Life on the Lot

"So what exactly were you doing over Christmas anyways, Glenn?"  I was managing a Christmas tree lot for Mission Hills, Boy Scout Troop 104.  Let me tell you about it!

Every year, Troop 104 raises money for their scouts to go to summer camp and on outings.  They do this by organizing one large fundraiser a year instead of doing many smaller ones as some other troops do.  Many people are already familiar with Boy Scouts selling popcorn and Girl Scouts selling cookies as fundraisers; Troop 104 sells Christmas trees.

As manager of the lot, my job was to ensure that everything ran safely and smoothly.  I would arrive in the mornings to deliver cash to the register and welcome the first shift.  Typically, there would be two people working the sales shed and two on the lot, but depending on who was scheduled or available to work, this would vary slightly.  Throughout the day, I would stop by the lot making sure there was enough change in the register, the flocking equipment was working, trees were being opened and placed in water and a number of other operational duties were taken care of.  I would also fill in when people didn't show up for their shift or when extra help was needed.  At the end of the day, I would count our earnings with the treasurer and make the lot ready for the guard shift to start.

Another duty as manager was to make sure enough buckets, stands, nails, flock, and other supplies were ordered before we ran out.  I also counted, unloaded and signed off on our shipments of trees and was the go-to guy for any questions or problems that arose... and problems did arise.  This year, we faced torrential downpours that turned the lot into a muddy swamp.  After laying old carpet and digging channels for the water to drain, it still took a couple days before the lot was easily used again.  Even when problems needed to be fixed, I really enjoyed my work.  Everyone I worked with did their best and their efforts made my job a delight.