Troop is not very fun

[smoortgat]

I agree with you But there has to be a balance. A decent camp experience doesn't mean you can do other activities as well. Honestly, I don't know what a real girl scout is. But if what GSUSA is teaching is not empowerment and self confidence which are things a child gains from the camp experience along with several other activities then what is the point. Frankly if GSUSA spent half as much time providing these activities as the do pushing sales the Scouting experience for girls would be so much better. I applaud the troops that have gotten away from the marketing and focus solely on the girls. I wish I could find a troop like that closer to me.

[King Ding Dong]

I agree with you But there has to be a balance. A decent camp experience doesn't mean you can do other activities as well. Honestly, I don't know what a real girl scout is. But if what GSUSA is teaching is not empowerment and self confidence which are things a child gains from the camp experience along with several other activities then what is the point. Frankly if GSUSA spent half as much time providing these activities as the do pushing sales the Scouting experience for girls would be so much better. I applaud the troops that have gotten away from the marketing and focus solely on the girls. I wish I could find a troop like that closer to me.

I have no experience with GS, but how is selling cookies any different than Cub/BS selling popcorn ? Is there a larger focus on it than is the BSA ?

[smoortgat]

I agree with you But there has to be a balance. A decent camp experience doesn't mean you can do other activities as well. Honestly, I don't know what a real girl scout is. But if what GSUSA is teaching is not empowerment and self confidence which are things a child gains from the camp experience along with several other activities then what is the point. Frankly if GSUSA spent half as much time providing these activities as the do pushing sales the Scouting experience for girls would be so much better. I applaud the troops that have gotten away from the marketing and focus solely on the girls. I wish I could find a troop like that closer to me.

By Far ! BSA does do some but not to the level of the Multi National event that cookies are. Even IBF has looked into it with concern

[Jeffrey H]

My daughter has no interest in Girl Scouts around here because in her words, "Dad, they don't do anything outdoors like the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts." Yes, they are two very different programs. Quite frankly, the GSUSA leaders that I see don't appear to be able to handle a good hike or too much physical exertion. So, their program stays indoors.

 

Seems like the only think they do around here is sell cookies.

[King Ding Dong]

I agree with you But there has to be a balance. A decent camp experience doesn't mean you can do other activities as well. Honestly, I don't know what a real girl scout is. But if what GSUSA is teaching is not empowerment and self confidence which are things a child gains from the camp experience along with several other activities then what is the point. Frankly if GSUSA spent half as much time providing these activities as the do pushing sales the Scouting experience for girls would be so much better. I applaud the troops that have gotten away from the marketing and focus solely on the girls. I wish I could find a troop like that closer to me.

OK. So what is the take for the troop/scout? Same 30% as popcorn ? What are the numbers on where the money goes?

 

I am just having a problem seeing what the issue is with the cookies. We have to bust our ass to sell crappy popcorn and any table I see selling cookies has a line.

[smoortgat]

My daughter has no interest in Girl Scouts around here because in her words, "Dad, they don't do anything outdoors like the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts." Yes, they are two very different programs. Quite frankly, the GSUSA leaders that I see don't appear to be able to handle a good hike or too much physical exertion. So, their program stays indoors.

 

Seems like the only think they do around here is sell cookies.

Umm! Wink Nod. Glad you said it. Try LA! They can hike here but it has to be in a mall. Cookies, popcorn candy, stupid overpriced gift wrap Its all crazy whither it is the BSA or GSUSA. Whats the point? I know ill get some person writing in and saying it teaches leadership Blah Blah. Really its parent exploitation. But I get it and will play along as long as the troop does something anything else. If they wanted to teach something business like then they should let the troop form their own business venture from the ground up and not force cookies/Popcorn Really Popcorn? In my day it was scoutorama what happened to that I wonder. If the point is to make money for activities. Why not do something to that actually makes money? Smells like Amway to me !

That my soapbox. And its not really my issue. My problem is finding a troop that is active so that my daughter can grow up in a supportive environment but also learn something about the world. Other that Justin Beiber.

[King Ding Dong]

My daughter has no interest in Girl Scouts around here because in her words, "Dad, they don't do anything outdoors like the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts." Yes, they are two very different programs. Quite frankly, the GSUSA leaders that I see don't appear to be able to handle a good hike or too much physical exertion. So, their program stays indoors.

