Dear Scout Leader,

The Rocky Mountain Council, BSA coordinates an annual Popcorn Sale to provide your unit a “no-risk” fund raising opportunity. It is my hope this event will provide your Scouts with the essential funds needed to participate in a quality 2009-2010 Scouting program. By participating in the popcorn sale, you will be helping your Scouts raise money, and re-affirming the value of a boy learning to pay his own way, and helping him to earn the money to do it.

August:    Have a representative meet with your District Director/Executive and/or Unit Commissioner to discuss           Program Planning so the unit can earn an additional commission rate. Turn in your commitment form!

September Roundtable: Receive your popcorn sales materials and turn-in unit budget at this required meeting to earntop commission rate.

September 18: Trail’s-End Popcorn Sales Begin!!!

October 16: Popcorn and Prize orders due. This process will be completed online.

October 23: Prize Orders Due

October 31: Pick-up popcorn and collection envelopes; Deliver popcorn and collect payments

December 3: Popcorn payment deadline and unit popcorn payment due to the Council Office by this date.

• Guides for Parents & Scouts The brochure outlines prizes awards that Scouts can earn by selling popcorn.

• Take Order Forms This form is used by Scouts to compile customer popcorn sales and the Fill-em-up program

• Commission Schedule This schedule allows you do determine the amount of profit that your Scouts will earn as they sell popcorn

• Unit Master Record Form This form is ideal for tracking each Scout’s order and payment. Use this form to tally your unit’s popcorn order. Once tallied, the order is placed using the online order procedures.

• Popcorn Pick-up Information Your District Kernel will contact you with the popcorn pick-up time & location for your District. As a rule of thumb, minivans can hold about 40 cases, sports utilities can hold about 30 cases, and sedans can hold about 20 cases of popcorn

Additional forms are available at the Rocky Mountain Council Web Site at WWW.RockyMountainCouncil.Org. Thank you for your commitment to help the Scouts raise the dollars necessary to have a fun and exciting Scouting year.

Sincerely,

René Monarez

Scout Executive

INFORMATION AND RESOURCES

For additional information or help related to your popcorn sales efforts, you may call your district popcorn chair or your district staff advisor:

Kay Abbott / Krista Schlenker

H: 719-276-0688 B: 719-561-1220 ext. 17

C: 719-276-4180 C: 719-568-2873

kayabbott@qwestoffice.net     kschlenk@bsamail.org

Julie Francescato / Andy Treder

H: 719-589-8759 C: 719-580-0758

gus2looney@yahoo.com

Steph Bailey

C: 303-807-8339

steph@tangaroo.net

Patty Hurt / Stephen Eborn

H: 719-384-1883 B: 719-561-1220 ext. 16

B: 719-384-5991 C: 719-980-0589

phurt@ci.la-junta.co.us

Stephen Eborn

B: 719-561-1220 ext. 16

C: 719-980-0589

seborn@bsamail.org

René Monarez

B: 719-561-1220 ext. 14

C: 719-369-2632

rmonarez@bsamail.org

2009 TIMETABLE

Unit Commissioner to discuss Program Planning

(This is done on line by your unit’s Popcorn Kernel)

(rmcbsa@comcast.net)

(This is done on line by your unit’s Popcorn Kernel)

COMMISSIONS
2009 POPCORN SALE
COMMISSION SCHEDULE

Scouts can earn enough money to pay for their entire Scouting year by selling popcorn, that’s one of the reasons that we sell popcorn. The council sponsors the popcorn sale to provide Scouts a “no-risk” alternative to other types of sales. Scouts get exactly enough popcorn to fill their orders – with nothing leftover but profit. The Scouts learn to pay their own way and to help others. A portion of the proceeds of the popcorn sale helps to maintain our council service center and summer camp operations.

Units can earn up to .30- 35 Cents for every $1.00 worth of popcorn that they sell. Popcorn products are priced at $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $40, and $50. In order for Units to be eligible to earn top commissions, the unit must complete the following key tasks:

Base Commission for selling popcorn: 10%

* This year a Scout may elect to receive a Gift Certificate to the Scout Shop in Lieu of a prize. *

(No gift Certificate will be issued for under $10.00)

Pecans, & Cashews

Cheese

Walnuts, & Yogurt Raisins

Toffee Glaze & Yogurt Drizzle

PRIZES FOR YOUR SCOUTS

Participating youth can earn a popcorn sales patch or pin. Also, Scouts can earn patch/pin and prizes by selling one item, $125, $225, $325, $425, $625, $825, $1,100, $1,300, & $1,800 & 2,300 levels.

