Think popcorn is just for Cub Scouts?
Meet Benjamin.
At 14 years old and heading into ninth grade, Benjamin has been selling popcorn since he was a Tiger Cub. What started as a way to help pay for dues and weekend campouts has grown into something much bigger.
Popcorn sales have helped Benjamin pay for National Jamboree, two high-adventure bases, summer camp, troop activities, and more. He’s already paid for half of his upcoming World Jamboree experience and plans to fund the rest through popcorn sales.
And last year, Benjamin was the top popcorn seller in Occoneechee Council. Now he’s working toward an even bigger goal: becoming the council’s top seller for five consecutive years.
So how does a Scout get from selling a few bags of popcorn to funding major Scouting adventures?
We asked Benjamin to tell us how he does it.
Q: What first motivated you to sell popcorn?
Benjamin: I started Scouting when I was a Tiger, and my pack did popcorn. My parents wanted me to sell popcorn to pay for dues and everything, so I tried it out.
I really enjoyed it, and I kind of sold every single year after that and slowly raised my goal.
Q: What has popcorn helped you pay for?
Benjamin: When I started, it was really just trying to pay for dues and normal weekend campouts. But as I’ve gotten older and gotten access to different events, I’ve been able to use it for a lot more.
I paid for National Jamboree this year, and I’ve already paid for half of my World Jamboree. I’m planning to pay for the whole thing with my popcorn funds.
I’ve also been to two high-adventure bases, Summit and Sea Base. I go to summer camp every year, and I go to almost every event that my troop does. We do an event every month.
It has allowed me to pay for everything that I go to. I don’t think since my Tiger year my parents have really paid for any events that I’ve gone to. A lot of it has been from my popcorn selling.
Q: That’s a lot of Scouting. What has selling popcorn taught you along the way?
Benjamin: I would say it’s helped me learn how to talk to people. Something that I’ve definitely struggled with is being able to put myself out there and talk to people.
By going and selling, you meet tons of different people, and you learn a lot of things. Especially when there are people who were Scouts when they were younger. They’re older now, and they have a lot of cool experiences that they get to tell me about when they come and buy.
The rewards and getting the gift cards have also helped me learn how to manage my money. I get a lot of rewards, and it’s kind of like I want to just spend all of it. But I’ve been saving a lot of it, and I think that’s been good for me.
Q: What have you noticed about Benjamin’s growth over the years?
Jared, Benjamin’s dad: “One of the highlights that I always bring up to parents that are selling is that it helps them get out of their shell and talk to people and talk to strangers. It’s a really valuable experience, especially since he’s been doing it every year since he was a first grader.
He went from the main thing he needed to do being memorizing the product lineup and the prices and just being able to get the courage to talk to every single person that walked by, to now being able to have full-fledged conversations with complete strangers that walk by.
People want to tell him about their Scouting experiences, and are curious about what he’s doing in Scouts. So I’ve seen him really grow a lot in being able to have those conversations.”
Jared also pointed to another skill Benjamin has developed: resilience.
“When people are walking past you and you’re trying to get their support in Scouting, you’re gonna hear a lot of no’s.” Benjamin will sometimes spend eight to 10 hours at a storefront selling popcorn, which Jared says takes resilience and “grit” to push through.
Q: What’s your secret to selling so much?
Benjamin: My main way of selling is definitely going out to storefronts. Storefronts are really the easiest way to work a lot of hours.
Most people book two to five hours, but usually I’ll book a whole day: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It lets you get a lot of hours in.
My secondary selling method is going door-to-door during the week. I might work 22 hours on the weekend and then go door-to-door for a few hours during the week, like 6:30 to 8:30.
I usually like to find places that have a lot of townhomes, so you can hit a lot of houses quickly.
Q: What’s your sales pitch?
Benjamin’s answer is refreshingly simple:
“Would you like to buy some popcorn or make a donation to support Scouting?”
That’s it. No complicated sales pitch required.
Q: Do you have repeat customers?
Benjamin: There are a couple of people I go to every year. There’s one person who will do a big Heroes and Helpers donation and buy about $100 in popcorn.