 

Seems like the only think they do around here is sell cookies.

I don't know what the GS spend their money on, but our pack spends the popcorn money on awards, B&G, snacks at some activities, rechartering fees. The other option is to charge the families for everything or jack up the registration fees. Scouting does take money, it has to come from somewhere. I am very open to suggestions on how to make a 30% margin or more, So you are saying the cookies do not make money ? I hate selling popcorn, but I don't have a better idea of how a 7 year old can raise funds.

[ScoutNut]

If you feel that selling cookies is exploitation, have you offered to open your pocketbook, and fund an entire year of Girl Scouting for your daughter's Troop?

 

No?

 

Scouting costs money. It has to come from somewhere.

 

Have you offered to pay for at least your daughter's costs? How many patches, awards, etc, has she earned? How much has she used in supplies? Does the Troop have to pay any type of rental for their meeting space? Are you charged for the TOTAL cost of any outing attended by your daughter?

 

No worries!, Perhaps the Planned Parenthood Fairy will drop a bundle of cash on your Troop leader's doorstep! Oh, whoops. Sorry, can't have that now can we.

 

Seriously, if you have not organized a product sale (cookies OR popcorn) you have NO idea what goes into it or what the kids do, or do not learn.

 

The GSUSA program, as in ANY youth program, including BSA, is only as good as the volunteers involved. If done correctly the girls learn quite a LOT from product sales. That is why GSUSA National has incorporated it as part of their program.

 

GSUSA Troop/Groups are YOUTH run from kindergarten thru 12th grade. It is age appropriate, and a learning experience, but even kindergarteners have input in their Troop.

 

It starts with the girls picking a form of "government" for their Troop, It goes on to the girls deciding what awards they want to earn, and activities they want to do, including service activities. Then the question is how do THEY pay for what THEY want to do. Barring any "Sugar Daddies/Mommies/Mythical Creatures", the answer is usually a combo of dues, and product sales. The GIRLS figure out how much their "year of Scouting" will cost, and how many cookies/candy/calendars/etc, they will have to sell to achieve that goal. They also have to decide what kind of profit they want from the product sales. Do they want a higher Troop profit per item, but no gee gaw incentive awards? Or do they crave the fancy stuff, and stuffed animals, and so opt for a lower Troop profit, which means they will have to sell more to reach their dollar goals? (BTW - while a box of cookies might be easier to sell than a tin/box/bag of popcorn, the profit per box is approximately 13%, not 30%.)

 

So, up to this point the GIRLS have been involved in (to varying degrees based on age) : politics, researching, goal setting, budgeting, math skills, money management, and time management.

 

As the product sales approach the GIRLS decide if they want to do booth sales, order-taking, or a combo. If they decide to do booth sales the GIRLS help to decide what product to order, and how much. The GIRLS help decide where/when to hold their booth sales. The GIRLS create advertising for their sale. The GIRLS display their product at the booth. The GIRLS sell the product to their customers.

 

So, to the above we can add, art skills, imaginative thinking, business skills/ethics, public relations, marketing, customer service, salesmanship, and yes, leadership.

 

Yes, selling cookies is a National sale. Yes, it is considered a sales PROGRAM, along with being a fundraiser for BOTH the Troop and the Council.

 

Exploitation - NO. A great learning experience for the girls - YES.

[jasper18]

If you feel that selling cookies is exploitation, have you offered to open your pocketbook, and fund an entire year of Girl Scouting for your daughter's Troop?

 

No?

 

Scouting costs money. It has to come from somewhere.

 

Have you offered to pay for at least your daughter's costs? How many patches, awards, etc, has she earned? How much has she used in supplies? Does the Troop have to pay any type of rental for their meeting space? Are you charged for the TOTAL cost of any outing attended by your daughter?

 

No worries!, Perhaps the Planned Parenthood Fairy will drop a bundle of cash on your Troop leader's doorstep! Oh, whoops. Sorry, can't have that now can we.

 

Seriously, if you have not organized a product sale (cookies OR popcorn) you have NO idea what goes into it or what the kids do, or do not learn.