Every Scout that sells at least one container of popcorn will receive a 2009 Popcorn Sale Participation Patch (even if they choose to receive a gift certificate instead of prizes).

A Scout selling more than $50 of popcorn products may select one prize from the prize level he achieves or select a combination of prizes from lower prize levels, as long as the total prize value does not exceed his total popcorn sales OR he may elect to receive a gift certificate in the amount of 5% of his total popcorn sales. (No Gift Certificates will be issued under $10.00)

A special prize brochure has been mailed to all participating families highlights incentives for units and Scouts. Extra brochures will be included in your packet.

Brochures include information about Trails-End Special Incentives.

(To qualify salesperson must exceed $5,000 in sales)

(To qualify salesperson must exceed $3,000 in sales)

$50 Wal-Mart Gift Card.

$2,500 Popcorn Sellers: 6% of gross sale credited to Scout’s Scholarship account

for post High School Education, Missionary Fund, or Clergy Fund.

If the Scout fills up two take-order forms, he/she will receive two tickets to the Air Force vs. UNLV Rebels Football Game on Saturday, November 14th

UNIT INCENTIVE

Any unit with a minimum of $10,000 in gross sales will receive a 1.0% commission bonus.

Bonus will be based upon total dollars sold and on-time account settlement. Use of funds is subject to the discretion of the Unit Committee.

Filli It Up Program

Any Scout who fills up an order form (25 unique orders) will receive a patch and certificate from Trail’s End. To receive the special “Fill It Up” patch and certificate, a unit leader must sign the bottom of the form and mail a COPY of the form to Trail’s End. Instructions are on the bottom of each order form. This program is a great way for you to set a sales goal for you Scouts.

Collecting 25 popcorn orders per Scout is not an overly difficult task. Relatives and neighbors will fill half of a sheet.

Going door to door in your neighborhood or having your parents take the form to work can easily fill up the rest of the

sheet. Use a goal of 5 orders per week as an incentive. At weekly meetings, recognize Scouts who have met their 5 order goal. Use charts to track progress. Set up a special unit incentive for the “Fill It Up” incentive. Perhaps your unit could do a drawing. For each full “Take Order” form a Scout completes, his name is entered into a drawing for a great prize. The “Fill It Up” program can be a great way for your unit to excite all of your Scouts to sell!

STEPS TO SUCCESS

1. Prepare your unit’s budget based on the “Ideal Year of Scouting”. Ask Unit Commissioner and/or District Executive’s for budget assistance.

2. Explain how to earn popcorn commissions! (See page 5)

3 Plan your campaign. From the pre-order through money collection, have the turn-in times and locations predetermined.

4. Attend our District Volunteer Popcorn Training at the September Roundtable

5. Train the Parents. Brief the parents on all of the incentives and benefits they will receive for supporting the popcorn sales. Get them excited!

6. Plan a Popcorn Sale Blitz Day for your unit.

7. Train your Scouts. Brief them on proper sales techniques as well as public courtesies. The community will support Scouting given this opportunity.

8. Encourage parents to use popcorn as a customer/employee Holiday gift.

9. Only order the number of containers the youth pre-sold. Orders must be placed on Time. (Unit order by full cases only)

10. Prize Order Recap Form or 5% Commission form is due with your popcorn order.

As you collect Scout’s orders, be sure to confirm their prize. (Orders received after this deadline will not be guaranteed) Turning in your recap sheet does not order your prizes. Prizes other than the gift certificates must be ordered on-line.

Collect the money when popcorn is delivered. Schedule a “turn-in” party to collect money from Scouts. (Suggestion: You may want to have money submitted weekly)

☺ Always wear your Class A Uniform.

☺ Always sell in pairs, or with an adult and never sell after dark.

☺ Always act like a Scout and be polite and courteous. Wear a smile and introduce yourself.

☺ Always walk on the sidewalk and driveway, not through the yard. Watch for

traffic.

☺ Remember to always have two pens with you and make sure you keep your take order form as neat as possible.

☺ Not every house will buy, so do not become discouraged.

☺ The more people you ask—the more people will buy.

☺ Keep your customer list for next year’s sale.

☺ Always say, “Thank you!”

☺ Remember you do not collect any money until you deliver the Popcorn

• Units earn commission on military popcorn sales at the same rate as all their other sales.

