Selling Girl Scout cookies

[aprilgail2]

If you don't mind my asking, why is this your daughter's last year in scouts? Mine are in high school and we still find Girl Scouts to be a lot of fun, a great way to socialize with like-minded girls and a great opportunity to do community service and other projects that look pretty good on college applications. There are fewer troops for older girls, but these troops can do so much more than the little girls and are usually populated with great kids.

Also, it doesn't really make much sense for your daughter to generate so much profit for the troop and then quite a few months later before she has a chance to benefit from the money she has earned.

After 5th grade here the troops really take a cut- we had 18 kids and once we hit 6th grade we had 6--- now in 8th grade there are only 2 kids and they won't do anything out in public where they would be seen being a girl scout-its "soooo not cool"! My friends troop went from 24 to 5 from 5th to 6th grade! Now in 8th they have 3 kids, and all but one is leaving next year. A lot of it is the girl scouts programs fault- once they put in those journeys the girls were dropping like flies! I find the boy scouts to be so much more organized and respected than the girl scouts- sad but true.

 

[SpartansFan]

My daughter quit Girl Socuts this year as it was ridiculous. I felt like it was more about cookie sales than anything else and she wasn't really enjoying it. She worked her butt off on cookie sales and it always ended up being more of an issue and costly when people ordered and then could never be contacted again.

She had a friend that kept bragging about the number of cookies she sold yet it was the mom that did the work. This year was so nice to not have to deal with cookies and if any of my daughter's former customer contacted us we recommended a girl from her old troop. I ordered cookies from my little cousin up north only to be donated. Otherwise, I am not wasting money on the cookies.

This. I have two Girl Scouts and they each proudly sold 12 boxes of cookies to family only. I refuse to let them sell door to door and I also will not have my husband pressure his co-workers into buying from them either. We sell to family only and it is just not a big thing for us. I suppose there are girls in the troop who utilize their parents' contacts and hit the pavement, but that is on them. Girl Scouts is so much more than cookie selling to me, so I refuse to let my girls think that they must sell x number of cookies to be worthy.

 

[akcire]

When I was a kid my parents refused to take the order firm to work. They didn't want to be obligated. Instead my dad handed me a book of stamps and some envelopes and told me to have at it. I wrote to many companies ultimately selling 3000 boxes to a regional airline. Nothing like a kid cold calling via mail. It has served me well as an adult.

My friends daughters are now Girl Scouts. She sent out a broadcast text including a photo of the order form. I ordered some for my mom and husband- I don't like them. I then forwarded it to a few people I know without kids who I thought would enjoy them. It was fast and easy. If you don't want any also easy to ignore.

Everyone in my house hates Boy Scout popcorn. When the neighborhood kid comes I just give him $10 and skip ordering. I liked when my Boy Scouts sold Christmas wreaths. I always ought two for the front of the house.

 

[djgeffers1]

I don't like the way our council sold cookies this year, there was no order form ahead of time they had the troops order cases of all the cookies and then gave each girl so many cases of each type of cookie so the girls would have the cookies in hand when they sold them but then at the end of selling what did not get sol then the parents were responsible for paying for their left over cookies, we have one parent that has $400.00 worth of cookies they have to pay for. Our troop made a whopping $20.00 on the cookie sale. Now we are told that there is a nut sale coming up and I don't know if I want to even get involved in that.
Do any of your troops pay dues at each meeting ? When I was younger we always paid dues of 50 cents at each meeting but when suggesting it to our leaders she says no she wants everything to be free so now because of the bad cookies sales our girls will not be able to do anything the rest of the year because of lack of money.

