ravinlunachick Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 subsidize field trips? Let's say a non council-sponsored event costs $20/girl. Does your troop cover any of that, or do the parents have to pay the full cost? Our former troop was brand spanking new, and had almost no money, so parents had to foot the entire bill. This troop is established, AND we pay $10 every month for dues. We only meet twice a month (free meeting space), and I just can't figure out why they won't help with the costs. I've brought it up a few times, but they just ignore me and never answer. :confused: The only thing they've spent money on is $5 worth of badges for our 3 Brownies, and we've been paying dues since October! The leaders and another mom spent the entire meeting time tonight discussing cookie booth sales. The girls just ran wild and did nothing, absolutely nothing. They don't do an opening or closing ceremony...sigh. I'm just fed up. I said I'd stick it out till the end of May, and that's what we'll do, but, I feel cheated out of the experience we could have had. The girls have only even earned one fun patch, for goodness sake! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Sounds like a troop we once belonged too. We left. I usually stick things out but we couldn't do it anymore. My daughters weren't even having any fun. So we found another troop. In all actuality in the end I started my own troop. Its ran out of the private school my two middle ones go to. I have 14 girls and we have fun. We don't do field trips unless they are ones that Council puts together ( we usually do Bowling, Christmas Caroling, Swimming and Thinking Day and sometimes skating). Parents pay the price. I don't charge much for dues ( its a $1 per meeting twice a month). We're still a new troop. Its my second year so we don't have much money to work with anyways. Plus we didn't sell much cookies this year :<( We do projects and arts and crafts. Honestly I'd much rather do Keepers at Home or some other Catholic club instead. Girl Scouts is getting awful anyways with its books. The new ones are awful , and don't really cover anything worth doing that would be useful for life skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I would definitely expect the leaders, especially in an established troop of Brownies, to be able to give you an explanation of how dues are spent/budget for the year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravinlunachick Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 I am seriously considering trying to start a homeschool troop in the fall. I don't really know many other hs'ers, though, so I don't know how I'd find them. I'd be happy to lead a troop again. It really saddens me to think about how little we've been able to do with this troop. I actually like the new Badge book, because I can see how we could do lots of the stuff on our own if we decided to do Juliette. I really dislike the Journey stuff, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I am seriously considering trying to start a homeschool troop in the fall. I don't really know many other hs'ers, though, so I don't know how I'd find them. I'd be happy to lead a troop again. It really saddens me to think about how little we've been able to do with this troop. Start with your local public library to see if you can connect with other homeschoolers or start haunting the park during school hours ;). Let the Membership Specialist in your area know that you are open to new girls and the hours you will be meeting. Meeting during the school day is the easiest way to keep it to homeschoolers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2_girls_mommy Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Yes, our troop will help cover as much of trip costs as possible out of dues. As leaders, we are still moms paying the dues and we want to keep expenses down too. I would expect to know what the dues $ is going to as well. What you are describing doesn't make sense if they are not spending $ on supplies, trips, or food, then where is it going? Maybe they have a tradition of saving it all towards something big at the end of the year? In any case, you should know where the dues go to. As far as starting a hs troop, try advertising on hs yahoo groups and also talk to your local council. Sometimes people call them wanting to find a specific troop (hs or at a local school or whatever.) so they will help people get sent to the right one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 (edited) I've brought it up a few times, but they just ignore me and never answer. :confused:This would be enough for me to email the leader(s) (cc'ing the other parents) asking for information about how much money is in the bank, how it was spend the past year, and what the troop plans to spend it on this year. I would not be doing additional cookie sales without an answer. The girls in DD's troop have voted to partially subsidize the girls' activities, though not every one. They also donate money to cancer research (they can't do it directly, but there's a workaround), as one of the members has cancer. All "extra" cookies are donated to the senior center that hosts the troop. Edited February 3, 2012 by nmoira Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Aren't they supposed to give you an accounting of how the money is spent? Or have we just had leaders who thought that was a good idea because ... well, people wonder, so the leaders thought they should tell everybody where the money went. Seriously, we've had that stuff emailed to us. I just assumed that was standard procedure. Also, our troop tries to cover