maddykate Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 What is the big deal? I just can't understand what is so great about these cookies. Everyone here in my area acts like it is the most exciting thing ever that the Girl Scout cookies have arrived. In my opinion, they are really expensive, in really small boxes, and don't even taste that good. Combine the above with the exploitation of young girls to sell them, I am just not a fan. What am I missing? Why are they so popular? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Some people think they taste fantastic. Others want to support their local Girl Scout troops. *shrug* FWIW, I'm trying to chase down some vegan Thin Mints. I still think they're expensive and I'd rather have Nilla Wafters. I can get Nilla Wafters anytime I want, though. Thin Mints? Just that one time a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparrow Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I was a Girl Scout. Dd is a Girl Scout. I'm a Girl Scout co-leader. I have no idea why people go crazy over these crappy cookies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UmMusa Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Not a fan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lara in Colo Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Add the fact that I cannot go into any grocery store or Walmart without being hit up by dewey eyed little girls freezing to death in the cold weather at all hours of the day and night (yes night, they are out until after 9pm on school nights) and I dislike the whole process. BTW---Keebler makes a decent version of Thin Mints available all year round. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Add the fact that I cannot go into any grocery store or Walmart without being hit up by dewey eyed little girls freezing to death in the cold weather at all hours of the day and night (yes night, they are out until after 9pm on school nights) and I dislike the whole process. BTW---Keebler makes a decent version of Thin Mints available all year round. Oh, I'd forgotten about that. I think they're not allowed outside our supermarket. I don't know about Walmart - I don't shop there. I've driven past Lowe's and seen them out there, though. Blech. Keebler's Grasshoppers? :( They're tasty, but not vegan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dandelion Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I only buy Girl Scout cookies to help out my friends' kids or because I feel I have to for those sweet, freezing little girls outside the store. They're ok, but I don't get the big fuss either. Thinking ahead, the whole cookie shebang makes me want to avoid Girl Scouts for DD and find an alternative. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PachiSusan Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I buy them to support my friend's kids. The cookies aren't all that - not even that great. You can get better Thin Mints as Keebler Grasshoppers...and cheaper too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 These look interesting. http://www.loveveggiesandyoga.com/2012/07/homemade-thin-mints.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 These look interesting. http://www.loveveggi...thin-mints.html Ooooh. I didn't even think to do a Google search on homemade Thin Mints! I think I'll try to make these tomorrow. Er, today. (Why can't I sleep?!) Thanks, Jean! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Ooooh. I didn't even think to do a Google search on homemade Thin Mints! I think I'll try to make these tomorrow. Er, today. (Why can't I sleep?!) Thanks, Jean! Tell me how they come out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen3kids Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I buy them to support my friend's kids. The cookies aren't all that - not even that great. You can get better Thin Mints as Keebler Grasshoppers...and cheaper too! FYI Keebler makes Girl Scout cookies, and yes, they also make the 'knock-off' brands, supposedly with the 'blessing' of GSUSA. People buy them because they support the Girl Scouts, just like people buy any over-priced fundraiser stuff from any other organization. When folks realize what a pittance the girls get from each sale (50-60 cents/box) they often give a donation too, which is even more appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mytwomonkeys Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 i buy 2 boxes from my niece every year to support her (she is one of those kids that wins i-pods & such for selling so much). when my daughter was a girl scout, i just bought the required minimum because i felt weird asking everyone. i don't like cookies, so they sit in my freezer until my husband and kids work their way through each box. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Alright. I'll defend the cookies. I don't believe the girls are 'exploited' at all. A troop of young girls can set a goal, make a plan, and pay for an adventure with their OWN money and effort. That's neat for them. Besides, they're Girl Scouts! They've had outdoor training! They are qualified to put on a coat and gloves to stay warm! Most of them are pretty smart like that and most of them volunteered and look forward to booth sales. They're too young to realize that adults think they're lame and they're too young to think cookies are a bad thing. They don't expect EVERYONE to buy. But they do get a LOT of people who know exactly what they like and who buy several boxes. We always had more volunteers than we had booth sale slots and had to divide fairly and limit girls to a few booths/hours. The girls only get about a quarter of the cookies sales, but ALL of the money stays in the council to subsidize properties and services for local girls. They can afford to pay for their own trips because the property rental is very low for them. I led for years and did the camping budget. If we were careful, we could take 50 people camping for 3 days, for $12 a person! That included a gated property, platform tents on a lake, access to a commercial kitchen and dining hall, a confidence course, a low ropes course, miles of hiking trails, kayaking, and access to the archery range and equipment, and FOOD. Cookie money also subsidized the