 

[North of Mouse]

I'm wondering how girls sell massive amounts of cookies DD10 is determined to sell 1,000 boxes this year. Sales started 2 weeks ago. We have spend each weekend (this is the 3rd) walking door to door in several neighborhoods. Each Saturday we have walked a solid 6 1/2 hours (10-1,lunch from 1-2,2-5:30), each Sunday we have walked 4 solid hours after morning church and lunch until evening church. We're currently at 693 boxes. I know there are girls who sell several thousand, I'm just trying to figure out how they do it! Her troop will have a booth in March when the cookies come in but each year we only seem to sell about 75 boxes at the booth and that number is divided by all the girls who work it so she only gets about 15 boxes that count toward her total at the booth. She's in 5th grade and this is her last year in scouts and she REALLY wants to get to 1,000! I even ordered magnets with a cute picture of her in her uniform and all of her contact info. We left those on doors where people were not home the first 2 weekends, we only got 2 calls total from that!

I know from experience that a lot of them are sold by parents where they work. It got so bad that a lot of work places banned this practice as it was causing hard feelings between co workers when some would not/could not buy or would buy from some, not others. Anyway, I, personally think they should not get children to sell so many as a goal, because the parents are doing it instead of the kids. Just my take!

Also, about door to door, to me it is dangerous except in your immediate area. It also got to where so many were coming here, that we had to quit buying them completely, rather than to show partiality because we could not buy from all.

 

[SpartansFan]

I don't like the way our council sold cookies this year, there was no order form ahead of time they had the troops order cases of all the cookies and then gave each girl so many cases of each type of cookie so the girls would have the cookies in hand when they sold them but then at the end of selling what did not get sol then the parents were responsible for paying for their left over cookies, we have one parent that has $400.00 worth of cookies they have to pay for. Our troop made a whopping $20.00 on the cookie sale. Now we are told that there is a nut sale coming up and I don't know if I want to even get involved in that.
Do any of your troops pay dues at each meeting ? When I was younger we always paid dues of 50 cents at each meeting but when suggesting it to our leaders she says no she wants everything to be free so now because of the bad cookies sales our girls will not be able to do anything the rest of the year because of lack of money.

That just seems wrong. We definite pay dues, but it is done at the start of the year. I think it is about $70 per girl, but I might be off by $5 or so. Each troop sets their own dues and it depends on the activities that the leaders have planned. My second grader has a leader who loves to do field trips, so the dues are more than many second grade troops. I think the number of field trips is a bit ridiculous, but I can't complain because I'm not offering to run the troop myself.

I think your leader should collect a minimal amount to insure that the meetings are fun and worthwhile for the girls. Most parents wouldn't mind paying a couple dollars here and there to make this happen.

 

[Halbleib1]

We paid dues of 25 cents at each meeting. One year I sold the most cookies by going through the phone book and calling everyone my parents knew. I come from a small town of under 3000 people so one of those situations where everyone knows everyone or at least knows of them. Lol I also went door to door selling. We always had order forms and the cookies came in a couple of weeks after we turned it in. Any money we raised was ours to use for camp. If we did not go to camp than the troop got it. Back than cookies cost 2.50 which was expensive but not as bad as today. It would be a lot harder to make the sales at 4.00 a box. That is just someone getting greedy. Esp when the girls don't get much back per sale.

 

[aprilgail2]

I don't like the way our council sold cookies this year, there was no order form ahead of time they had the troops order cases of all the cookies and then gave each girl so many cases of each type of cookie so the girls would have the cookies in hand when they sold them but then at the end of selling what did not get sol then the parents were responsible for paying for their left over cookies, we have one parent that has $400.00 worth of cookies they have to pay for. Our troop made a whopping $20.00 on the cookie sale. Now we are told that there is a nut sale coming up and I don't know if I want to even get involved in that.
Do any of your troops pay dues at each meeting ? When I was younger we always paid dues of 50 cents at each meeting but when suggesting it to our leaders she says no she wants everything to be free so now because of the bad cookies sales our girls will not be able to do anything the rest of the year because of lack of money.