as much as possible, but sometimes the parents need to pay for part. All camping trips involve some cash outlay from the parents to cover food, for example. We have free meeting space. Our dues were $25 for the year, but they threw in the new badge book (that is, the troop paid for it). Admittedly, we're a more established troop that still had money left from last year. No way would the kids do nothing at our meetings. The parents are expected to help run the meetings in regards to badges and Journeys; discussion between leaders and whomever takes place around that priority. Maybe even (gasp) phone calls, emails, and separate meetings without the kids around, if you can imagine. Funny, I think our troop is incredibly disorganized, but then I read something like this and realize we've got it pretty good. Lately we haven't had much in the way of opening and closing ceremony, but we're trying to cram everything in 1.5 hours. The biggest issue of disorganization lately seems to be who's bringing the snack.:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frugalmama Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We're not part of a troop, so nothing is subsidized. But we're glad to be Juliettes! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairiebird Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Our new one seems to be running the same way. The brownies have done basically nothing except sell cookies so far. They started meeting two times a month in September. The daisys at least seem to do a craft each meeting, so I could see where the dues go. It's weird, because we get a financial statement every month from cub scouts. I have never seen where the girl scout money goes regarding dues/funds from fundraisers, and I mean NEVER in all of my own years of girl scouts or in my daughters'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ma23peas Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Here is our financial breakdown (AHG) $40 per girl per year ($26 goes to national) so we only ask $14 per girl for the year! One fundraiser a year (this year we sold Chick-Fil-A Calendars and cheesecakes) each girl must sell $40 worth of funds (so in this case 15 calendars or 7 cheesecakes) or do a buyout for $40. $20 of that goes to National for spring dues and $20 goes to our troop to pay for 6 badges per girl (if they earn more on their own, they have to pay for those). On campouts, we use troop funds for camping fees (those from the campsite only) and we split the food fee. We have done a good job of finding local opportunities that will offer great services for little money...we work hard to find inexpensive alternatives for camping, we found a local missionary who has about lots of acres that we can use for camping as long as we provide a service for her. We're all for that! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justasque Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I was field trip mom for dd's troop for a while. The troop paid half for each girl, and the family paid half. We found that if they paid part, they were more likely to actually show up, which mattered, because the troop had to put up money in advance. Most of our trips were council things, with a bit more thrown in. We made it clear that we offered a lot of trips, and no one was obligated to do any particular thing, but that they should choose based on their dd's interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen3kids Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We gave the parents in my Cadette Troop the choice of paying for activities as they came up or paying $50 upfront. They chose to pay the $50 in Sept. The girls decided on the activities they wanted to do and figured out how many cookies they wanted to sell. They didn't quite reach their goal, but did really well and made enough money to cover all their activities for the year. The activities include 3-4 camping trips pro soccer game overnight at the science center overnight at a mall Nutcracker Ballet Scout Day at an amusement park tubing 100 year anniversary event Plus, we pay for their badges and pins, Journeys and Badge Book. We have a very small group, but we are active and love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravinlunachick Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Thanks for the input. Checking the park and library is a great idea. A few months ago, I asked if the cookie money was going to any special purpose. The leaders said that they wanted to take the girls on an overnight trip, and they said they would let the girls vote on where to go, but that keeps getting put off for various reasons. I am just feeling very discouraged right now. I feel like we wandered into someone's social group rather than a scout troop. At least I know it is not unreasonable for me to be questioning this. