I Hate the Girl Scouts!

I Hate the Girl Scouts!

Friday, January 9, 2009

filed under: Radical Mommy

Here's why.

Radical Mommy: Can someone please tell me when it became OK to panhandle at work? By panhandling, I mean selling Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, and Do-si-Dos to unsuspecting and defenseless co-workers. Isn't there some law about soliciting in a workplace? And doesn't hawking cookies for cash count as soliciting? I mean, I don't come into work and sell bananas so that my son can go on a soccer trip -- so why do YOU come in selling cookies?

According to the Girl Scout Cookie website: "The activity of selling cookies is directly related to our purpose of helping all girls realize their full potential and become strong, confident, and resourceful citizens."

The website goes on to say:

Girl Scouts practice life skills like goal-setting, money management, and teamwork -- and they have fun! (What I think they REALLY mean to say is that the actual Girl Scouts sit on the asses while their parents learn all those lessons.)

Customers get a great product and get to support girls in their own community. (What the hell is so great about people who are probably already overweight shoveling sleeves of Thin Mints in their mouths? Can someone please tell me?)

All of the proceeds support Girl Scouting in the local community. (Why aren't these kids' parents paying to help their kids' Girl Scouting in the local community? Why do I have to foot the bill for your kids' desire to help the community? You do it!)

I know that people are going to be pissed when they read this -- especially all the cookie-slinging parents out there -- but if you take the time to really think about it, you start to see things my way.

If the kids themselves were doing the selling, then I'd only have a slight problem with it -- after all, I don't think that little girls should be put in the position of begging for money to fund activities that their parents should be paying for in the first place. But when it's their parents doing the selling FOR them, I consider it straight-up armed robbery with baked goods.

I know a lot of you are thinking, "Hey, don't buy them if you don't want them, bitter lady!" Well, it's not that easy -- these cookie-selling predators work in such a way that you actually feel guilty if you don't submit to their baked-goods bribery. I completely resent it -- if I want cookies, I will buy them at the supermarket, not from a co-worker at my place of employment.

The reason I resent the cookie-selling so much is because it's often the boss doing the pushing. Now you tell me, who wants to say "no" to their boss's kids? I mean, you're the boss, surely you don't have to force me, your employee, to give you money so your kids can roast marshmallows around a campfire. Pathetic! Pay for it your goddamned selves.

So, as you can well imagine, I won't be buying any Girl Scout Cookies this year, or any other year for that matter. And in case you're considering asking me to sponsor you in some godforsaken marathon, you can forget that, too!

56 comments so far | Post a comment now >>

Wow! Where to start? First, I don’t know *what* your problem is, but you’ve sure got one, and I’m sure it’s more than being asked to order a box of cookies. Yes, there are some parents out there that sell more cookies than their daughter does, but they are NOT the majority by any stretch of the imagination. My own daughters do it the old-fashioned way: we are out almost every day during cookie season knocking on doors, and then participate in the cookie booths when they come around. I can tell you for a fact that less than 10% of the boxes my daughters sell come from their father’s work-place. They work hard for that money, and they enjoy working with their troop-mates to set and meet their goals. They decide where to go and what to do with the proceeds. They learn about budgeting, and a whole host of other skills in the process. Yes, the prizes are mostly junk (many of us adult GS are trying to change that), but cookie sales is more than just earning a patch or stuffed animal. It’s a crash course in advertising, customer service, and general business skills. I’m glad that *you* can afford to pay all of your son’s activity expenses, but many of the girls in GS come from families who CAN’T afford to pay for all the activities out of pocket. It’s a cold hard fact that there are many troops out there whose members can barely pay $10 to register their girls. There are many, many troop leaders out there running their troops on shoe-string budgets because their girls’ families can not even afford the $1/meeting dues, or whatever the troop is asking. Call it a “sob-story” or “guilt-trip” if you want, but it’s a fact of life for many leaders. The cookie sale gives the girls and their families a chance to EARN the money to pay for their troop’s activities. It’s not a hand-out, it’s a valuable lesson in hard work and the rewards of a job well done. We volunteer to run our troops. We don’t get paid. We are often unappreciated by both our troop parents and the public at large. We do it because we *know* that GS can provide opportunities for these girls that they would never get otherwise. We do it because we know that a girl who learns how

- Ranger

Posted 01/09/09 01:19 AM

to cook over a campfire just *might* feel confident enough to take a cooking class and become a chef. We do it because we know that a girl who has learned to speak to strangers through the cookie sale *might* become a lawyer, or an actress, or embrace another career that requires public speaking. We do it because we know that a girl who has learned to set goals, work towards them, and deal with set-backs and obstacles (like your attitude) just *might* become the next Bill Gates and launch a million-dollar company. We do it because that cookie sale money pays for trips to zoos, science centers, museums, art galleries, camping trips and a whole host of other opportunities. We do it because that cookie sale money allows us to give the girls a chance to see and do things that their families might never have done. It gives them the opportunity to travel, to learn about other cultures, and to learn about themselves in a way that is unique to the GS program. Where else can a girl try her hand at such a wide variety of activities without fear of judgment that she’s not “good enough”? Where else can a girl learn that a failed plan does not necessarily mean she personally is a failure? That she can learn from her mistake, pick herself up, and succeed the next time because of the lessons she’s learned? Perhaps you weren’t allowed to be a GS as a girl. It’s not too late. You can hike a mile in my boots and become a GS leader. Then you would understand the true purpose of the cookie sale, and the goals of the GS program. And, perhaps you might just learn a thing or two about yourself in the process.

