Okay, it’s not really a scandal (at least not yet), but I wanted something catchy.
Ever the helpful neighbors, we bought a box of Girl Scout Cookies the other day. Actually, we bought ’em a few weeks ago, but they were delivered the other day. Cost? $3.50. Pretty pricey for a box of cookies, thought I. Then I opened them.
There were 15 – fifteen! – cookies in the box. The entire box. That works out to more than $0.23 per cookie. Now it’s not an issue of donating to the group. Had they simply asked for a donation, we’d probably give them one. But what a rip-off. Fifteen reasonable-quality cookies, for $0.23 each?
Comments
61 responses to “Girl Scout Cookie Scandal”
If we want our girls to learn the value of marketing then it is time for the Girl Scouts to choose fund raisers that provide better profits than the cookie sales do. While in the PTA, we found fund raising activities that generated profits of 40% or more for the organization. Our troop kept only $0.25 per box of cookies sold, that’s only 8.3% profit. A $5 donation translates into 20 boxes of cookies sold. And then that money is tied up in “cookie dough” (or whatever it is called) that can only be spent through the Girl Scout organization. This is not a good lesson to be exposing young girls to. Especially if there are such restrictive rules from the national organization. It’s time for the Girl Scouts to take stock and look at what truly benefits the local groups. Work smarter, not harder.
Ukmmm….Hello! Where have some people been? It may seem like a scandal, and quite frankly, I agree. However, this has been going on for years! You just now figured this out? Besides, it is for a good cause!
I bought 20 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. This will be her last year. She is quitting. I was told that a new policy of the GSA is that the Girls have to sell a minimum of 120 boxes before they start getting anything. The Girl Scout only gets 50 cents a box after 120 have been sold. So, if a girl sells 121 boxes, she gets only 50 cents. I don’t blame the girl for quiting.
Girl Scout cookies are apparently made by a company owned by Keebler. Interesting – I know.
This message is to everyone, but an answer to Truth’s post:
Yes, the BSA does get money elsewhere.
First, they get a lot more profit per sale from popcorn sales (look at the price of one item vs the price of one box of GS cookies).
Second, they send out a catalog to members every year with items being sold by them for members to purchase. These are things like tents, camp supplies, race cars, etc. They are made by national chain companies and then BS markets them and takes a profit.
Also, while a BS has to purchase his uniform and badges, a GS only has to purchase her uniform – badges come out of troop funding.
I have noticed a lot of posts asking about the difference in profit, GS of the USA is a large organization. As such, they break the country up into more manageable areas.
These are called Councils. The council covers a good area, ours covers all of western Iowa. These councils look at what opportunities the girls in their area have. They also look at the financial data on the members they have along with other issues.
From all this, they decide how much money they need to fund certain activities and set the price per box of cookies on that. They also determine how much each troop gets per box.
So while a troop in a pricey area will get 1 dollar per box, a troop in an area that has a relatively low cost of living/entertainment/travel will get less per box.
I am a leader of 23 Brownies, I can say with good faith that our troop will sell enough boxes to earn us about $2,000 profit this year.
This will allow my troop to meet three times over the summer and do activities and a picnic and get a badge for each meeting, to go to Sioux Falls, SD to see the waterfalls and visit the Kirby Discovery Center in August, to pay for all the supplies and badges they will need through the year, to pay for the two pins they will earn next year, to pay for a trip to the Omaha Zoo next April (no cost to the girls for this or for Sioux Falls, great for parents with limited income), and also to do a $400 service project and cover any leftover costs.
All this, and we are not going to have to charge dues to the parents. That is a lot for these girls!
Now, say their parents do not want to do the cookie sales- then they will have dues next year to help cover the cost of the activities. Still, dues would be about $15 for the year. What program could a girl do that costs that little and lets them experience so much?
I have many girls who want to attend camp this summer but cannot afford to. They will be going for free with a GoGrant Campership which is offered by the council, this is paid for by funding from cookie sales!
I have a few girls whose parents could not afford the $10 to register their daughters with the GS this year, they got financial aid (also from cookie sale money of the council profit) to be able to join for free and an older troop bought vests for them with their troop funds (they had been saving small amounts over the years from cookie sales and offered it to me if I had girls in need).
The council puts on great events, like overnights at Art Centers, overnights at the local college with swimming and more, horseback riding days, etc. All this costs the girls who want to go a small amount of money, but the bulk of the cost comes from the councils cookie profits. Also, if a girl gets financial aid at the start of the year for registration, they get it all year to help attend these events. In all, the troop gets to keep less directly, but they get to benefit in a huge way!
Really the way I see the cookie sales is this: The girls are getting great experiences in the troop and they get to help support that troop by selling cookies.
If a family does not want to do this, they are not kicked out of the troop or anything – they get to stay and enjoy the benefits, maybe having to pay a few dollars for a few things to help with the cost… not too bad!
I remember selling cookies as a girl and I loved setting my goals, picking what prize I wanted to work for (let me tell you, it is not junk like they get from school fundraisers – it is neat stuff!), and working for the goal. I loved it. That reminds me, part of the council cost is to cover the prizes won by girls when they reach certain selling levels.
Someone said something about the money going to pay for leaders – we are volunteers! I do not get paid to run the troop, I probably put in close to $200 a year just buying little things they need that I don’t want to take out of troop funding.
I don’t have to do this, but most leaders choose to buy things for the girls or the troop and don’t reimburse themselves… cookie sales are not paying us! And people who work for GSUSA take in a low income compared to other corporate jobs, they do this happily because they believe in the program and what it does for girls and the country as a whole.
Anyway, I didn’t start out to write a book here, sorry – I just want you all to know that the GS cookie program is a great program and I would like to thank you for your support if you bought cookies! Look at it like the public TV fundraiser- only better, with them you get a small gift if you donate $100 or more, with us you get a small gift if you donate a lot less than that!
Our troop only takes in .40-.60 a box depending on how many they sell. I think its alot of work. The GS council takes most of the money to upgrade camps and sponser events etc. Plus….the girls really don’t sell the cookies. The cookies sell themselves or else the parents sell them by bringing the sign up folders to their places of work!
I think the girls learn about half of what we think they are supposed to be learning by selling them.
Plus it can sort of turn the moms goofy! lol But nothing a thin mint won’t cure!
As a Mom of three scout daughters and leader of a troop of 12 brownies.. I agree that the cookies are expensive but our girls earn between .80 and 1.00 per box sold. In the course of this they learn:to count change without a machine, multiplication, how to talk to people, manners, they earn badges, offer community service projects, are able to take trips or make decisions for what they get to spend their money on… Also we send 1000’s of boxes to our soldiers overseas.. (they love them)…maybe they are worth it after all…If $4.00 a box it too much.. give the girls $1.00 they will put the money to good use
You guys, the ones complaining, have too much time on your hands. If you don’t like it, don’t buy ’em! I know that when I buy them I am supporting Girl Scouts…not getting the deal of the century on cookies. I buy them and then open them and leave them on my desk for employees……….
I have never seen people give so much energy to arguing over a fund raiser that you don’t have to contribute to!!!
Yep, I’m a Girl Scout and have been for 11 years. We only get 50 cents a box. Sucks, right? But it is practically the only fundraiser we can do. Whenever there is a national girl scout fundraiser going on (selling cookies during the spring or selling nuts in the fall) we are not allowed to do any other fundraisers, girl scout regulation.
Oh, yeah … and another thing … I find it interesting about the differences in profit because my friend who is involved in the cookie sales says their troop gets $1.50 profit per box.