Just before Thanksgiving, at the corner of 67th Street and Nall Avenue, over 1,000 evergreen trees are lined up in rows. Rainbow Christmas lights are strung above the courtyard of Saint Michael Episcopal Church, over the tops of the various types and sizes of trees waiting for the tree lot to open.
Every tree is bare, soon to be decorated with tinsel and illuminated for the holiday season — all except one. A family already claimed the tallest Fraser fir tree, the most coveted tree in the lot. A ribbon is wrapped around the branches, and a whiteboard with a note claiming the tree for the family is hung around the trunk.
“Before the sale starts, some parents will come out, decorate the tree, wrap it and put signs on them claiming them, because our taller trees are the most competitive ones,” eagle scout and junior Drew Lash said.
For over 60 years, eagle scouts have been hauling evergreen trees on top of cars at this very same street corner. This year, Drew and his friend, eagle scout and junior Guy King, are continuing the tradition to benefit their 30-person Boy Scout troop — Troop 199. All the money raised in this annual fundraiser will go towards camping trips and retreats the troop will take next year.
Last summer, the troop took a camping trip to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico, all paid for with the funds received from the tree lot.
The trees come from Dutchman Tree Farms. In June, scout leaders will place an order for the trees, specifying the number and types they’ll receive. The orders are based on the past year’s demand. Dutchman employees will cut, load and drive the trees to Saint Michael Episcopal Church from the farm in Northern Michigan.
“We've been [selling trees] for so long, we kind of know how many trees we can sell in the amount of time we have to sell them,” troop treasurer and Guy’s Father, Scott King said. “We buy around 1,300, and the goal is to sell all of them.”
The sale starts on Nov. 22 and runs for three weeks — or as long as the trees are in stock. After operating this sale for decades, Scott says the troop always orders enough trees for everyone who wants one.
When the lot is open, scouts are expected to work at the lot as much as they can during the 11-hour days. The lot is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and during shifts, scouts will walk families through buying the perfect tree for the holiday season.
“It starts off really hot, and then it kind of trickles down at the end,” Scott said. “We front-load all of the work, so everybody knows, the first weekend block your calendar, be ready to be there and work, and then by the end, it's a little bit more just calm.”
Before the sale starts, the older boys will teach younger scouts about the different types of trees offered and how they’re organized by size in the lot. That way, if a family comes in wanting the tallest Fraser fir, the scout knows precisely where to take them — the back of the lot. Once the tree is picked out and paid for, it’s bagged and tied to the top of the car by scouts, ready to be the center of attention in that family’s living room.
The boys will go through this process dozens of times each shift, and being able to connect with local families who have been coming for decades is one of Guy’s favorite parts of the fundraiser.
“Usually, there are people who’ve been [coming] for like, 50 years,” Guy said. “It's cool hearing their stories.”
By the middle of December, after hundreds of families have visited, the sale comes to a close, and Troop 199 has met their annual goal again. By selling almost all their trees, they fundraised enough for all the boys in the troop to enjoy a year's worth of Boy Scout adventures.
When the sale is coming to a close — supply is picked over, and the last trees left go on sale — pine needles are littered along the church lot and in the Scouts’ cars, while their heavy jackets and pants give off a pine tree aroma.
“During this time, half the stuff in our house smells like Christmas trees because we're all working there,” Scott said. “We’re lifting trees and moving trees, and there's Christmas tree stuff everywhere. It sets the tone for the holiday.”
Related
Leave a Reply