- Ranger

Posted 01/09/09 01:25 AM

this is the same discussion everytime girls start selling cookies. get over it, they are here to stay and they won’t go away. don’t buy if you don’t want, donate what you would have bought to the military (yes, we send to our men and women to remind them of home) or just simply walk by. wether you were a girl scout when you were young or never were, girl scout gives the girls a good environment to grow up in. read the statistics for those that grew up being one versus one that wasn’t. let people rant, next month will be something else.

- Anonymous

Posted 01/09/09 07:13 AM

Girl Scout cookies are a source of huge income for the administrators of GS. The girls (and their parents) are nothing more than slave labor for this. The boxes cost around $3, but the troop actually only gets about 50 cents from each box. I was a cookie mom for three years…terrible experience, but did it for my daughter and her little friends. I came to believe the whole thing was a scam.

- nicole

Posted 01/09/09 10:35 AM

This is wrong on so many levels…I don’t know where to begin. Girl Scouts builds girls of courage, character, and confidence. I can tell you were never a Girl Scout.

- GS Leader

Posted 01/09/09 12:37 PM

The REAL scandal here is that the girls can use the money their troop earns for ANYTHING they want. Here in affluent Newport Beach, California, where the girls’ parents CAN afford camping trips and other programs, the girls used the cookie money to go to Build-A-Bear and buy themselves stuffed animals. I heard of another troop in the area whose girls bought themselves iPods with the money they raised off of people who thought they were donating to a good cause.

- Anonymous

Posted 01/09/09 12:47 PM

I dont care WHO sells them to me, i just want them! Its no different then the constant fundraisers in elementry school/sports. i one feel i had to buy a bunch of wrapping paper and a tortilla warmer from my boss for his kid. At least it’s once a year, your helping girls do something positive rather then finding trouble and hello! Cookies!!!!

- anon

Posted 01/09/09 01:03 PM

our troop cleans your neighborhood park. we work volunteering to feed the homeless. we collect food for the food bank. we sponser a family every thanksgiving and a child during the holiday. we clean the beach. we sell cookies. the money our troop earns goes to fund these activities. the girl scouts are a great program, if you have a problem with the cookies just say no.

- eb

Posted 01/09/09 01:37 PM

i remember one year in gs i spent all the cookie money i had collected and my mom had to repay it!! talk about mad! i loved girl scouts (even though me and my bf got kicked out but that’s another story) and still love buying the cookies to support them. i just wish they gave you some sort of voucher to show you’ve already bought some because when you tell other kids you’ve bought some already they give you these looks like yeah right lady!

- formergs

Posted 01/09/09 03:06 PM

I am so sorry to hear that you feel this way. I work very hard as a GS leader to make sure my girls know that it is not the job of their parents to meet their goals but theirs. I also tell them that not everyone is going to want or like the cookies they offer. I have taught them that everyone is different and likes different things and this is what makes the world a better place to live. I can tell you that if you were ever asked by one of the scouts in my troop to buy a box of cookies and told them no, they would smile and say ok, thank you anyways and thank you for supporting Girl Scouts. You may not have bought a box of cookies from them but even the no’s teach them something and so with every no, you are still supporting Girl Scouts everywhere. This is really what the cookie sale is all about. You may just see us out trying to take your money and give you a box of cookies in return. But to the girls the whole process is so much more then that. I won’t repeat as many people who have posted before me have already stated what those leasons are. So in closing, Jane I would like to thank you for supporting Girl Scouts, not only this year, but for every year in the future where you walk by a group of girls asking you to buy a box of cookies and either say nothing or tell them no. You are helping us to teach them a very valuable lesson.

- Annette

Posted 01/09/09 04:25 PM

Actually, SUe, the GS cookie have had all the transfat removed from them as of last year. Or the ones made by ABC bakers have. And they offer a 100 calorie low fat pack type for those on diets. Little Brownie bakers offer a sugar free low fat vareity fr diabetics now. The cookies are now keeping up with the times.

- Cori

Posted 01/09/09 04:27 PM

Every activity has a fund raiser. Even the music school my kids went to, at the end of the year had a chocolate sale! So Girl Scout cookies are in my opinion, one of the most benign of the fundraisers and one that has specific guidelines, where the girls (THE GIRLS!) are supposed to be involved in the selling process…so I would suggest to the office sales to have their daughters start writing thank you notes to the customers and get them involved somehow! But still..thank you to those parents that help out with troop sales! To all other non girl scouters out there…thank you for buying the cookies! Only a small amount of your purchase stays in troop funds to help with “your boss’s daughter camping trip”! The larger chunk goes to the girl scout council where it serves fund activities for thousands of underprivileged girls all over your county! So you get a good product…no trans fats at all, and depending on the council there are also sugar free alternatives…and you help agood cause! Now, about the obesity, what can I say, I also struggle to keep my weigth under control, but the girl scout cookie sale is not responsible for my weight at all! Its OK if you dont sell cookies, there are other ways in which you can help your daughter’s troop…volunteer, help with an event, help the leader, be the first aider or camp trained adult..many ways to help and participate…just DONT HATE THE COOKIE SALE!!

