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 >>

- Yvonne

Posted 02/04/09 09:06 AM

Wow, what a lot of fuss. Sure parents bring the order forms to work. And their daughters go door-to-door and the girls sell at booths. If you feel pressured at work to buy them, then that’s a problem at your workplace and a problem with your boss. If you feel guilty, that’s your problem. There’s no reason to feel guilty. No one’s holding your hand to write the check. If you get all freaked out when a girl at a booth in front of the local store asks you to buy her cookies, get a spine and say (politely, I hope) “No, thanks.” If you don’t want to buy the cookies because they are SOOOOO unhealthy, they are happy to take a donation. As for where the money goes, a portion goes to the troop’s local council and a portion of it goes to the troop, and that amount is combined with dues and other payments to help fund activities and projects. You would have to sell an awful lot of cookies to fund everything a troop wants to do, although the troop my daughter belongs to has definitely been able to fund some activities entirely. Some of those activities will be community service work, as when my daughter went to a senior home to visit and do crafts. And why should you help? Well, there’s no reason you should, any more than you should give donations to your church or to a charity. The choice is completely yours. You seem to think you are a victim somehow, which is utterly ridiculous. Complain to Human Resources if you have to. Sheesh.

- Karen

Posted 02/09/09 03:25 PM

I’m amazed at some of the really angry comments in respect to girl scouts. My daughter is a in the G.S. We’re into our 3rd year. I really do dislike the cookie selling, but….I allow my child to ask family members, friends and my hubby takes the list to work. If we get zero orders, I tell her that it’s just no big deal. I emphasize that because I think they get hung up on getting prizes for selling the most. After awhile, that fades away and is a non issue as they go on to other projects, etc. There’ve been many benefits for her and I see that she’s learning quite a bit as a 10 year old. I volunteer alot. I’ve chaperoned on camping trips(brutal and really, really primitive! yuk) I drive girls here and there. They’re more active than most troops in our area so that’s a plus. I think there are good experiences for some folks and I can see how they may feel very negative. My point is, it’s not all bad and there’s so many more benefits. Maybe we just have really good troop leaders also. They address the cookie sales but they don’t beat up on the kids. Maybe that’s the difference.

- D.K

Posted 02/10/09 04:19 AM

I agree, it really does put anyone, not just coworkers in an uncomfortable position, my daughter is in GS currently, and I DON’T SELL her cookies, I walk with her just to the neighbors we know, and she goes up and knocks and sells etc. People that know she’s in GS actually call here for the cookies. The thing that really works on my nerves is I don’t know what you are talking about with the money going to the girls for trips etc. because we pay dues, we pay for these trips, and I know the leaders/and assistants don’t get paid. So who does the money really go to? - Yvonne —————————————————- A small percentage of the actual cookie sales goes to the actual troop. Last year, with the monies from the entire year of all their actvities, they were able to go to a very popular/expensive water park. They had a choice of an amusement park or the water park. So, you need to check with your leader to gain a better understanding of what is going on. I hope this helps you.

- Anonymous

Posted 02/10/09 04:25 AM

i agree mom go you

- andrew

Posted 02/28/09 06:39 PM

This mommy = EPIC WIN,GirlScout MOMS = EPIC FAIL! AMIRITE?

- GSA

Posted 03/05/09 11:36 PM

I have a Brownie troop and we are presently selling cookies. We have 2 booth sales that we set up at our church and a local supermarket. This way the girls are actually doing the selling. Most of my friends at work know that my daughter is a scout and ask me for cookies. When one of them opens a box, 6 more people around the floor ask where they came from and ask to order. I rarely ask people to buy cookies at work. I do tell them when it is cookie time and they come and ask me for them. No pressure. The other day, I was at the post office shipping cookies to some out of state family and friends. When asked about contents, I mentioned they were just gs cookies, and got another huge sale. I never asked anyone to buy them. Even in this hard economy, these cookies are selling themselves. My troop was happy to find out this year that the girls get more money per box than previous years. We use our proceeds for camping trips, patches, for projects etc. We donate food baskets, send cookies and other items to the troop overseas, we make crafts and donate to nursing homes we visit. We purchase supplies for planting and clean up projects etc…etc… People in our neighborhood have even donated cookies for us to send out, and we take from our own profits and donate them as well. At our booth sales, if someone says no, the girls understand. It’s not a big deal, and they learn from these experiences. So just say no! This comment in the blog cracked me up: “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.” Every year we have a booth sale at a supermarket, so I guess there you would purchase our cookies????

