My DDs (both in first grade) are required to sell 54 boxes of cookies each. That's 108 boxes! And we were told that that was the minimum; they should really try to sell 100 boxes each. While I knew that Brownies sell cookies these days, I thought some consideration would be given to their age, and they would just be told to do their best. Our neighbor, who is in a troop at her parochial school, is only required to sell 25 boxes, which is much more reasonable. If we cannot sell these cookies, we must buy them all ourselves. This is something that I think should have been explained at the beginning of the year, as well as the number of boxes that each girl (or in reality, the parents) have to sell.
In a Brownie newsletter we received, it mentioned that we could participate in booths to sell cookies. That one line was the only explanation of booths. I thought it was just another chance to get rid of your cookies if you were having trouble selling them. As it has been 20 degrees around here lately, I chose not to do it. At the last meeting, the Brownie leader told me, in front of many other parents, that I WAS going to be at a booth this weekend and that attendance was mandatory. I got the impression that she believed that I knew this (despite never receiving any information or being told verbally) and thought I was just a lowlife trying to weasel out of it. It certainly became clear that I didn't know when I began asking questions about it, but she never said, "Oh, I guess we forgot to tell you." or "Sorry we forgot to tell you."
This is my DDs first year in Brownies and they love it. My husband and I are very disillusioned. I know it wouldn't be fair to the kids not to allow them to participate in something they like next year, but I am seriously thinking of scheduling some other activity at the same time and saying, "Oh, I guess you can't do Brownies since it's at the same time as Russian Ballet Kickboxing."
Are your kids required (not expected, but required) to sell so many cookies? Is the way I was treated and the lack of information the norm?
In a Brownie newsletter we received, it mentioned that we could participate in booths to sell cookies. That one line was the only explanation of booths. I thought it was just another chance to get rid of your cookies if you were having trouble selling them. As it has been 20 degrees around here lately, I chose not to do it. At the last meeting, the Brownie leader told me, in front of many other parents, that I WAS going to be at a booth this weekend and that attendance was mandatory. I got the impression that she believed that I knew this (despite never receiving any information or being told verbally) and thought I was just a lowlife trying to weasel out of it. It certainly became clear that I didn't know when I began asking questions about it, but she never said, "Oh, I guess we forgot to tell you." or "Sorry we forgot to tell you."
This is my DDs first year in Brownies and they love it. My husband and I are very disillusioned. I know it wouldn't be fair to the kids not to allow them to participate in something they like next year, but I am seriously thinking of scheduling some other activity at the same time and saying, "Oh, I guess you can't do Brownies since it's at the same time as Russian Ballet Kickboxing."
Are your kids required (not expected, but required) to sell so many cookies? Is the way I was treated and the lack of information the norm?
