GSUSA has now dismissed the Troop Leader for raising funds.  Not sure why, but seems to be a policy violation.

https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2018/11/19/green-bay-girl-scout-leader-dismissed-after-organizing-event-crash-victims/2060509002/

 

Edited November 20, 20187 yr by Eagle1993
Typo... ugh autocorrect

The way the GSUSA councils statement is crafted (or appears to be) is a PR black-eye. 

I can see this stance if they felt the money was being misappropriated or mishandled, but if they are standing on "control of fundraising" in a situation like this then someone needs to go back to PR school. These were GSUSA Scouts, doing a Scouting project and GSUSA has a problem with other Girls Scouts raising funds for the family because they want to control the all fundraising? Even if GSUSA has a valid reason, the optics are a nightmare.

The GSUSA council is probably invoking its no-fundraising-for-other-organizations policy.

Quote

 

Steffel says it was for opting to raise money directly for the families of the crash victims and not being willing to filter it through the scout council.

Steffel claims she learned from Chippewa Valley troop leaders and an area school guidance counselor that the preference out there was for direct donations to the victims’ families.

She claims local Girl Scouts officials told her such fundraising must go through the organization and that, otherwise, fundraising must be disassociated entirely from the scout organization.

 

 

25 minutes ago, HelpfulTracks said:

The way the GSUSA councils statement is crafted (or appears to be) is a PR black-eye. 

I certainly agree.

The article also says
 

Quote

 

“And they said, ‘You no longer are allowed to run the troop, and we’re suspending troop accounts.’”

That includes roughly $1,750 raised through the vigil and the sales of the patches, she said.

 

For the info of you BSA guys:  the girl scout council owns the girl scout troop's bank accounts.  There are no COs.

The next question is whether the funds that were raised for the families, and which were being temporarily held in the troop's bank account, will actually end up with the families.

 

Edited November 20, 20187 yr by Treflienne
typo

2 hours ago, Eagle1993 said:

GSUSA has now dismissed the Troop Leader for raising funds.  Not sure why, but seems to be a policy violation.

https://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/story/news/2018/11/19/green-bay-girl-scout-leader-dismissed-after-organizing-event-crash-victims/2060509002/

 

Interesting

We will tell you when and where you can collect funds citizen...and we will take our percentage off the top, and why aren't you selling cookies with all this spare time??

Sounds like a local scout office decision. I have a hunch the troop leader will be reinstated by the national office in a day or so.

More info... 

https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Girl-Scouts-suspend-Green-Bay-troop-leader-behind-vigils-and-memorial-patch-500884872.html

AP is also running this story.  

When our troop dealt with a tragedy like this ...

In the days following, we locked out the media. The family directed the newspaper reporter to me -- and I made no mention of finances, and the pastor ran interference at the funeral. We did not want our youth to have to face cameras at such a vulnerable time.

1. We quickly identified a way to donate to the council on behalf of the family for camperships in the deceased name. We made that pathway known to scouters. I believe it was also in the obituary.

2. Funds for funeral expenses and other memorials went directly to the family. Around here, we have shared enough sorrow that we all know to do this without "big brother" catching wind of it.

3. Later, the family developed a scholarship fund to honor the deceased, and all of our social media efforts directed folks to that fund.

Needless to say, I am not a big fan of GoFundMe pages.  I certainly would not want to put the troop in the position of collecting money for this sort of thing.

If one doesn't form a unified front in a hurry, this kind of drama distracts from properly honoring the scouts who were lost.

Not to derail the thread, but this kinda sounds like why we no longer have any district camporees anymore.  Council started taking 10-15% off the top for  "expenses" 

56 minutes ago, Oldscout448 said:

Not to derail the thread, but this kinda sounds like why we no longer have any district camporees anymore.  Council started taking 10-15% off the top for  "expenses" 

Actually your comment is sadly likely well on point.  The local council needs it's cut (Be that BSA or GSUSA)

It could be they have an issue with GoFundMe- which I can appreciate the convenience of it, but BSA also discourages using it because GFM takes a cut.  Or, it could be that the vigil itself was not an issue, but this commemorative patch is the issue (if that patch uses GSUSA's logo or name- even with BSA, troops are actually forbidden from putting a fleur-de-lis on a patch of their own creation, though most probably do ignore it).  The whole thing is sad, and while I respect GSUSA having a policy and not wanting to air things out in the press, some type of clarity would do them good here considering the purpose this leader had.  GSUSA stating “If an individual chose to donate to our organization in honor of the impacted troop or girls, those funds are segregated to support our Council’s efforts in delivering the Girl Scout mission to girls in the Western Region of our Council, specifically the Chippewa Valley” is hardly an endorsement that if I sent them $200 for this family that the whole $200, or even any part of it, is going to actually get to them.

9 minutes ago, HashTagScouts said:

... is hardly an endorsement that if I sent them $200 for this family that the whole $200, or even any part of it, is going to actually get to them.

I guess, I would never expect any of that money to reach the family itself. I would expect the council to use the gift to do some good in the girls' honor.

Around here, if want to support the family, we take our gift straight to them in cash or food or whatever. Or, we would call the funeral home and ask where donations could be made to defray burial costs. Or, we talk to the deacons of the family's church.

45 minutes ago, qwazse said:

I guess, I would never expect any of that money to reach the family itself. I would expect the council to use the gift to do some good in the girls' honor.

Around here, if want to support the family, we take our gift straight to them in cash or food or whatever. Or, we would call the funeral home and ask where donations could be made to defray burial costs. Or, we talk to the deacons of the family's church.

Based on the news article, that was kind of what I took this comment to mean:

Steffel claims she learned from Chippewa Valley troop leaders and an area school guidance counselor that the preference out there was for direct donations to the victims’ families.  I couldn't find the GoFundMe page itself.  This article probably had a link at one point, based on the last sentence.  The Council probably had an issue of the wording "You can donate to the Chippewa Falls Girl Scouts and families here." if it wasn't directing through the Council.  https://www.wbay.com/content/news/Local-efforts-to-support-Chippewa-Falls-Girl-Scouts-receive-international-attention-499719131.html