Disney World with Girl Scouts?

[jpmom97]

I am a Brownie leader for my daughter's troop. The girls have decided to save their cookie money for the next 6 years for a trip to Disney! they want to do one of the youth education programs. We will travel from PA so I would like to make this a 7 day stay Disney. Has anyone ever done this? I am really trying to push selling more cookies and doing better with the fall funderaiser since GS is limited with fundraising. Thanks for any tips!

 

[DopeyDame]

I love their enthusiasm and I'm super-impressed with their ability at some delayed gratification!
That said, I'd be shocked if you can pull this off and if your GS council would be OK with it. The reality is that many, if not most, of the girls current in your daughters Brownie troop will not be Cadettes with her in 6 years, and of course there will be some girls in her Cadette troop who weren't in her (or any) Brownie troop. That doesn't really seem fair for them to do all the fundraising and not get to use the money, or to just show up the year of the trip and still get to go. Have you talked to your council to see if there's a way to roll-over money from one troop to the next?
Definitely have the girls think through some of these issues, as well as pointing out that they won't have money for fun activities in the next 6 years.
I'm interested to see other posts and hear what happens!

 

[2Pirates2Princesses]

I agree with the previous poster. I commend you and the girls' optimism, but as the girls get older their interests may change and many may not stick with scouts that long (cadette or senior level) or some may have to move, etc. I think six years is a very long time to save fundraising money for one specific trip when there are other trips and experiences that the cookie money, or a portion of the cookie money, can be use towards in the near future. I would really discuss this with your troop parents and see if this is something everyone is on board with as well as consulting with your council. Just my two cents. Good luck

 

[ADisneyQueen]

I remember my first troop of Daisies (Kinder) wanted to go to WDW for a field trip! We went to a waterpark instead. I've been a leader for 10 years and many of the girls do not stay with the troop. For some, it's not that they want to drop out but the parents don't want to bring them to the meetings.

In our council, they really want you to use up your cookie money every year. If you don't, you have to explain why and usually it's only the older teen girls who are saving for a few years for a big trip. And what about the girls who want to go on the trip but the parents don't feel comfortable having them go?

I would advise another trip to Idlewild or Hershey( they have Girl Scout camp outs there) or at least talk to your council and see if they will approve it before the girls get too excited.

 

[JustCallMeMommy]

My DD is a brownie, too, and while I love the idea, I think smaller trips with their friends when they are young is very valuable. It teaches the kids how to travel, compromise, different family dynamics, and make decisions as a group. Would it be possible to set higher goals and use a portion for immediate gratification and a portion for a long-term trip?

We used last year's cookie money for a weekend trip to New Orleans. We took the train down, cooked at the Southern Food Museum, and went to the zoo, aquarium, and insectarium. It was a fun weekend, and I think the girls all got a lot out of traveling as a group. I also think that trip showed them how much fun they could have and will motivate them to sell even more this year.

 

[Disney4us2]

We saved money for a couple of years in Brownies. We used the money for a trip to San Francisco for the girls to bridge to Cadettes. The walked the bridge and had a great time in SF.

We live an hour away from Disneyland and our leader won't take the troop there. He... yes he, is in to more educational type trips.

Hope you can make the trip happen.

 

[Hmom]

I think with the proper planning & communication with the girls & parents it is possible. Six years is a long time, but travel & adventures are often what keep the girls interested and connected.

I would suggest you talk to your membership staff person or travel specialist with your council. Some councils have a person who, as a small part of their job, plan travel trips and advise troops who are planning trips.

Depending on your council's guidelines, you might be able to set aside an amount each year for your trip. By setting aside an amount each year, you'll still have money for other smaller adventures because you have to progress to taking them for 7 days.

I would have a signed contract with the parents & girls that explains what happens to that money if they drop out, move or switch to another troop. Other leaders in your area/council who travel a lot with their troops may have something you could pattern your contract on, if you choose to do it.

 

[RitaE]

I'm actually kind of shocked that the parents of your Brownies are for this? They're saving ALL their cookie fundraising money for this?

When I put my kid in an activity, I do it for the current programming and benefits. I'm all for long range goals but Brownies are what - 7 years old themselves? That's like skipping the entire grade school program in favor of a trip that won't happen until Jr. High.

