Popcorn Fundraiser Kick-Off
Costumes:
The Cubs love to see the leaders being silly. Crazy hats and funny costumes set a great tone for the fun. How about some funny popcorn hats like these.
Cheers:
Cubs always like a good cheer to get the enthusiasm going. These are a great why to get the Pack’s attention without slowing the momentum of the meeting. Matching the cheer to the monthly theme also a great way to add fun and excitement to your meetings.
Cubmaster: Pop!
Scouts: Pop, pop, pop, pop, BOOM!
Tell the Scouts to match your tone and volume. If you whisper “Pop!” they whisper “Pop, pop, pop, pop, BOOM!”, if you yell they yell, you’re fast they’re fast, you’re slow, they’re slow. It can become a built in game throughout the Pack meeting.
Incentives:
Consider challenging a nearby unit to a Popcorn Sales challenge. We have held a joint event, frequently a potluck, then the entertainment was each Pack’s Popcorn Colonel announce the totals. The losing Cubmaster received a consequence in front of both units by the winning Cubmaster. In our area we have had pies in the face, buckets of slime dumped on Cubmasters, and had the losing leader be pelted with water balloons. Traditionally, the winning Cubmaster ended up being victim of a “surprise” attack by other leaders of their spouse/children. It is just more fun for all of the Scouts when both leaders look messy and silly. If the units are significantly different in size consider averaging sales as an amount per Scout and base the bet on the individual average.
If you don’t have another unit to challenge what about an internal challenge. We all know the popcorn companies will provide prizes for the sellers, however maybe you have a special prize for the top seller from each Den and have the Cubs challenge each other. Make sure to show the prize before the sales start so they know what is on the line.
Possible Activities:
Explanation: Make sure the Scouts, and their families, know why it is you are selling the popcorn. Most Packs and no or nominal dues and much of the year’s programming is paid for by these sales. When you let them realize how much they benefit from doing the sales families are more interested in helping out and encouraging their Scout to sell.
Sales Demo: Have an experienced Scout give a demonstration on a great interaction for both Show and Sell and Door to Door Sales. Act out how to handle both customers as well as “no thank yous”. If you want to add to the fun have a demo of what NOT to do. If you do “bad example” it might be best to have an adult act out the bad example so the Cubs clearly remember what to do versus what not to do.
Popcorn Tasting: Many counsels will give you tasting samples. Have Scouts taste a few styles, vote on a favorite, and see what is most popular.
Games: Think about how to incorporate popcorn into a game. How about a relay race where the Cubs get popcorn from a full box to an empty one until all of the popcorn is in the new box.
Sing a Popcorn Song:
(To the tune of Grand Old Duke of York)
A cheerful, helpful Scout,
He had ten thousand corns.
He Popped them up on top the stove, and they settled back down again.
When they pop puff up, then they’ll cool back down,
and when they’re only half way popped,
they need to pop some more.
(In this song whenever you say “up” the group stands up, when you say “down” the group squats low, and when you say “halfway” the group hovers between standing and squatting. Sing the song three times, faster each time.)