Last Sunday, I did some shopping at my local home improvement warehouse. Nothing major, just a few household items, a quick purchase or two, and I’m out the door –
Right into a troop of Boy Scouts, who were waiting just outside the exit.
“Would you like to buy some popcorn and help the Boy Scouts?” they shouted at me, almost in unison.
Hold on there, guys… hold on…
Eager little Scouts, aren’t they?
Okay, I had to weigh my options. The Scout troop had several different boxes and packages of Trail’s End popcorn available – kettle corn, buttered corn, etc. The Scouts that were selling the popcorn were all wearing their Scouting uniforms, and I checked over some of the ranks in the troop – Second Class, First Class, merit badges, achievement awards, one kid earned Order of the Arrow, nice. Ah, what the heck. I purchased about ten individual packages of various flavors. Gotta help out the Scouts.
Later that day, I put a package of the Trail’s End popcorn in my microwave. It’s a small package, so it only takes less than two minutes to go from flat package to mmm that smells so good…
So here’s the deal. We’re all familiar with the Girl Scout Cookie program. Apparently the Boy Scouts have had their own fundraising program for a while, as every autumn they sell Trail’s End popcorn and other snacks. Out of every dollar sold for popcorn, 70 cents of that dollar goes to local Boy Scout troops. For many troops, the popcorn sales constitute the troop’s major annual fundraiser.
And the popcorn is healthier than you would think – about six years ago, Trail’s End Popcorn’s parent company, Weaver Popcorn, removed the artificial butter flavoring diacetyl from its microwave popcorn packages, replacing it with canola oil. Works for me.
And the sales work for the Scouts as well. From what I understand, a good-sized and highly motivated Scout troop can generate enough sales from Trail’s End popcorn packs to pay for new equipment, to supplement expenses related to campouts and jamborees, and fund other Scouting activities. Trail’s End also offers various incentive prizes for Scout troops who sell large amounts of the popcorn bags.
And the price of the popcorn bags is quite reasonable. If you figure a small bag of Trail’s End microwave popcorn costs $1 or $1.50 if you bought it from a Scout troop, it’s about the same per-bag price as if you bought a box of Act II or Orville Redenbacher’s popcorn.
And let me take this another step forward – especially if it involves helping out the Boy Scouts. You can actually purchase Trail’s End popcorn online, and you can designate which Scouting troop your purchase will support. So if you want to help your local Scouts, or a Scout troop from your home town, purchasing your snacks online is a great way to help out.
You know what? I like helping the Boy Scouts out with things like this.
Even if I never made it past Tenderfoot in my Scouting career.
Chuck The Writer 
This sounds a lot better than the usual fundraiser popcorn that’s pre-popped and pre-staled in a giant can.
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You’re a good man, Chuck, but I sure hope these lads aren’t selling their popcorn to pay off legal fees.
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Yes, Mary Martin, comment #2.
In spite of your good natured support of individual scout troops Chuck, the fact remains that scouting excludes at least 10% of US youth who know that they are gay or bi-sexual — or their parents who might be lesbian, gay or transgendered,from participating in such “wholesome” and fun activities or leading the packs or troops.
So I for one would find another way to support local youth until such time as the Boy Scouts become more inclusive and less discriminatory.
Their popcorn might be good but their current, exclusionary policies are not.
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Glad I’m not the only one who isn’t supporting he Boy Scouts due to their discriminating behavior! There are plenty of other ways to support the youth in our country – sorry Chuck!
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I’m a little late weighing in on this, but I feel I must: I’m on the committee of a local Scout pack and, while we are aware of the stance of the national Boy Scout Council on disallowing gay males to participate in Scouts, our Pack does NOT support this ruling! Our Pack, and many like us, have an all-inclusive stance and would close down the Pack before adopting the discriminatory policies set for tby the national Council.
It’s unfortunate that some of the top brass in the organization have closed-minded and antiquated views and are in a position to dictate these policies. However, it’s known that there are others on the national Council who are working, as we speak, to have the stance overturned. When that might happen is anyone’s guess, but my guess is that it’s definitely coming.
In the meantime, what Scouting offers to our local boys can be invaluable and, what’s more, no other organization offers so many of these opportunities.
Please continue to support the Scouts. Many of the children are young and don’t understand the politics behind what’s happening. But they do understand when their Pack cannot afford things due to lack of financial support.
If anyone would like to support the local Pack but not the national Council, please consider making a direct donation.
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As a former scout myself, I am disgusted by the organization’s prejudice on the basis of sexual preference, however, if you know a scout, buy some damn popcorn. Making one kid suffer because the adults are idiots doesn’t solve anything, and isn’t just.
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