required adult training that allowed the girls access to those amenities. We live in a high COL area. NOTHING is cheap here and we never had huge, enforced cookie goals. They just planned with what money they earned. So, no, they couldn't go to Disney world, but they COULD take 2-3 camping trips and a couple field trips a year with troop earnings. If you don't like cookies, it's OK to say 'No thank you,' but it is ridiculously out of line to accuse parents and leaders of child exploitation because a kid did two hours of outdoor work in a year. What must you think of farm families? Or parents who make kids shovel snow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 In our troop, the girls are really excited to do the cookie booths. In fact, it was Trinqueta's favorite activity last year. I think they feel very grown up selling cookies in our local grocery store. Personally, I don't think they're that great either, but I like the fact that it's only $4 per box. The Cub Scout popcorn sale has no $5 option and it's a lot harder to sell because of the high minimum purchase price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jen3kids Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I think they taste good. And I'm not a big cookie eater. That said, I think they are insanely expensive. I know it's a fundraiser, but I wonder how much the GS actually gets to keep from the sale of those cookies. I rarely buy them. Around here the girls only get 50-60 cents/box. And that is if we sell them for $4/box. I've heard of some councils/troops that increase the price to $5-$8/box so that they get more profit. I thought that was crazy until I realized that Boy Scout popcorn is the same ridiculous price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Even that small percentage adds up. Last year was our first year as a new troop and we made $800 for our troop from cookie sales. That was enough to put us on a firm financial footing for this year. We don't have to ask for money for every activity and can do more interesting field trips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wheres Toto Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I love Thin Mints and Samoas but they are soooo expensive. Around here they are $5 a box!! And you only get like 10 cookies. We don't have any girl scouts we are close to, and we are all dieting anyway, so we aren't buying any this year. If I get a sudden craving for GS cookies, I'll just buy the Keebler version. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 BSA popcorn..the trick to making sales from passerbys is to open a box of microwavable, pop it, and give out samples. Sell the individually wrapped microwavable bags for a $1 Or 3 for $5 or whatever seems equivalent to what a convenience mart would have it priced at that allows you to make the box price and minimize the changemaking. To do that though, the troop or pack has to buy the popcorn in advance and break up the boxes. There's no equivalent of the GS cookie pantry that lends troops boxes to sell at booths. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I like and buy the cookies. Yes, I agree they are expensive. I was a leader for a while and my oldest dd was a girl scout for years. Cookie sales is a big part of GS and the girls are always so excited to be a part of it. I'm happy to support a group that makes the kids so happy. I even buy Boy Scout popcorn and that is ridiculously expensive. I paid $20 for a bag of caramel popcorn. I was floored at the price but my DH is an Eagle Scout and I just see it as supporting an organization that had such a positive influence in his life. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parrothead Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Years ago the cookies were really good. I think a lot of people buy them and have good memories so they don't notice how crappy they have become. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 To do that though, the troop or pack has to buy the popcorn in advance and break up the boxes. There's no equivalent of the GS cookie pantry that lends troops boxes to sell at booths. I was a GS leader for three years (didn't lead last year or this one). In our council, at least, there is no "lend." The troop puts in an order for the number of cases they think they can sell and are financially responsible for the ones they take (less the 50-60 cents per box profit the troop keeps---it goes up once you've sold a certain number of boxes--it was a fairly high threshold as I remember). The boxes cannot be returned if they aren't sold. The troop leaders/cookie parents have to guesstimate the amount they will sell at booths so that they aren't stuck paying for leftover boxes. If they run out, they can buy additional cases (not individual boxes) from the pantry. I'm not aware that any individual troops get anything from the sales of the ice cream. We certainly didn't. I would guess that any of those profits go to the Girl Scouts USA national office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I wonder how much the GS actually gets to keep from the sale of those cookies. Altogether about 70% stays with the troop and local council. Our troop gets $.70 a box ($4 boxes). A small part of the local council's portion is used to cover incentives, but most is allotted to their general fund (administration, events, camps.... one reason we have many camps to choose from and costs reasonable). GSUSA receives nothing other than royalties from the bakers for the use of registered trademarks. However, in addition to the money that goes to the troop, individual girls earn credit at the local GS Store. Last year, DD earned $50 credit, which covered this years books and two sheets of Badge Magic (love that stuff). The remainder we gave back to the troop to help cover the cost of badges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 I think they taste good. And I'm not a big cookie eater. That said, I think they are insanely expensive. I know it's a fundraiser, but I wonder how much the GS actually gets to keep from the sale of those cookies. I rarely buy them. Here the girls only get .35 per box. It's not worth it. I did feel as though the girls were being prostitized for cookies. They would get comments from creepy men that thankfully they were too young to understand. And standing in the freezing air, and getting sick from it just wasn't worth it. We didn't sell cookies at all last year, and the year before that, I stopped allowing booth sales for my daughters. I'm glad they finally quit. And with the GS, you have no other fundraiser options. You must do cookies and/or fall products. With BSA, you don't have to sell popcorn, and can have your own fundraisers. The whole cookie thing is a racket that really only benefits the highly paid administrators. