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What Does Your Unit Do, How Much Do It Earn and What Do Scouts Pay?


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  • 2 months later...

We sold just over $4,000 in popcorn (in a pack that could once run all events on popcorn money - it's dwindled greatly over the past five years). We added Fun Pasta company fundraiser this year and that took in $1,000 for our pack. We raised dues to $110 (from $100 for the past decade or more), and we charge as little as we can for events - $20/family for B&G (hot buffet dinner), $5 Raingutter Regatta (Bear year only), Camp out/Cook out is free. We ask families to bring food to certain events (desserts for B&G, PWD and Holiday meeting) and used to ask for water but now only bring a few jugs to refill the reusable water bottles we ask everyone to bring.

 

We looked at first aid kits and other ideas to raise money but in the end, one mom liked the pasta her friend was selling in another town and she offered to run this - so that wins! I'm pretty sure we'll do popcorn & pasta again!  

 

The trouble you may find with another fundraiser is that you start the year with popcorn and then it's the holidays - you don't want to sell anything during those months...we have Scouting for Food in March/April so we don't want to do a FR then, either and usually FOS in April or May. That really just leaves February for any true selling. For our group, anyway - it's something to think about.  I agree with others who stick with the popcorn to support the Council and the unit!

 

*edited to correct dues amount.

Edited by aveline
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Our big fundraiser is selling Pine Straw and delivering it to our customers.

We started several years ago and sold one tractor trailer load. This last sale we sold 3 full trailers and had to get another 100 bails from a local distributor to complete our orders. Most of our sales are repeat customers and they tell friends who contact us.

The boys will go out and sell door to door, set up in front of retail stores and some even get on the phone and just start calling friends.

We have the tractor trailers dropped off at the church on Friday night and we use utility trailers and trucks to make the deliveries and we usually finish Saturday evening. The adults do the driving and the boys handle all the labor. Some of our older Scouts will go back to the delivery locations and for an additional fee (worked out between the Scout and the customer) spread the pine straw. We always end up with broken bails that we use to spread around our church and every year have had enough to do a nice job. I think last year we raised $2,800 and a couple of our older Scouts made a couple hundred dollars each spreading pine straw at delivery locations. All in all its a lot of work for everyone but we have a good time. we have pizza for lunch and the boys get a great sense of accomplishment and learn to work for what we do as a Troop.

We also sell camp cards every year and the profit goes directly into the Scouts account who sell them.

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I'm gonna have to ask the Mrs. about this one.  :)  Where I'm from pine trees don't have leaves.  Maybe she can tune me into the finer points of what these are.  Virginia?  I'm a Yankee.  What do I know about Virginia.  I'm intrigued so I'll follow up on that.  Here in the upper midwest, we don't put pine needles on anything, turns the soil acidic and about the only thing known to tolerate and even like needles is blueberries so my blueberries get heavily mulched with them.

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When we lived in Alabama folks came round the neighborhood selling pine straw.  Sort of like big pine needles, thinner than actual straw.  can harvest from woods in quantities like grass clippings.  we used it as decorative ground cover in our flower beds.  was cheaper than bags of  mulch

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When we lived in Alabama folks came round the neighborhood selling pine straw.  Sort of like big pine needles, thinner than actual straw.  can harvest from woods in quantities like grass clippings.  we used it as decorative ground cover in our flower beds.  was cheaper than bags of  mulch

 

The acidic nature of the pine needles will do the trick for plants with larger root systems.  I can't imagine putting it on flower beds unless a good dose of lime also goes on it as well.

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