Don’t Girl Scouts go door to door anymore for selling cookies

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

If it helps put it in context, cookie sales are how our Girl Scout troop raises money for the entire year. We have a quarter of our girls on financial aid (I know because I’m a leader), and without cookies we wouldn’t be able to afford badges, supplies, take our girls camping, do service projects, or go on field trips. Our troop also donates about a quarter of our annual sales to a local food bank every year.

But don't you as the troop only receive a small portion of the cookie sale, like less than $1 for a $5 box of cookies. That's my beef. I'm more than happy to donate the money, but I wish more of it went to the girls selling.

[Anonymous]

My daughters went door to door this year and nobody answered their doors. Every year, fewer and fewer people answer their doors. We live in a small townhouse community. We know when people are home - we see their cars right out front - but they don't answer their doors.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

If it helps put it in context, cookie sales are how our Girl Scout troop raises money for the entire year. We have a quarter of our girls on financial aid (I know because I’m a leader), and without cookies we wouldn’t be able to afford badges, supplies, take our girls camping, do service projects, or go on field trips. Our troop also donates about a quarter of our annual sales to a local food bank every year.

But don't you as the troop only receive a small portion of the cookie sale, like less than $1 for a $5 box of cookies. That's my beef. I'm more than happy to donate the money, but I wish more of it went to the girls selling.

It adds up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:they have rules like they have to have an adult present and they can only go to people they know

Not true.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

No one is accosting you, lady. They're asking you a question and you are more than welcome to say "no thank you"

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

So being asked “would you like to buy some cookies?” by a 10 year old is being accosted? Lady you need to unclench and get out more. A quick no thank you is the response you need to learn.

Or call the police since you were accosted

They don’t just ask. They come running up in a group, asking loudly if you want some cookies, both on the way in and the way out. You have to sidestep them and maneuver your cart around them and say no many times. And no, of course I’m not going to report them, it’s just annoying. I wish they could set up their booth and quietly wait at the table to take orders if customers go to the table. I know they are there; if I want cookies, I know what to do. I don’t need a bunch of girls swarming and yelling to get my attention on the way in and out. Perhaps the girls at my giant are particularly enthusiastic.

Then go talk to the adults with them because that is not what they are supposed to be doing. They are supposed to be staying behind their booth table. My girls follow the rules.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My beef with door to door, as the parent of a local Girl Scout, is the timing. It’s literally during one of the worst possible times of year for selling cookies: we’re busy with holiday stuff AND people are already full of their own holiday cookies. Add the pandemic weirdness around masking (our neighborhood has been obsessive about masking outdoors) and it’s not an enticing prospect.

My DD happily does the booths and isn’t over the top at all. She’ll ask if people walk up and look interested, but that’s about it.

Totally agree. Plus the weather is horrible. Who wants to be walking around selling cookies in January.

We’ve in GSCM so our sales are late October - December. GSUSA keeps threatening to make us move to winter and I am DREADING that!
I have no idea why the whole country doesn’t do fall sales. Weather is better, people are in a “let’s but treats mood”, and now we have the money much earlier on the troop year

GSCNC's cookie timing is horrible. No one has time to sell cookies over the holidays. They should either do it in the fall or start in January not December. Everyone in our service unit is always complaining.

Yes, it's TERRIBLE. We barely sold anything this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I just wish they (and all the other groups) weren’t outside the grocery stores. I hate being accosted as I’m going in and out of the store.

If it helps put it in context, cookie sales are how our Girl Scout troop raises money for the entire year. We have a quarter of our girls on financial aid (I know because I’m a leader), and without cookies we wouldn’t be able to afford badges, supplies, take our girls camping, do service projects, or go on field trips. Our troop also donates about a quarter of our annual sales to a local food bank every year.

But don't you as the troop only receive a small portion of the cookie sale, like less than $1 for a $5 box of cookies. That's my beef. I'm more than happy to donate the money, but I wish more of it went to the girls selling.

Not exactly! The individual troop gets about $1 a box (which adds up) but the remainder of the profit goes to the local council to pay for things the girls directly use such as the amazing camps we have in this area, or financial aid for girls who can't afford dues and activities. The only money that leaves the DMV is the cost of cookies themselves and associated expenses like transport and advertising (about $1.25 per box) .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My beef with door to door, as the parent of a local Girl Scout, is the timing. It’s literally during one of the worst possible times of year for selling cookies: we’re busy with holiday stuff AND people are already full of their own holiday cookies. Add the pandemic weirdness around masking (our neighborhood has been obsessive about masking outdoors) and it’s not an enticing prospect.

