Fundraising: Tree Lot

Troop 351 supports almost all of its activities with a single fundraiser, the tree lot.  We are fortunate to have one the of most successful fundraising efforts in the scouting community, and its success relies on the support of the Troop 351 families.

Family expectations:

• Every scout must have at least one parent attend a mandatory parent meeting the first scout meeting in November.  
• Any parent who would like to work as a cashier or “person in charge” must attend the first scout meeting in November.
• Each scout will be asked do fill the a predetermined number of shifts (generally 4-6 four-hour shifts) and parents will likewise be asked to fill a predetermined number of shifts for every scout.  The number of shifts will be announced at the first scout meeting in November. Tree lot hours are 9-9 on the weekends, and 3-9 on the weekdays.
• Following this meeting, families will be asked to sign up for all of their shifts using an online system.
• Scouts and adults are expected to arrive early enough to begin working when their shift starts.
• Scouts will be expected to:
  • Be able to answer customer questions about trees (they will be trained before the season starts)
  • Help customers move their trees to get shaken, a fresh cut, and help them load the tree on the customer’s car (scouts are not allowed to tie trees on the car)
  • Keep the sales racks stocked with unbaled trees
  • Pick up debris, sweep, and generally keep the lot in good order
• Cashiers will be expected to:
  • Take payment and keep accurate records using the tree lot register app.
  • Thank customers for supporting the scouts (customers like to hear that all of the profits support the very scouts that work the lot)
  • If sales are slow, cashiers can help by keeping the trailer tidy, and assist with tagging efforts
• Person in Charge (PIC) will be expected to:
  • Keep scouts on task
  • Assist customers 
  • Provide a fresh cut for any tree sold
  • Bale the tree if the customer requests
  • Keep the lot in good order
• Additional adults are expected to:
  • Take their cues from the PIC
  • Assist customers 
  • Provide a fresh cut for any tree sold
  • Bale the tree if the customer requests
  • Keep the lot in good order

If families cannot fulfill their shifts:

We cannot stress enough the importance of every family pitching in, however, if families do not fulfill their shifts there are consequences.  For every shift that a family (youth and adult) does not complete, that family will be billed $100 per person per missed shift. This amount reflects the amount of money that the Troop would be dispersed if the family worked the shift (the Troop receives a disbursement of approximately $25 per hour for every hour worked on the lot.)  This amount is subject to change and will be announced at the first scout meeting in November. 

The first meeting in November:

The Troop appreciates the value of your time.  As such, we try to limit the number of required parent meetings.  The first scout meeting November is one of those meetings. At this meeting:

• Scouts will learn how to sell a tree
• Parents will learn the number of required shifts, how to sign up for them, and missed shift costs
• Policies will be reviewed and changes highlighted
• Instructions will be given for how to be a cashier and PIC
• Youth Protection will be required for every adult working on the lot, it would be helpful if this is completed before this meeting https://my.scouting.org/

How this helps the Troop:

In early January, the tree lot committee will close the books for the season and determine how much will be dispersed to the unit to operate program.  In addition to paying for each scouts’ summer camp (for those who fulfilled their shift obligations), the tree lot provides funds for the Troop’s entire budget including: awards/recognitions, monthly camp outs, program support, training, equipment, and scholarships.  It is more than just summer camp so it is important that every family do their part even if they are not attending summer camp.