Home.15 October 2006
Scouting for Food
Week One Instructions
(A) Pick up a Map Area Binder, 2 reams of SFF Bags (80 bags each), and 1 ream of SFF Flyers (160 Flyers). The Driver and Scouts should review these instructions before starting.
(B) Decide whether you wish to pre-stuff your bags with flyers, or do it "on the fly" while distributing. It is recommended to do it "on the fly" while distributing, but some teams find it easier to do it in advance. It's up to you.
(C) Your assigned streets are highlighted on your map. Be careful, in a few map areas there are TWO separate sections of highlighted streets.
(D) Hit houses that FACE onto your assigned streets (pay attention at corners!)
(E) One Scout hits one side of the street, while the second Scout hits the opposite side. The driver should keep pace in his/her automobile or escort the Scouts on foot - your choice. Scouts should ALWAYS be within sight of each other and their escort. Remind the Scouts to be careful crossing streets.
(F) Do NOT enter Apartment complexes, or enter anyone's house. Avoid "haunted houses," houses with fenced-in dogs (even apparently friendly dogs), houses with "No Solicitation" signs, houses under construction, or any other dwelling which you are uncomfortable with for any reason. Do NOT knock on anyone's door.
(F) At each house, if possible, hang the bag (with enclosed flyer) securely on the INSIDE doorknob of the screen door. If there is no screen door, tie it gently onto the outside doorknob, a railing or mailbox, or partially place it in plain view under a welcome mat. If nothing appropriate is available, put it inside the mailbox; note that this is technically illegal, so only do this as a last resort. Do NOT place the bag is such a way that it can blow away in the wind. Note that littering is a lot more illegal (and annoying) than borderline improper use of mailboxes!
(F) If a resident is outside and approachable (i.e., not obviously involved in something important), please hand them the bag/flyer combination and explain what we're doing. If they refuse to accept the bag for any reason, just wish them a pleasant "Thanks Anyway," and walk away; don't "push" anyone. Note that most people in our map areas know us from previous years, and a visible Scout Uniform usually prevents brush-offs - but not always!
(G) If you run into Scouts from other Troops distributing bags in your area, do NOT get into a confrontation with them! Drivers should get together and compare their maps, and ensure that both sides are in the correct area; if so, they should do an on-the-spot accommodation to divide up the remaining houses, get contact information from each other, and relay the information on the overlap to each Unit's respective SFF Coordinators or Scoutmasters (it's their mess to sort out, not yours!)
(H) When finished, collect any remaining bags and flyers, and your map binder, and return all three to the collection box back at the Parish Center (usually inside one of the Troop vans, as specified during the assembly). NOTE THAT IT IS CRITICAL TO SAVE AND RETURN THE MAP BINDERS FOR USE DURING THE BAG COLLECTION, AND FOR FUTURE YEARS. Once this is done, drivers should drop their Scouts off directly at their homes.
Thanks for your help!
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