- gabriella

Posted 01/09/09 04:52 PM

Ha! I have one child still in public school and one in private. Girl Scouts ain’t nothin compared to public schools as far as pimping crap for funds goes. Our elementary school sells everything from cookie dough to donuts to cheap trinketsI don’t even want in my house. I buy one thing from each sale, as do my parents, but I will not go door to door and annoy my neighbors. I do love thin mints and the ones with the creamy peanut butter covered with chocolate. My daughters were scouts a couple of years ago. Cookie selling was not the only fundraiser. I’m not sure if it was because of the leader or if girl scouts has changed so much since I was a Scout 30 years ago (ack!), but it seemed like most of their scout time revolved around money raising. My girls went on one overnight camping trip, and a trip to a mall 2 hours away from our town. The Troup paid for a build-a-bear for each girl, but we had to pay for our own lunch. I spent most meetings sitting in the parking lot, because I never knew if the Leader would keep the girls busy for the 2 allotted hours or finish after 45 minutes.

- ame i.

Posted 01/09/09 07:45 PM

The Cookie Program, if done correctly can help develop a Girl Scout’s leadership, public speaking, planning and budgetary skills. Having mom and dads with the selling by bringing the forms to work is ONLY one source of customer base. But I do agree with you about the intimidation factor. My daughter’s leader had the nerve to brag that her husband is the office manager and ‘who wouldn’t dare not to buy a box or two off his desk’??

- Theresa

Posted 01/09/09 10:47 PM

I wish this was I hate selling at work. Why pick on the scouts. Why not the schools that have 4-6 fund raisers each year for over priced junk. There must be another reason you hate GS. Just say no thinks, I’m on a diet, I gave them up for Lent, Its not in my budget this year….pick on and buy an apple and feel betterin the morning. From a Scouter mom- or a cookie pusher.

- Terry

Posted 01/12/09 10:15 AM

thank goodness “Ranger” said it all in the first (2nd and 3rd posts) and others as well…jane probably should be during more work at her desk for her boss than to be wasting time blogging and complaining that she feels pressured to buy cookies…I am sure Jane can “Just Say No” without bashing an institution she obviously knows little about…imho

- tracey

Posted 01/13/09 05:13 PM

Jane - I think you need to grow up, apparently if you were a Girl Scout, you would know that most of the girls do their OWN selling and work very hard at it! Because so few people will volunteer their time or money for these girls, they have to sell cookies to raise funds so they can participate in events. I have a troop of 32 because no one else will step-up and start a troop in our area. If the girls don’t want to sell cookies, they can’t go places or do things. I work full time as well as have a family, but I do this because the girls LOVE it and with out our troop and their cookies they would be wasting time watching TV getting OBESE or getting into trouble!

- GS Leader

Posted 01/14/09 11:43 AM

I worked at a GS office for about a year and can tell you that the cookie sale is a total scam. Yes, the girls might get to go to camp with the credit they earn selling cookies, and the camps are subsidized by the cookie sale. What they don’t tell you is that the cookie sale proceeds make up a large chunk of their annual budget, so really, when you buy cookies, you’re paying the salaries of the GS staff, not sending a kid to camp. Further, the girls aren’t required to use their credits (and it’s something like 1500 boxes makes them only $35 credit) to pay for camp, they can go the GS store (most local offices have a small one) and buy logo wear toys with it instead. Also, a bit of trivia: most of those cookies are made by Kiebler, and you can find similar flavors year round at your local grocery store. GS preaches empowerment to women, but really no one (in my office at least) really cared about the girls. If you want to help a GS troop to do something fun and educational, make a donation to their individual troop.

- Sarah

Posted 01/23/09 02:37 PM

Last time I checked, nonprofit fundraising activities were approved for almost all workcenters. Perhaps you should shut your Girl Scout Cookie hole and grow a backbone. It’s not anyone’s fault but your own that you’re so intimidated by Girl Scouts that you can’t find the cajones to say no to solicitations. I’m awash with amazement that you are so defenseless to an 8-year old’s sales techniques. You must change your religion at least once a week, what with the missionaries knocking on your door that you can’t refuse. You are an ad-person’s wet dream: the person who can’t refuse offers. Don’t worry, I understand, you buy whatever’s shown to you, and then run to the safe anonymity of the internet to vent your spleen about your frustrations. It must be very liberating to be so two-faced.

- Non-whiny person

Posted 01/25/09 12:56 PM

You shouldn’t be hating anyone! What kind of Momlogic is that? Are you teaching your kids to hate too? Learn how to say “no” and get some anger management therapy or a backbone when it comes to your boss. Make sure you’re saying no to drugs also.

- Anonymous

Posted 01/31/09 09:26 PM