 

The GSUSA program, as in ANY youth program, including BSA, is only as good as the volunteers involved. If done correctly the girls learn quite a LOT from product sales. That is why GSUSA National has incorporated it as part of their program.

 

GSUSA Troop/Groups are YOUTH run from kindergarten thru 12th grade. It is age appropriate, and a learning experience, but even kindergarteners have input in their Troop.

 

It starts with the girls picking a form of "government" for their Troop, It goes on to the girls deciding what awards they want to earn, and activities they want to do, including service activities. Then the question is how do THEY pay for what THEY want to do. Barring any "Sugar Daddies/Mommies/Mythical Creatures", the answer is usually a combo of dues, and product sales. The GIRLS figure out how much their "year of Scouting" will cost, and how many cookies/candy/calendars/etc, they will have to sell to achieve that goal. They also have to decide what kind of profit they want from the product sales. Do they want a higher Troop profit per item, but no gee gaw incentive awards? Or do they crave the fancy stuff, and stuffed animals, and so opt for a lower Troop profit, which means they will have to sell more to reach their dollar goals? (BTW - while a box of cookies might be easier to sell than a tin/box/bag of popcorn, the profit per box is approximately 13%, not 30%.)

 

So, up to this point the GIRLS have been involved in (to varying degrees based on age) : politics, researching, goal setting, budgeting, math skills, money management, and time management.

 

As the product sales approach the GIRLS decide if they want to do booth sales, order-taking, or a combo. If they decide to do booth sales the GIRLS help to decide what product to order, and how much. The GIRLS help decide where/when to hold their booth sales. The GIRLS create advertising for their sale. The GIRLS display their product at the booth. The GIRLS sell the product to their customers.

 

So, to the above we can add, art skills, imaginative thinking, business skills/ethics, public relations, marketing, customer service, salesmanship, and yes, leadership.

 

Yes, selling cookies is a National sale. Yes, it is considered a sales PROGRAM, along with being a fundraiser for BOTH the Troop and the Council.

 

Exploitation - NO. A great learning experience for the girls - YES.

There are a lot of pros and cons about the cookie sales. So far, I have only done the Cookie Activity Pin and Cookie Leaves with the Daisy Girls but everything they did to earn them was valuable:

1) Learn to count money

2) Learn to set goals

3) Understanding needs vs. wants

4) Discuss tithing and using some of their profits for charity

5) Understand how to approach customers

6) Create advertisements that share how the money will be used

 

It takes a lot of adult effort and it seems like a pain to me. I also know that many girls aren't selling so much as their parents are taking orders at the office. I also realize we are discussing healthy eating at the same time as hawking cookies. All that said, it costs money to run a troop and cookies are a product that people actually want to buy. Learning about and handling money is a skill girls should have. That said, it is a necessary evil.

 

I also will say that as a Cub Scout leader and a Girl Scout leader that the Daisies understand a lot more about where the money is coming from and going to from their sales then the Tigers do with popcorn. The program really emphasizes the girls understanding of the financial aspects, which I think is great. Society could use more people who can handle money well.

[smoortgat]

If you feel that selling cookies is exploitation, have you offered to open your pocketbook, and fund an entire year of Girl Scouting for your daughter's Troop?

 

No?

 

Scouting costs money. It has to come from somewhere.

 

Have you offered to pay for at least your daughter's costs? How many patches, awards, etc, has she earned? How much has she used in supplies? Does the Troop have to pay any type of rental for their meeting space? Are you charged for the TOTAL cost of any outing attended by your daughter?

 

No worries!, Perhaps the Planned Parenthood Fairy will drop a bundle of cash on your Troop leader's doorstep! Oh, whoops. Sorry, can't have that now can we.

 

Seriously, if you have not organized a product sale (cookies OR popcorn) you have NO idea what goes into it or what the kids do, or do not learn.

 

The GSUSA program, as in ANY youth program, including BSA, is only as good as the volunteers involved. If done correctly the girls learn quite a LOT from product sales. That is why GSUSA National has incorporated it as part of their program.

 

GSUSA Troop/Groups are YOUTH run from kindergarten thru 12th grade. It is age appropriate, and a learning experience, but even kindergarteners have input in their Troop.

