As a Unit Popcorn Kernel, you will find needed information and answers to your questions regarding all aspects

of the popcorn sale in this guide.

SALE DATES: August 1 through October 25

2019 Popcorn Sale

2

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Why Sell Popcorn? 3

Planning & Budgeting 4

New This Year 5

Products & Base Commission 5

Ways to Sell (new terminology) 6

Key Dates 7

Ordering Instructions 7

Trail’s End Mobile App 8

Scout Portal 9-10

Leader Portal 11

Trail’s End Scout Rewards 12

Council Scout Rewards 13

District Kernel & District Executive Contacts 14

Scouting Centers Contact Info 14

Council Contacts 15

Unit Kernel Checklist 15

Web Links 16

Other Materials Available At http://www.nlcbsa.org/popcorn

3

WHY SELL POPCORN?

Simply, the popcorn sale is a great way to help units, individual Scouts and the council pay for the

costs of Scouting.

Units (Packs, Troops, Crews & Posts)

Every unit has expenses and the money needs to come from somewhere to pay the bills.

With the unit’s portion of the popcorn sale commissions, most program related expenses can be

paid for. Items like craft supplies, recognition items, camping equipment, food for the Blue and

Gold banquet or Court of Honor can all be covered by proceeds from the popcorn sale.

Units that have a good program plan and budget can anticipate these expenses and minimize the

amount of Pack or Troop fees charged to families.

Individual Scouts

Scouts can sell popcorn and help themselves pay their way to day camp, resident camp or sum-

mer camp. Scouts can also use their commissions to pay for extra activities that the unit offers

such as field trips, campouts or other similar events.

Learning the value of money and work, becoming comfortable speaking with people and setting

and reaching goals are lifelong skills that they will also learn.

Northern Lights Council

Raising the funds to pay for Scouting hasn’t gotten any easier over time. There are still many busi-

nesses and individuals that want to support Scouting be giving to the Friends of Scouting cam-

paign or through their local United Way. But those sources of funding have been shrinking, not

growing.

The council is increasingly dependent upon the annual popcorn sale to supplement support given

to the units and individual Scouts. Each year, the costs go up to provide four office locations, four

camp properties and 26 staff.

4

PLANNING & BUDGETING

Before a unit decides to set a sales goal for any type of fundraising campaign (or even decide if

they need to do a fundraiser) a few questions need to be answered.

How much does Scouting Cost?

When a parent attends a sign up meeting, one of the first questions they ask is “How much does

Scouting cost?”. That is not an easy question to answer, because the Scouting program is differ-

ent depending on what unit a Scout joins. Before you can answer the parent’s question, you need

to be able to explain what the Scouts will be doing during the year.

Planning the “Ideal Year of Scouting”

The role of the unit committee and leaders is to develop a program plan for the year. How often

will meetings be held? What activities will the Scouts be doing during each of the meetings? Will

there be service projects? Will the Scouts be going on campouts? Will the unit be attending camp

in the summer?

Successful units involve everyone (unit leaders, parents and Scouts) in developing their program

plan and calendar of events and meetings. When everyone is involved in the planning it can be-

come their “Ideal Year of Scouting”. Most units find that it is easier to recruit parents to volunteer

to help run the program if they were involved in the planning process. That’s because they have

more “buy-in” or sense of ownership by being involved at the planning stages.

Building the Unit Budget

Once the unit has a program plan, then the costs to provide that program can be determined. The

more detail put in the unit budget, the more accurate it will be. Create the budget based upon a

“per Scout cost”. If your unit grows in size (or declines) you spend based on the number of Scouts

expected to participate - not a fixed dollar amount. The council has templates to help build a budg-

et.

Setting a Fundraising Goal

Now that you know how much it will cost per Scout. The unit can set their fundraising goal. If the

goal is attained, nobody has to pay anything out of their own pocket. If the Scouts doesn’t attain

their goal, the family pays the difference. Parents will be much more motivated knowing that!

5

RETAIL BASE PRICE COMMISSION

PRODUCTS & BASE COMMISSION

Chocolate Lover’s Collection (tin) $ 60.00 $ 16.20 Cheese Lover’s Collection $ 30.00 $ 8.10 Chocolatey Caramel Crunch (tin) $ 30.00 $ 8.10 Kettle Corn Microwave (18 pack) $ 25.00 $ 6.75 Salted Caramel Popcorn with Sea Salt $ 25.00 $ 6.75 Unbelievable Butter Microwave (18 pack) $ 20.00 $ 5.40 Premium Caramel Corn with Nuts $ 20.00 $ 5.40 White Cheddar Cheese Corn (new Jumbo bag) $ 20.00 $ 5.40 Classic Caramel Corn $ 10.00 $ 2.70 Popping Corn $ 10.00 $ 2.70 Gold Military Donation $ 50.00 $ 13.50 Silver Military Donation $ 30.00 $ 8.10

NEW THIS YEAR!