 

[traymoney]

i think this is all good advice. i would have a meeting with the parents after talking to your council contact (membership manager or whatever your council call it). if the girls are looking forward to a disney trip, they would likely stay involved in girl scouts--especially if you have buy in from the parents.
good luck!

 

[crisi]

I love their enthusiasm and I'm super-impressed with their ability at some delayed gratification!
That said, I'd be shocked if you can pull this off and if your GS council would be OK with it. The reality is that many, if not most, of the girls current in your daughters Brownie troop will not be Cadettes with her in 6 years, and of course there will be some girls in her Cadette troop who weren't in her (or any) Brownie troop. That doesn't really seem fair for them to do all the fundraising and not get to use the money, or to just show up the year of the trip and still get to go. Have you talked to your council to see if there's a way to roll-over money from one troop to the next?
Definitely have the girls think through some of these issues, as well as pointing out that they won't have money for fun activities in the next 6 years.
I'm interested to see other posts and hear what happens!

Our council encourages it. Not ALL your cookie money - but having and working towards a long term plan and keeping the majority of your cookie money for it. This teaches the girls planning, delayed gratification - and it keeps the girls in scouts - retention past elementary school is huge. When they get to middle school there are troops that stick together just for the "trip" that they intend to take together.

We do mostly free stuff as a troop. I'm not big as a leader on having them go roller skating - they've all done that. In fact, the MAJORITY of stuff we do together as a troop is volunteer work.

 

[dragonfly08]

I do think it's great that the girls are excited and are thinking long-term vs. instant gratification.

But my older DD is a Brownie, and honestly I don't know how I'd feel about this. First, in the three years her troop has been together there have been membership changes every year. A girl or two drops out, several new ones join. So some people will help raise money they'll never get to use, and other girls will benefit from money they didn't help raise. No, life isn't fair, but when you know this will happen it's something to consider.

Never mind that no way would I send my teenage daughter to Disney with her GS troop for a week. And who knows if going with would be in our budget when the time comes. Even if it is, then I have to deal with either not taking DD #2, or paying for her as well. I definitely see the benefit of planning and saving for a trip, but as a GS parent I'd like to see something shorter length and much closer to home as the goal.

 

[Familyof4lovesDW]

I am a GS leader as well and as a parent I would not be on board with the idea.

My kid works her butt off to sell cookies and who knows when she may decide not to be in girl scouts anymore, so therefore all of her hard work she would get nothing for.

Also, I do not know what my financial situation will be in 6 years, where I will live, etc., to know if I could go.

I have another child and would not go to disney without him, so therefore my dd would not go if we all could not go. Since my DS is only a grade older than DD and they would be teens, I could see this becoming a huge issue.

What about the girl that joins the year before you go because she gets wind of the trip, how would she go? Her parents would have to pay a lot because it would not be fair for the troop to pay for her to go since she just joined.

I would have them come up with another goal that gives them amusement park fun, but is in the budget for the cookie money they will make this year.

Great idea for the girls to come up with but as a leader and a parent I would encourage another idea. Point out the thing that myself and other posters have mentioned to the girls and they may make the decision to change the idea on their own, without an adult saying no.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

I think before you commit to this endevour, you need to have clear and concise guidelines as far as the $ goes.

My Cadettes, just started saving for their YES trip.

The girls took many things into consideration when factoring how much to save.

This is what they came up with.
45% Long Term savings ( YES trip)
35 % Short Term Savings ( end of year trip for this year)
25% - Seed money held over for next year

 

[TinaLala]

My Cadette's troop has been saving funds to go to DC this June for the Rock the Mall 100 year celebration - they've been saving since they were Brownies! Yes girls have come and gone, but they allocated funds in girl accounts so when a girl left her funds I beleive they're allocated accross the troop. It can be done - but you have to have a constant focus on it! Plus continually talk to the parents to make sure thye're onboard with you. We have separate meetings for DC girls and parents so we know what's going on.

 

[jpmom97]

Thanks for all the replies, while I wasn't looking for opinions on whether the trip was a good idea, more for ideas on a great stay with a large group. I wouldn't have gone along with the idea of Disney if I hadn't spoken to the parents beforehand and they were all onboard. Also, I let my Service Unit Manager and Membership Specialist know about what the girls would like to do and they both said it was ok to plan for.

