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Last Updated on Friday, 16 October 2009 20:19 Written by Jeff Gleiser Thursday, 08 October 2009 12:52
2009 Trails End Popcorn Sale Starts October 1st
This years popcorn sale opens on October 1st with orders due on November 4th. Chris Hall is serving as this years Popcorn Chairman. Orders may be turned in to him or Jeff Gleiser. Prize orders must be turned in at the same time. Popcorn will be available to deliver the weekend of November 20th. Each family will be contacted to arrange a pick up time and location. Money is due back by December 8th. Checks should be made out to “BSA Troop 534”.
There are several product changes for this year and the Council and Trails End hope this will improve sales. Some of the highlights include two levels of Military Donation, improvements to the Trails End mix, and the Chocolate Caramel Crunch has been replaced with a Chocolaty Triple Delight. Not to mention new packaging and collector tins. In addition to product changes, Trails End has improved the On-Line sales site. Each Scout will need to set up an "account" and will be prompted to send an email to invite family or friends to buy popcorn to support our units. This is designed for those that don't live near-by and will allow for sales year round. Look for an email for more details.
The Council has again made some additions to the Unit commission program. For Units that sell an average of $30 per registered Scout, Rank Advancements are free. This saves us an average of about $100 per year. In addition to the 30% commission we receive, there are two bonus programs. First is a growth bonus of 10% for the amount sold above last years sale. Last year we sold $2980 of product. The second bonus is if we sell an average of 27 containers per active Scout, the commission goes from 30% to 35%. We will need to sell 730 containers to accomplish this.
We know that in this current economy, many people will not be able to support Scouting as they have in the past. We have set a goal of $150 in sales per Scout or approximately 7 containers of popcorn. Scouts that meet this goal will have their Annual registration, BSA insurance, Boy's Life, and unit dues paid for by the Pack or Troop. Each Scout will also have a portion of the commission set aside in his name to pay for recognitions and other supplies that would otherwise be an out-of-pocket expense for parents.
Good luck with this years sale! If you have any questions, please let Chris or Jeff know.
Last Updated on Thursday, 08 October 2009 13:23 Written by Jeff Gleiser Thursday, 08 October 2009 12:36
Family Camping Trip Grand Success
Our Annual Fall Family camping trip was a great hit for all those who came to enjoy the weekend. The weather was perfect and was the icing on the cake. The number of Troop members was not as many as we would have hoped, but we had several new families to the Pack participate. Many of these have not camped before, so there was lots of excitement in the air.
Friday night started with a challenge for some, as we set camp in the dark. Everyone pitched in and all settled in for the night. After a hearty Saturday morning breakfast of juice, coffee, milk, pancakes, bacon and sausage, drowning some worms was first on the agenda. Not many fish were caught, but there were no complaints as spirits and hopes were high. Hamburger Hobo Packs were the fare for lunch and many were surprised to find that they can cook without pots or pans.
After lunch some parents and a few of our younger Scouts and younger brothers thought a short nap was in order. Later, Life Scout; Aaron Gleiser lead the group on a nature hike around the camp. The hike ended in front of the dining hall, where games were played on the front lawn. Laughter and giggles (from the parents) could be heard from our campsite as the Cubs played “Steal the Bacon”, “Red light/Green Light” and others. It was then back to drowning worms. This time several fish were caught, pictures taken, and released for next time.
Dutch ovens were the method of choice for dinner. Roasted potatoes, Baked Chicken Parmesan with Penna pasta, and back by popular demand Ranchero Beans; were devoured by all. The Troop is going to need some bigger pots! Dutch Apple and Cherry Cobblers satisfied everyone's sweet tooth. Around the campfire, the Newman's provided glow sticks for everyone. It didn't take much to get Cubs or parents for that matter, to bed.
Sometimes you just aren't supposed to look at what you're eating. Sunday breakfast was the Troops standard Sunday pack up, no clean up, hot, no pop-tarts allowed Omelets in a Bag. The scrunched up nose of one mom not to be named here, turned in to a definite try it at home. We broke camp, and headed for home, with everyone looking forward to the trip in the spring.