This activity should get your boys contributing ideas about their annual Scouting program, and taking some responsibility for raising money to pay for it.

Its been shown that a Pack or Den, Troop or Patrol that lets the boys plan out the year does better when it comes to raising the money to support the plan.

Leader: Have a meeting and encourage the boys to say out loud what things they would really like to do in the coming year of Scouting. Do little or no editing of their suggestions.  Make a list of the activities they suggest (field trips, camping, crafts, Pinewood Derby, ballgames, etc.). Include everything, even though it may exceed the number of things you normally do.  At this stage, there are no bad ideas and theres no such thing as too many ideas.

When finished with the brainstorming activity, remove things from the list that are impractical or impossible, and leave everything else on.  Dont remove something for budgetary reasons.  The budgeting for these activities is the reason for this meeting.

The next step is re-writing the wish list of activities in two columns on a clean piece of paper.  One column for must do and one for wish to do; Finding out which activities they are willing to give up if the budget, or time, does not allow for the activity.  You now have a priority list of activities and a wish list of activities.  With agreement from your Scouts, you have planned an Ideal Year of Scouting. 

Now that you have planned the greatest year of Scouting how do you accomplish it? Ok this is included in the popcorn training, how do you think that Im going to tell you to afford it?

This should probably be continued into a second meeting, and should include the parents.  You include the parents so everyone is on the same page with both the activity goals, and the money goals of your unit.  Also you need parental support such as supervision and driving, it is polite to include them in the planning so they are aware of what is being put on their schedule, and in their budget.

You have a list of the things your Scouts want to do, if there are things on this list that you have not done before you should have researched the cost before this meeting.  Now you can present the list of activities along with estimated costs of the activities to both your Scouts and parents. 

You now have your fundraising goal, unless of course your parents volunteer to pay the costs in addition to the dues that you collect.

Get a calendar and start planning.  Make sure that you include time for the popcorn sale in this plan.