🍿 September 12 to November 27, 2026
One Sale. A Whole Year of Scouting.
This is Pack 5's only fundraiser, and it pays for everything from the Pinewood Derby to campouts to the Blue & Gold Banquet. It takes about ten minutes this week to get your Scout fully set up. Here's exactly where to start.
Do These Three Things This Week
Everything else on this page is context. These three steps are what actually gets your Scout selling, and none of them takes more than a few minutes.
Claim a Storefront Shift
This is the single fastest way to hit the goal. Scouts working a storefront shift typically bring in $200–$300 in just an hour or two — uniform on, sign in hand, a steady stream of neighbors who came specifically to buy popcorn from a Scout.
📍 Jewel-Osco
411 Green Bay Rd, Wilmette, IL 60091
10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Open dates:
- • Saturday, September 12
- • Sunday, September 20
- • Sunday, October 25
- • Sunday, November 1
Set Up Your Scout's Online Store
This is where every sale gets tracked and credited to your Scout — whether it happens at a storefront, door to door, or from a grandparent three states away.
- 1.Download the Trail's End app: iOS · Android
- 2.Register using unit code RYNTE — Pack 5, Potawatomi District, Northeast Illinois Council
- 3.Stuck? Use the step-by-step help guide, or post in the Pack 5 WhatsApp group.
Reach Out to Get Started
Questions, need popcorn on hand for a sale, or just want a hand getting set up? Reach Greg directly.
Aim for $600. Every Bit Helps if You Land Short.
We ask each Scout to aim for a $600 goal this year. That number funds a real, tangible slice of Pack 5's year, not an arbitrary target.
If selling popcorn isn't the right fit for your family this year, that's completely fine. You can cover the same ground with a $200 buyout contribution, which goes straight to your Scout's annual programming.
Ways to pay the buyout, or just chip in:
1215 Greenwood Ave
Wilmette, IL 60091
Sell $600, Watch the Blackhawks.
Pack 5 is heading to a Chicago Blackhawks game on Sunday, February 28. Every Scout who hits their goal earns their way in.
Extra tickets will be available to purchase, so bring the rest of the family too.
Popcorn Is Pack 5's Only Fundraiser.
Here's the part a lot of families don't realize: Scouting America and the Northeast Illinois Council keep almost all of the registration fees Pack 5 families pay each year. Almost none of it comes back to the Pack itself. Popcorn is what's left to run everything else.
The Real Prize Isn't the Popcorn.
Every dollar your Scout brings in matters, but the sale itself is doing something bigger. Asking a stranger for something, hearing “no” and staying friendly anyway, keeping track of a goal, making change, saying thank you regardless of the answer — these are grown-up skills, and popcorn season is one of the only times a 7-year-old gets to practice all of them at once, out loud, in public.
Goal Setting
Breaking a $600 target into something a young kid can actually picture: three good storefront shifts, or ten neighbors, or one grandparent phone call at a time.
Communication
Looking an adult in the eye, asking clearly for something, and handling whatever they say back.
Money Math
Adding up an order, making change, tracking progress toward a number.
Resilience
Hearing "no thank you" and moving on to the next person without it stinging.
Gratitude
Saying thank you the same way whether someone buys or not.
Confidence
The specific, durable kind that comes from doing something brave and having it work.
Build the Pitch Together
Before the first shift, sit down with your Scout and build a simple pitch, then practice it out loud a few times — at the kitchen table, in front of a mirror, wherever. A kid who has said the words twenty times at home will say them steady the first time it counts.
If they say yes:
Show them the options on the app or the sign, take the payment, and say thank you.
If they say no:
“No problem, have a great day!” and move to the next person. That's the whole response. No follow-up needed.
💛 The Four Rules
- →Stand tall and smile
- →Look them in the eye
- →Speak loud enough to actually be heard
- →Say thank you no matter what they say
A Scout who does just these four things will out-sell a Scout with a longer, more polished pitch and a mumbled delivery, every time.
Coaching Tips for Parents
- •Practice at home first. Two or three run-throughs the night before a shift make a real difference. Play the customer yourself, including saying no once, so it isn't a surprise the first time it happens for real.
- •Let your Scout do the talking. It's tempting to jump in when there's an awkward pause. Give it a few extra seconds before you help. That pause is where the confidence actually gets built.
- •Reset expectations on "no." Roughly one in ten people say yes. That means nine "no"s are completely normal on the way to a sale, not a sign anything is going wrong.
- •Debrief after each shift. Three quick questions: What went well? What felt hard? What do you want to try differently next time? This turns each shift into a skill your Scout is building, not just a task getting checked off.
- •Celebrate the effort, not just the total. A Scout who confidently asked twenty people and sold three bags grew exactly as much as one who sold out in an hour. Notice that out loud.
Matching the Approach to Your Scout's Age
Parent leads the conversation. Scout hands out samples, holds the sign, or just says "thank you!" at the end. That's a full, real contribution at this age.
Scout delivers the pitch with a parent standing right there. Parent handles the payment and the app.
Scout runs the whole interaction, pitch through checkout on the app. Parent supervises from a comfortable distance, only stepping in if asked.
Staying Safe
- ✓Always sell with a parent or another trusted adult present
- ✓Stick to familiar ground: your own neighborhood, family, friends, and signed-up storefront shifts
- ✓Never go inside a stranger's home
- ✓Wear the Pack 5 uniform, or something recognizable, so neighbors know who's asking
Frequently Asked Questions
What if my Scout doesn't want to sell door to door?
Totally fine. Storefront shifts and online sales through the Trail's End app cover a lot of ground without ever knocking on a door.
What if we can't make it work this year at all?
The $200 buyout contribution covers the same ground for your Scout's programming. See the Fundraising Goal section above for how to pay.
Is there a penalty for not hitting $600?
No. It's a goal to aim for, not a requirement. The buyout option exists specifically for families where popcorn selling isn't a fit.
Do we need to buy inventory upfront?
⚠️ CONFIRM WITH MATT — Based on the current setup (Trail's End app + storefront shifts), this looks like an app-tracked sale with no upfront inventory purchase required, but this hasn't been confirmed yet.
When does the popcorn arrive?
⚠️ CONFIRM WITH MATT — Delivery or pickup date not yet confirmed. Check back for updates.
Every $600 Sold Sends a Scout to a Blackhawks Game
Claim a shift, set up the app, and your Scout is on their way.