Anonymous wrote:Why don’t you set aside enough for dues & uniforms for maybe 3 girls from the school who would not otherwise be able to participate and then let the girls vote on a fun activity. I’d pick a place where you can get a set price and everything is included

That’s done through council so girls don’t feel like they are charity cases for their fellow students. Just donate the money to SHARE if this is the goal.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you’ve convinced me to never buy Girl Scout cookies again.

Yep. I stopped when my kids were Scouts and I was involved in leadership roles.

We had a troop of girls whose families were all middle and upper middle class. They did not need to have their activities paid for because their parents could all afford most of the activities we were considering. Some of the girls suggested that we could donate to a group that helped the unhoused or even donate to a Girl Scout troop with less well off girls, but we were told that donating the money was not allowed and that it needed to be spent on this troop. The girls were all excited about the idea of donating to those less well off, but we had to tell them that was not allowed. That was the end of buying GS cookies for me.

Boy you were really misinformed. First, the majority of cookie sale money goes to council which does help local under resourced troops. Second, you can always write a troop check to SHARE, which supports the under resourced troops. Third, you absolutely can donate to charities but the preference is that the girls do something — eg shop off the agency’s wish list, buy supplies to make food or whatever. This is to avoid the parents just writing a check to a charity and the girls never get any benefit. The girls could have bought lots of bouquets of flowers and brought them to a hospital or old age home. Or could have bought lots of bread and sandwich meat to make sandwiches for a shelter. Could have bought diapers to deliver to DC Diaper Bank and spend a day packing them. Etc etc.

Why don’t you set aside enough for dues & uniforms for maybe 3 girls from the school who would not otherwise be able to participate and then let the girls vote on a fun activity. I’d pick a place where you can get a set price and everything is included

I would give the girls some choices and let them vote. Include an option to spend some of the money on a charitable purpose—the best ones aren’t just writing a check but include the girls actually doing something. Girls this age actually love that. Ideas we did at that age:

— bought food to make sandwiches for a shelter
— another one we thought about but never did was buy supplies to put together comfort cases for foster kids
— bought supplies to bring to an animal shelter
— donated money to a medical charity in the country we studied for thinking day (this was during Covid and not a lot of opportunities for actual service)
— did a combo skating lesson and free skate time at cabin John
— paid for pool access at old Georgetown swim club, and ordered pizzas and cake
— when older, paid for sandy springs adventure park and pizzas
You could also do something like pottery panting place, etc.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why on earth wouldn't they pay for renewals, new vests, and planned badges? That is what we use excess money on.

In terms of parties - any birthday party activity - water park, rent a movie theater, mini golfing, bowling, iFly, laser tag, etc.

This. The renewals aren’t inexpensive and the kids earned it. Reinvesting into the troop through dues can help build its longevity.

Not every kid returns to troop the following year especially in this area that is so transient.

Plus, membership renewal is abstract and not really a fun way to spend the hard-earned money when youre a kid.

No one said to use all of the money for that. It sounds like there’s a big enough fun to do fun things and pay the renewal. This area is only transient for non-locals. We’ve only had two or three girls cycle out of our troop over year’s FWIW

Anonymous wrote:We used to buy tickets to Hershey Park for our scouts and their families. The troop would cover the tickets for each scout and their adult chaperone (one parent). The families would reimburse us for any additional tickets (the other parent and any siblings). We’d get a group rate and the tickets didn’t have to be used on any particular date. Each family was free to use their tickets whenever they wanted.

We did similar but with older girls—I think a lot of younger girls would not enjoy it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why on earth wouldn't they pay for renewals, new vests, and planned badges? That is what we use excess money on.

In terms of parties - any birthday party activity - water park, rent a movie theater, mini golfing, bowling, iFly, laser tag, etc.

This. The renewals aren’t inexpensive and the kids earned it. Reinvesting into the troop through dues can help build its longevity.

Not every kid returns to troop the following year especially in this area that is so transient.

Plus, membership renewal is abstract and not really a fun way to spend the hard-earned money when youre a kid.

Anonymous wrote:Why on earth wouldn't they pay for renewals, new vests, and planned badges? That is what we use excess money on.

In terms of parties - any birthday party activity - water park, rent a movie theater, mini golfing, bowling, iFly, laser tag, etc.

This. The renewals aren’t inexpensive and the kids earned it. Reinvesting into the troop through dues can help build its longevity.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you’ve convinced me to never buy Girl Scout cookies again.

Yep. I stopped when my kids were Scouts and I was involved in leadership roles.

We had a troop of girls whose families were all middle and upper middle class. They did not need to have their activities paid for because their parents could all afford most of the activities we were considering. Some of the girls suggested that we could donate to a group that helped the unhoused or even donate to a Girl Scout troop with less well off girls, but we were told that donating the money was not allowed and that it needed to be spent on this troop. The girls were all excited about the idea of donating to those less well off, but we had to tell them that was not allowed. That was the end of buying GS cookies for me.

Our troop made donations (not to another troop, but to local non profits.) There are guidelines about it, but you can do it. For example, you can't sell cookies by saying that you are raising money for a homeless shelter; but you can donate to one after the fact.

There is something to be said for teaching kids to earn money themselves, figure out what they want to do with it, and work out budgets for it. 6 year olds may not be doing it, but older kids are. And not all troops you see selling cookies are from families that can easily afford every activity, and even if they can afford to do things, doesn't mean they take their kids to do those things.

Duckpin bowling

I think DD did an overnight at Port Disovery

Anonymous wrote:Well you’ve convinced me to never buy Girl Scout cookies again.

I was just thinking the same thing! Maybe give some to a local charity.

Anonymous wrote:Trip to the Udzar-Hazy Smithsonian Air&Space Museum on Route 28 (museum is free, but parking costs maybe $10 per car) plus buy iMax movie tickets in advance for the troop to see an appropriate movie together while at the museum. I think the movie tickets can be bought online from Smithsonian website. Optionally, also buy lunch - the only eatery there is pricey: Shake Shack

The worst most boring museum and K age girls will be literally bored to tears

Great Wolf Lodge.

Why on earth wouldn't they pay for renewals, new vests, and planned badges? That is what we use excess money on.

In terms of parties - any birthday party activity - water park, rent a movie theater, mini golfing, bowling, iFly, laser tag, etc.