Popcorn pays for all of it
One sale, one season, and it funds nearly everything the pack does. Five straight years first in council. Here is exactly how it works.
Everything costs money
Badges, belt loops, pinewood derby cars, campfire wood, pack camping gear, the Blue and Gold banquet, awards, craft supplies, and the pack's share of camp. It adds up to a real annual budget, and it works out to about $222 of programming per Scout, per year, on top of what you pay to register.
Pack 3049 runs one fundraiser to cover all of it. That is deliberate. No wrapping paper in October, no cookie dough in February, no candy bars in the spring. Sell popcorn once, then spend the rest of the year actually doing Scouting.
Popcorn does not cover registration
Two separate things, and this trips people up every year.
Registration is $100 per Scout, per year, for the membership year that runs August through April. Every family pays it, no matter how much popcorn their Scout sells. It goes to Scouting America and the council, not to the pack.
Popcorn pays for everything else: about $222 per Scout of programming, plus the council and national fees your $100 does not cover. A Scout year truly costs about $376. You pay $100. Popcorn closes the gap.
A Scout who hits the pack sales goal has covered their program cost for the year. Sell past it and you build camp credit.
The math, plainly
Commission climbs with training, growth over last year, and total volume. Every one of those is something the pack earns together.
From the August 31 kickoff
Everything said that night, if you missed it or want to check a number.
What the pack actually spends
What a Scout year actually costs
Not an estimate. These are the figures presented at the August 31 kickoff, and the full minutes are linked at the bottom of this page.
| What it is | Per Scout, per year | Who it goes to |
|---|---|---|
| Scouting America national registration | $85 | National. Not ours, and we cannot discount it. |
| Anthony Wayne Area Council fee | $54 | Local camps, training, district events, the Scout Shop |
| Scout Life magazine | $15 | Mailed to your house. The pack covers it. |
| Pack programming | About $222 | Badges, derby, camping, craft supplies, awards, Blue and Gold |
| True cost of a Scout year | About $376 | What it actually takes to run one Scout for a year |
| What your family pays | $100 | The pack registration fee, August through April |
| The gap | About $276 | Covered by popcorn. Every dollar of it. |
The pack's whole annual budget is a little over $25,000. At this year's commission rate that takes roughly $66,000 in sales to break even, which is why the sale matters as much as it does.
Five years, first in council
| Year | Total sales | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $24,524 | 1st in council |
| 2022 | $49,982 | 1st in council |
| 2023 | $40,000 | 1st in council |
| 2024 | $45,724 | 1st in council |
| 2025 | $64,939 | 1st in council, best year on record |
Every dollar of that came from Scouts who were nervous the first time they knocked on a door, and were not by the tenth.
Key dates
- Week of Aug 24Popcorn arrivesThe pack's full season order is delivered. Distribution details go out in BAND.
- Mon Aug 31Popcorn Kick-Off at the pack meetingCedar Creek Church, 6:30 PM. Order forms, Square setup, storefront sign ups, and water rockets.
- Fri Oct 23Return dayUnsold product goes back to council by noon. This is the only return window all season.
- Wed Nov 25Final sale dayAll money and order forms due to the popcorn kernel.
- Fri Dec 4Invoice payment due to council
- Mon Dec 7Camp credit and Winner's Circle forms due
- Sun Dec 13Payouts, and Amazon gift cards to Scouts
Sell early. The first few weeks are consistently the strongest weeks of the season, every single year. Scouts who start on day one almost always finish first, and they finish sooner.
Three numbers to remember: $525 pays for your Scout's year, $1,600 earns them free summer camp at CCLT, and $3,000 gets them into the Winner's Circle Club. Everything they sell also earns 4 percent back as an Amazon gift card.
Four ways to sell
Show and sell
Set up in a high traffic spot with product in hand. The pack buys inventory up front, so your Scout hands a bag over the moment someone buys.
Show and deliver
Take popcorn door to door and sell it on the spot. No waiting, no second trip, no order forms to chase down later.
Take order
The traditional way. Go door to door with the order form, then deliver after the sale closes. Good for Scouts who would rather not haul a wagon.
Online
Your Scout gets a personal link to send to family anywhere in the country. Ships direct from PRP, free shipping, and it still counts toward their total.
