November 10, 2022 – Mt. Zion Scouts BSA Troop 43 and Venturing Crew 343 are canceling the annual Christmas Tree Sale fundraiser for the second time in the last three years due to a lack of available trees.
Scouts BSA Troop Committee Chair Kent Newton, Scout Master Kevin Johnson, and Venturing Crew Advisor Chip Platt released a joint statement announcing the cancelation of the annual Christmas Tree Sales fundraiser: “Our long-time tree supplier informed us that they would not be able to provide trees this year, or for the next few years. After an exhaustive search for a new supplier proved fruitless, the Troop decided to cancel the sale this year.”
Troop 43 and Crew 343 have sold Christmas trees as a fundraiser for over 30 years. The tree stand was originally established in the Kmart Plaza off Mount Zion Road in the early 1990s but relocated to the Airport Plaza Kroger and Kenny’s Ace Hardware in 2002. Last year the stand was relocated to the El Corral parking lot on Route 36. Over the years, the fundraiser has provided opportunities to support the outdoor experiences for hundreds of Mt. Zion area scouts. There are currently 37 active Scouts and 10 Crew members.
Newton said that the Fundraiser typically raised over $10,000 to fund annual Troop operation expenses such as insurance and registration fees, provide camping equipment such as tents and trailers and offset the cost of monthly camping and other outdoor activities for the scouts. “One of the Scout Laws is that a Scout is thrifty, so we try to keep the costs for scouting as low as possible for families and provide opportunities for Scouts to fund their own activities,” Newton stated. Each scout normally earned between $100 and $150 in credit for activities by working shifts at the tree stand.
In 2020, the sale was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sale returned in 2021 with mixed results as 200 trees ended up going unsold reducing the group’s anticipated profit by $5,000.
Johnson said that the Troop orders about 600 trees each year. Johnson is concerned that community members would not be able to find a real tree this year and end up buying an artificial tree reducing the number of potential customers in the future putting the long-term viability of the annual effort in doubt even if a new source is discovered. “The Troop is required to pay for the trees up front creating a financial risk that may be too much to overcome even if we find a new supplier in the future,” Johnson stated. Things are not completely bleak for the Troop, at least for this year. The Mt Zion Odd Fellows Lodge #300 has named the Troop as the beneficiary of their Christmas Fundraiser.
The Odd Fellows Lodge makes it their duty to give back to the community and raises money through various fundraisers throughout the year support to local community organizations and assistance in the community.
Newton said “The support from the Odd Fellows is expected to cover the 2023 administrative costs for the Troop and provide time to figure out a funding source in the future. However, the money for reducing monthly camping costs for scouts will be extremely limited this year.”