Jared: He’ll also hit the same neighborhoods each year. There are people who have seen him go from a first grader to now a ninth grader. So there are people who buy from him every year.
Q: What would you tell a Scouts BSA member who isn’t sure about selling popcorn?
Benjamin’s advice is simple: put yourself out there.
“You definitely want to be able to go out there, and you want to be willing to put yourself out there,” he said. But he also points out that Scouts don’t have to commit to Benjamin-sized hours to see a benefit.
“If you just try and work a couple hours every week, you can probably sell $1,000 or so,” Benjamin said. Depending on how a unit handles its commission, that could help pay for yearly dues and several campouts. He added that selling a couple thousand dollars could potentially help with summer camp.
The important takeaway: You don’t have to be Benjamin to benefit from popcorn.
Benjamin’s Story Isn’t the Exception
Benjamin’s results are impressive, but his dad says they’re not unique.
When Benjamin was in Cub Scouts, his pack built popcorn into its annual program and grew from selling around $15,000 a year to approximately $50,000. One year before COVID, the pack sold well over $60,000 and may have approached $80,000.
The Scouts then used those funds to help cover their Scouting expenses throughout the year.
When Benjamin moved into Scouts BSA, his troop wasn’t selling much popcorn. There was some hesitation about whether teenagers would actually want to sell.
Benjamin and several other Scouts proved that concern wrong.
The troop went from selling around $8,000 in popcorn to more than $50,000 last year. Benjamin sold more than $20,000, two other Scouts sold more than $5,000, and several more sold between $1,000 and $4,000.
In Benjamin’s troop, the commission earned by Scouts goes into their individual Scout accounts, where it can be used for Scouting expenses such as campouts, summer camp, uniforms, tents, sleeping bags, and other eligible needs.
The exact way commissions and individual Scout accounts work varies by unit, but Benjamin’s experience shows what’s possible when Scouts are given the opportunity to earn their own way.
Why Popcorn?
Benjamin’s dad says his troop has tried plenty of other fundraisers, including a rummage sale, a concession stand at a Fourth of July fireworks show, luminaries, mulch, and a spring sale.
His assessment?
Popcorn was easier.
Jared: All of those things are much harder on the leadership than popcorn is. Trails End has so much stuff that they’ve set up for you.
The app does a ton of stuff to make it very easy. The council and district popcorn teams also do a lot to help make it really easy to get things going. They’re always there to talk to.
So it’s a much easier fundraiser to get into than trying to find another one and stand it up on your own.
That’s one of the biggest advantages of the popcorn program: you don’t have to create the fundraiser from scratch. The tools, technology, storefront program, products, and support are already there.
Start Small. See Where It Takes You.
Benjamin’s story can sound intimidating when you hear that he’s selling more than $20,000 a year.
But that’s not where he started.
He started as a Tiger Cub trying to help pay his dues.
His advice to other Scouts is to simply start by putting in a few hours each week. You don’t have to become the council’s top seller to benefit.
A Scout who sells $1,000, $2,000, or $4,000 can potentially offset a significant portion of their Scouting expenses, depending on how their unit handles commissions and individual Scout accounts.
And the benefits aren’t only financial.
You’re learning to approach people. You’re learning how to handle rejection. You’re learning how to communicate, manage money, set goals, and keep going when someone says no.
Those are skills that follow you long after the last bag of popcorn is sold.
For Benjamin, the answer is simple:
So, What Could Popcorn Pay For?
Jamboree. High adventure. Summer camp. Campouts. And countless other Scouting experiences.
For another Scout, it might be a new tent. A summer camp registration. Dues. A high-adventure trip. Or simply having more opportunities to participate without asking Mom and Dad to foot the bill.
You don’t have to sell $20,000.
You just have to start.
The 2026 Occoneechee Council popcorn fundraiser begins September 12. If your unit is participating, talk to your leader about setting a goal, signing up for storefronts, and getting started.
Your next Scouting adventure might be closer than you think and you might be able to earn your way there.