Is this only in our Cub Scout pack?

[AnnE-girl]

We intentionally had ds miss his Cub Scout pack post-popcorn sale celebration meeting for the second year in a row tonight. The tradition is that boys who reach their sales goal get to throw a pie (really a styrofoam plate of cool whip) at the adult of their choice. It just seems disrespectful and wasteful to me, so we've decided that ds won't participate in it. We haven't made a stink about it, because it's something that a lot of families apparently think it fine. Is this something that is done in other packs or just ours? Am I just a killjoy?

[amyx4]

Our Pack doesn't sell popcorn

[ScoutTN]

My son is a Bear and new to CS this year. His pack does a similar thing. The highest seller in each den and in the pack get to do the pies.The leaders are totally fine with it and the cost is less that $10. Seems like a fun, rowdy tradition to me. I am sure my Ds will think it is hilarious. Just my 2 cents.Ymmv. :)

Edited November 11, 2016 by ScoutTN

[HomeAgain]

DS's old troop used to give guns to the boys who met their goals.  I'd take the pie throwing any day.

[Sherry in OH]

Our pack has an outing.  Last year it was a midwinter swimming party at the Y.   Other recent venues include a trampoline/bounce party place and bowling.  Scouts who sell any amount of popcorn attend free of charge.  Scouts who do not sell popcorn and siblings pay whatever the venue’s per person charge is. 

[magnificent_baby]

Our pack does this. The boys have a fun time and the leaders volunteer, so no one is surprised. Lots of laughter and a fun time letting loose after a long few weeks of hard work. 

[Sara in AZ]

Our pack hasn't done this as I far as I know, but my son's elementary school pie day celebration last March, there was a throwing pies at the teacher event. I thought it was weird and felt bad for the teachers. The kids loved it, though.

[mom2scouts]

DH led a Cub Scout pack for years and we never did anything like this. Lots of leaders are looking for a fun, silly, inexpensive way to encourage kids to participate though. I imagine many of the boys think it's really fun. If you don't like it, don't participate, but I think it's harmless fun.

[Artichoke]

Our pack did this, and I never liked it.  I was in the minority though, so ds went and enjoyed throwing his pie.  

[LucyStoner]

Our pack leader is very fun loving and frequently offers up jokes at his expense. Pies, water balloons and more. I don't see an issue with it.

Edited November 11, 2016 by LucyStoner

[JustEm]

That sounds like a lot of fun. I don't see it as disrespectful at all unless a pie is being thrown at someone who makes it clear they do not want the pie thrown at them

[poppy]

I don't think it's disrespectful- quite the opposite. It makes the delineation of authority/ kid very clear by being an exception.

[8circles]

We don't do that but I don't see the problem.

[KarenNC]

It's a fairly common "lord of misrule" turning the tables type of activity in many schools and groups from what I can tell and seems harmless. I wouldn't be worried about the waste in this case. The local megachurch that does frozen turkey bowling every year for their youth group when local soup kitchens are begging for donations, however, is a different matter. Yes, the church also donates food, but to me the optics of privilege are pretty bad in that sort of situation.

[6packofun]

Eh, not a huge fan but it wouldn't bug me as much as the rewarding of meeting "sales goals" in the first place.  lol  I hate pressure to sell ridiculously overpriced stuff.  Taking donations for services provided is more my style.

[scoutingmom]

We intentionally had ds miss his Cub Scout pack post-popcorn sale celebration meeting for the second year in a row tonight. The tradition is that boys who reach their sales goal get to throw a pie (really a styrofoam plate of cool whip) at the adult of their choice. It just seems disrespectful and wasteful to me, so we've decided that ds won't participate in it. We haven't made a stink about it, because it's something that a lot of families apparently think it fine. Is this something that is done in other packs or just ours? Am I just a killjoy?

We don't do it for popcorn, but our one cub leader has this for recruitment. If someone brings a friend to cubs, and then that friend joins (i.e. in the next few weeks they have registered officially as a cub with our pack), both the cub that brought the friend and the new cub get to pie her.

 

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[imagine.more]

Ours doesn't do that. My husband works for the BSA and I don't think any of his troops or packs do that. All are supposed to sell popcorn (it's the main source of funding to keep the program cheap) but that pie in the face thing sounds silly and a bit disrespectful to me. Fine if others want to do it but we'd probably skip it like you.

[dirty ethel rackham]

If I recall correctly (it has been a long time since my kids were in Cub Scouts), our pack did this, but I don't think it was for popcorn sales.  It might have been for some other pack goal.. I thought it was some harmless fun.  If it were real pies (like apple or cherry, or, heaven forbid, pumpkin), I would consider it a real waste.  However, a plate of whipped cream is no big deal to me. The Cubmasters were totally in on this.  I don't get how this is disrespectful, unless it was not something that the leadership had not agreed to.(They drew the line on "pies" being thrown on anyone but who agreed to be in on it.)   Dh was an Assistant Cubmaster and I remember being really hungry for pie when I washed his uniform after that meeting due to smelling the whipped cream on his clothes. 

 

I see it as no different than other silly incentives (like a school principal in the dunk tank or getting duct-taped to the wall.)  I wasn't a fan of selling the popcorn, mostly due to the strong-arm tactics by the Council.