Storefront shifts
The pack books shifts at local stores through the council, and you sign up for the ones that fit your family.
- Book up to 14 days in advance
- Two hour shifts
- Pick your location
- Reserve your time
Two Scouts and two registered adults per shift, Class A uniform. Shifts fill fast, so grab them the day they open. Book one below.
Taking cards with Square
The pack runs card sales through Square, same as last year, so nobody has to turn down a customer who is not carrying cash. In practice that is most customers.
Your den leader gets you set up at the kick-off. If Square gives you trouble mid-season, tell the popcorn kernel right away rather than working around it, because every sale needs to land in the system to count toward your Scout's total.
Book a storefront shift
Storefront shifts are booked through the pack's own scheduler. Pick the store, pick the time, and it is yours.
- Opens 14 days ahead, so check back weekly
- Two hour shifts
- Two Scouts and two registered adults per shift
- Class A uniform
Shop online at prpopcornstore.com. Every purchase is credited to your Scout and the pack by name, shipping is free, there is nothing to deliver, and online orders count toward your Scout's total, camp credit, and Winner's Circle just like everything else. This is the one to send to grandparents three states away.
What we sell
Pecatonica River Popcorn, sold through the Anthony Wayne Area Council. Family owned and making popcorn since 1983. These twelve are what Pack 3049 stocks in person this season.
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2 lb Yellow Popping Corn
2 lb Yellow Popping Corn
$15
Allergens: No allergens listed.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 2 tbsp (30g) · 110 calories
- Total fat
- 1g
- Saturated fat
- 0g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 0mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 22g
- Dietary fiber
- 5g
- Total sugars
- 0g
- Added sugars
- 0g
- Protein
- 3g
Ingredients: Yellow popping corn.
Contains: No allergens listed.
-
Caramel Corn, TV bucket
Caramel Corn, TV bucket
$15
Allergens: Contains milk and soy. Processed with peanuts and tree nuts.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 3/4 cup (30g) · 120 calories
- Total fat
- 4g
- Saturated fat
- 1g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 20mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 21g
- Dietary fiber
- 1g
- Total sugars
- 15g
- Added sugars
- 15g
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients: Brown sugar, popcorn, corn syrup, white sugar, corn oil, water, butter (cream, salt), soy lecithin, baking soda, salt, natural flavor.
Contains: Milk, soy. Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and tree nuts.
-
Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar Cheese
$20
Allergens: Contains milk. Processed with soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 2 cups (28g) · 170 calories
- Total fat
- 14g
- Saturated fat
- 6g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 200mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 10g
- Dietary fiber
- 3g
- Total sugars
- 2g
- Added sugars
- 0g
- Protein
- 2g
Ingredients: Popcorn, coconut and/or vegetable oil (canola, corn, sunflower oil), cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes, whey, buttermilk, salt, natural flavor, disodium phosphate, lactic acid, silicon dioxide), paprika, natural flavor.
Contains: Milk. Processed in a facility that also processes soy, peanuts and tree nuts.
-
Jalapeno Cheese
New this yearJalapeno Cheese
$20
Allergens: Contains milk. Processed with soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 2 cups (28g) · 170 calories
- Total fat
- 13g
- Saturated fat
- 5g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 220mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 10g
- Dietary fiber
- 3g
- Total sugars
- 1g
- Added sugars
- 0g
- Protein
- 2g
Ingredients: Popcorn, coconut and/or vegetable oil (canola, corn, sunflower oil), cheddar cheese (cultured milk, salt, enzymes), whey, buttermilk, salt, natural flavor, disodium phosphate, lactic acid, silicon dioxide, maltodextrin, dehydrated jalapeno pepper, salt, monosodium glutamate, whey, cheddar and blue cheese blend (milk, salt, cultures, enzymes), onion powder, soybean oil, reduced lactose whey, natural flavor, citric acid, FD&C Yellow #6, disodium phosphate, nonfat dry milk, FD&C Yellow #5, disodium inosinate and guanylate, natural spice, extractives of turmeric and paprika, paprika, natural flavor.
Contains: Milk. Processed in a facility that also processes soy, peanuts and tree nuts.
