KERNELS KORNER
Welcome to the first edition of the Chicagoland BSA Combined Council 2014 Popcorn Sale E-Newsletter! 

May 6, 2014
PRESENTING!

The Calumet, Chicago Area, Des Plaines Valley, Northwest Council Popcorn Committees and Trails End Popcorn are proud to announce a coordinated sale in 2014!  The theme for the sale is "The Popcorn Cup".  This venture brings new products, prizes, promotions, partnerships, advertising and recognition for Scouts, all of which promises to make this year's sale an exciting beginning to a great future!

Some highlights include:

  • New Council Popcorn Website!
  • Partnership with the Chicago Wolves!
    • Branding on the dasher board for the entire 2014-2015 season
    • Popcorn sale promotion in the program book, on digital billboards, during TV and radio broadcasts
    • Mid-sale Rally and Recognition Events
    • and much more!
       
  • Chicago Blackhawks' Coach Q will make the ceremonial "first buy" from Scouts this fall! 

Stay tuned to future issues of the Kernel's Korner and www.scoutpopcornsale.com/resources for more details as the sale approaches!

Save The Dates!

Saturday August 2                 Popcorn Kickoff at the Gary RailCats

Saturday August 9                 Popcorn Kickoff at the Schaumburg Boomers

Saturday August 23              Show & Sell Orders Due

Turn in orders online at www.trails-end.com or during the week prior at each council office. 
For a schedule of in-person order opportunities visit www.scoutpopcornsale.com/resources.

Saturday September 13       Show & Sell Distribution

Saturday October 11             Mid-Sale Rally with the Chicago Wolves!

Saturday October 25             Show & Sell Returns and Payment Due

Saturday November 1           Take Orders Due

Turn in orders online at www.trails-end.com or during the week prior at each council office. 
For a schedule of in-person order opportunities visit www.scoutpopcornsale.com/resources.

Saturday November 15         Take Order Distribution

Friday December 5                 Final Payments Due

Saturday January 31             Recognition Event with the Chicago Wolves!

SIGN UP NOW!

It’s never too early to let us know that your unit is participating in the 2014 Popcorn Cup!  Fill out the online sign-up form or download the printable form to sign up for the 2014 Popcorn Sale now.

SHOW & SELL!

Now is the time to start setting up your unit’s site sales for this fall!  Having the details of your site sales set early and sharing the calendar with your families will ensure greater participation of your Scouts.

We have heard a number of suggested locations for successful site sales that we’d like to share with you now:

  • Your Chartered Organization
  • Mom & Pop shops in your neighborhood
  • High School sporting events – football games, soccer games, etc. 
  • Home Improvement Stores – Lowes, Home Depot, Ace Hardware, etc.
  • Big Box Stores – Walmart, Kmart, etc.
  • Grocery Stores

 

 

 

 

 

Last year Jewel-Osco was bought by another company and many of our units had issues securing site sales at their stores.  This year we have filed all of the necessary paperwork to allow our Scouts to sell at the stores within our councils’ boundaries.  Please contact the Jewel-Osco you would like to sell at directly to set up your sale.  If you have issues, please let us know by emailing popcornsale@scouting.org and include the store you are having issues with and a contact name, if possible.

We are happy to help facilitate your site sales in any way that we can.  If there is a location that you would like to sell at but they require an insurance certificate or anything else we can help with, please let us know.  If you are running into roadblocks at certain stores/locations, let us know so we can explore our resources and see if we can help.  Note: We have talked to Mariano’s and they do not allow any groups to sell at their stores so unfortunately this will not be an option for our units this year.

If you have questions or issues, please send them to popcornsale@scouting.org. 

Your Ideal Year of Scouting!

What is the "Ideal Year of Scouting"?

The single biggest motivator for Scouts and parents is fulfilling their dreams, and units that plan, promote and execute unit programming utilizing the Ideal Year of Scouting offer unparalleled experiences for more youth and have:


 
  • A stronger program for Scouts at a less personal cost to parents and volunteers
  • Activities that the Scouts want to participate in
  • Better retention
  • More funding to do all of the activities with less time spent on fundraising
  • A simpler, easier and more FUN Scouting experience for all!
  

 

 

 

 

 

During the spring and summer of 2014, units should complete the 5 steps to the Ideal Year of Scouting and create a clear picture of the program they will offer from August 2014 through the summer of 2015.

Over the next few issues of Kernels Korner we will walk you through the steps so your unit can plan and execute your Ideal Year of Scouting with ease.  So, how do you know what makes up your Scouts and their families Ideal Year of Scouting?  Ask them!

The first step in the Ideal Year of Scouting process is Listening. 

Planning the activities your Scouts are dreaming of will increase retention, help with recruiting new members, and secure the families’ buy-in for the annual popcorn sale.

We know that many of our units forego their regular meetings during the summer and instead choose to participate in exciting Scouting adventures like Cub Scout Day Camp and Boy Scout Resident Camp.  Before your unit breaks for the summer, ask your Scouts and their parents to bring ideas of adventurous Scouting activities they’d like to participate in next year to an upcoming meeting.  Remember, there are no bad ideas!  A suggested method for gathering these suggestions can be found at www.scoutpopcornsale.com/IYoS_Listening.  Don’t forget to give the suggestions to the unit committee for the next step, Planning, which we’ll cover in our next issue.

To learn more about the 5 steps to the Ideal Year of Scouting, visit www.scoutpopcornsale.com/IYoS.