 

It starts with the girls picking a form of "government" for their Troop, It goes on to the girls deciding what awards they want to earn, and activities they want to do, including service activities. Then the question is how do THEY pay for what THEY want to do. Barring any "Sugar Daddies/Mommies/Mythical Creatures", the answer is usually a combo of dues, and product sales. The GIRLS figure out how much their "year of Scouting" will cost, and how many cookies/candy/calendars/etc, they will have to sell to achieve that goal. They also have to decide what kind of profit they want from the product sales. Do they want a higher Troop profit per item, but no gee gaw incentive awards? Or do they crave the fancy stuff, and stuffed animals, and so opt for a lower Troop profit, which means they will have to sell more to reach their dollar goals? (BTW - while a box of cookies might be easier to sell than a tin/box/bag of popcorn, the profit per box is approximately 13%, not 30%.)

 

So, up to this point the GIRLS have been involved in (to varying degrees based on age) : politics, researching, goal setting, budgeting, math skills, money management, and time management.

 

As the product sales approach the GIRLS decide if they want to do booth sales, order-taking, or a combo. If they decide to do booth sales the GIRLS help to decide what product to order, and how much. The GIRLS help decide where/when to hold their booth sales. The GIRLS create advertising for their sale. The GIRLS display their product at the booth. The GIRLS sell the product to their customers.

 

So, to the above we can add, art skills, imaginative thinking, business skills/ethics, public relations, marketing, customer service, salesmanship, and yes, leadership.

 

Yes, selling cookies is a National sale. Yes, it is considered a sales PROGRAM, along with being a fundraiser for BOTH the Troop and the Council.

 

Exploitation - NO. A great learning experience for the girls - YES.

To answer both your questions is yes I have. I do put my money where my mouth is. And I do organize events. Thank you for your opinion! As fare as the planned parenthood comment goes If you haven't figured out from my posts I take my parental responsibilities very seriously and don't appreciate being lumped together with a group that I am morally and politically against. So I would thank you for keeping politics out of the conversation.

 

I am happy for you if your troop families support your cookie sale efforts. But in my case I was the parent that always came early to cover the parents that dont show up and stayed late because the parents don't show up. plus I have cases of cookies sitting in my house that I will never eat and wont let my daughter. I tell you what Ill sell them to you if you want them.

[smoortgat]

If you feel that selling cookies is exploitation, have you offered to open your pocketbook, and fund an entire year of Girl Scouting for your daughter's Troop?

 

No?

 

Scouting costs money. It has to come from somewhere.

 

Have you offered to pay for at least your daughter's costs? How many patches, awards, etc, has she earned? How much has she used in supplies? Does the Troop have to pay any type of rental for their meeting space? Are you charged for the TOTAL cost of any outing attended by your daughter?

 

No worries!, Perhaps the Planned Parenthood Fairy will drop a bundle of cash on your Troop leader's doorstep! Oh, whoops. Sorry, can't have that now can we.

 

Seriously, if you have not organized a product sale (cookies OR popcorn) you have NO idea what goes into it or what the kids do, or do not learn.

 

The GSUSA program, as in ANY youth program, including BSA, is only as good as the volunteers involved. If done correctly the girls learn quite a LOT from product sales. That is why GSUSA National has incorporated it as part of their program.

 

GSUSA Troop/Groups are YOUTH run from kindergarten thru 12th grade. It is age appropriate, and a learning experience, but even kindergarteners have input in their Troop.

 

It starts with the girls picking a form of "government" for their Troop, It goes on to the girls deciding what awards they want to earn, and activities they want to do, including service activities. Then the question is how do THEY pay for what THEY want to do. Barring any "Sugar Daddies/Mommies/Mythical Creatures", the answer is usually a combo of dues, and product sales. The GIRLS figure out how much their "year of Scouting" will cost, and how many cookies/candy/calendars/etc, they will have to sell to achieve that goal. They also have to decide what kind of profit they want from the product sales. Do they want a higher Troop profit per item, but no gee gaw incentive awards? Or do they crave the fancy stuff, and stuffed animals, and so opt for a lower Troop profit, which means they will have to sell more to reach their dollar goals? (BTW - while a box of cookies might be easier to sell than a tin/box/bag of popcorn, the profit per box is approximately 13%, not 30%.)

