Girl Scout Cookie booth sales...

[tnkr_bell]

OK, I need to know if I'm overreacting...

I've been in charge of the cookies sales for our troop for the past three years, but this year our troop leader took it over because I had a lot of family stuff going on. She was having problems getting the final reports done, so I told her if she would give me the info I would get it entered and make sure everyone got the correct prizes.

So, the troop held a cookie booth a few weeks ago. There were six girls that showed up. Usually you split the sales evenly between all the girls that participate. The troop leader told me that instead of splitting it evenly she distributed the sales so that it would help raise more of the girls up a prize level. I was OK with this, because I know that sometimes it really doesn't make a difference.

While entering the cookie booth sales, I noticed that she gave her daughter the majority of sales to boost her up two levels, where if she had split it more evenly she could have boosted two other girls up a level each. When I asked her about this she replied, "Yea, but I did all the work and dd really wants the stuffed animal." She also tells me that she told the moms at the cookie booth that she was going to do this and they said it was fine, their daughters weren't really interested in the prizes anyway.

My feelings are, I don't care if they were OK with it or not, it was still wrong.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

OK, I need to know if I'm overreacting...

I've been in charge of the cookies sales for our troop for the past three years, but this year our troop leader took it over because I had a lot of family stuff going on. She was having problems getting the final reports done, so I told her if she would give me the info I would get it entered and make sure everyone got the correct prizes.

So, the troop held a cookie booth a few weeks ago. There were six girls that showed up. Usually you split the sales evenly between all the girls that participate. The troop leader told me that instead of splitting it evenly she distributed the sales so that it would help raise more of the girls up a prize level. I was OK with this, because I know that sometimes it really doesn't make a difference.

While entering the cookie booth sales, I noticed that she gave her daughter the majority of sales to boost her up two levels, where if she had split it more evenly she could have boosted two other girls up a level each. When I asked her about this she replied, "Yea, but I did all the work and dd really wants the stuffed animal." She also tells me that she told the moms at the cookie booth that she was going to do this and they said it was fine, their daughters weren't really interested in the prizes anyway.

My feelings are, I don't care if they were OK with it or not, it was still wrong.

I agree with you.

I think booth sales should be divided (evenly) among those who were actually selling at the booth.

 

[msjprincess]

It should be spread evenly. I will add to a girl if it will boost her up to another level as long as it doesn't affect anyone else. No way should she be moving her own daughter up 2 levels.

 

[MSLRAC]

I think you are right to be upset especially since the first line of the GS Law is 'I will do my best to be honest and fair'...that it not being honest nor fair. I always spread the cookies out amongst all the girls participating in the booth and do my best to get them all to the highest level possible. I would never boost my own girls two levels for any reason and we are at every booth.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

she told the moms at the cookie booth that she was going to do this and they said it was fine, their daughters weren't really interested in the prizes anyway.

The moms said the daughters weren't interested? How about asking the girls if they're interested?

The one time we had "extra" credits to spread in our troop, the troop decided how to handle it. They opted to figure out which girls (who had participated in the booth sales) were closest to the next level and let them have them. It should be a troop decision, not a troop leader decision.

 

[tnkr_bell]

It's good to know I'm not the only one that feels this way. I was telling my sister about it and she was not bothered by it.

 

[Happy Snowman]

The sales should be spread among those that participated and only those girls.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

The mom's may have been OK with it, however the kids may not have. I agree with you that this was something a bit disingenuous. It is a testament to her character.

What springs to mind for me is Maya Angelo's quote....
When someone shows you who they are believe them; the first time.

 

[lauradis]

The Girl Scout Promise
On my honor, I will try:To serve God and my country,
To help people at all times,
And to live by the Girl Scout Law.

The Girl Scout Law
I will do my best to be honest and fair,
friendly and helpful,
considerate and caring,
courageous and strong, and
responsible for what I say and do,
and to respect myself and others,
respect authority,
use resources wisely,
make the world a better place, and
be a sister to every Girl Scout.

She didn't just break the first line of The Girl Scout Law their "Leader" broke almost every one!

I really don't like what she did it wasn't honest or fair or friendly or caring or strong or courageous or responsible or respectful or wise or sisterly.

 

[SMD]

I think what she did was wrong and dishonest. But, if you make this an issue, will she leave the troop and if so will there be someone else who can be leader? As much as I want to say make it a big deal, is it worth it if the troop folds?

 

[PrincessShmoo]

I think what she did was wrong and dishonest. But, if you make this an issue, will she leave the troop and if so will there be someone else who can be leader? As much as I want to say make it a big deal, is it worth it if the troop folds?