• Unit Key Leader’s Briefing in June (9 locations)

• Popcorn Academy for Scouts in August (9 locations)

• Potential for units to earn up to 33% commission Base Commission 27% Key Leader’s Briefing participation +2% Popcorn Academy participation +2% Achieve 5% growth in Gross Sales +2% Total Potential (with all incentives) = 33% Commission

• Availability of mobile app to take orders, accept credit card payments

and manage inventory

• New prize program (Trail’s End Scout Rewards)

• Free Shipping for Online Orders

6

ONLINE SALES

• To sell online and view online sales, each Scout will need have their own account: Scouts that did online sales last year will need to use their log in information from last

year. Scouts that did not do online sales last year will need to create a new account.

• Scouts will have a Trail’s End Scout Code that is specific to their account (found at the top of their profile page) to share with family & friends so the sales get credited correctly.

• Sales generated online qualify toward Scout prize level achieved and Scholarship credit.

• The commission for online sales is lower (to cover FREE SHIPPING).

• Credit for online sales will be issued to your Unit account in March of 2020.

SELL TO CUSTOMERS THAT DON’T LIVE CLOSE

STORE-FRONT SALES

• Unit Popcorn Kernels setup store-fronts and sale times.

• Scouts can sign up for shifts using the smart phone app.

• Make sure to keep all chocolate products out of the heat.

• If a customer wants a product you don’t have on hand, you can do a Take Order but make sure you get their address!

COORDINATED BY YOUR UNIT POPCORN KERNEL

DOOR to DOOR SALES

• Start selling by going to customers that have bought popcorn from you in the past. Let them know that if they need more, they can contact you before the sale is done.

• Be sure to know the popcorn you are selling. A good salesman always knows his products.

• Practice the “Scout Sales Script” to maximize sales.

• You are more likely to find people at home at 6 PM rather than at 10 AM on a weekday.

• NEVER enter a person’s home!

• There are two ways to sell Door to Door: 1. Wagon Sales - bring product with you and when you make a sale, give the customer the

product. When you use the app, you will mark the sale as “delivered”. 2. Take Order Sales - if you don’t have the product the customer wants, take their order and

deliver the product when you get it. When you use the app, you will mark the sale as “not delivered”. It is better to request payment up front than to try and find someone who owes you money weeks later. Have checks made payable to your pack or troop. Credit cards can be accepted when you use the smart phone app.

• Offer the Military Donation if they do not want to buy any popcorn for themselves.

• Leave a business card or door hanger at every house, even where you didn’t talk to anyone. When they come home, they can contact you to buy popcorn. If you have set up an online sell-ing account, make sure to put your Trails End Scout Code and website address so they can pur-chase online anytime.

• Have an order form or smart phone with the app with you wherever you go so you can catch sales anytime.

• Scouts can ask their parents to bring an order form to work to sell to their co-workers.

THE HIGHEST SALES PER HOUR

7

KEY DATES

INITIAL ORDER: Due no later than Wednesday, August 7 at 1:00 PM (central)

Option 1 (units using the Trail’s End phone app) - Place your order using the Trail’s End Popcorn System (online) Option 2 (units not using the phone app) - Call your order in to the Fargo Scout Office at 293-5011 or toll-free at (877) 293-5011 You are limited to order 75% of the total sales for 2018 but you are able to come back and pick up more product. You must order by full case and there will be no returns. Be sure to keep Choco-late products out of the heat.

FINAL ORDER: Due no later than Wednesday, October 30 at 7:00 PM (central)

Option 1 (units using the Trail’s End phone app) - Place your order using the Trail’s End Popcorn System (online) Option 2 (units not using the phone app) - Call your order in to the Fargo Scout Office at 293-5011 or toll-free at (877) 293-5011

June 3-13 Key Leaders Briefings (9 locations)

• Two leaders must attend to receive +2% commission August 1 Take Order form & prize sheets received by families (mailed by council) August 1 Popcorn Sale starts (Take Orders only) August 7 Initial popcorn order due from units August 8-20 Popcorn Academies for Scouts (9 locations)

• Must have 30% of registered Scouts attend to receive +2% commission

• This is not the training that has been conducted in the past in August (that training is the Key Leader Briefings being held in June)

August 22-23 Initial popcorn distribution to units by district October 25 Popcorn Sale ends October 30 Initial payment (for product sold and delivered) & Final popcorn order due November 14-15 Final popcorn distribution to units by district December 13 Final payment and council incentive forms due

ORDERING INSTRUCTIONS

8

Mobile app for Scouts to track and report real-time storefront, wagon and online sales, accept cash and credit cards, track inventory by Scout and storefront, and schedule Scouts for storefronts.

