CENTENNIAL QUALITY UNIT
Congratulations to all units that qualified for Centennial Quality Unit status for 2009! Next step: During January, get together with key leaders in your unit to set goals for 2010, and to evaluate where you ended 2009. Set goals that are realistic, yet challenging. And, SHARE THEM with those in your unit. Paste them on the meeting place wall, email them to leaders, share them with your committee of parents, etc. Make plans throughout the year in alignment with these goals. These goals should be adopted as those of all the unit’s members. If you get input, and ownership of the goals, you will reach them a great majority of the time.
RECHARTERING
By now you should be well into your rechartering process and ready to finalize your paperwork and send it in. If you are not, please contact the Fargo office for assistance. As a reminder, registration fees go up to $15 per year per person for all units in the District. Is this in your budget?
CANDY SALES
Here’s some straight talk: In the great majority of cases, unit leaders can do well to at least give their scouts the opportunity to sell candy. When units choose not to sell at all, they miss an opportunity that does not present itself every day. Not only is selling candy extremely easy, but it actually brings in money for your unit. Now, there are those who say it does not bring in as much as selling popcorn. However, units get the same percent commission with candy as they do with popcorn, so the potential is the same. The difference is that candy bars sell for less. Now, think about it: is it unreasonable to imagine that someone who is willing to spend $8 for a bucket of popping corn would be unwilling to spend $8 for two giant Hersheys bars (yes, they’re bigger and for $4 this year)? And, we know there are a few people willing to buy the $50 popcorn; many buy somewhere in between. Plus, the bars have coupons on them that are worth more than the bar… a great selling point.
There were a number of units that didn’t have great sales in popcorn last year. Have their leaders thought about how to make up the shortfall? Is there any reason selling candy wouldn’t help the situation? It might not solve it, but is it a good thing to completely rule it out?
So, if your unit doesn’t sell candy yet, why not start with checking out a few cases and setting up at a basketball game, convenience store, or other place where it’s warm and you can approach a lot of people to buy a Hershey’s bar? Or even just ask adults in your unit to set up a box at their place of business? A great day to sell as a unit is February 15, when there will be special incentives for the top selling scout in each district. Is it too much to try selling for just one day, to give your scouts a chance to be recognized? Use your imagination, and you’ll likely see you should at least give it a try. Read in more detail about them in other pages of the Highlights.
FLICKERTAIL DISTRICT ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting of the Flickertail District will be held on Thursday, Feb. 4, 2010 at 7PM at Atonement Lutheran Church in Jamestown, 1009 Twelfth Avenue, NE. The purpose of this meeting will be to elect committee members for the 2010 Scouting year.
Nominations for the District Committee may be submitted for consideration in writing by January 15 to 1720 Burnt Boat Drive, Ste 103Bismarck, ND 58503. Please put “ATTN: Flickertail District Nominating Committee Chair” on the message. Those eligible to vote include Chartered Organization Representatives currently registered and serving units in the Flickertail District and current registered elected members of the District Committee. No voting by proxy as indicated in the bylaws of the organization.
