Popcorn 2022

Lititz Cub Scout Pack 44 paced the Pennsylvania Dutch Council again, selling $48,367 in popcorn during the annual sale, including one Cub Scout, James Spead, who set a council record by selling an incredible $12,020 during the sale.

Spead was presented with a trophy of an eagle and an electric scooter for all his hard work, but Matt Adams, CEO of the Dutch Council, told the crowd of parents and scouts gathered for a special nighttime meeting at Camp Mack that the real meaning of the sale was something more lasting. “This is not about the prizes they get but the skills they learn through doing the sale.”

For each scout, about 20-percent of their sales total goes to their own personal account to help pay for events or scouting gear. About 70-percent goes to local scouting activities.

The night at Camp Mack was a celebration, including skits and a solemn flag retirement ceremony, with the popcorn totals announcement taking up the bulk of the night.

In all, 25 boys sold at least $500 worth of popcorn. In addition, 17 boys hit $750 in sales, 13 sold $1,000, 8 hit $1,500 and 5 sold $2,500 or more.

At each tier, the boys enjoyed rewards, including the chance to pie, ice bucket or Jello a pack leader, for messy fun.

The sale included massive participation from returning scouts, 92-percent of whom engaged in sales. The sale also showed experience counts, as 75 percent of them sold at least $500.

"I was delighted at the hard work that the scouts put in," says Pack 44 Committee Chair Ben Spead and due to that hard work we had our highest percentage of returning scouts hit their minimum $500 goal in the last five years."

One young scout, Santiago Carnice, sold an incredible $4,402.39 making him the Pack’s Rookie of the Year and earning his family a photo session with Jason Zeiglar photography in Lititz.

The Top Den Prize went to the Webelos, fourth graders, who sold an average of $1,831 popcorn per boy, earning them a S’mores party to be thrown later.

The most moving part of the night, however, came near the end, when Cubmaster Tim Prouse led the scouts through a special flag retirement ceremony, retiring about 15 U.S. Flags with a tremendous show of respect.

"I thought it went really well," says Pack 44 Cubmaster Curtis Arpey. "It's nice for our scouts to be a part of something like that, and all of those flags were donated from the local VFWs. They send them to the scouts because they know we do this so respectfully."