Benefits for units: • Automatically communicates and tracks sales for Scout Rewards

• No credit card fees (paid by TE) – powered by Square.

• Compatible with your Square readers

• Trail’s End will provide and pay for following Square readers: Units that sold $5,000 in 2018 – 1 reader. Units that sold $10,000 in 2018 – 5 readers.

Units that more than $10,000 in 2018 - 5 readers for each $10k in-crement.

Benefits for Scouts: • Every Scout can do credit card sales (20% higher vs cash).

• PATCH INCENTIVE for Scouts when they record first sale.

• One Square reader for every Scout who sold $3,500+ in 2018.

TRAIL’S END MOBILE APP

Point of Sale Payment Storefront Scheduling Sale Tracking

9

SCOUT PORTAL

• Shows progress towards goal • Graphs showing sales trends

• Customer lists and payments

• Delivery status

• Storefront shifts

10

SCOUT PORTAL

LEADER PORTAL

• Progress towards next prize level

• Set-up unit, Invite Scouts, Get Trained

11

LEADER PORTAL

• Progress towards Unit & Scout’s goals

• How many Scouts using the app and selling online

• Tracking individual Scout sales

• Helps with inventory control

12

TRAIL’S END SCOUT REWARDS

Benefits for Scouts:

• Receive more reward value at every level

• Uncapped levels to incentivize Top Sellers to keep selling

• Free Shipping for families that have Amazon Prime

Benefits for Units:

• Rewards managed by Trail’s End and digitally redeemed by Scout

• Confirm the Scouts sales total, push one button to approved prize level

• Since the Scouts choose their prize - it works for youth of all age levels

and both male and female Scouts

• No Prize Ordering by Unit Popcorn Kernel

• Scouts receive Amazon code by email from Trail’s End

• Scouts redeem prizes through Amazon

• Scouts can order any a prize pictured in the bro-chure or anything else they would want

• Prizes delivered directly to the Scout

• If you call in your popcorn orders and don’t use the Trail’s End Popcorn Sys-tem, you will need to sub-mit additional paperwork

13

COUNCIL SCOUT REWARDS

TOP SELLERS • Each of the Top 10 Sellers in the Council will receive a $325 Gift Card

• The Top Seller in each District (that didn’t qualify for the Council Top 10) will receive a $100 Camp Certificate good towards any 2020 Northern Lights Council Summer Camp Fee

BONUS PRIZES • New $500 Club - Scouts who sell $500+ will receive a 20% discount to

attend a NLC camp in 2020

• New K Club - Scouts who sell $1,000+ will receive a Northern Lights Council beanie (great for cold weather outdoor activities)

• Scouts who sell $1,500 or more will receive a $100 Gift Card

• Scouts who sell $2,500+ will have 6% of their sales this year (and all future years) invested in a Scholarship account for them.

For the Bonus Prizes, you will need to send in paperwork to Terri Schultz to receive the rewards.

14

District District Executive Mobile Phone E-mail 1 Flickertail Shaun Grover (701) 367-7965 shaun.grover@scouting.org

