Welcome to Troop 61

Shift Sign-up

If you are reading these instructions, then the annual Christmas tree sales event is upon us, and like all scouting events we need and very much appreciate your help. Troop 61 and the other Boy Scout troops in town use the Christmas tree sales money as the primary fundraiser for the whole year. It pays for the trips we go on, buys our troop equipment, and allows us to have a low annual dues. Because of the size and scope of the event, we really need everyone’s help. Parental help is every bit as important to the event’s success as scout help.You sign up online for the shifts you would like to work. Each shift has a date and time listed. We hope it is easy to pick a shift that fits in with your schedule. Most shifts consist of two adults, a Senior scout (who has worked on the tree sale before) and two younger scouts. The Senior Scout is expected to have the knowledge and skills to teach and help the younger scouts with the sale.

We need everyone to show up for their shifts, but if you need to swap shifts with someone else, please make arrangements for someone to cover your shift, and then call or email Mrs. Fogarty at 508 380-4260 and tell her who that person is. She can also answer your general questions about the Christmas tree sales event as well.

We would like all scouts to sign up for a minimum of three shifts. They can be sales or work shifts, including tree deliveries, drilling or setup, but all together they should equal three. You may do more that three if you like (!) and some boys do that every year and we always appreciate it, but it is not required and you only need to do three. We also need parents to sign up for 2 - 3 shifts per family - we cannot do the sales event without the parents‘ contribution, it is a crucial part of the sale. You can do your shift at the same time as your son or at a different time, whichever you choose.

There will be more information at next Wed’s troop meeting (11/14/07) about Christmas Tree sale procedures and the parents’ and scouts’ roles in it, and especially for those who are new to the troop or new to the Tree Sale, Mrs. Fogarty is always available to answer questions throughout the sale- please don’t hesitate to contact her by phone or email (afogarty@partners.org) if you don’t see her at a meeting. There will also be a demonstration of how to tie a tree onto the roof of a car at the next Wed night troop meeting. Stay tuned!

Selling Trees

Scouts should be focused on helping customers choose their trees and wreaths. Remember, it projects a good scouting image when a scout is helpful, courteous, etc. Scouts can help the customers select trees, carry trees, and load and tie trees onto their cars when requested to do so by the owner.Scouts should also do their best to keep the site clean and orderly, to keep items off the ground that can be tripped on, and at the end of their shifts scouts should make sure the corral is stocked and ready for the next shift.

Sometime the trees can be very wet, especially after a snow storm. Bring two pairs of gloves to wear in case one gets lost or wet. Waterproof gloves are a very good thing.

All the trees are tagged with colored plastic tape which indicates the price of the tree. Occasionally you may find a red or yellow tag that does not match our system. These come from the grower and may have been forgotten and left on the tree. Just ignore these tags and look for our tags. The location of trees in the corral doesn’t have any bearing on a tree price, you really have to look for the colored tag.

The Red Sales notebook is a good read, has lots of good information in it including the names and contact info of others working the Tree sale and those who are coming to take over after your shift ends, etc.

Receipts

Adults only should handle the money. No scouts should handle money please. This is a firm rule. If a customer tries to pay a scout, the scout should direct the customer to the adult at that shift. Tips to scouts are treated as sales receipts and are not kept by the scouts.

Adult sellers should keep only the amount of money needed for making change, and any more than that should be kept in a nearby, locked car. At the end of your shift, put all cash, checks and coupons into the envelope marked for your shift and seal the envelope. This envelope is given to either the tree committee member responsible for collection or to the next shift leader.

There will be a list of who that person is in the Red Sales notebook, and the contact information for that person is there should you need it.

If a customer wants to pay by check, they should make the check out to Sudbury Boy Scouts.

The Town of Sudbury Board of Health issues coupons entitling a bearer to a free Christmas tree. The coupon holder may select a Blue, Pink, White or Green tagged tree of their choice at no charge. Put the certificate in your money envelope just as you would cash. There is a sample of what this certificate looks like in the Red Sales notebook.

Sullivan Tire employees may present a letter entitling them to select a tree up to a specified value. There is also a sample of this letter in the Red Sales Notebook.

The Trees

Almost all the trees we sell are Balsam Firs, though we offer a small number of Fraser Firs. The trees are priced from $20.00 and up, ranging in size from five to twelve feet within several different quality grades.All our live products, except for some wreaths, come from Maine, and they are fresher than the Canadian grown products.We also sell Christmas tree stands that take advantage of our tapered pin display system. The tree stands have a tapered pin in the center. All the customer has to do is set the tree on the stand by matching the pin with the drilled hole in the trunk.

Sometimes the pin hole in the bottom of the tree must be re-drilled if too much is trimmed of the base off the tree. There is an electrical hand drill in the equipment box for this purpose. Enlarging a hole is easy, but if the hole must be re-drilled from scratch, it is important to get the hole as straight as possible. Drilling should be done by adults or senior scouts under the supervision of an adult.

Corral Organization

Our trees are displayed for sale in two manners:The “Stand Straight” system in which trees with drilled bases are set upright on tapered pins which are attached to twelve display racks,Trees that have not been drilled are leaned against the rails of the corral, called the “leaners”.Occasionally a tree will freeze and stick to a display pin so that it is difficult to remove. There is a pinch bar in the hut that will pry the tree loose.

Most of the trees will be sold through the “Stand Straight” system because the customer can get a 360 degree view of the tree without touching it. Therefore, it is important to keep restocking these trees as they are sold. Here are some things to keep in mind when restocking:

Each tree stand is color coded with a marking tape tied to the base that tells you what trees should be displayed on it. Place a drilled tree with a color tape to match the tape on the rack.

Don’t display any #2 Sheared trees (Blue Tags) on the pins. They don’t look as good as the others and are a discount tree. People who want them will find them in the “leaner” section.

Trees that have been predrilled are in their own special storage area, immediately next to the corral. The tree committee will do their best to keep a variety of sizes/grades available, but the selection could become thin just before a drilling session.

Restock the tree stands as quickly as possible so scouts and customers do not trip over the exposed pins! If there is a sales rush going on and no one can restock immediately, then cover the pin with one of the orange plastic cones until you have time to restock it.

The ‘leaners” should be grouped by size/grade in the corral. White-tagged trees go between the two white tag markers tied to the corral, and so on.

Please don’t use pre-drilled trees as “leaners”.

The “leaners” will need to be restocked throughout the shift as well.

We have a small number of Fraser Firs to sell. Some customers will want nothing but a Fraser. They are kept to one side for those who request them.

Have Fun and stay warm!

Mrs Fogarty

Anne

508-380-4260

afogarty@partners.org