth. Made it to Lifescout, but never finished Eagle. After they started admitting females, it was over for me.
I also quit supporting the boyscouts after many years in it as a youth. Made it to Lifescout, but never finished Eagle. After they started admitting females, it was over for me.
Nothing against females of course, but over night camp outs with boy and girls together are somewhat problematic. That's one (of many) reasons their largest contributing sponsoring Churches pulled out from the Boy Scouts. It should be noted that particular Church gave them a 12 month notice they were going to leave.
I would toss them a five spot and tell them to keep the popcorn.
There is a LOT of training, and that comes with a high overhead. First and foremost, the Youth Protection Training. First implemented in 1985, all registered leaders over the age of 18 years must retake the training every 2 years. The lawsuits against Scouts BSA have overwhelmingly been about cases from before 1985, so there is proof that the training works.
There is leadership training of all sorts. Outdoor camping training. Cold weather training. Hot weather training. Al these training must be developed and continually updated. The national council also runs background checks on all new leaders as part of the registration process. They periodicaly run background checks on current leaders to ensure that they don't miss anything.
At the local council level, there are camps and facilities to build and maintain. Camps have rifle ranges, shotgun ranges, archery ranges, all staffed by licensed personnel. Waterfront with lifeguards, various watercraft. Natural and artificial climbing faces. Again, trained staff. The liability insurance to go with all this.
At the unit level, Troops, Packs, and Crews pay individual membership fees. We need to buy equipment such as camp stoves, propane, utensils, storage. Canoe rentals, campsite fees, park access fees, etc. The units pay for insurance through the local council.
At the individual scout level... Uniforms, books, annual dues, camping equipment, camp fees, etc.
The popcorn revenues are split between the local council and the troop. There is a share allocated to the individual scout who sells the popcorn, but it it held by the troop treasurer and can only be used for scouting events. (Think camp, or high-adventure trips)
The Scouts BSA is a very well run organization that takes the health, safety, and well being of every scout to heart. They are here to develop young boys and girls into the leaders of tomorrow.
Please, when considering a purchase of Scouts BSA popcorn, remember that it is primarily a donation, and the popcorn is secondary.
Thanks,
dad2two
Asst. Scoutmaster, Troop 275
Cubmaster, Pack 275
Thanks for the clarification. The largest sponsoring/contributing Church organization still found the many changes the Boy Scouts made problematic, and thus quit sponsoring, and no longer incorporates the Scouts in their young male programs.
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i applaud any scout efforts but i am done with scouts after it went coed and sexual preferences became part of the scene. i only made it to star scout. my late dad was a scoutmaster for a couple of years. the current overhead and bureaucracy appears to be stupendous. we made do with alot less. our equipment was war surplus or handmade. our fundraiser was an annual christmas tree sale. we got the trees at cost from a generous landowner. they weren’t the most perfect christmas trees. the most expensive tree was probably $20 and we kept half. poor folks got free trees on 12/24. the town gave us the space and electricity. we left the spot cleaner than we found it.
Again, Scouts BSA is not "coed". The boys and girls are segregated into single sex troops. What is new is that girls now have access to the same experiences and possibilities as boys. Adding girl troops doesn't change the experience for boys in Scouting at all. It's as if a school allowed girls to have their own soccer team. The boys might need to share the pitch now and then, but that's it.
Now it would appear they have a perception problem...don't they? And without getting in to specifics..the "sexual preference thing" is a concern for some.
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