3 Oxcart Trails Lindsay Aune (701) 799-6753 lindsay.aune@scouting.org

4 Lakes Michael Schatz (507) 254-7301 michael.schatz@scouting.org

5w Northern Sky Kevin Mehrer (701) 833-9919 kevin.mehrer@scouting.org

5e Northern Sky Brett Drevlow (218) 688-0972 brett.drevlow@scouting.org

8w Lake Agassiz Thomas Huether (406) 780-0690 thomas.huether@scouting.org

8e Lake Agassiz Mark Landa (701) 739-2362 mark.landa@scouting.org

10 Roughrider Beth Ann Pulley (219) 765-8162 bethann.pulley@scouting.org

11 Tomahawk Lacy Britt (701) 409-0393 lacy.britt@scouting.org

13 Frontier Trails Marie Mott (701) 214-7654 marie.mott@scouting.org

14 Great Plains Carleton Borden (701) 566-0231 carleton.borden@scouting.org

DISTRICT KERNEL CONTACTS District District Kernel Phone E-mail

1 Flickertail Jessica Hemminger (701) 252-5050 smiley_58060@yahoo.com

3 Oxcart Trails Ben Smith (218) 791-7353 noskyl37@gmail.com

4 Lakes Carrie Braaten (320) 305-1436 scbraaten@gmail.com

5 Northern Sky Sandy Meyer (218) 230-4737 waynesandy@gmail.com

8 Lake Agassiz Jasmine Hurley (218) 791-3218 peace_honeybee@yahoo.com

10 Roughrider Michelle Schock (701) 590-4374 mschock@ndsupernet.com

11 Tomahawk Scott Beede (701) 509-4481 ristowtrk1234@yahoo.com

13 Frontier Trails Justine Meidinger (701) 220-2270 justinemeidinger@gmail.com

14 Great Plains Torrie Vader (701) 770-8566 mtvader@nemont.net

Fargo Center for Scouting

4200 19th Ave. S. Fargo, ND 58103

(701) 293-5011

Toll Free (877) 293-5011

Grand Forks Service Center 1701 Cherry St.

Grand Forks, ND 58201

(701) 775-3189

Bismarck Scout Center 3320 Hamilton St., #1 Bismarck, ND 58503

(701) 223-7204

SCOUT CENTERS

DISTRICT EXECUTIVE CONTACTS

15

COUNCIL CONTACTS

Darin Steindl, Popcorn Advisor - darin.steindl@scouting.org or (218) 979-4653

• Contact Darin for technical assistance or general sale questions Terri Schultz, Popcorn Advisor - popcorn@nlcbsa.org or (701) 499-0649

• Contact Terri for assistance with paperwork

UNIT KERNEL CHECKLIST

Register your pack or troop for the 2019 Popcorn Sale at www.nlcbsa.org/popcorn

Attend the Key Leader’s Briefing - bring at least one other key leader with you & earn +2% commission

• Become familiar with Leaders Portal, smart phone app, forms and due dates. Forms will be located on the council website at www.nlcbsa.org/popcorn

• With other unit leaders, start building the budget for the Scout year and determine what your sales goal needs to be to cover all expenses.

Order popcorn for the sale no later than Wednesday, August 7 by 1:00 PM (either through the leader portal or by calling the Fargo Center for Scouting)

Encourage Scouts to attend the Popcorn Academy in August (earn +2% commission)

• If you attend, you will pick up some ideas for your own Unit Kickoff!

Contact the District Kernel to schedule pickup times to receive the popcorn that you order

Recruit a Popcorn Team to assist you with the sale (pickup and distribution of product, schedul-ing store front sales, etc.)

Determine your “Unit Turn-in Dates” for orders & money based on when orders need to be submitted to the council and when sale ends (the Popcorn team can help you with these turn in days)

Setup your unit account in the Trail’s End system

• Obtain a list of registered Scouts from your unit leader so you have the names and contact information for Scouts who will be selling

Schedule and conduct your Unit Kickoff event

• Hand out materials: Square readers, money envelopes, forms, sample popcorn

• Educate Scouts and parents about the Popcorn Sale

How the sale benefits the Scout and the Unit (share the budget)

Product line available, including military donations. (see page 3)

Review selling tips

Teach them how to use the smart phone app

Encourage online sales to family and friends at a distance (see page 6)

Explain the incentive and prize program

• Make it FUN & EXCITING!

Keep the excitement level high during the sale through Blitz Days, Mystery Houses, Special Unit Contests and communication

Ensure that the Treasurer sends in payments by the deadlines on Oct 30 and Dec 13

16

IMPORTANT LINKS

Trail’s End Websites

• Training - https://www.trails-end.com/unit-training-dashboard • Popcorn System - https://scouting.trails-end.com/ • Online Sales - https://www.trails-end.com/login • Leader Portal - https://mobileapp.trails-end.com/

Northern Lights Council Websites

• Popcorn Sale page - http://www.nlcbsa.org/popcorn

Distribution locations will be posted here as they are confirmed • Program Planning page - http://www.nlcbsa.org/pp • Program Planning video - https://youtu.be/pwW5ITAz8Y0 • Pack Budgeting template - https://247scouting.com/web/BSA429/

attachment/document_15528682240_7139.xlsx • Troop Budget template - https://247scouting.com/web/BSA429/

attachment/document_15528682330_7139.xlsx