2024 Annual Popcorn Sale
Introduction to the Popcorn Sale
Getting Started and Unit Kick-off
Since the early 1980’s, nearly every scout council has made the popcorn product sale the one unit and council team effort to support the unit and council program. Popcorn is the best-selling healthy snack food, and the amount of return to scouting is high, over 70 percent with the majority of the net sale going to the local unit. The Moraine Trails Council, BSA pays for the transportation of the product, the prize program for the scouts, sales forms, and other miscellaneous costs to conduct the sale.
Key Dates 2024
July 31st Council Kick-off (in – person) at the Preston Center, Camp Bucoco
August 6th Council Kick-off (via Zoom)
August 9th Show & Sell Unit Orders Due to Council
August 29th Show & Sell Distribution to Units
October 24th Unit Take Orders Due
November 14th Take Orders Distributed to Units
December 5th Unit Payment to Council Due to qualify for bonus commissions.
December 12th Payment Final Due Date. A late fee of $100 will apply if the unit payment is not received.
Unit commision Structures
Qualifying for Unit Commissions: Units must pay the entire amount due to the Council by December 5, 2023, to qualify for unit commissions. If the unit does not pay on-time, the unit will receive the base commission only. Invoices paid after Dec.12, 2023 will incur a $100 late fee.
Show & sell orders must be paid by October 24, 2024, to qualify for bonus commission programs.
Scout Online Sales: All online sales will result in a 33% commission to the unit.
Unit Base Commission: 32% of the gross unit sales.
Units will receive 30% of the gross unit sales if the unit sells up to $2,000 in gross popcorn sales.
Unit Bonus Commission: 35% of the gross retail sale (online sales not included)
Units earn a 35% commission when the unit sells more than $2,000 in gross retail sales but does not sell more than $4,999 in gross retail sales.
Unit Super Seller’s Club: 37% of the unit gross retail sale (online sales not included)
Units earn a 37% commission when the unit sells $5,000 or more in gross retail sales or grows the sale by 25% over the unit 2022 gross sale.
SELLING METHODS
Show & Sell
Show & Sell is also referred to as wagon sales. This method involves securing a location such as a retail outlet, like Walmart, and set up a table to sell out front. Scouts and parents sell for a one or two-hour shift. Training videos can be found on the trails-end.com website.
Take Order
Scouts use forms or the take order app on tablets to take orders from family, friends, and going door-to-door in local neighborhoods. The unit compiles the scout orders and places one large order in October with the Council for delivery and distribution in November.
Online
Scouts create an online profile and email friends and family who use a link to the scouts account to support his sale.
To get started, the unit popcorn chair, sometimes referred to as the popcorn kernel, should register for the sale on the trails-end.com website and then attend the August 3rd kick-off orientation at 6:30pm at Camp Bucoco. There is also a Zoom online seminar on August 9th at 7pm. If you are attending the Aug.3rd meeting register on the Council website so we have enough food.
The Council STRONGLY URGES unit popcorn chairs to use the Trails End website to manage the unit sale. When scouts use the mobile app that Trails End has developed to coordinate the sale and unit inventory.
Key Council Staff:
River Valley and Glacier Ridge (Butler County) Troops
Amy Kamis 724-996-7645 amy.kamis@scouting.org
Glacier Ridge Packs and Lawrence County Units
Caelan Hinterlang 724-674-5249 caelan.hinterlang@scouting.org