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 And with the GS, you have no other fundraiser options. Our troop has done bake sales. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kewb Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 The cookies used to be better and larger and you got more in the box. Once the box hit $4.00 and shrunk considerably around here I stopped buying. It just became too costly becasue I had to buy 1 box from all my friends kids so I didn't make anyone feel bad. I am all for supporting a worthy organization but I could not justify $4.00 a box for such little return. And now I think they are $4.50 - $5.00 in these parts. I would rather make a donation to the troop so they get all the $$. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 Our troop has done bake sales. To benefit your troop? Or the local council or GS house? Our council doesn't allow fundraising to benefit troops. We can hold a fundraiser to benefit council, or to make repairs on the GS house, but not for troop benefit. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennifer3141 Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 We're cheap! Our boxes are $3.50 each. I'm of two minds on this... I think selling can be a useful skill for people to learn, especially girls. It's GOOD for girls to gain some confidence and learn to ask for what they need/want. Too many women have a really hard time doing that. On the other hand, I'm a little distressed over kids as young as my DD and younger doing it. I don't really like the comepetitive spirit and I'm really annoyed at having to do this in JANUARY. We have a couple of feet of snow on the ground. Plus, I'm a little peeved that the incentives for the candy sale were kind of just tossed at us on our way out the door to pick up the GS cookie stuff. Hey, way to motivate the moms! And it makes it feel like all we do is sell crapola. However, I do like the taste of many of the cookies. Horrible, not nutritionally valid but I still like them. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 To benefit your troop? Or the local council or GS house? Our council doesn't allow fundraising to benefit troops. We can hold a fundraiser to benefit council, or to make repairs on the GS house, but not for troop benefit. :( The troop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lmrich Posted January 19, 2013 Share Posted January 19, 2013 We had to participate in the fall product sale - chocolates, nuts, candies in order to be allowed to do other fundraising. We host the father - daughter in the spring and make a nice profit. I also coordinate with a homeschool group at our arts center (where many of our troop attend) to do a pizza lunch for $5.00. We made a $60.00 profit on that. I would rather do that again then have to sell the equal amount in cookies. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 However, in addition to the money that goes to the troop, individual girls earn credit at the local GS Store. Last year, DD earned $50 credit, which covered this years books and two sheets of Badge Magic (love that stuff). The remainder we gave back to the troop to help cover the cost of badges. It's interesting to see how differently things are done with different councils. Here, I don't remember how much stays with the individual council, but a girl must sell at least 500 boxes personally (boxes she sells in pre-sell orders plus her share of booth sales---not total for the troop) before she begins to earn any credit for the store. They raised the benchmark from 12 to 24 boxes this year to get anything at all (a participation patch). The next incentive doesn't come until 75 boxes. Older girl troops (I think Cadette and over, which starts at 6th grade) can choose to skip the incentives and get an extra small amount per box for the troop (I don't remember how much), but it has to be an entire troop decision. As to other fundraisers, our council requires the troop participate in both the fall sale (magazines/nuts) and cookie sales before being allowed to have other fundraisers. Those fundraisers must be approved by the council, IIRC, and cannot occur during certain blackout periods so as not to compete with these sales or United Way (a major funding source for our council). I don't know if a portion of such sales has to go to council. I know I was told in training that any individual donations to the troop of more than $250 at a time required a portion go to the council (don't remember how much that portion was)--not that we ever had that issue. The part I find truly baffling is the marketing inconsistency. There are two bakeries that supply GS cookies---Little Brownie http://littlebrowniebakers.com/ and ABC http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/. They make some different cookies and, even for those that are the same, the names are different. Tagalongs are Peanut Butter Patties, Trefoils are Shortbread, Samoas are Caramel Delights, etc. The only consistent one is Thin Mint. Each council evidently contracts with their choice of the bakeries, which means that adjoining councils could be selling quite different cookies. We've consistently had issues with folks asking for a certain cookie from the other bakery, because they saw it at a GS booth in the town 20 miles away, but we have no access to the cookies from the other bakery. I would have expected a consistent branding, at least in the same parts of the country if not nationwide. Overall, I find cookies relatively annoying but not horrible. It's a way for the girls to earn some money rather than just ask parents for more to do things. We participate to the level with which we are comfortable. My daughter gets a few pre-orders from friends