Selling Girl Scout Cookies at Church

[TheIncredibles!]

I would be completely turned off if I had to pass somebody selling stuff on my way into or out of the church. That is a sacred place to me. Only way I would not be offended and would actually appreciate it would be during the coffee hour afterwards. That is more informal, people can buy cookies to take home or to donate to eat right there for the coffee hour. Selling them inside the church means you have to carry boxes of cookies into Church with you. That just seems weird to bring your "shopping" in with you.

 

[RamblingMad]

Does anybody sell anything at this church? If so, let the kids sell their cookies.

 

[firefly_ris]

Not really a big deal to me... Our church has a K-8 school affiliated with it (Catholic) and so throughout the year they have a table set up for a bake sale, cookie sale, soup/chowder, candy bars, etc. usually outside the main doors after mass has ended. Mostly to support certain school projects or missions or whatever. Sometimes I buy something sometimes I don't, easy enough to walk by. I don't think I've ever seen girl scouts there but once in a while the boy scouts do a bottle/can drive (which isn't really selling anything I guess).

 

[lovesmurfs]

Our remote family members always send us a website. Can the troop just give the website and have a bulletin insert?

It's just me, I think that since there's no church members in the troop, a table (like they have outside grocery stores) would take away from the worship experience. They should take the inquiry to the church board for a vote. That way if anyone from the congregation complains, it's a board decision.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

When I was in girl scouts we met at a church closeby--probably because it was an easy centrally located place in our specific area.

But back when I was in girl scouts you went door to door to sell your cookies and having people bring order sheets to workplaces was not really done too much--it at least wasn't as common. I still actually remember my mom's living room filled with the cookies when the orders came in and having to get them grouped together and then deliver them.

Girl scouts these days aren't advised to go door to door now and the local troops, including the boy scouts, set up shop at the Wal-Mart most often. Boy scouts however do still go door to door (and tend to ignore our no soliciting sign though we always give them a pass--their parents should be the ones teaching them that).

As far as selling at the chuch my guess is each congregation may have different members feel differently. I think it's completely possible that one church has members who have no problem with it while another church (even in the same denomination) that would have a problem with it.

 

[SaintsManiac]

We can go door to door in our region.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

We can go door to door in our region.

Back in the day that was the way you did it. My mom would have me go up to the door and ring the doorbell and do it on my own.

These days..it's more or less not encouraged to go door to door.

The organization as a whole has this on their website: "Girls’ safety and security is always our chief concern—and we have strict safety guidelines. Depending on their age, Girl Scouts must be accompanied or supervised by an adult when selling and delivering Girl Scout Cookies or use the buddy system when selling and delivering door-to-door. Adults must be present at all times during cookie booth sales. Girls participating in online marketing initiatives, including the Digital Cookie platform, must read, agree to, and abide by the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge together with their parents/guardians."

I've heard from multiple parents when they take those order sheets to work that their troops would really just prefer they don't go door to door at all and do it other ways.

 

[SaintsManiac]

Back in the day that was the way you did it. My mom would have me go up to the door and ring the doorbell and do it on my own.

These days..it's more or less not encouraged to go door to door.

The organization as a whole has this on their website: "Girls’ safety and security is always our chief concern—and we have strict safety guidelines. Depending on their age, Girl Scouts must be accompanied or supervised by an adult when selling and delivering Girl Scout Cookies or use the buddy system when selling and delivering door-to-door. Adults must be present at all times during cookie booth sales. Girls participating in online marketing initiatives, including the Digital Cookie platform, must read, agree to, and abide by the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge together with their parents/guardians."

I've heard from multiple parents when they take those order sheets to work that their troops would really just prefer they don't go door to door at all and do it other ways.

Every troop is different. We are incredibly laid back. We don't make cookie selling the end all be all of existence. We sold more cookies through our link this year than last. It's just easier for our friends and family who live out of town.

We've been selling cookies long enough now that I get texts from people with their orders. We don't feel the need to pound the pavement for sales and I am really grateful that it's not a huge deal with our troop leader.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

Every troop is different. We are incredibly laid back. We don't make cookie selling the end all be all of existence. We sold more cookies through our link this year than last. It's just easier for our friends and family who live out of town.

We've been selling cookies long enough now that I get texts from people with their orders. We don't feel the need to pound the pavement for sales and I am really grateful that it's not a huge deal with our troop leader.

Oh sure I'm not saying that every troop is the same. But there has been an incredible shift in door to door sales and the attitudes towards it. Much of that safety concerns but with the internet being used a lot (which is a good way IMO since you can get the word out to far and wide), taking it to work, going to places like Wal-Mart there's just other ways to do it now versus what used to be more the primary way at least back in the '90s when I was in girl scouts.

 

[tink89]

This is the essence of my question. I was looking for examples from those involved in Scouts or their church on whether this is an issuw.

If there was an issue then they would not be selling. Your church approved it and so did girl scouts. Girl Scouts also incorporates faith in to what they do but that is up to each troop if they want to participate. I would write an honest opinion but do not like talking religion on a board like this and see where it can go in to being right or wrong. I do not think there is anything wrong. I think if you like girl scout cookies buy some and if you do not because you do not agree with certain things they do then just don't support.

