Unit Kernel Position Description

Position Objective:

The Unit Popcorn Kernel’s role is to inform parents, leaders and youth of the benefits of the sale, to organize the distribution of the information, to motivate Scouts to sell, and to collect prize and popcorn orders to deliver them to the council by October 15 for Show N Deliver and November 30 for Take Order Sales.

• Pick up your popcorn packet at training.
• Inform all unit leaders, parent(s)/guardian(s), and Scouts of the benefits of the popcorn sale, and how it can help your unit to have a “once a year” fundraiser.
• Place your unit's Show N Deliver order by October 15 to participate.
• Determine a unit sales goal.
• Distribute all order forms, prize fliers and money envelopes to Scouts at September or October pack and troop meetings. Give each den leader a Unit Master Record to total the den’s popcorn order and to record each Scout’s prize order. 
• Collect all popcorn and prize orders. Utilize the Unit Master Records from den leaders to total your unit’s popcorn order on the Unit Order Settlement Form.  Utilize the information on the Unit Master Record to fill out the Prize Order Form.  Then submit the order forms to the council service center by November 30. We prefer electronic submissions. 
• Arrange to pick up your popcorn on December 11, (Distribution locations will be announced at your district's popcorn kick-off), and distribute to Scouts for delivery. 

Important Dates to Remember

• Show N Deliver Orders Due – October 15
• Show N Deliver Distribution – October 30
• Popcorn Sale Starts -  November 1
• Council Wide Popcorn Sale "Blitz Day" - November 13
• Popcorn Sale Ends – November 30
• Final Orders Due to council – December 1– Orders must include: a copy of your Unit Master Record, Unit Order and Settlement Form, Prize Order Form, $1,000 Prize Program Form, and Scholarship Program Form.  If you order popcorn and prizes on line, please fax your Unit Roster, $1,000 Prize Form, and Scholarship Form to the council service center.  The fax number is 573-874-6846
• Final Popcorn Distribution – December 11
• Popcorn Payment Due –December 21
• Last day to submit prize orders – December 21
• All prizes should arrive by - January 2  If not, please contact David Nolle at 573-449-2561 x202 or dnolle@bsamail.org

Unsold Popcorn

All unsold popcorn (from Show N Deliver not used to fill Take Order Sales) should be returned to the Final Popcorn Distribution location on December 11.  Utilize the Unit Order and Settlement Form to total the amount of popcorn that will be returned.  However, note the following:

Deadline for unsold popcorn returns–  December 11, 2004

All unsold popcorn should be returned to the Final Popcorn Distribution location.  After the deadlines for returning unsold popcorn have passed, the council will not accept these returns and the unit will be responsible for paying for the popcorn. 
 

Show N Deliver

The Show N Deliver is a great opportunity to have a successful popcorn sale by going door to door with popcorn to make your sale easier.  The benefit is that the popcorn is readily available to sell to the customer and there’s no need for follow-up to deliver the popcorn and secure payment!  Here’s how it works:

• Attend Popcorn Training to learn about the sale and how to fill-out paperwork and order prizes.
• Determine the amount of popcorn to order for your ‘Show N Deliver.’  To do this, figure the amount of money needed for each Scout’s Ideal Year of Scouting (to cover the cost of camp, uniform, handbook, program supplies, etc).  Multiply this amount x 3 (You will receive 33% commisson including prizes.  On sales greater than 2003 sales you will receive a 17% commission bonus bringing your total commission on those sales to 50% including prizes). This is the amount of popcorn to sell.  Divide this amount by the number of Scouts selling to determine each Scout's goal for the popcorn sale.
• Submit your Show N Deliver order to the Service Center by 5:00 p.m. on October 15.
• The Show N Deliver popcorn pick-up is October 30.  Pick-up your popcorn at this time and have Scouts and their leaders and parents pick-up their popcorn from you.
• Have Scouts sell their popcorn for the entire four weeks.  They can sell to neighbors, relatives, friends or business associates of their parents.  Scouts collect the money for the popcorn when it is sold.
• NOTE: You can utilize the Trail’s End Ideal Year of Scouting video to inform the Scouts and parents of successful sale techniques.  Contact David Nolle at dnolle@bsamail.org  to pick up a video.
• Have your Scouts keep you informed of their success.  Some Scouts may need additional popcorn from other Scouts who have not sold all of theirs.  If a Scout is out of an item such as 3 way tin and a customer wants to purchase one, coordinate the delivery of the tin to the customer.
•  Have Scouts return their orders, money collected and any left over popcorn.  Utilize the Unit Order and Settlement form, as well as, the Unit commission statement to determine your unit commission, council payment, and any left over popcorn.

Show N Deliver Sale Hints

• Help the Scouts practice the approach they will use when trying to “make the sale”
• Focus on Scouting instead of the product.
• Be specific on what the money will be used for (i.e. the “Earn Your Way to Camp” flier)
• Educate the Scouts on “Safety in Selling” flyer in the popcorn packet.

Show N Deliver Sale Day Preparation

• Scouts should be in uniform with a money envelope with change in it.
• For those customers who wish to pay by check, have whom the check should be made out to printed on the money envelope. 
• Have a “Thank You” card with the Unit number and Popcorn Kernel’s name and phone number on it.  Most customers will purchase popcorn a second time.
• Make sure the Scouts thank their customers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Popcorn Pick-up/Delivery—How will I know when and where to pick-up my popcorn order?  How big of a vehicle to bring?  How much popcorn will I pick up?