and family (about 25 so far) and participates in the booths, which she enjoys, being a very outgoing person. We've never really done the door-to-door thing in the neighborhood. I remember doing much worse door-to-door fundraisers for my church youth group, school choir, etc. They were more like torture for me as I was very shy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnMama Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I only paid $3 per box of tasty Samoas/Caramel Delites. Totally worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AimeeM Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Exploitation of young girls? Did I miss something? Caramel Delights are the best thing since sliced bread. Maybe better than sliced bread. *shrug* And I don't see expensive - at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gingersmom Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 After all the hostility about girl scout cookies on this thread I guess I shouldn't admit to buying cases of them last year :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tammyla Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 My niece is selling them out West; so, I'm purchasing 5 boxes for her troop to eat there. I have very mixed feelings about little kids selling things. And I feel the cookies are so expensive, that a few years ago I started refusing to eat them. I'll admit that I used to look forward to thin-mints before I gave up sweets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vonfirmath Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 Add the fact that I cannot go into any grocery store or Walmart without being hit up by dewey eyed little girls freezing to death in the cold weather at all hours of the day and night (yes night, they are out until after 9pm on school nights) and I dislike the whole process. BTW---Keebler makes a decent version of Thin Mints available all year round. The Thin Mints were my favorite cookies and I was so thrilled when Keebler came out with one -- and its cheaper! The Samoas don't taste right anymore :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddykate Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Oh goodness! I sure hope this isn't as touchy a subject as cupcakes ;). Good thing for the Girls Scouts that there are still folks out there that don't feel the way I do. It is always interesting to see the differences in opinions regarding these kinds of topics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest inoubliable Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 After all the hostility about girl scout cookies on this thread I guess I shouldn't admit to buying cases of them last year :001_smile: You monster. :laugh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddykate Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 Oh, and yes, I do think little girls are exploited through Girl Scouts cookie sales. ex·ploi·ta·tion [ek-sploi-tey-shuh n] Show IPA noun 1. use or utilization, especially for profit 2. selfish utilization: He got ahead through the exploitation of his friends. 3. the combined, often varied, use of public-relations and advertising techniques to promote a person, movie, product, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraciebytheBay Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I just think it is a fun tradition that helps some little girl meet her goal. And, we get some cookies out of the deal. Win-win. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GailV Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 As to other fundraisers, our council requires the troop participate in both the fall sale (magazines/nuts) and cookie sales before being allowed to have other fundraisers. Those fundraisers must be approved by the council, IIRC, and cannot occur during certain blackout periods so as not to compete with these sales or United Way (a major funding source for our council). I don't know if a portion of such sales has to go to council. I know I was told in training that any individual donations to the troop of more than $250 at a time required a portion go to the council (don't remember how much that portion was)--not that we ever had that issue. We have to do cookies and Fall Sales to have other fundraisers, but we can ignore the blackout dates if we've done Fall Sales. And "doing" Fall Sales can be as simple as one girl selling one item. One of our troops wrapped gifts at a store every year at Christmastime for donations, and made a ton of money that way. All of it stayed in the troop. To my knowledge we do not earn Cookie Dough to spend at the Council Store -- we used to, but not anymore. My older dd was sooooo excited when she started selling cookies years ago -- she wanted to sell hundreds of boxes. She honestly thought she was earning money for herself. Why was she excited? Because she went to a cookie rally, and the adults got all the little girls all wound up about it! That's why I don't buy into "but the girls are so excited!" theory -- they're excited because adults are hyping them up about it. I'd rather the adults hype the girls up about things that aren't so consumer-centric. "Wheeee, we're convincing people to buy unnecessary stuff so that we can earn shoddy trinkets from China! Isn't that cool!" I find it highly annoying that so many badges center around cookies now. Badges about camping and science have all but disappeared, but we could spend hours and hours working on badges about how to sell cookies. Um, yeah, that sends an interesting message to the girls. :glare: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScoutTN Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 We have bought them in the past , both from friends' daughters and from the cute little girls outside the grocery. We don't anymore because 1) we are working hard to eliminate processed food and I would much rather bake than feed my kids the yuck in those cookies. I'll save the $ and buy organic butter, pastured eggs and organic sugar for homemade treats. 