Online Selling Rewards

70% of every online purchase goes back to local Scouting. 30% goes to the Scout's council, 30% goes to the Scout's troop or pack, and once a Scout sells $250 online, he will earn 10% back in Amazon.com Gift Cards.

Earn Amazon.com Gift Cards* All Scouts who sell $250 or more online between now and December 25, 2009, will earn 10% back in Amazon.com Gift Cards from Trail's End.

Amazon.com offers great camping equipment, video games, electronics and more, all at competitive prices with free shipping offers. When Scouts redeem their Amazon.com Gift Card, Trail's End will send them an email with the electronic gift card. The best part is, these gift cards never expire!

Redeem Your Gift Cards: Once a Scout has sold $250, a "Redeem" button will appear on his Online Sales History page (starting Sept. 1). Scouts will click this button to redeem their Amazon.com Gift Card. Upon click, an email will be sent to the Scout with his gift card. After a Scout clicks "Redeem", his sales balance will go to $0, and he must sell at least $50 again before another "Redeem" button will appear. If a Scout does not redeem his gift card(s) by December 25, 2009, Trail's End will send him an email with his gift card on or around December 26, 2009. Sales balances do not carry over into the next year.

A couple of weeks prior to the pickup date, your unit will receive information (by mail) on the pickup locations. All mailings go to the unit’s Popcorn Kernel. When signing up your unit for the 2009 sale, please be sure that the correct name is listed. This will ensure the correct person receives the information.

Andrews Foodservice Systems Kay Abbott

717 East Industrial Boulevard H: 719-276-0688

Pueblo West, CO 81007 C: 719-276-4180

kayabbott@qwestoffice.net

Wilbur Ellis formerly SLV Earth Movers Julie Francescato

1410 South County Road 2E H: 719-589-8759

Monte Vista, CO 81144 C: 719-580-9685

gus2looney@yahoo.com

Hylton Lumber Steph Bailey

348 H Street C: 303-807-8339

La Junta City Warehouse Patty Hurt

Lacy Avenue & 6th Street H: 719-384-1883

La Junta, CO 81050 B: 719-384-5991

C: 719-468-1520

phurt@ci.la-junta.co.us

Trinidad Florie Massarotti

H: 719-846-7183

Plan to arrive with enough vehicles and helpers to get all of your popcorn picked up at one time. Call your site coordinator if any last minute changes are required for your distribution day. Please be ready to spend at least an hour at your district’s distribution site and to assist others as needed. Your site coordinator will contact you with details and to schedule your pick up time.

INCREASE YOUR SALES – INVOLVE YOUR VOLUNTEER LEADERS, SCOUTS AND PARENTS:

☺ Ask parents to consider popcorn as an employee Holiday gift or customer “Thank

you” at their place of business. Make a corporate sale!

☺ Popcorn is a great gift for the Holidays, friends, relatives, mailman, etc.

☺ Have the unit committee set a unit popcorn sales goal with special unit incentives such as:

☺ Advertise popcorn sales in school, church and community publications.

☺ Photocopy or keep previous Take-Order forms so you can have Scouts call on past, satisfied customers.

☺ Be creative and watch your sales (and profits) rise….

☺ Be sure to go back to customers who purchased popcorn last year.

☺ As your Scouts collect payment; checks should be payable to BSA.

TAKE A CASE TO WORK/CORPORATE SALES

Parents, you can help your Scout by taking an order form to work, or take a whole case of tins to work and display them. They’ll sell!

Get local businesses involved with Scouting through your committee leaders, Scouts and parents.

Promote popcorn as a great corporate gift for customers and suppliers – or encourage businesses to keep some popcorn on hand in the break room for employees and guests.

Consider having a separate committee for corporate sales.

Decisions are made between May and October for most corporations by the Human Resource Manager, Marketing Manager or Company Incentive Program Manager.

On-site visits with samples and Scouts in uniforms will increase sales.

Have Scouts wear their uniform to deliver product.

Companies choose product first, organization second. Sell them on the product

quality and 70% going back to Scouting.

Look at offering volume discounts.

Although you might be aiming at the Holiday gift-giving programs, companies

have reward and incentive programs all year long for safety awareness, good

attendance, service anniversaries and business referrals.

Focus on companies who give out a lot of Holiday gifts to all of their customers –

banks, insurance agents, car dealers, doctors, dentists, cable companies, etc.

ORDERING/SHIPPING INFORMATION