Thats crazy, we would never participate in a cookie sale like that! We would do our own fundraisers rather than be stuck with leftover cookies, same with booth sales, we get a few hundred boxes and council takes back whatever is left from the booth sales, any other way we would not bother.
Our troop paid dues of about 50.00 plus 1.00 to be brought to each meeting. I can't imagine running a troop for "free"- there are so many expenses! We also liked to do a lot of trips with the girls so for those the parents would pay per trip if it was to expensive to take out of troop funds, if they didn't want to then the child didn't have to go on the trip, it was their choice.

 

[drcmk]

the parents were responsible for paying for their left over cookies, we have one parent that has $400.00 worth of cookies they have to pay for. Our troop made a whopping $20.00 on the cookie sale

Those numbers don't add up. $400 worth of cookies (100 boxes) would net my troop much more than $20--and that was only one parent/child. Either the sale was mismanaged by the cookie person or the $400 person is exaggerating. If you think the cookie money is mismanaged you should talk to the service unit.

 

[drcmk]

Our troop paid dues of about 50.00 plus 1.00 to be brought to each meeting. I can't imagine running a troop for "free"- there are so many expenses! We also liked to do a lot of trips with the girls so for those the parents would pay per trip if it was to expensive to take out of troop funds, if they didn't want to then the child didn't have to go on the trip, it was their choice.

Like I said, my Girl Scouts are in high school. So, for us, setting a cookie sale goal, working together to sell the cookies, and then having a firm budget for planning trips and events is a real-life, educational experience. My goal is for parents to contribute $0 to Girl Scout activities, because I want my girls to understand the concept of earning money and living within a budget.

A totally Dis-board worthy goal!

 

[eeyorethegreat]

My daughter quit Girl Socuts this year as it was ridiculous. I felt like it was more about cookie sales than anything else and she wasn't really enjoying it. She worked her butt off on cookie sales and it always ended up being more of an issue and costly when people ordered and then could never be contacted again.

She had a friend that kept bragging about the number of cookies she sold yet it was the mom that did the work. This year was so nice to not have to deal with cookies and if any of my daughter's former customer contacted us we recommended a girl from her old troop. I ordered cookies from my little cousin up north only to be donated. Otherwise, I am not wasting money on the cookies.

I was a Girl Scout many moons ago. Back then a box of cookies was 50 cents by the time I left GS it had gone up to 75 cents in my area. I remember what a big deal it was even back then to sell GS cookies. A lot of pressure put on the girls to sell, sell, sell . The cookies are one of the big reasons why I never allowed my girls to enter GS. It drives me crazy seeing these girls as cookie pushers for the GS and know that for all their hard work their troop gets very little. It really turns me off. Now the prices for the cookies are $$ for what you get. I never did see what was so fabulous about the cookies. I really feel like the GS use the girls as a money making marketing ploy. JMO and I respect anyone else who feels differently.

 

[drcmk]

I was a Girl Scout many moons ago. Back then a box of cookies was 50 cents by the time I left GS it had gone up to 75 cents in my area. I remember what a big deal it was even back then to sell GS cookies. A lot of pressure put on the girls to sell, sell, sell .

Wow! I remember selling cookies for $1.50 per box, but not less than that!

My experience selling cookies (almost continuously since the 70s) as a girl, parent, some time leader and some time cookie mom, has been much different than yours. I also opt out of school-based fund raisers like wrapping paper, candles or cheap candy because they are junk, no one wants them, and I never knew the benefit my child or community got from the profits.

In my experience, the Girl Scout cookies sell themselves. So many people look forward to buying them from us every year. Former Girl Scouts and parents of former Girl Scouts love to stop by our booths, talk about their GS memories and pick up a box for nostalgia's sake. Everyone seems to have a favorite flavor or is eager to try a new flavor.

My only sales tactic, when I go places, is to buy a box of cookies myself and offer them to people I meet throughout the day (at work, school meetings, etc). Usually people then ask where I got them and how they can get some cookies for themselves, and I make a sale.

