Congratulations are in order to all the Scouts and parents of Troop 1113 who delivered mulch to 23 neighborhoods in less than eight hours during the mulch drive this year. We achieved our financial goal to fund the operations of the Troop for another year. We even had an increase over last year. With the best mulch delivery weather we have probably ever had, the majority of the work was finished by about 2:30. After take down, clean up, pallet removal, and yard grading, the clean-up crew was still able to get out of the yard by 3:30.
There were no injuries, minimal broken bags, and only two initially misdirected deliveries out of 134 orders. Demand for mulch was very high this year owing to the early onset of warm weather. We completely sold out of mulch almost two weeks before the deadline. Donations were also up!
This was our most cost-effective sales drive of the last decade. Our total expenses were the lowest since 2007, as were our average expenses per bag delivered. As a result, the margin per bag paid into the Troop Treasury was the highest on record. We used a leaner mix of mostly donated trucks, trailers, and pickups this year, and mailing costs were minimized because of the high response rate to our hand-delivered flyers.
Some 29 hardworking Scouts and friends took part this year. Some two dozen parents also volunteered in the Mosby Woods lot, and on the road. We couldn’t have done it without our parent volunteers and their donated vehicles, gas, time, and efforts. The yard set up was efficient, and the food was excellent. There was a good mix of delivery vehicles with one large donated stake truck, one rented mini-flatbed, seven pick-ups, four trailers, and three cars or vans. The forklift was kept humming all day long, loading mulch and making numerous deliveries throughout the Mosby Woods neighborhood. Smooth operators all.
Congratulations, and thank you one and all.
Dick Greene.