My DD happily does the booths and isn’t over the top at all. She’ll ask if people walk up and look interested, but that’s about it.

Totally agree. Plus the weather is horrible. Who wants to be walking around selling cookies in January.

We’ve in GSCM so our sales are late October - December. GSUSA keeps threatening to make us move to winter and I am DREADING that!
I have no idea why the whole country doesn’t do fall sales. Weather is better, people are in a “let’s but treats mood”, and now we have the money much earlier on the troop year

GSCNC's cookie timing is horrible. No one has time to sell cookies over the holidays. They should either do it in the fall or start in January not December. Everyone in our service unit is always complaining.

Yes, it's TERRIBLE. We barely sold anything this year.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My beef with door to door, as the parent of a local Girl Scout, is the timing. It’s literally during one of the worst possible times of year for selling cookies: we’re busy with holiday stuff AND people are already full of their own holiday cookies. Add the pandemic weirdness around masking (our neighborhood has been obsessive about masking outdoors) and it’s not an enticing prospect.

My DD happily does the booths and isn’t over the top at all. She’ll ask if people walk up and look interested, but that’s about it.

Totally agree. Plus the weather is horrible. Who wants to be walking around selling cookies in January.

We’ve in GSCM so our sales are late October - December. GSUSA keeps threatening to make us move to winter and I am DREADING that!
I have no idea why the whole country doesn’t do fall sales. Weather is better, people are in a “let’s but treats mood”, and now we have the money much earlier on the troop year

GSCNC's cookie timing is horrible. No one has time to sell cookies over the holidays. They should either do it in the fall or start in January not December. Everyone in our service unit is always complaining.

Yes, it's TERRIBLE. We barely sold anything this year.

+1

Cookie season doesn’t end until 3/12. This is just the initial order for the first delivery. You can keep selling. The problem is once booths start on 2/3, everyone is getting asked at the Giant etc. and peoples interest goes way down.

We just had our annual meeting round table at our SU meeting and every group bemoaned the cookie dates. DD has been in GS for many years now and the start date keeps moving earlier and earlier. It’s super annoying.

[Anonymous]

I had someone over this past weekend and agree about the timing. I’m stuffed from Christmas baking and wasn’t really in the mood for cookies. February would be better.

[Anonymous]

^ someone at my door selling, I mean

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Wait is door to door over in DC? I told my brownie I could take her over MLK weekend. I thought they had until sometime in February or March.

Some troops really focus hard on the pre-order period since it takes some of the guess work out of the initial orders. She can absolutely keep selling, just make sure to work with your cookie manager to get the cookies on hand.

Thank you. We are not one of those troops I think.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
GSCNC's cookie timing is horrible. No one has time to sell cookies over the holidays. They should either do it in the fall or start in January not December. Everyone in our service unit is always complaining.

As a PP noted, they are in GSCM and have fall sales. Girl Scouts doesn't have the whole country do sales at once because only two bakeries service the entire country and they couldn't handle that level of production. I do wish they would rotate time of year so that everyone gets a chance at the more desirable timeframes and everyone gets stuck with the holidays at least every few years. That is one thing GSNC could push back on.

I also agree with the PP that it's infuriating how little each troop gets. I'm a GS parent and would much rather just give the troop money rather than all the rigamarole of selling and delivering cookies.

[Anonymous]

I feel sorry for the Girls out selling right now. The weather was nice last weekend, when we have two young ladies swing by, but I remember last year the weather being horrid for the door to door.

I think that Girl Scouts should be looking at the weather in particular regions for sales so that the Girls are not out selling in the cold or extreme heat. I am not a huge fan of the cookies being sold to me around the Holidays but they store fine as long as you don't open the box, so that bothers me less.

I am a bit baffled that Girl Scouts has not moved to prepay and have a way to take credit cards for door to door. I get that we want the kids doing the sales and handling money but BSA moved to an app for sales and taking credit cards which really increased my sons ability to sell door to door. It also makes delivery easier since people have paid for the product and you don't have to worry about them not having the money on hand when you go to deliver.