Maybe other troops are not run as well (and yes, I'd love it if our per box profit were higher) but I love the transparency of the sale in my troop. We know exactly how many cookies have been sold, can easily figure out the profit, and then we know how much money we have to spend. In addition to camping and a few fun trips, my Girl Scout troop will be participating in a food distribution drive for hungry people, spending a day cooking for families at the local Ronald McDonald House and spending an afternoon helping out with children at a local shelter this spring. Those trips are also funded with cookie money.

For my children, selling cookies is a tremendous lesson on business concepts that they would not learn otherwise.

 

[descovy]

In our area cookies cost $4 a box.

The baker gets about $1.00. The troop gets 60c.

I don't see it is a ripoff though. Our service unit gets 4c a box. The SU holds a father/daughter dance, JGL birthday event, World Thinking Day event, badge workshops,etc., etc., We also have a storage unit of camping gear that troops can check out. Many of these events are free or very low cost. And yet, when we rent a local school to host these events, the service unit pays the school rental/custodian fee. We have 670 girls served in my local Service Unit. It is all run by volunteers... pretty much Girl Scout leaders who already lead their own troops but see a need and desire to have events nearby and support newly formed troops.

Our council gets the bulk of the money from cookies. Where does it go? We have 8 camps with Sailing, horseback riding, ropes course, etc., etc., The money goes to support and upkeep all these facilities. I took my troop to "Cadette weekend" It was $15 per girl for 2 days of activities, meals, and a tee shirt. Don't you think a 12 year old would spend more than $15 in food just lying around the house for weekend? This May we are renting a place by the beach for $30/night. Not per person. An entire cabin for 12 girls for a full total of $60.

So we only get 60c a box in the troop. Is it a ripoff? I don't think so. We have the support of our local service unit. We have many, many opportunities to participate in council events, and use their wonderful properties. The upkeep is thanks to cookie money. The 60c covers all our service projects, supplies & badges, and yes even field trips. We have enough money to fully fund an active troop, and yet we only get 60c a box.

 

[DawnM]

Did your GS have a buy out option?

My boys are in scouts and we have to sell a certain amount per year OR donate a certain amount.

This next year we are just donating. I have an ING account set up and divided the amount needed by 12 and just set that aside.

I just can't handle the stress of selling next year. I hate it.

Dawn

My daughter quit Girl Socuts this year as it was ridiculous. I felt like it was more about cookie sales than anything else and she wasn't really enjoying it. She worked her butt off on cookie sales and it always ended up being more of an issue and costly when people ordered and then could never be contacted again.

She had a friend that kept bragging about the number of cookies she sold yet it was the mom that did the work. This year was so nice to not have to deal with cookies and if any of my daughter's former customer contacted us we recommended a girl from her old troop. I ordered cookies from my little cousin up north only to be donated. Otherwise, I am not wasting money on the cookies.

 

[Brer Shay]

To OP, I hope that your daughter continues to do well in her sales. She is definitely putting in a tremendous amount of effort (and so are you)!

Our service unit just finished with the initial sales order (the direct sales) last week. We got word this weekend that sales in the unit were down 24% from last year. Sales are much tighter for all of our girls, more people saying no, and those who say yes purchasing fewer boxes than they have in the past. The girls who sell the most have parents who take the order forms to their workplace, although some companies are beginning to disallow the practice.

 

[Colleen27]

After 5th grade here the troops really take a cut- we had 18 kids and once we hit 6th grade we had 6--- now in 8th grade there are only 2 kids and they won't do anything out in public where they would be seen being a girl scout-its "soooo not cool"! My friends troop went from 24 to 5 from 5th to 6th grade! Now in 8th they have 3 kids, and all but one is leaving next year. A lot of it is the girl scouts programs fault- once they put in those journeys the girls were dropping like flies! I find the boy scouts to be so much more organized and respected than the girl scouts- sad but true.

That's how it was where I grew up too. I am absolutely amazed that my DD's troop is as strong as it is - 10 of 12 girls made the transition from Juniors to Cadettes, and one of those that left was because she moved away. My troop disbanded between 5th and 6th grade because there were only 2 of us interested in continuing. Boy Scouts wasn't any different there, though - once they hit middle school it became totally uncool and was the domain of socially awkward kids who didn't really have another "niche".