Here is something from the Girl Scouts site.
Celebrating Spirituality and Faith
Everything in Girl Scouting is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which includes many of the principles and values common across religions. So while we are a secular organization, Girl Scouts has always encouraged girls to take spiritual journeys via their faiths' religious recognitions.

 

[AppleDumpling]

I wouldn’t mind, but I can understand that others may find it inappropriate.

Can the troop just give the website and have a bulletin insert?

This is my suggestion as well. I think it’s a good compromise. DS was in a Boy Scout troop that meets in a church. (In BSA, it’s the official sponsor of the troop, what they call a chartered organization. Some scout families are members of the congregation, some are not.) The troop sells Christmas wreaths as an annual fundraiser. A notice is
posted in the church bulletin with all the info about the wreath sale, including the name and number of the scout leader to contact if they want to purchase. The wreaths are then either delivered to the person’s home by scouts, or they can stop by the troop’s weekly meeting (in the church hall) to pick them up. No one feels obligated to buy, yet they always sell a lot.

 

[Minnesota!]

I don't see an issue, at all. They sell at all kinds of businesses around town - churches, stores, grocery stores, etc.
The church we go to brings in artisans (of Catholic-goods) who can sell their wares in the back of the church after mass. And, we sell raffle tickets for the school, tickets for various events, etc.

 

[jaybirdsmommy]

As long as the girls are set up away from the entrance and not being obnoxious or chasing people down begging them to buy cookies, I don't see a problem with it. They are there if someone wants to buy, if someone doesn't, then they can just walk on by. It drives me nuts when they are blocking the entrance to a store, screaming at people as they try to walk in or out.

The only problem I see is that it opens the church up to requests from other organizations - boy scouts, school fundraisers, etc, to sell as well.

No religious discussions allowed, but I don't think this falls under the "money changer" category in the verse you mentioned.

 

[cabanafrau]

When my youngest daughter's GS troop was bumped from the room at the school where they had always met on the only night the leaders were available to hold meetings they were able to find space to use at a church where none of the girls attended. Several times per year the troop collected canned goods and non perishable food for the church's food pantry and helped out on distribution nights. The church and those who regularly came to pickup food on distribution nights were absolutely delighted with all of the extra help(as well as the extra donations). What had apparently been about a two and a half hour wait in line dropped to under an hour because the girls were doing most of the packing of boxes -- and were able to help people get the boxes upstairs and out to their cars without having to make multiple trips.

The troop never sold cookies at the church, but I'm betting odds were pretty good they would have been welcomed. Back when my daughters were in scouting I had friends at church who would ask me every year when the cookie sale was so they could place their orders. We've never had a sales booth at our church, but we have had notices in the bulletin for bottle collections and other donations when scouts were working on gold and silver award projects and/or Eagle scout projects.

 

[kirstenb1]

I was a troop leader for a couple of years. During the announcements part of the service, our daughter would announce she was taking orders for cookies, and would have her order form with her during coffee hour, in case anyone wanted to buy.

I know when we set up our booths, they were always in front of a grocery store, or Walmarts. I always assumed it was because they were prime spots. I honestly can't remember if there were guidelines on where we could sell.

I agree with previous posters. Your church needs to discuss whether or not you're going to allow groups to set up to sell. It's entirely possible it would just be GS. But it's also possible other groups would approach you. I'd recommend getting the troop to give you an order form, and post it on your bulletin board. The troop leaders can treat this form the same way they place orders to stock the booths, and bring anyone who orders, the cookies when they come in.

 

[soccerdad72]

Not really a big deal to me... Our church has a K-8 school affiliated with it (Catholic) and so throughout the year they have a table set up for a bake sale, cookie sale, soup/chowder, candy bars, etc. usually outside the main doors after mass has ended. Mostly to support certain school projects or missions or whatever. Sometimes I buy something sometimes I don't, easy enough to walk by. I don't think I've ever seen girl scouts there but once in a while the boy scouts do a bottle/can drive (which isn't really selling anything I guess).

Same here - our Girl Scout and Boy Scout troops are affiliated with our parish as well.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

If there was an issue then they would not be selling. Your church approved it and so did girl scouts.

No, see, that's why I'm asking. We haven't yet. I was asked my opinion by the chair of the committee that deals with this stuff on whether we should. I was polling the Community Board

 

[tinkerhon]

At the risk of possibly merging two threads - any Girl Scouts in the NYC area - head over to the Winter garden theatre ( where Beetlejuice is playing) - they are going to have Scouts there selling cookies on March 9th ( for anyone familiar with the show, there's a tie-in)

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

This is the essence of my question. I was looking for examples from those involved in Scouts or their church on whether this is an issuw.

The church DS's Cub Scout troop met at didn't have a problem with the Cubs selling popcorn before/after services, as long as they were respectful (no running up to people, no yelling, etc). Same with the Boy Scouts who did mulch sales (the church did not allow them to do the Christmas tree sales, though, as the church ran their own tree lot during the holidays; pumpkin lot too).

When my girls were younger, they did cookie sales all over the place. One of the weirdest was outside an elderly living facility. They did get a lot of business from the residents, though!

 

[Skippy918]

My dd doesn’t like going door to door, so instead we’ve done a booth in front of our house. We sold close to 30 boxes doing that one evening. I bring the cookies to work too. My coworkers like cookies and supporting scouts. I don’t really advertise the fact, I leave them on my desk and they sell themselves.