Transform Your Unit!

I waited 1,545 days for it to happen. On Thursday, Sept. 20, 2017, it finally did.
For the first time in the four years I have lived in Augusta's National Hills neighborhood, a Cub Scout came to my home to sell me popcorn. I took a break from playing ball with my 18-month-old daughter to buy $50 worth of Kettle Corn and Salted Caramel popcorn.
"My wait is over," I said to Webelos Rilan Anderson of Cub Scout Pack 309 at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Augusta. "You're finally here."
Rilan's visit to my home underscores the tremendous membership growth occurring this fall in Creek River District. So far this fall, 20 Cub Scout packs in the district's five counties have recruited 190 new boys.
The best part about this effort, is these packs have positioned themselves to become strong self-sustaining units. Most, if not all, have adopted budgets that detail precise goals of how much popcorn each boy must sell to get certain gear and participate in specific activities.
The result is boys eager to sell popcorn and pay their own way. The response has been incredible.
Orders for packs to show and sell popcorn in front of stores are up from $15,520 sold by seven units in 2016 to $33,030 sold by 12 units this year. That's a 112 percent increase in product ordered for the district's show-and-sell campaign!

Rightfully so, the theme of this year's popcorn sale is "Transform Your Unit!" As mentioned above, units are planning budgets, setting goals and energizing their boys to learn valuable life skills through the sale of popcorn. For example, while Rilan visited one of my neighbors to sell popcorn, his mother Donna Anderson told me she is helping her son with his sales technique. She coached him to not just hand the potential buyer's an order form. "Be sure to tell them what pack you're with and that this sale will help you pay to participate in campouts and activities with your fellow Cub Scouts," she said to Rilan.
This skill is an invaluable one to have and one that fits in nicely with almost every point of the Scout Law. Plus, it prepares boys to become innovative business leaders and successful problem solvers. Just ask Alice Montgomery, an experienced popcorn kernel and rally master for the kickoff of the 2017 sale.
During the kickoff, Alice shared with units the technique of capturing a video recording of their Cub Scouts on their phone and showing it to colleagues at work or friends in the community. This enables Cub Scouts to sell to potential customers at all times, even if they're not present. Visit the district's Facebook page at this link to see some sample videos.

Popcorn can affect almost all that we do with Scouts. The more units sell, the better program it has, the more it can invest in its members, and the more it can support its families through helping offset fees.
These benefits can truly "Transform Your Unit!" and many units are catching the popcorn fever.
During a recent phone conversation, Ted Przyzycki, former Cubmaster of Pack 8 in Augusta, said his unit would resume selling popcorn after a brief absence from the sale because of new enthusiasm for the fundraiser.
I joked that this could be the legacy of new Cubmaster Jon Shoffner.
Last year, Przyzycki transformed Pack 8 through the addition of the Lions program.
That's his legacy.
What will yours be?