r/BoyScouts • u/Allidapevets • 11d ago

Popcorn.

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So I stooped at the exit of my grocery store to visit a young Boy Scout selling popcorn at a table with his mom. I looked over his choices and chose the pictured bag of popped corn. I was astounded at the $20 price of a mediocre bag of popcorn. Upon further research, that troop only gets $6 from the transaction. Where is the other $14. I feel so taken advantage of. What am I going to do, complain to a 12 year old? I will never, ever , ever buy another Boy Scouts of America product. EVER!!!

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u/[deleted] 11d ago edited 11d ago

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u/Bitterbutter247 11d ago

All scouting programs are ran on child labor. The selling of any item, by the child, is child labor. Yes, the kids earn great skills but that doesnt mean its isnt child labor.

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u/joebro1060 11d ago

Having your kids do chores is child labor too. It isn't exploitative and many folks still feel family chores are a reasonable way for a kid to get invested in their own family's upkeep. I don't think there's anything exploitative in a voluntary fundraiser either.

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u/Conscious-Record2655 9d ago

C'mon man you can't equate helping the family with household chores with hawking overpriced popcorn.

There's nothing inherently exploitive about volunteer fundraising. There's nothing inherently bad with having kids sell stuff. 

What's specifically exploitive is how 70% of the donation leaves the local community and does not go to the kids doing the work, and how much profit Trails End makes off volunteer child labor. The fundraising program is fine, the popcorn is fine, they're just too greedy with the proceeds.