2) we don't support much of the ideology/worldview that GS now fosters. I realize that there are many good things taught and modeled in GS, that troops and experiences vary and that for many girls and their families GS has been an excellent thing. But we would rather put our limited resources elsewhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbug Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 They remind me of my childhood. My mom used to buy extras and put them in the freezer. Yum. I could literally eat a whole box of those peanut butter sandwiches, they used to be called do-si-dos. That and Samoas. Yum. But I'm on the wrong side of the world for them now. And pregnant! Totally craving some gs cookies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KungFuPanda Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 If someone truly believes that selling Girl Scout cookies meets the legal definition of child exploitation, then it is her moral obligation to report this crime to CPS. If you just don't want your daughter to participate, it's easy enough to never join a troop. If saying "no" to any type of sales pitch makes you supremely uncomfortable, then there might be a few badges that will help you work through those feelings of victimization so that you become more comfortable saying "no" to anyone. If you don't want your child's troop to sell cookies, you can offer to finance their scouting year. Nobody HAS to sell anything. They just have to participate in cookie sales IF they want to do OTHER fundraising events later. The decision to participate in cookie sales is made by the troop. The decision to attend any sort of Cookie Rally or Kick-off event is made by the troop. I've never heard of GSUSA disbanding a troop because they didn't want to sell cookies. when I led a troop, our families believed that it was valuable to the girls to learn to set a goal and work to achieve that goal within a limited budget. Some girls loved the work, and some didn't care for it, but they all benefitted from it. Sure, the parents could choose their activities and pay for their trips, but that's not really what Girl Scouts is all about. It's set up so that the girls are completely running their own troops by the time they are teens, with Brownies taking baby steps towards that goal. Now, I KNOW that different regions do things differently, and I got out just before the new programs took over, but the leaders that I know are just using what works for their girls and carrying on with their troops like always. In fact, I know a bunch of homeschooled GSs who are lodge camping this weekend. Traditionally, their winter lodge camp has been dedicated to public service projects (fleece blankets or quilts for Project Linus, casserole assembly for soup kitchens, placemats/snacks for Meals on Wheels, etc . . .) The girls are providing real services AND having fun with their friends. It's just not remotely seedy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddykate Posted January 20, 2013 Author Share Posted January 20, 2013 If someone truly believes that selling Girl Scout cookies meets the legal definition of child exploitation, then it is her moral obligation to report this crime to CPS. If you just don't want your daughter to participate, it's easy enough to never join a troop. If saying "no" to any type of sales pitch makes you supremely uncomfortable, then there might be a few badges that will help you work through those feelings of victimization so that you become more comfortable saying "no" to anyone. If you don't want your child's troop to sell cookies, you can offer to finance their scouting year. Nobody HAS to sell anything. They just have to participate in cookie sales IF they want to do OTHER fundraising events later. The decision to participate in cookie sales is made by the troop. The decision to attend any sort of Cookie Rally or Kick-off event is made by the troop. I've never heard of GSUSA disbanding a troop because they didn't want to sell cookies. when I led a troop, our families believed that it was valuable to the girls to learn to set a goal and work to achieve that goal within a limited budget. Some girls loved the work, and some didn't care for it, but they all benefitted from it. Sure, the parents could choose their activities and pay for their trips, but that's not really what Girl Scouts is all about. It's set up so that the girls are completely running their own troops by the time they are teens, with Brownies taking baby steps towards that goal. Now, I KNOW that different regions do things differently, and I got out just before the new programs took over, but the leaders that I know are just using what works for their girls and carrying on with their troops like always. In fact, I know a bunch of homeschooled GSs who are lodge camping this weekend. Traditionally, their winter lodge camp has been dedicated to public service projects (fleece blankets or quilts for Project Linus, casserole assembly for soup kitchens, placemats/snacks for Meals on Wheels, etc . . .) The girls are providing real services AND having fun with their friends. It's just not remotely seedy. Ok, clearly, you are much more passionate about this topic than I am. I stand by my beginning discussion that Girl Scout cookies are not worth the hype that I see going on around here. I will also stand by my statement that little girls are used to sell a product, and therefore, are being exploited. We can agree to disagree, since clearly you feel that is not the case. Have a nice day. I would offer you a chill pill, but I can't find the emoticons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
somo_chickenlady Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 We used to get some every year, but since I can now go into any grocery store and buy "thin mints" and "caramel delights" (the only two we ever bought to begin with) for WAY cheaper, we don't bother anymore even though our niece is a GS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shellydon Posted January 20, 2013 Share Posted January 20, 2013 I heart tag-a-longs. I only buy a few boxes because I eat every single one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobbeym Posted January 21, 2013 Share Posted January 21, 2013 I buy them to support my friend's kids. The cookies aren't all that - not even that great. You can get better Thin Mints as Keebler Grasshoppers...and cheaper too! Keepler also makes Coconut Dreams and Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.