It’s time for the Scouting for Food kick-off for 2018! November 3 is the Note distribution date; November 10 is the collection date (closer than you think!) Hopefully you have already started to secure your drop-off locations and recipient agencies and begun talking to units. If not, let’s begin!
This year we will not be distributing bags, but 4″x6″ Post-It Notes. These Our district has been allocated 36,000 Post It Notes. They come in pads of 100 Notes, The number of boxes we receive were calculated on an equivalency with the number of bags received last year. Notes will be distributed at the November Round Table. We will have a limited number of bags left over from last year that units can use on collection day in case donations are left unbagged. THESE ARE LIMITED and once they are gone, they are gone.
Notes vs. bags. I know that some units will complain about the absence of bags. Some units had already stopped using bags and found that neighbors gave them food in bags and boxes anyway. Units should nevertheless be prepared to collect food with their own bags and boxes as they go door-to-door and then to the collection points. Councils using Notes do not seem to suffer lower collections.
Acting on a tip and after asking around other councils, we found that some have gone to 4×6 Post-it notes. We were skeptical at first, but it apparently works, having the advantages of being easier to distribute to units and allowing the note to be transferred by homes to kitchens as a reminder.
Using a model given to us by the Lincoln Heritage Council, a design was worked up and cost estimates were obtained. Using these notes will require collectors to use their own cloth bags or boxes, so some warnings are in order for units. I have always been an advocate of knocking on doors when bags were left and collected anyway, and leaving a unit and scout name, which can also be done on the note. I expect that this may hurt collections a little, and that carrying food from door to car and unit to collection point will be a bigger challenge, especially for Cubs.
Because of printing time requirements, we had to place the order, so this is what we will be doing this year. We did toss around the idea of doing a little of both bags and notes, but the logistics of that seemed too difficult and costly. I know the environmental impact of bags is not huge, but we are aware of the symbolism and get plenty of complaints every year. We just need to try and make this work.
More details to follow in next week’s NewsFlash.
Thanks for all that you do.
–Phil Dennis (Seneca District Scouting For Food Chairman)