-
Trail Mix
Trail Mix
$20
Allergens: Contains peanuts, almonds, cashews, soy, and milk.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 1/4 cup (30g) · 150 calories
- Total fat
- 10g
- Saturated fat
- 2g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 75mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 12g
- Dietary fiber
- 2g
- Total sugars
- 3g
- Added sugars
- 2g
- Protein
- 5g
Ingredients: Peanuts, raisins, M&M'S milk chocolate candies (milk chocolate [sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, salt, natural flavor], sugar, cornstarch, less than 1% of: corn syrup, dextrin, colors, carnauba wax, gum acacia), almonds, cashews, vegetable oil (peanut and/or soy), salt.
Contains: Peanuts, almonds, cashews, soy, milk. May contain Brazil nuts, filberts (hazelnuts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts. May contain an occasional pit or shell fragment.
-
Buttery Microwave, 15 pack
Buttery Microwave, 15 pack
$25
Allergens: Contains milk.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 1 cup popped (8g) · 35 calories
- Total fat
- 2g
- Saturated fat
- 1g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 75mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 4g
- Dietary fiber
- 1g
- Total sugars
- 0g
- Added sugars
- 0g
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients: Popcorn, palm oil, salt, butter flavor (maltodextrin, food starch-modified, milk fat, natural flavors, tocopherols), annatto extract, natural flavor.
Contains: Milk.
-
Kettle Corn Microwave, 15 pack
Kettle Corn Microwave, 15 pack
$25
Allergens: No allergens listed.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 1 cup popped (8g) · 35 calories
- Total fat
- 2g
- Saturated fat
- 1g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 55mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 4g
- Dietary fiber
- 1g
- Total sugars
- 0g
- Added sugars
- 0g
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients: Popcorn, palm oil, salt, sucralose.
Contains: No allergens listed.
-
Caramel with Sea Salt
Caramel with Sea Salt
$25
Allergens: Contains milk and soy. Processed with peanuts and tree nuts.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 3/4 cup (30g) · 120 calories
- Total fat
- 4g
- Saturated fat
- 1g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 150mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 21g
- Dietary fiber
- 1g
- Total sugars
- 15g
- Added sugars
- 15g
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients: Brown sugar, popcorn, corn syrup, white sugar, corn oil, water, butter (cream, salt), sea salt, soy lecithin, baking soda, salt, natural flavor.
Contains: Milk, soy. Processed in a facility that also processes peanuts and tree nuts.
-
Sea Salt Splash
Sea Salt Splash
$25
Allergens: Contains milk, soy, peanuts, and tree nuts.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 1/2 cup (30g) · 130 calories
- Total fat
- 5g
- Saturated fat
- 3g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 200mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 20g
- Dietary fiber
- 1g
- Total sugars
- 15g
- Added sugars
- 15g
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients: Caramel corn (brown sugar, white sugar, popcorn, corn syrup, corn oil, water, butter (cream, salt), soy lecithin, baking soda, natural flavor), milk wafers (sugar, vegetable oil (palm kernel oil and hydrogenated palm kernel oil), cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk solids, whole milk solids, whey powder, soy lecithin, salt and artificial flavor), sea salt, natural flavor, peanut oil, almond oil and cashew oil.
Contains: Milk, soy, peanuts and tree nuts.
-
Mountain Munch
New this yearMountain Munch
$25
Allergens: Contains soy, peanuts, milk, and tree nuts.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 1/2 cup (28g) · 120 calories
- Total fat
- 5g
- Saturated fat
- 2.5g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 115mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 19g
- Dietary fiber
- 1g
- Total sugars
- 15g
- Added sugars
- 15g
- Protein
- 1g
Ingredients: Caramel corn (brown sugar, white sugar, popcorn, corn syrup, corn oil, water, butter (cream, salt), sea salt, soy lecithin, baking soda, natural flavor), milk wafer (sugar, vegetable oil (palm kernel oil and hydrogenated palm kernel oil), cocoa powder, nonfat dry milk solids, whole milk solids, whey powder, soy lecithin, salt, and artificial flavor), white wafer (sugar, vegetable oil (palm kernel oil and hydrogenated palm kernel oil), whey powder, whole milk solids, nonfat dry milk solids, soy lecithin, salt, and artificial flavor), natural flavor, peanut oil, almond oil, cashew oil.
