Popcorn’s all the rage these days, but Scout fundraisers haven’t always been so mainstream. Throughout history Scouts have sold a variety of less-conventional products in the name of fundraising for their pack and troop. I’m talking candles and fire extinguishers, road atlases and safety flares, candy and oranges — if you could slap a price tag on it, chances are Scouts sold it.
Not that wacky fundraising ideas are a bad thing, of course. Fundraisers are a necessary part of any Scout unit, always done in the name of filling a unit’s coffers so it can offer more and better Scouting outings. But some of the items I came across when searching through Scouting magazine’s digital archives made me do a double-take.
But hey, whatever works, right?
After the jump find 23 bizarre fundraising ideas from Scouting’s past, all presented as they appeared in Scouting magazine. And those of you who have been in Scouting a while, tell me: Did you sell any of these items? Or better yet: What was the craziest Scouting fundraiser you ever took part in?
1950s: Vanilla
1960s: Fire Extinguisher
1970s: Fruitcake
1970s: Safety Flares
1970s: Sponges
1970s: Trash Bags
1970s: Animal Candles
1970s: Auto Trouble Lites
1970s: More Animal Candles
1970s: Spill Stopper
1970s: Spot Stain Remover
1970s: Munchie Mix
1970s: Road Atlas
1970s: Smoke Detector
1980s: Disney Candy
1980s: Oranges
1980s: Stuffed Animals
1980s: Superhero Pens
1980s: Safety Cone
1980s: Daily Planners
1990s: Dishcloths
1990s: Light Bulbs
1990s: Oreos
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