Nine-year old Owen has been honing his fundraising skills for years with Scout Popcorn and has learned how much a little effort can pay off. Fresh from a busy day at school, he was kind enough to share some of his secrets with the Greater Toronto Council. "Work hard and explain to people what you're doing," Owen explains. "I say 'Would you like to buy popcorn,' show them the list, they say 'Ok' and you take the order. Then you say 'Thank you for sponsoring Scouts Canada.' If you go to enough houses and ask your family, you'll get enough orders to fill one sheet. That's what I did."

His perseverance paid off and, fortunately, his name was chosen in the draw for a grand prize! After correctly answering a math question, the thrill of winning set in. "I was so excited. When I told my parents they said 'Wow! That's amazing!' They thought it was great." After being offered several different prizes, Owen settled on $2,500 Scout Dollars. "I picked the dollars because you can buy tons of stuff from the Scout Shop."

Even though Owen is a natural salesperson, a gift he believes comes from his parents, he really wanted to sell Scout Popcorn because the money helps his group do lots of fun stuff. Thanks to the fundraising, his Cub Pack enjoyed their last meeting of the year at Laser Quest. The young man, who one days hopes to be a Scout leader, was happy to know that his hard work allowed his friends to have this fun experience.

Like every successful salesperson, Owen knows his product and his customers well. "My neighbour, every year, buys the Kettle Corn. She says it's amazing." Owen has sampled many of the different varieties himself, but is quick to name his own personal favourite: "Chocolate."
 

Since we first starting using Trails End Popcorn as a fundraiser, more than $50 million has been raised by Scout groups across Canada! By getting involved in the popcorn fundraiser, groups can lower the cost of Scouting activities for all members and improve their overall experience. Youth members will have the chance to learn about selling a high-quality product, spread the word to neighbours and friends about Scouting, and be eligible for great prizes! But most importantly, by raising funds through popcorn we are able to give more kids the chance to learn and grow with Scouts Canada.

If anything can distract you from enjoying a night out at the movies, it's this pressing question: How does a pebble-like corn kernel turn into a soft, edible snack? Well here's the explanation you've been waiting for. Inside each kernel of popcorn there is both moisture and oil. The outside of the kernel is like tough shell, or hull, that locks in the moisture and hard, dense starch. When the popcorn goes into the popping machine (or more commonly, microwave) both the water and oil is heated beyond the boiling temperature creating pressurized steam, softening the starch inside. The pressure increases until the heat reaches about 180 degrees Celsius, at which point the hull explodes, forcing the pressure inside to drop quickly. At the same time, the steam expands, mixing with the soft starch, turning it into a kind of foam. As this foam rapidly cools, the kernel takes its familiar shape as a fluffy piece of popcorn. Delicious!

"Fun 'cake' for kids! Adults love it too! Use different colour M&Ms for various holidays (i.e., red and green for Christmas, pastels for Easter, etc.)."

Ingredients:

4 quarts popped popcorn
1 pound candy-coated chocolate pieces
1 cup peanuts
1/3 cup vegetable oil
½ cup butter
1 pound marshmallows

Directions:

Mix popcorn, M&Ms, and peanuts in large bowl.
Heat oil, butter, and marshmallows in pan until melted. Pour over popcorn and blend together with heavy spoon or hands.
Spray Bundt cake pan with vegetable spray. Press mixture lightly into pan and refrigerate until cool.
To remove cake from pan, put pan in warm water, then turn upside down until cake comes out.

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Worried about tuition costs? Your children can contribute to their own scholarship fund just by selling $2,500 in Scout Popcorn. Once they hit this mark, 6% of sale dollars will go into a special education fund just for them. They only need to qualify once, and each additional year they sell Popcorn the fund will grow. The top seven selling Scouts in Canada will even get an additional 6%.

The great thing about selling Scout Popcorn is the variety of products and prices to suit all customers. For people who enjoy it the old-fashioned air-popped way, there is the Original Popping Corn, in addition to microwavable products. Two delicious choices suit those who are watching their calories and cholesterol: Butter Light and Caramel Corn Light. Other munch-able options include the Unbelievable Butter Microwave, Kettle Corn and Trail Mix. For those who like something a little fancier or who are thinking of buying holiday gifts, premium items are also available like the Gourmet Caramel Corn with Almonds, Pecans and Cashews; Chocolaty Caramel Crunch; Sweet and Savoury 3-Way Tin which includes chocolate, caramel and nuts plus gourmet cheese; and the ultimate chocolate heaven: the 5-Way Chocolate Lover's Tin with popcorn, pretzels and peanuts drizzled in velvety sweet white and milk chocolate. For which ever product your customers choose, they will love the decorative packaging that includes beautiful photos and artwork.

We know your children love the value of hard work and helping others so they're probably not interested in what they can win selling Popcorn. But just in case…there are a few cool give-aways that just might make the whole fundraiser a little more interesting. The "Fill It Up" challenge gives kids a chance to win a 42" LCD TV or a Nintendo Wii just by filling up their order forms. One lucky youth from each council who fills up the order form will be selected from a draw to win.

In addition to the draw, there are 10 prize levels to help kids set goals. For example, if they sell $1,800 they will reach level ten and can chose either a Portable GPS Unit, Portable DVD Player or an iPod Shuffle. The top Scout Popcorn seller in 2008 will receive a 42" LCD TV, and the top-selling group in 2008 will receive a $2,500 Scout Shop certificate to supply all the kids with a year's worth of Scouting gear!