Popcorn
Selling popcorn is the key Unit (Pack, Troop, Crew) fundraiser for the Greater St. Louis Area Council (GSLAC).
Why do Scouts sell popcorn?
BSA’s “Bryan On Scouting” blog points us to a great article about why Scouts sell popcorn... and the primary reason is not to make money.
“Hearing ‘no’ when selling Scout popcorn can be worth something, too”
How much popcorn do the Scouts sell?
Approximately $2,000,000!
The New Horizons District, which is most of West County, including Kirkwood and Webster Groves, sold just over $500,000!
What does that much popcorn look like?
How much space does it take up?
Many thanks to Maritz for supporting us again this year - they lent us their warehouse to receive, sort, and distribute their popcorn!
Since the Scouts sold ~$190,000 in Show-n-Sell - selling to customers in front of stores, etc., the final order from door-to-door sales, which are delivered during November, was ~ $320,000.
Trails-End, our supplier, needed two semi trucks to deliver the District’s order.
The Maritz warehouse was stacked with pallets up to three-high, for about 100 feet long (included some spacing between pallets)!
These photos are from November, 2014; it took two panoramic pictures to photograph the entire order.
Some 20 volunteers needed nearly five hours to re-sort the popcorn into each Pack’s/Troop’s/Crew’s order - and we all had FUN while sorting!
Are you interested in helping? Volunteer next year! Even if you only have a little time to help, you’ll be glad you did!
About how much popcorn can fit in the back of a minivan?
Many Units used minivans for pickup.
Several had drivers who are quite skilled in maximizing packing space - they know how to pack the van tight, with little extra space. They have a great talent!
For our Troop, we had ~ $6,800 in door-to-door sales (aka take order). That nearly filled the back of our van, and started on two pallets in the warehouse.
Our son has worked hard to be a top seller each of his years in Scouts.
In 2013, Council’s Popcorn Leader asked Matt to appear on AM 550 KTRS, to inform the listeners about our popcorn sale.
More about that can be found at:
http://vanvooren.us/CubScouts/Matt_on_KTRS_for_Popcorn.html
To all who bought popcorn,
from any Scout,
THANK YOU
for supporting Scouting!
If you’re interested in connecting STEM with popcorn, for your kickoff or otherwise, here are a few fun facts (compiled by Matt) and a couple ideas (shared by Dr. Balbes and others) you may want to try.
(as seen also on http://vanvooren.us/BoyScouts/STEM_in_Scouts.html)
POPCORN
Americans consume some 16 billion quarts of this whole grain, good-for-you treat. That’s 51 quarts per man, woman, and child.
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Compared to most snack foods, popcorn is low in calories. Air-popped popcorn has only 31 calories per cup. Oil-popped is only 55 per cup.
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Popcorn is a type of maize (or corn), a member of the grass family, and is scientifically known as Zea mays everta.
[if !supportLists]• [endif]Of the 6 types of maize/corn—pod, sweet, flour, dent, flint, and popcorn—only popcorn pops.
Popcorn is a whole grain.
Popcorn needs moisture to pop
Most popcorn is grown in the Midwest
Most corn is used in livestock feed
Popping popcorn is one of the number one uses for a microwave
Popcorn kernels can pop up to 3 feet in the air
The world’s largest popcorn ball was created by volunteers in Sac City, Iowa in February, 2009. It weighed 5,000 lbs., stood over 8 ft. tall, and measured 28.8 ft. in circumference
Website: http://www.popcorn.org/AboutUs/PopcornPoppinMonth/FunPopcornFacts/tabid/118/Default.aspx
STEM Popcorn Studies
Science – Very Long and many would not understand probably
Technology – A microwave is heated up to about 324 degrees Fahrenheit
Engineering – Ties in with Technology. People or machines build the parts to create a microwave and the microwave creates heat by the electrical current flowing faster than usual. Like if you put a battery with a wire shaved off touching both ends the battery will immediately heat up coming to hot to touch. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS BECAUSE YOU CAN GET A THIRD DEGREE BURN, AND YOU WILL BE IN PAIN.
Math – By converting measures in temperatures like I did mentally in my formula is this.
I thought about how Celsius was based on a scale on 100
So I used the starting point of Celsius 32 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ending point 212 degrees Fahrenheit and I realized it has an 180 degrees difference so I thought for every 1 degree in Celsius is 1.8 degrees in Fahrenheit. So if it were 46 degrees in Celsius it would be 82.8 degrees in Fahrenheit. In my head I worked it out like this: since 46 is close to 45 I did 45 x 1.8 and I know 18 x 5 = 90 so it would be 9 with 1.8 x 5 and 9 x 9 + 1.8 for the extra 1. On a calculator it would look like 46 x 1.8 = 82.8 degrees Fahrenheit.
STEM Activity Challenge Popcorn Huff and Puff 6th-8th grade
“Product Description
“S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) classroom project for Middle School & Homeschool groups.
“Working in teams, students will attempt to blow a piece of popcorn into an "empty" 2 liter bottle. To their surprise, they will find that it doesn't work. Students will discuss this phenomenon with their team and attempt to explain it. Students will discover that the bottle is actually full...full of air! They will then brainstorm modifications that may allow the popcorn to be blown into the bottle.
“This kit includes teacher instructions, student instructions, grading rubrics, a demonstration video showing the teacher how to set up the activity with an explanation of the science involved and 2 pdfs of related Next Generation Science Standards.”
Build a tongue depressor catapult and see who can shoot unpopped kernels (or maybe popped!) at a target.
The target could be drawn on a piece of paper, or could be a cup or a bowl, etc.
Scout Popcorn