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alessandra Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We gave the parents in my Cadette Troop the choice of paying for activities as they came up or paying $50 upfront. They chose to pay the $50 in Sept. The girls decided on the activities they wanted to do and figured out how many cookies they wanted to sell. They didn't quite reach their goal, but did really well and made enough money to cover all their activities for the year. The activities include 3-4 camping trips pro soccer game overnight at the science center overnight at a mall Nutcracker Ballet Scout Day at an amusement park tubing 100 year anniversary event Plus, we pay for their badges and pins, Journeys and Badge Book. We have a very small group, but we are active and love it! What a great line up of activities! We are just beginning to add some more off-site activities. So far, the troop is paying for activities at or around a regular meeting time -- when most girls are probably able to go. Activities at other times (say a weekend when some girls might not be free) -- we ask the girls who go to pay their own way. It just seems fairer somehow. We try very hard to do low cost or free activities. In our area, many/most the Council programs are extremely expensive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jelbe5 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 When I was a leader field trips were paid for out of dues and profits from cookie sales. That is what the girls voted to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kwickimom Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We pay for as much as we can from the troop fund. we let the girls pick a big trip to go on and then we figure out how many cookies we need to sell to pay for that trip and shoot for that. We dont do monthly dues. So far this year we have done about one activity a month and we have only had to ask for $10 a girl total. I would ask where your money is going if its not being used on the girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TracyR Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Just to add. Our dues goes towards food, craft supplies and any paper, ink that I need to print out our newsletters, activities etc., Patches and the end of the year banquet we have. Other then that we are still to new to do any field trips on our own ( not counting Council trips) yet. Our meetings are after school hours and most parents are working anyways. Its hard to get good help. Its me and one other mom with 14 girls between Daisy to Caddette. So unless I get help,, we aren't doing field trips until I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandragood1 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 If the leaders will not give you an accounting, contact the Service Unit that your troop belongs to. The SU will have a money manager that checks every troop's accounting at the end of each school year. The MM should be able to help you and, frankly, she needs to know that something is up with your troop. Of course this won't make you any friends among your current leaders. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Radish4ever Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Our troop is having the opposite problem! No one is paying dues and as co-leaders, we've been footing the bill for EVERYTHING. It has been frustrating! We have 6 girls in the troop and will be spending over $100 on patches and pins between now and the end of the year - not to mention snacks, craft supplies, service-unit sponsored outtings and activities, etc. We are planning on reimbursing ourselves with our Cookie Money and since our girls are all bridging to Brownies, we're hoping to subsidize the uniforms/patches for their Brownie vests and swag. We're thinking about having them just pay $18 or so (for $60+ worth of uniform stuff and patches). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldskool Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 If the leaders will not give you an accounting, contact the Service Unit that your troop belongs to. The SU will have a money manager that checks every troop's accounting at the end of each school year. The MM should be able to help you and, frankly, she needs to know that something is up with your troop. Of course this won't make you any friends among your current leaders. Sandra :iagree: The troop is required to send end-of-year financials. I am sure your SU manager will be able to look into this discreetly. However... from what you describe I would find another troop, start your own troop, or be a Juliette and attend council sponsored events to get together with other scouts. Girl Scouts is about making our girls into leaders and it sounds like your leaders aren't modeling that. I would have no time for a troop like you are describing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funmamacita Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 It seems weird that your troop is paying for so little. Are there any costs (like supplies or saving for a big trip, maybe?) that you might not know about? Our troop pays for most activities (we occasionally ask parents to pick up the tab for a camping weekend or theater night) and for one big trip a year, plus all badges, books and supplies with cookie money/fall product money/dues. Most troops in my neck of the woods do that. I do think it's worth looking into starting your own troop. I have an all-homeschool troop that I started a few years ago with just a few girls. I did reach out to homeschoolers, putting up flyers, posting on local listservs, etc., but I had the best luck contacting local service unit managers and letting them know my troop was open to homeschoolers. Girl Scouts isn't set up very well to accommodate homeschoolers—because they aren't part of a specific school, it's easy for them to get lost in the shuffle. Now I am "the homeschool person" for my Council, and pretty much every homeschooler who inquires about Girl Scouts gets sent to me. My troop grew so much that I ended up having to recruit people to lead new troops because my troop didn't have room for any more girls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ravinlunachick Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 There are no snacks, and although they sometimes have a container of art supplies (mostly for the one Daisy to use), they appear to be scrounged