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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This thread has been an interesting read.  What I come away with is that there is something fundamental about the membership and program business model that does not work quire right.  I am not informed enough to venture a guess, but I suspect it has something to do with not recognizing or enforcing the need for adult involvement.  Or, maybe there is something off-putting about the adult volunteer experience that discourages participation or retention.  Is this a rational observation?[/quote]

It works fine as a model, but people are so overworked at their office jobs [b]now that many don't want their kids to participate in things that require additional effort from them as parents.  Which is a perfectly reasonable way to organize your kids' schedule - throw some money at it and get them off your hands for a few hours a week[/b] - but it gets ridiculous when those parents start demanding that GSUSA cease to exist so their kid won't know there's an extracurricular they're not signed up for.[/quote]

I'm a PP and see this happening more broadly, not just in Girl Scouts.  See many of the summer swim threads with parents complaining about volunteering and asking why the team can't just pay for people to run concessions or serve as timers.  Our neighborhood for years has had events that were organized by parents, and they aren't happening as much because newer families with young kids want to attend but not plan them.  Our church has tons of families sign their kids up for Sunday school but it's already September and they still can't find enough parent volunteers to teach all the grade levels.

It's a model that has worked and does work for many families.  However, it culturally appears that at least in this area of the country families have the resources that they'd rather give of their money than their time for children's extracurriculars.  This becomes a personal decision for each family whether they prioritize a particular activity enough to make it happen.
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I am the OP. I am fine paying money and also volunteering. I just don’t want to be the troup leader and be responsible for training and monthly meetings. I would be happy to be involved and organize activities. My daughter is five and eager to make friends. [/quote]

Yep. I think most people feel that way and that's why the Girl Scouts model is so hard. [/quote]

Yes, all of the mandatory trainings and rules (especially with Covid STILL) and receipts and whatnot. Its a LOT. My friend (a former troop leader) joked she was going to start a non-sanctioned troop and just run how she wanted apart from GS. She never actually did though. [/quote]

As a leader, I used to sit through service unit meetings that lasted 90 minutes. They easily could have happened in 15 minutes plus a follow up email. It was painful.[/quote]

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