Girl Scouts cookies question

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m a Cookie Monster as well

Literal LOL 😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for prior posters. I try to explain this all to parents and girls. The girls feel proud that they are helping to support sister Girl Scouts whose parents maybe can’t otherwise afford it, and the camps that they’ve enjoyed. When you compare the price of a box of chips ahoy (I think mostly made in Mexico now) to the 1.25 that goes to the manufacturing/packaging on gS (with the rest supporting Scouts), it really is a good deal. (Especially compared to other fundraisers like the BSA popcorn at $20 a bag).

In addition to voting on fun things to do with the money, the girls also enjoy voting on ways to use their hard earned money to help others. One year we used a portion to get an ice skating lesson and a portion to buy supplies to make sandwiches for those in need. Last year we used some to buy medical supplies to support healthcare workers in the country we learned about for Thinking Day. Most kids don’t ever make those choices (how do I spend my money and what portion should I use for charitable purposes) until they are much older. Making the decisions collaboratively is also a new experience for most, and it’s interesting to see the different viewpoints play out — hopefully in a respectful manner.

Thanks for this perspective! New GS Daisy parent here. Are there good forums for Girl Scout parents to exchange ideas like this? I've learned a lot from this discussion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for prior posters. I try to explain this all to parents and girls. The girls feel proud that they are helping to support sister Girl Scouts whose parents maybe can’t otherwise afford it, and the camps that they’ve enjoyed. When you compare the price of a box of chips ahoy (I think mostly made in Mexico now) to the 1.25 that goes to the manufacturing/packaging on gS (with the rest supporting Scouts), it really is a good deal. (Especially compared to other fundraisers like the BSA popcorn at $20 a bag).

In addition to voting on fun things to do with the money, the girls also enjoy voting on ways to use their hard earned money to help others. One year we used a portion to get an ice skating lesson and a portion to buy supplies to make sandwiches for those in need. Last year we used some to buy medical supplies to support healthcare workers in the country we learned about for Thinking Day. Most kids don’t ever make those choices (how do I spend my money and what portion should I use for charitable purposes) until they are much older. Making the decisions collaboratively is also a new experience for most, and it’s interesting to see the different viewpoints play out — hopefully in a respectful manner.

Thanks for this perspective! New GS Daisy parent here. Are there good forums for Girl Scout parents to exchange ideas like this? I've learned a lot from this discussion.

There are a bunch of GS Leader facebook groups. You will get good info, but there can be a lot of complaining. There's also a troop leader podcast I have not checked out yet but I have heard good things about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Thank you for prior posters. I try to explain this all to parents and girls. The girls feel proud that they are helping to support sister Girl Scouts whose parents maybe can’t otherwise afford it, and the camps that they’ve enjoyed. When you compare the price of a box of chips ahoy (I think mostly made in Mexico now) to the 1.25 that goes to the manufacturing/packaging on gS (with the rest supporting Scouts), it really is a good deal. (Especially compared to other fundraisers like the BSA popcorn at $20 a bag).

In addition to voting on fun things to do with the money, the girls also enjoy voting on ways to use their hard earned money to help others. One year we used a portion to get an ice skating lesson and a portion to buy supplies to make sandwiches for those in need. Last year we used some to buy medical supplies to support healthcare workers in the country we learned about for Thinking Day. Most kids don’t ever make those choices (how do I spend my money and what portion should I use for charitable purposes) until they are much older. Making the decisions collaboratively is also a new experience for most, and it’s interesting to see the different viewpoints play out — hopefully in a respectful manner.

Thanks for this perspective! New GS Daisy parent here. Are there good forums for Girl Scout parents to exchange ideas like this? I've learned a lot from this discussion.

GS leaders in this area uses something called Rallyhlod for discussions. There is a GSCNC daisy to junior rally that might be a good one for you, but there are lots of posts on it. The best resource is your local Service Unit—it should have a monthly meeting plus a rally of its own for posts and questions. The Service Unit is the group of GS troop leaders for your immediate area—likely your four closed elementary schools or so. The Service Unit is a great resource for trading ideas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Girl Scouts is a scam!

The selling really is. My daughter has been in it for 5 years and I refuse to let her participate in cookie sales. They make pennies on the box at the leaders decide what they do with the money, not the girls. I’d happily give a donation. I ask my daughter why she wants to work to have someone else get paid and explain MLM companies to her every year during cookie sales.

It sounds like you have a bum troop. My DD is a 3rd grader, the girls came up with a list of ideas and voted on them for both their big fall activity and what they'll be doing this spring/summer. They also prioritized what badges/journeys they wanted to work on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the DC area:

$0.98 Troop's proceeds (average based on various earning opportunities)

$1.25 Cost of product, transportation, promotion, Service Unit proceeds, rewards, administrative costs and debt. ($2.25 is the related costs for specialty cookies retailing at $6.00 per package)

$2.77 Supports direct service to girls and adults
--Financial assistance for girls
--Camp programs and eight camp properties
--Council-wide girl programs
--Training for adult volunteers
--Marketing, technological, and web support
--Six convenient office locations and staff support for our volunteers and troops

I think our troop gets 85c per box because our girls insist on getting the prizes and were not selling huge amounts.

Thanks for your information! Is it possible to opt out of the prizes and get more $$ for the troop? Is all this information online somewhere?

DP here, the young scouts are not allowed to opt out of the cookie sales rewards. I believe it's Cadettes and older who can do so, and the decision must be unanimous within the troop (no prizes for anyone). Your cookie parent has this info.

My daughter's in her second year of Daisies, and they've opted out of prizes both years.

you cannot opt out at that age. For wahtever reason, the troop cookie manager may not be collecting the prizes but the daisies will not get a bump in earnings. singed-a troop cookie manager.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In the DC area:

$0.98 Troop's proceeds (average based on various earning opportunities)

$1.25 Cost of product, transportation, promotion, Service Unit proceeds, rewards, administrative costs and debt. ($2.25 is the related costs for specialty cookies retailing at $6.00 per package)

$2.77 Supports direct service to girls and adults
--Financial assistance for girls
--Camp programs and eight camp properties
--Council-wide girl programs
--Training for adult volunteers
--Marketing, technological, and web support
--Six convenient office locations and staff support for our volunteers and troops

I think our troop gets 85c per box because our girls insist on getting the prizes and were not selling huge amounts.

Thanks for your information! Is it possible to opt out of the prizes and get more $$ for the troop? Is all this information online somewhere?

DP here, the young scouts are not allowed to opt out of the cookie sales rewards. I believe it's Cadettes and older who can do so, and the decision must be unanimous within the troop (no prizes for anyone). Your cookie parent has this info.

My daughter's in her second year of Daisies, and they've opted out of prizes both years.

you cannot opt out at that age. For wahtever reason, the troop cookie manager may not be collecting the prizes but the daisies will not get a bump in earnings. singed-a troop cookie manager.

While I value your expertise, it is possible that PP's Daisy troop opted out. I'm part of a community troop that includes Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors under the same troop number. We meet at the same time, but split the girls up by the levels for meeting activities. But for troop activities, like camping or cookie booths, we're all together. Our troop has, in the past, opted out of prizes for the bump on earnings, which would include the Daisy troop.