from old supplies that one leader had (old crayons, variety of markers, etc). I don't have any problem with that, but clearly they didn't buy supplies. I have personally provided all the materials my Brownies needed for their Journey activities. We had to buy all of the "starter" stuff--vest, basic patches and pins. I was told that the troop would buy any badges the girls earned, but they have been R. E. A. L. L. Y... slow in getting them out. For example, my dd earned her First Aid badge in October. She didn't receive it until January. The troop I co-lead last year? The girls paid $1 per weekly meeting (and we were worried that was too much, lol). We managed to buy all the badges and fun patches and most of our art supplies with dues money. We took several trips, most of which were free or very low cost. That's why I find all this so puzzling. I asked specifically about any homeschool troops when we were looking for one this summer, and our council service rep's reaction was comical. You would have thought I asked for a troop of all boys or something. She said, "Ummm....nooo. We don't *have* any homeschool troops. I've never even HEARD of one." I just wanted dd in a troop ASAP and settled, so I let it go. I mentioned upthread that the leaders said that they wanted to to take an overnight trip at some undetermined point in the future, but they have never allowed the girls to vote on it. So far, the only options I've heard discussed are an out-of-state amusement park and the Georgia Aquarium and Coca-Cola Museum in Atlanta (also out-of-state). DD asked if they could go to Savannah, to Juliette Lowe's birthplace, and they pretty much brushed her off. :glare: I mentioned that perhaps the trip could be to go to the National Mall in June for the Girl Scouts Rock the Mall 100th Anniversary event, but the leaders poo-poohed that too. One leader said she was afraid there might be homeless people in DC, so she didn't want to go. :001_huh: Yeah, typing all this out makes it really clear that this is a bad fit all around. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We had to buy all of the "starter" stuff--vest, basic patches and pins. I was told that the troop would buy any badges the girls earned, but they have been R. E. A. L. L. Y... slow in getting them out. For example, my dd earned her First Aid badge in October. She didn't receive it until January. in defense of the lack of badges, I've heard that some Councils haven't had some of the new badges available for anyone to buy. That could be the case here. National has done a TERRIBLE job of rolling out their new product. It's a lesson in "what not to do", as I keep pointing out to my own dds. Also, our Cadettes earned the Robotics badge in January, which is a Council's Own from somewhere in California. The parent in charge of those sessions got the badges in promptly, but our troop tends to hand out badges in a ceremony at the end of each semester -- Court of Awards. So the leader has them for now. That's a deliberate decision, though, not a matter of "oh, we just haven't gotten around to it". And our troop tries to keep the parents well-informed of what's going on. For example, we would've been told if there was a delay in getting the badges because the Council Shop didn't have them. BTW, I asked about a homeschool troop and was told there were none. There are actually several. I wonder if Council ever figured that out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 We pay the $12 fee to council each year and that's it except for sash or vest. No dues. Troop pays for all books, patches and activities from cookie sales. However, if we sign up for an activity, and don't show up, then it is required that we refund the troop. OP- No way would I pay another dime until the leaders give you a run down of where the money isn't going. Unless they are doing a lot of crafts and it's obvious where the money is going. If they won't tell you, I would be contacting the local service unit director. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffeemama Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I've been a GS leader for six years.Our troop covers the full cost of every activity and program we do. we budget and work on goal setting with the girls. Our fall product sales covered three council run programs and our cookie sale profit is paying for overnight camping and a zoo trip. The only thing parents will need to pay for is their own price for camping (its a mom and me trip). And our weekly dues covers craft supplies and badges. Even the Daisies learn that the more cookies they sell, means the more we can do as a troop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
funmamacita Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 It definitely sounds like your troop is a little weird. Which you have realized! And I think you're smart to ride out the year without making too much of a fuss and start a new troop next year. Depending on your Council's rules, your daughter may even be able to take a share of the cookie money she earns this year with her to your new troop. (If your Council isn't great with helping new troops get started, I can point you to some good resources. I had NO IDEA what I was doing when I started my troop, so if I can do it, anyone can.) My service unit was the same way about homeschoolers. You just have to keep at them. Then they'll still think you're weird, but when homeschoolers contact them, they'll say, "oh, I should put them in touch with that weird homeschooling ravinlunachick." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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