You will receive an invoice to confirm the amount of popcorn to pick-up.  You will receive information concerning the location of your popcorn pick-up site, times and directions. Vehicle Guidelines:

• A Mid-Size Car should fit approximately 20 cases
• A Jeep should fit approximately 40 cases
• A Mini-Van/Explorer should fit approximately 60 cases
• A Suburban should fit approximately 80 cases

Where can I get additional Paperwork?

Visit the Council Service Center. On the Council web-site www.bsa-grc.org  go to finance and then to popcorn.  The  Product Order Form, Unit Prize Order Form, Unit Order and Settlement Form by Container, $1,000 Prize Form, Scholarship Form and instructions on how to fill-out all paperwork will be there for you.

Are there other programs that recognize Scouts for selling popcorn?

Yes, there are specific advancement requirements for both Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts, which can be earned through the “Trail to Success” program by selling Trail's End Popcorn.  This program is also great for Den activities on all levels of the Cub Scouting program.  You can find this program on the Trail’s End website, www.trails-end.com, under the Unit Leader Guidebook.

How Do I Order Online?

• Visit the Trail’s End website at www.trails-end.com
• Click on the “Unit” icon.
• Click onto the “Unit Popcorn System”.
• Follow the instructions on how to login.

NOTE: All unit passwords will be mailed to Unit Popcorn Kernels by Monday, September 22nd.

Key points to remember in online ordering

• You can create a new user if someone else in your Pack or Troop wants to place an order for your unit.
• You can build “Sub-Unit Information” to put your order in by den or patrol.
• You can also put each Scout’s order in the system (using only the first initial of the last name) to track each Scout’s order.
• NOTE - If you choose to not place each Scout’s order into the system, you will need to fill out a line on the Scout Order Form representing your unit’s order.
• You MUST “approve” your order (both Show N Sell and Take Order) by approving the lines on the Scout order and the unit order.
• For Show N Deliver orders placed on line you should order in full cases.  You will apply any left over popcorn to your Take Order, and it is easier to pick up full cases at your distribution site.  Use the information on the Show N Deliver Product Order Form to know how many containers there are to a case.  It can also be returned to your district’s distribution site.  For your Take Order sale, you can order in containers only.
• To place your Take Order sale, follow the same instructions noted above.
• To place your Take Order amount, utilize the Unit Order and Settlement Form by Container sheet.
• Did you forget your password?  If you have previously verified your e-mail address we can e-mail your password to you.  Just follow the instructions on the “Retrieve Password” page to have your password e-mailed to the latest address in the system.

How can prizes be ordered online?

• Units can order prizes for the popcorn they sell during their Show N Deliver.  Units can either add up the total prize points for the popcorn sold in their Show N Deliver and order one prize for the unit, or allow each boy to use the points for their own popcorn prize.
• Scouts can add up the total popcorn sold and find a prize or prizes that add up to, but do not exceed, the total popcorn sold.  Scouts may choose more than one prize, but any “leftover” prize points cannot be applied to another Scout’s prize order.
• For those who qualify for the $1,000 and Scholarship programs, the required form must be filled-out and turned-in to the council office.  These forms can be found in your packet or at www.trails-end.com.  These forms must be turned into the council for approval.  These forms require the Council Popcorn Staff Advisor’s signature.  The council will then mail the forms to Trail’s End.
• REMEMBER -  Always make a photocopy for your records!
• Prize order forms are due on with your popcorn order on December 1.  Any orders received after December 21st will not be filled.  There will be no exceptions.

$1,000 Prize Level Order Form

This form must be filled-out completely and turned-in to the council for approval.  After approval this form will be mailed to Trail’s End.  Points to remember:

• This prize is in addition to all prizes ordered on the Prize Order Form.  The Scout will not receive this prize unless this form is completed and delivered to the council.
• This prize will be mailed directly to the Scout unlike all other prizes, which will be mailed to the adult contact listed on the Prize Order Form.
• You must attach a photocopy of the Scout’s Take Order form to this sheet.  This form will not be approved without the Take Order Form.
• Be aware of the Rules & Regulations listed on this form.

Scholarship Program Form

This form must be filled out completely and turned in to Council for approval.  After approval the Council Popcorn Staff Advisor will mail this form to Trail’s End.  Points to remember:

You must attach a photocopy of the Scout’s Take Order Form to this sheet.  This form will not be approved without the Take Order Form.

Be aware of the program guidelines listed in the two pages listed prior to the form.

Scout Take Order Form

Scouts utilize this form to take their popcorn orders.  You do not need to turn-in this form to the Council.  It is helpful to make copies of these forms and then have them available when organizing popcorn by den or patrol to distribute.  This helps to keep each Scout’s order organized.  It is important to make copies of these forms, if they’re lost it’s difficult for a Scout to know where to deliver his popcorn! 

Unsold Popcorn

There are some things that can happen to keep popcorn from being delivered or paid for including a customer moving or refusing to pay for the popcorn after it has been ordered.  It is important to note that the deadline for returning popcorn is December 15.  The Council will not accept returned popcorn after these deadlines and the unit will be responsible for payment.

Here are some helpful hints.

Have at least one back-up person to help throughout the sale.  For any reason should the Unit Popcorn Kernel become ill, take an unexpected vacation, or forget the above deadline, the back-up person is there to take over.

If for any reason the money from the popcorn sale is used for another purpose, be honest.  There are always ways to work through difficult situations.