 

So, up to this point the GIRLS have been involved in (to varying degrees based on age) : politics, researching, goal setting, budgeting, math skills, money management, and time management.

 

As the product sales approach the GIRLS decide if they want to do booth sales, order-taking, or a combo. If they decide to do booth sales the GIRLS help to decide what product to order, and how much. The GIRLS help decide where/when to hold their booth sales. The GIRLS create advertising for their sale. The GIRLS display their product at the booth. The GIRLS sell the product to their customers.

 

So, to the above we can add, art skills, imaginative thinking, business skills/ethics, public relations, marketing, customer service, salesmanship, and yes, leadership.

 

Yes, selling cookies is a National sale. Yes, it is considered a sales PROGRAM, along with being a fundraiser for BOTH the Troop and the Council.

 

Exploitation - NO. A great learning experience for the girls - YES.

To further the point the financial aspect was never and I mean never discussed with the girls. Al they heard was who was getting what prize. Nothing to do with Balancing money or anything . In fact our troops finances are a tightly held secret known only by the leader. Who came up with the cash when they couldn't afford the van rental for the camp. Ill let you guess. And I'm on disability.

[smoortgat]

ScoutNut your approach seems utopic. And I would like to see it in action maybe my daughter will join your troop. Please come here and show us how its done. Ill back you you sound like the leader we need. In fact I think the Whole of LA needs you. Sort of like a GS version of Nanny McPhee

 

[ScoutNut]

Nope, not utopic at all. Simply a LOT of hard work.

 

The Troops that I know of that really worked well (including ours) were the ones that had a core group of parents (moms AND dads) who liked, and respected, each other, worked well TOGETHER, and who believed in what the Scouting program could bring to their kids.

 

Our girls are all adults now, and Lifetime Girl Scouts. My daughter has abandoned Chicago for the Bay area, perhaps you could move your Troop up there, and persuade her (or my former Boy Scout son who moved out there with her) to help!

 

 

 

[qwazse]

I think SN hit the nail on the head. Parents need to show solidarity and respect. For some folks that does not come easy. (I hate pulling the suburban middle class card, but I am afraid it applies to that demographic more often than not.)

 

Smoort has been shoveled a heavy dose of disrespect. The moms might not feel that way, but nothing hurts an Eagle scout's feelings more than a bunch of people saying "Yeah, sure you can set up a camping agenda, but don't expect all of us to sign on!"

 

So then everything else, ... the cookie sales, the camps they go to, etc ... becomes colored by that experience.

 

Now granted, when one of my venturers called for a day at the spa during a brainstorming session, I "deep six-ed" that card after the meeting. But if she would have continued to be enthusiastic about it, promoted its benefits, made it cost-effective, and brought others on board, I would have knuckled under and got that pedicure with the rest of the crew.

 

That's kind of the point, the Good Book says we should be encouraging one another into "love and good deeds." When that happens in scouting, it infects the next generation. When it doesn't, the kids see the parents' frustration and won't have anything else to do with it.

[ParkMan]

I see this a bit differently. My son is in a large CS pack. My daughter in a large multi-level GS Troop. In both units, you see some families into camping, but many others that are not. For many families in the pack, CS might as well be a arts & crafts/field trip/fun activity. There are many for whom CS is not a "lets all get out in the woods" program. In my daughter's GS troop, you see exactly the same thing.

 

smoortgat's posts sound like there is a little bit of "look, I know how scouting should work - you all just need to do what I say". You may be 100% correct technically - however, you are in a group with a different culture. You've gotten a lot of good advice here on how a GS Troop can run, but the reality is that the Troop may not want it to run that way. If the families are generally happy as is, why should they try to go spend a bunch of energy changing it. This is not a uniquely GS problem. My son's CS pack has exactly the same problem too.

 

My general advice is that unless you see a real desire in the families for the program you describe, then decide to either go along as is, or go to another Troop. If you stay, don't expect grand changes, but do try to broaden their views from time to time.

 

In my daughter's GS troop, there were folks who said "this is how it should run". But then as the unit grew, there were probably 20 different leaders involved. They all had different goals & desires for the program. SN was spot on - those parents worked together and found a good common ground.