Contains: Soy, peanuts, milk, tree nuts.
-
Freedom Pretzels
Freedom Pretzels
$30
Allergens: Contains soy, wheat, and milk.
Nutrition and ingredients
Serving size 4 pieces (28g) · 140 calories
- Total fat
- 6g
- Saturated fat
- 3.5g
- Trans fat
- 0g
- Sodium
- 220mg
- Total carbohydrate
- 19g
- Dietary fiber
- 0g
- Total sugars
- 10g
- Added sugars
- 9g
- Protein
- 2g
Ingredients: White chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, whole milk powder, nonfat dry milk, butterfat, soy lecithin, vanilla extract), pretzels (enriched wheat flour [contains ferrous sulfate, niacin, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid, corn syrup, salt, vegetable oil (may contain one or more of the following: canola, corn, soybean), malt syrup, sodium bicarbonate, yeast]). Contains less than 2% of colors (spirulina extract, vegetable juice color, annatto extract), medium chain triglycerides, sunflower lecithin.
Contains: Soy, wheat, milk. May contain peanuts, almonds, cashews, filberts (hazelnuts), macadamia nuts, pecans, pistachios, walnuts.
-
Cheese Lovers collection
Cheese Lovers collection
$50
Allergens: A mixed collection. Contains milk; check each item's label for full allergens.
Nutrition and ingredients
A mixed tin, not one flavor
Check the tin for which cheeses are inside, then read those panels. Every cheese flavor Pecatonica River makes is 2 cups (28g) per serving, 170 calories, and every one contains milk.
- Cheddar Cheese
- 14g fat · 200mg sodium
- White Cheddar
- 14g fat · 200mg sodium
- Jalapeno Cheese
- 13g fat · 220mg sodium
Contains: Milk. Processed in a facility that also processes soy, peanuts and tree nuts.
Tap "Nutrition and ingredients" on any product for the full panel: serving size, calories, fat, sodium, sugars, protein, the complete ingredient list, and the allergen statement. It is here because families ask, and because several Scouts in this pack have nut allergies.
Always read the actual package before serving. This is transcribed from Pecatonica River Popcorn as of September 2026. The pack is not the manufacturer, formulations change, and the label on the tin in your hand is the one that counts. PRP nutrition information.
Full nutrition facts for every product: pecatonicariverpopcorn.com
Military donations are also available for customers who want to support Scouting without taking product home. The online store carries larger gift tins and bundles that we do not stock in person.
Caramel Corn and Kettle Corn go first. Every year. If your Scout is picking what to load in the wagon, start there, and expect Kettle Corn to be gone by mid season.
Rewards
Three milestones worth aiming at, and one thing every Scout earns no matter what they sell.
Your year is paid for
Registration and program fees, covered. Anything past this builds toward the next two.
Free summer camp at CCLT
A Cub Scout who sells $1,600 earns one session of Cub Resident Camp at Camp Chief Little Turtle, free. Three days, two nights, aquatics, BB guns, archery, and the campfire.
Camp credit is nontransferable, can only be used at CCLT, and Scouts may not combine their sales with a sibling's to reach it. Credit earned this season is used for the 2027 camp season.
Winner's Circle Club
Scouts who sell $3,000 in popcorn join the council's Winner's Circle Club and pick one prize from the list below. Show and sell, take order, and online sales all count toward it.
Winner's Circle: pick one
- Gift card$200 Amazon
- Gift card$200 Best Buy
- Gift card$200 AMC
- PrizeGame table
- PrizeDrum set
- Prize3D printer
- Prize40 inch SmartCast TV
- PrizeLaptop
Every Scout: 4 percent back, in Amazon
This one has no minimum. Pack 3049 skips the prize catalog, takes the higher commission instead, and pays 4 percent of each Scout's own sales straight back to them as an Amazon gift card at the end of the season. Sell $1,000, get $40 to spend on whatever you actually want.
This is the pack's own reward and it stacks with everything above.
Pie in the face
The pack's favorite tradition. Top sellers earn the right to put a pie in a leader's face, in front of everybody, at a pack meeting. Several leaders have learned not to volunteer.
Crossing over to a troop? The council sets the Scouts BSA camp credit at $2,500 in sales for one session of Scout Resident Camp. Worth knowing for Arrow of Light Scouts heading to a troop in the spring.