 

[ban26ana]

My first trip to WDW was with Girl Scouts. It was the summer between second and third grade for me. My association (now called community) did it as a group trip. We could use our fundraising money, but mostly we just enjoyed the perks of having such a large group, and therefore getting group rates for things. We had a few charter busloads, and most people made it into a family vacation. We didn't do the YES program (I'm so old, I doubt it even existed). We did stop in Savannah on the way down from NJ so we could tour the Juliette Gordon Lowe house.

Like I said, we did use some fundraising money. The rest was paid out of pocket by the parents. And obviously the trip was optional.

 

[anty30]

I am a Brownie leader for my daughter's troop. The girls have decided to save their cookie money for the next 6 years for a trip to Disney! they want to do one of the youth education programs. We will travel from PA so I would like to make this a 7 day stay Disney. Has anyone ever done this? I am really trying to push selling more cookies and doing better with the fall funderaiser since GS is limited with fundraising. Thanks for any tips!

Hello
I'm curious to know how your troop is doing with their fundraising. I'm a leader and I've had my troop since the girls were in kindergarten. They are now juniors in high school! We started saving cookie $ 6 yrs ago. This July we will finally be taking our trip to Disney World
Wishing you and your girls much luck and perseverance in reaching your goal!

 

[SEA333]

I love the idea!!! And I am glad you have a plan.

DD's 4th grade girl scout troop has a ton of money saved from cookie sales. Not because they do not want to do anything fun, but because A. We live in the Chicago suburbs and there is a TON of free stuff for Girl Scouts to do here, and B. the area we live in is the quintessential "activity" center for kids - pretty much every kid I know, GS's included, plays a sport, instrument, or is very involved in things like acting/modeling or even after-school clubs on top of competing for coveted spots in the advanced classes in school. (I know...I think it's psycho, too! Parents around here are going to seriously have huge therapy bills for these kids 20 years from now!) It's kind of crazy, but the result is that it is very hard to plan a GS activity for 18 girls when everyone's schedules are so packed. Other than the free stuff or things that are minimally priced, our troop budget is very strong!

I agree that most girls will drop by 6th grade, but that might work in your favor...less girls to bring means more money per kid! And you seem to have a backup plan for funds dispersion and parental support, so good for you!!

FWIW, I would have no problem letting DD go to WDW even though her brother is 19 months younger and her other brother is 4 years older. My three kids are individuals, and each one of them have different interests and will lead different lives. We have never worried about one kid doing something with their team/troop/group that the others didn't do. I have one son who went to sleepover summer camp for 5 years in a row and is going to Washington DC with his class without us next month. DD gets to go to American Girl on a regular basis and shop. DS8 started club tackle football at the age of 5 and needs $400 for registration and new equipment every year. Four years from now, we might not even be in this school district and DD's and younger DS's 8th grade class might not even take a DC trip. I refuse to live my life making things fair and equal for my kids. They get an equal amount of love and attention, and all else will even out in the end.

 

[Iowajes]

I would check with your council how much money is allowed to be carried over year to year as Brownies. I know in our council, it is rather small. Once they reach Cadettes then the troops are able to save year to year to make long term plans as Seniors and Ambassadors; but Brownie troops cannot have such large accounts.

The troops are much more likely to disband, and sadly, leaders have embezzled the money.

WDW is a great goal for an older troop though. One of my friend's troops went on a Carribean cruise, and my troop went on a trip to England for our Senior year. In middle school we went on out of state ski trips. We made a lot of money wrapping books at Barnes and Noble during the holiday seasons.


(Edit: oops, didn't realize this was an old thread)

 

[diannec]

I myself am a troop leader, and this year I am taking scouts to Disney World from Texas. My troop has been active for seven years, and I've had girls come and go. Remember, there are some pretty strict about rules about how your troop raises and uses it's money. Typically GS USA frowns on troops sitting on their money, so keep that in mind if you plan to keep a little back to take a more extravagant troop. Traveling with a troop is a little like an assault on Omaha Beach. Having said that, this isn't my first rodeo, so to speak. I have taken my troop to Sea World San Antonio for overnights, the Grand Canyon, Disney California, Six Flags, mostly with cookie money. To get to Disney this year, the 17 girls in my troop, ages 6 to 14, sold 13560 boxes of cookies, and we still have to make some cuts and trim our budget. Mt point, I couldn't have pulled this off without FULL PARENT SUPPORT from beginning to end. Always keep that in mind when planning these types of trips.