I hate the journeys, though. The old badge system was so much more interesting for the girls - it let them really set goals and accomplish things on their own. The journeys are an epic mess. But our girls have been together since 1st grade and want to stay together through their Gold Award, and we have fabulous leadership that has done an amazing job of keeping it fun for the girls. I'm really glad to have "landed" in this troop because DD11 really loves scouting and would be disappointed if she couldn't continue.

 

[Colleen27]

My daughter quit Girl Socuts this year as it was ridiculous. I felt like it was more about cookie sales than anything else and she wasn't really enjoying it. She worked her butt off on cookie sales and it always ended up being more of an issue and costly when people ordered and then could never be contacted again.

For us it is just the opposite - cookies are the only fundraiser the troop participates in and it is very low-key. We had the order forms for about 2 weeks and they'll do a couple booth sales in the next month or so, but it is very low pressure because our leadership doesn't count on cookie funds. We pay $1/meeting dues and can have family costs of up to $15/month for outings, and cookie money is used to reduce the girls' share of their summer camping trip (usually ends up around $100 per girl). We're a very active troop but don't do a lot of expensive things - I have friends who are in troops that went to Disney or DC for Centennial events, we don't do things like that. We stick to local events and outings and old-fashioned camping rather than troop vacations.

 

[Ginny Favers]

This. I have two Girl Scouts and they each proudly sold 12 boxes of cookies to family only. I refuse to let them sell door to door and I also will not have my husband pressure his co-workers into buying from them either. We sell to family only and it is just not a big thing for us. I suppose there are girls in the troop who utilize their parents' contacts and hit the pavement, but that is on them. Girl Scouts is so much more than cookie selling to me, so I refuse to let my girls think that they must sell x number of cookies to be worthy.

Last night a Girl Scout in our neighborhood almost got hit by a car because she and her mother were sitting outside on a busy street outside our neighborhood in pitch black, trying to sell cookies to passing cars. Really? It's great to be enterprising but it's even better to have common sense.

 

[kamik86]

In my area I knew no one that did door to door. I don't know how many boxes I sold but I know I always ended up with several cases just from family. The kids that sold TONS were the ones that had parents that could take forms to work. Most years there are parents selling where I work now. They aren't allowed to ask for sales by company policy but they are allowed to hand a form outside their office or in a common area and allow people to notice it and sign up.

 

[kamik86]

That's how it was where I grew up too. I am absolutely amazed that my DD's troop is as strong as it is - 10 of 12 girls made the transition from Juniors to Cadettes, and one of those that left was because she moved away. My troop disbanded between 5th and 6th grade because there were only 2 of us interested in continuing. Boy Scouts wasn't any different there, though - once they hit middle school it became totally uncool and was the domain of socially awkward kids who didn't really have another "niche".

I hate the journeys, though. The old badge system was so much more interesting for the girls - it let them really set goals and accomplish things on their own. The journeys are an epic mess. But our girls have been together since 1st grade and want to stay together through their Gold Award, and we have fabulous leadership that has done an amazing job of keeping it fun for the girls. I'm really glad to have "landed" in this troop because DD11 really loves scouting and would be disappointed if she couldn't continue.

In middle school most of scouts was considered uncool even boy scouts but many stayed in and jsut didn't tell everyone they did it.

By high school boy scouts was respected again. Girl scouts wasn't. And for good reason. I was in girl scouts for years and loved parts of it even in high school but honestly wish I had joined boy scouts instead (girls can at least in my area) they did so much more real things and learned more outdoor activities. My girl scout troop did more eating ice cream and socializing then anything. Their were years that we did almost no badges at all and most of the actual girl scout activities were mentoring the younger kids (which were worthwhile don't get me wrong, its all the nothing in between that lost the troops respect)