Make the stand your own
Signs, price tags, a donation jar, decorations. Let your Scout build the stand they want and put their name on it. A table a kid decorated themselves sells better than a folding table with a box on it, and they know it.
We have put together printables you can use as they are, or mix in with whatever your Scout comes up with. Print them, cut them out, tape them up.
Mostly, have fun with it. A popcorn stand is a Scout practicing confidence, talking to strangers, being creative, and running a tiny business. The popcorn is almost the side project.
- Popcorn sale poster with all ten products, prices, and allergens
- Donations welcome poster showing what a donation actually pays for
- Two donation jar signs, ready to cut out
- Pack 3049 logo sheet for the front of the table
- Cut-out price tags for every price: $15, $20, $25, and $30
Prints on plain letter paper. Cardstock holds up better outdoors, and a sheet protector or packing tape keeps a sign alive through a windy Saturday.
Grabill Country Fair
No sign-up. No shift. Nothing to bring. The pack runs a booth all three days and keeps it stocked. Show up in Class A with a parent, take a turn at the table, and leave whenever you need to.
Why this one matters
If your Scout is nervous about selling, this is the place to start. Everyone walking past is already in a good mood, the booth does half the work, and there is always an experienced family standing there to show your Scout how it goes.
Families have sold around $2,000 at the fair in a single weekend. It is the best three days of the season.
Bring a chair if you plan to stay a while. Log every sale in Square so your Scout gets the credit.
Grabill Veterinary Clinic
Our booth sits on their lawn every year because a Pack 3049 family offered the space. Dr. James C. Robbins and his team have cared for animals in Grabill since 1996, small and large alike, dogs and cats through horses, cows, goats and sheep, with farm calls Monday through Friday. Say thank you when you walk past this weekend.
Every sale goes in Square
Every registered Scout gets their own Square login, emailed to the address on the registration form. Watch for it.
Every sale and every donation goes in Square. Cash included. Not just card payments. If it is not in Square, your Scout does not get credit for it and the pack cannot reconcile the season.
That credit is what drives the 4 percent gift card, free camp at $1,600, and the Winner's Circle at $3,000. A cash sale logged on a napkin is a sale your Scout does not get paid for.
The short version
- Watch your email for your Scout's Square login
- Log every sale, cash or card
- Log every donation too
- Do it at the table, not from memory later
Never got your login, or cannot find the email? Tell a Cubmaster and it gets resent.
The script, and what actually works
The script
"Hello! My name is ______ and I am with Pack 3049. I am selling popcorn to earn my way to camp and support our camp outings. I have some great popcorn flavors available. My favorite flavor is ______, and I know you will love our popcorn. Would you consider supporting me?"
Always thank the customer, even when they say no. Be cordial and kind. That part is not a sales technique, it is the whole point.
Selling tips
- Be in uniform. A clean Class A does half the work.
- Know the products. Names, flavors, and which one is your favorite.
- Practice the pitch. Out loud, at home, before the first door.
- Have confidence and smile. Let your Scout do the talking, not the parent.
- Thank every customer. Every single one.
Safety
- Buddy system, always. Never sell alone.
- An adult with them at every door and every storefront.
- Road rules: sidewalks, crosswalks, watch for cars backing out.
- Money stays with the adult, not in a Scout's pocket.
- Be home before dark.
Three ways to cover the program cost
Sell popcorn
Reach the pack sales goal and your Scout's year is paid for. Order forms, storefronts, and online orders all count toward it.
Buyout
$300 instead of selling, or any combination of sales and buyout. Due December 1. No guilt, no follow up, no explanation needed. The $100 registration fee is separate and still applies.
Calendar fundraiser
An alternative for families who would rather sell something other than popcorn.
And if none of that is realistic right now, talk to a Cubmaster. Financial assistance exists, the conversation stays private, and no child has ever been turned away from Pack 3049 over money.
Buyout calculator
Type in what your Scout has sold so far and see exactly where you stand. Nothing is sent anywhere. The number stays in your own browser, so you can come back and update it as the season goes.
Questions about the sale?
Ask either Co-Cubmaster, or post in the BAND app, where weekly sales updates go out all season.