Would you want this person to be the leader of your child's troop? If it's deemed a removable offense, there's probably a good reason. If no one else can take over the troop, that's something the other parents in the troop will have to figure out.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

There are so many methods troops use to split booth sales, having been a troop leader and troop product manager for 6 years, I have a little experience in the workings of cookie season.

I *think I've seen it every which way under the sun. Splitting it among the girls that worked that booth, splitting it evenly across the board between what all the sales total to, splitting it across however many booth X girl worked, splitting it by however many hours X girl worked, etc.

The point is, that is something decided before booths even begin.

I'm guessing since the girls are still choosing incentives, they are younger girls ? Daisy or Brownie ? If the girls worked on their cookie pin or financial literacy's this year, those are topics raised to be addressed before cookie season starts to avoid these exact situations.

Yes, it is wrong of the leader is bump any girl up two levels in order to achieve material objects. Yes, maybe she casually did mention it to the other parents, and maybe their response was that they didn't care.

Are you LBB ? Is it the cheetah ?

Really, honestly, I wish they would just do away with these tinker toys and give the girls more profit. I dislike the goal of material possessions that aren't worth 10 cents

 

[NHdisneylover]

Would I be bothered by it? Yes!
Would I make an issue of it? Probably not. You've already questioned it which is really enough for the leader to know you disagree, and her response makes it clear she is not going to change her mind without much drama. It is not an issue worth having that drama over, but does say a lot of (not good) things about the leader's character.

 

[tnkr_bell]

There are so many methods troops use to split booth sales, having been a troop leader and troop product manager for 6 years, I have a little experience in the workings of cookie season.

I *think I've seen it every which way under the sun. Splitting it among the girls that worked that booth, splitting it evenly across the board between what all the sales total to, splitting it across however many booth X girl worked, splitting it by however many hours X girl worked, etc.

The point is, that is something decided before booths even begin.

I'm guessing since the girls are still choosing incentives, they are younger girls ? Daisy or Brownie ? If the girls worked on their cookie pin or financial literacy's this year, those are topics raised to be addressed before cookie season starts to avoid these exact situations.

Yes, it is wrong of the leader is bump any girl up two levels in order to achieve material objects. Yes, maybe she casually did mention it to the other parents, and maybe their response was that they didn't care.

Are you LBB ? Is it the cheetah ?

Really, honestly, I wish they would just do away with these tinker toys and give the girls more profit. I dislike the goal of material possessions that aren't worth 10 cents

Yes, they are brownies this year and yes it's the cheetah.

What's annoying is that last year when I was cookie mom, my daughter was like 10 boxes from getting the dolphin. I tried to work it so she could get it and couldn't, because I wasn't going to deny another girl a prize so that mine could get one.

 

[NCDisneyMom]

I was cookie mom for a few years, and I agree with you. We always split the booth sales evenly, unless one girl was very close to the next prize level, then we might give a couple extra to that girl, AS LONG AS it did not have any impact on another girl reaching a level.

 

[Dawnlight]

There is no other way to look at what she did other than WRONG.

 

[cabanafrau]

You only have her word that she even asked the other mothers. They might not have a clue how incentives work with booth sales factored in and would be none the wiser. If she did tell them they might have felt socially pressured to say they didn't mind, especially depending how she framed the question.

 

[baylorberas]

A slight tangent on this … I really don’t mind that our local supermarket lets the kids set up to do cookie sales and fundraisers in the entryway. But my own personal pet peeve is I just don’t think the girls need to stand there and ask every single person (and you usually get asked upon both ingress and egress), “would you like to buy some girl scout cookies?”

Maybe this makes me a grumpy old man, and it’s not too hard to say “no thank you”, but it just gets old and you feel bombarded. I see you standing there and I see the sign that says “girl scout cookies”. You don’t need to ask me if I want to buy any.

 

[Kbee]

A slight tangent on this … I really don’t mind that our local supermarket lets the kids set up to do cookie sales and fundraisers in the entryway. But my own personal pet peeve is I just don’t think the girls need to stand there and ask every single person (and you usually get asked upon both ingress and egress), “would you like to buy some girl scout cookies?”

Maybe this makes me a grumpy old man, and it’s not too hard to say “no thank you”, but it just gets old and you feel bombarded. I see you standing there and I see the sign that says “girl scout cookies”. You don’t need to ask me if I want to buy any.

It benefits the girls to ask and interact. They know you can see the sign, but selling cookies is more than just fundraising, the girls can learn something and build skills by actually "selling" them themselves.

OP, I would be annoyed too, what that leader did was wrong. I wouldn't report anything at this point, but I would be keeping my eyes open from now on. I don't believe a leader with questionable ethics should be a leader at all.

 

[Disneybuckeye]

Whiile I personally would not do it that way, I would do as she requested and move on. It is so hard to get parents to volunteer for these types of things. No way would I rock this boat over something this trivial.