Posted on 01/18/2012 4:03:31 PM PST by Morgana
I suggests you take on a Girl Scout troop and try to give a groups of 6-10 year olds an alternate way for everyone to earn money for camp. Especially when some come from struggling families in very poor neighborhoods.
Given the lack of parental support and limited opportunities for elementary and middle school girls to go safely and independently out into the community to earn money, the organized cookie selling program is a great equalizer of opportunity for all the girls to participate.
The cookie season only runs about 6 weeks a year, which is good. Girl Scouts may ONLY raise money for their troops or Council, which is also good.
The cookie badges guide the girls into age-appropriate skills to run their own small group business. The activities help them develop a business plan and budgeting goals, to work as a team, and to meet adults as customers under the safe protection of trained adults in charge.
Cookie selling IS their own small business and has been for almost 75 years.
And they become a lot more good self reliant citizens than the dance schools here that push kids to earn thousands of dollars for costumes and the sports teams where the parents run concession stands to raise thousands of dollars for their kid’s uniforms and traveling leagues.
Given my experience with pushing overpriced popcorn for my Boy Scout, give me $4 a box cookies to sell ANY day.
And for every principled poster here who has a suggested comment to make to a child selling cookies, I have heard equal comments from liberals and homosexuals to the little Boy Scouts selling popcorn.
and you should do more reading. In our GS Council the money not sent to the selling troops goes to support our camps and programs run by combination of paid staff and volunteers. It costs about $180 a year per girl on average to maintain the camp propeties and run programs (including those to train leaders)
The girls pay $12 a year dues to National GSUSA.
So go figure “what they do with the money at HQ”
As for National GSUSA and their “cut”, the baker cost includes the fee they pay to GSUSA for licensing the product and use of the logo and brand. Cookies is not the biggest source of revenue to GSUSA national HQ
http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/cookie_faqs.asp#money_where
Cookie Revenue
Q: When I buy Girl Scout Cookies, where does the money go?
A: With every purchase, approximately 70% of the proceeds stays in the local Girl Scout council to provide a portion of the resources needed to support Girl Scouting in that area, including the portion that goes directly to the group selling the cookies. The balance goes directly to the baker to pay for the cookies.
Q: How does the cookie revenue benefit girls?
A: All of the revenue earned from cookie activities —every penny after paying the baker—stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale. This includes the portion that goes directly to the group selling cookies. Councils use their cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups, and individual girls, such as providing program resources and communication support, training adult volunteers, and conducting special events. The Girl Scout council’s volunteer board of directors:
•Chooses the baker
•Determines the price per box
•Decides how this revenue will be used to provide vital services—such as adult recruitment and training and operation of camps and service centers—and other indirect expenses
•Decides how much money will be returned to groups selling cookies for their projects and activities
Q: What portion of the cookie revenue is shared with the group selling cookies?
A: This decision is made by each local Girl Scout council, so the portion varies from one council to another. Nationwide, girls receive an estimated 10 – 20% of the purchase price of each box of cookies sold. Cookie proceeds are held in a group or council account and allocated for activities based on the way a girl has joined Girl Scouts, e.g. as a member of a troop, as a special interest group, as a camper, or in a travel group. In many councils girls earn “cookie credit” after a certain number of boxes are sold, which may be used towards council programs, travel or Girl Scout related purchases in the council shop.
Was just answering some other posters. They mentioned where the money goes. Thanks for your answer.
The money is going to GSHQ to advance Leftism.
I’ve done it with Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts (for more than 10 years), so I know what I’m talking about. We sold locally-made pies and increased our take by 50%. The cookies are just as over-priced, and the kids get hosed on the commission the same whether its cookies or popcorn. It all goes to support the ever-increasing overhead at national HQ.
We also took (with our own sons) their “Personal Management” merit badge work and showed them how to run their chores and odd-jobs like a business.
What’s your Scouting leadership involvement?
WE may NOT participate in any extra money earnng unless we participate in the cookie sale.
The vast number of our membership is under 10 years old, so that limits what is an appropriate and safe way for that age group to earn money. And they do earn it as a group, budget as a group, and spend it as a group, unlike BS which keep individual boy/family accounts. The girls LOVE selling cookies, especially when young and especially at cookie booths. They are very proud of their uniforms, the signs they make, and get nice comments from people
Because we are not chartered by churches etc meeting space is always a headache, we tend to meet at schools and after school. Good for the girls but limits parent involvement in the meetings. When my son was a Cub I had to go to every meeting. GS parents tend to leave leading the girls in money earning up to the leaders, Cookies are a fun product. They are part of our history for 75 years.
Now, my Scouting involvement-
Been a Cub and BS parent, spouse is the BS type with his Wood Badge and handles the BS activities with son
I stick with GS, been a member for 50 years, GS leader for 6 years, volunteer as trainer with 2 different Councils, this year am Service Unit manager with 25+ troops of 400 girls and approximately 250 adults
Last year also worked with a special GS travel group (multiple troops) to raise $15000 in 9 months to take the group to Savannah. Many MANY girls do not have the family support structure to start an indendent small business when they are 11 or younger, nor to get paid by their parents to do chores. The travel groups and own troop of older girls supplement cookie money mostly by eventing- sponsoring badge earning events and fun activities like camp-ins for younger girls, who love it.
I could never send my daughter (or son) out into our urban neighborhood to seek work. It is not safe. Nor could I send anyone elses kid out. We actually do very little door-to-door cookie selling or any kind of public solicitation because of this, we tried this year but with the economy it was not good.
I maintain that I feel more comfortable asking for $4 for a box of cookies than $20-$25 for a box or tin of popcorn. Have done it all.
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