Everything in the BEGIN scope is always compiled executed before everything else even if in your script BEGIN {} is at the end.

$var = "VARIABLE";
END {print "this is at the end:$var\n";}
BEGIN {print "this is in the beginning:$var\n";}

##OUTPUT:
$ perl script.pl
this is the beginning:
this is at the end:VARIABLE
[download]

Try running your script without the BEGIN.

--
hiseldl
What time is it? It's Camel Time!