Scout popcorn missing

Oct. 10, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman

PALMER - About 6 p.m. Sunday, two cases of extra-yummy caramel corn apparently grew legs and walked away from the Boy Scouts at the Palmer Carrs store.

Troop 361 spent the weekend selling popcorn there, and did really well, according to Marie Domer, whose son is one of the Scouts.

Her husband, Doug, is Scoutmaster for the troop, and Marie Domer does the accounting.

&#8220I'm very picky,” Domer said. &#8220That's why I do it.”

A count of inventory and a count of money from the weekend indicated two cases of caramel corn - the kind mixed with almonds and pecans - are gone, and Domer is certain the cases were stolen.

It most likely happened when the Scouts and about five or six parents loaded up at the end of the day.

&#8220I am 100 percent sure it came up missing at Carrs,” she said. &#8220I find it hard to believe we didn't see someone walk away with them.”

The cases were clearly marked, making it obvious what was in them, obvious Boy Scouts were selling them, and obvious - if someone took off with the boxes - that they were stealing from Boy Scouts, Domer said. The loss to the troop was about $180.

&#8220That's money our troop has to account for,” Domer said. &#8220It comes out of their money for camp and camping and all those activities.”

The cases weighed about five pounds, and it would have been easy for someone to grab them and go, she said.

&#8220I just don't see how one of us could not see it,” she said.

Domer hopes someone may notice some of the &#8220really yummy stuff,” and wonder where it came from.

Or someone might notice the special tins it came in.

&#8220They were round tins with gold tops,” she said.

&#8220That particular can has writing on it that says, ‘Timeless Values: trustworthy, loyal, brave, friendly,' with pictures of Boy Scouts on a black background doing different things,” she added.

Until the loss, the weekend had been a good one for the troop. They earned about $2,000 Saturday and about $1,250 Sunday.

&#8220They worked their tails off,” Domer said.

What bothered her most, though, was the idea that someone would steal from a Boy Scout troop.

&#8220My son said, ‘That's just cheap,'” she said. &#8220I hope they choke on it.”

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.