Final Report

Final report from the National Capital Area Council, Corporate and Community Relations Director: I want to THANK each and EVERYONE of you for the hard work and dedication through-out the sale!! Your efforts have proved again that Scout’s in the National Capital Area Council are the BEST in the Nation!! Here are some results;

• Our Council has retained the Number 1 spot in on-line sales!! Since Trails-end has started on-line sales NCAC has lead every year!!! In 2010 we had stiff competition from Dallas and Huston. In 2009 NCAC posted an on-line sale of just over $120,000. In 2010 Dallas posted for the first time ever a sale on-line of $214,657 and Huston for the first time posted an on-line sale of $233,630. Those numbers were tough to beat, however in 2009 NCAC posted $120,123 to LEAD the Nation in 2010 NCAC posted on-line sales of $242,869!!! That number is DOUBLE what you did in 2009 and again LEADS THE NATION!!! CONGRATS TO ALL OF YOU!!
• Over-all we posted a sale of $4,176,591 short of our goal but still an increase over last year of 9.3% OUTSTANDING!!! We are still behind Dallas by $109,804 but there is NO DOUBT we will beat them in 2011. As we look to 2011 which is NCAC 100th Birthday we will LEAD THE NATION!! Again THANK YOU for all that you do for our Scouts. Think about this 70% of that $4,176,591 has gone back into local scouting!!

Start:

• Use Social Media. Crews could be encouraged to use their Facebook accounts.
• Post progress reports on Crew websites. Though the final tally will be unknown until the end, it is possible for units to get interim reports. Be sure to use just first name and last initial, though.

Stop:

• Do not use the Trails End e-mail creator. The graphic and wording reflects Cub Scouts, not older youth.

Continue:

• Create on-line accounts. As the message from the Council coordinator indicates, on-line sales are very good for reaching out to relatives and friends. Plus, they enable tracking of sales to the individual level.
• Use e-mail. Send messages to relatives and friends, stressing the value of the product and the benefits of the purchases (e.g., bringing money to Council, the Units, and the Crew members)
• Have parents take forms to the workplace Most of the sales by older youth in Crews 1150 and 1501 were due to parents circulating the form at their workplace.
• Stress the value. The product quality is higher than comparable brands, people who are inclined to support Scouting look for the opportunity to purchase the product, and 70% of proceeds come back to the Council and to the Units.
• Attend kick-off sessions. This gives members the latest information on the product, ideas for promotion, and opportunity to network with other units (and demonstrate to Trails End the importance of supporting sales by units with older youth).