- anraq

Posted 03/10/09 04:53 PM

I was banned from going to my daughters father daughter banquet from Girls couts in eastern Iowa because a parent complained about me to the council. All over cookies. We had arguemnt at my house the parent complained to the council and I was banned. I did not even have a chance to defend my selves. What does this teach girls about scouting and being fair and justice for all.

- Curtis

Posted 04/01/09 01:29 AM

I once worked for a council. For each box of GS cookies you buy for 3.50 .60 is kept by the troop. That is all that benefits girls in any way. The remaining 2.90 per box goes to: the manufacturer and the council, and GSUSA. If their company is run anything like a GS council those funds go primarily toward: CEO salaries and the lease and gas for their SUV’s Lavish conventions and dinners for board members and executives. Lavish quarterly all staff meetings that everyone would rather work than go to these things. “Trojan horse” middle managers who earn anywhere from 70 to 100 grand to do maybe 10 hours of actual work a week tops. THe rest of the time they gosip and walk around making sure lower level employees are adhearing to the dress code, not using the wrong door, not taking personal calls etc… Morning staff meetings where everyone from the janitor to the president attend. Donuts and bagels are served so that everyone can hear about important issues like the new uniforms will be a slightly different shade of green, or that there will be a different brand of toilet paper at the camp. Wnat to support your troop? Give the troop a dollar without buying any overpriced junk food. You save the calories, keep an extra 2.50 in your pocket, and the troop gains an extra 40 cents.

- Former GS worker

Posted 05/05/09 11:37 AM

i totally agree. any type of thing like that shouldn’t be allowed. it’s work i’m broke that’s why i am here

- christa elder

Posted 10/01/09 11:24 PM

I remember doing the door-to-door selling back in the day… and although at the time I dreaded it, but when I did sell, that in itself was a confidence booster. My parents didn’t “SELL” the cookies at their workplace and they shouldn’t! However, I don’t see anything wrong with bringing the sign up sheet to work to allow anyone who would WANT them to order them. I guess maybe it’s not safe to go door-to-door anymore? That doesn’t excuse any parent from laying on a guilt trip though, that’s just not right. Just wanted to give my post girl-scout opinion! I sort of agree/disagree with you..

- Christine

Posted 10/01/09 11:34 PM

hey, imma let you finish, but i got to say that the at times the girl scout cookies sales mom at work is the most convenient route to cookies ever! *shrug*

- yo

Posted 10/01/09 11:48 PM

hey, imma let you finish, but i got to say that the at times the girl scout cookies sales mom at work is the most convenient route to cookies ever!

- norman rocksalot

Posted 10/01/09 11:50 PM

Somoas are amazing. thats really all i had to say

- AdamP

Posted 10/02/09 11:53 AM

The troops make great money selling cookies. It allows money for trips and thier patches. But…..here’s my story. I was a troop leader and I told counsel I would not be returning the following year. I had a great troop and great girls & parents. We did a year end trip at a local water park. We still had money in our account and was planning a bowling party in September. Due to my busy schedule and the parents schedule we were not able to plan an activity. None of the girls were going back to Brownies this year. I received a notice that counsel was going to close our acconut and take any money left. I’m sorry, I feel that money is the girls who sold cookies. I went to the bank and closed it myself and planed an event on Nov 7. Now I am getting all kinds of emails from the service unit that we cannot do an activity because our memebership is over. I replyed back and said the money is the girls money and they can do with it what they wish. I do not plan on handing their hard earned cookie money to counsel. The girls will spend it and have fun. Am I wrong for giving the money that the girls earned to them, why should it go to counsel?

- Troop 530 Leader

Posted 10/30/09 05:46 AM

I just had to find someplace to vent about GS! My daughter is 7 and totally enamored with it and I hate it! I haven’t read all of the posts but one I read said that the money the ‘girls’ raise goes to pay for less fortunate girls to participate. That’s not entirely true, our troop has enough money from cookies and dues to buy endless patches that are going to be thrown out at the end of this year (they will be done with Daisy’s) and pre-cut scrap-book type crafts! I don’t work outside the home so I don’t have an office to hawk goods at and my husband refuses to and I wouldn’t expect him to! When I ask the troop leaders if I can just donate some money to the troop, I’m told they can’t do that unless they give the money to some other charity! What a bunch of *!#***! I get tired of volunteering to do things, PTO, coaching, cub scouts, but when I don’t crazy things are done! The mom running the classroom Halloween party wants more $ because she thinks the 5th graders need pizza in the middle of the afternoon. The GS leader buys pine cones instead of picking them up from outside and then complains that the troop doesn’t have enough money!

- jewels

Posted 11/04/09 01:15 PM

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