Cookies. Girl Scout Cookies. They go on sale at some point in January. Now, I realize those Samoas are probably cooked in Satan's own oven (they're really good).
But, at $3.50 a box (that's the last price I've heard) and there are about 15 cookies to a box, it seems a little steep. That's not the end of it. The sweet little scouts bust their fannies to sell these things for cheap prizes and the troop receives -- get this -- .40 cents per box sold.
Okay, so that means the council makes $3.10 off the backs of children trying to win cheap prizes.
If you only do me one solid for the 2012 year, and you see a table set up or have a girl scout come to your door, ask for her troop number. Then, write a check to the troop. Instead of .40 cents, the troop will get the whole $5, $10, whatever you can afford for their activities. You don't need those overpriced cookies and all those calories anyway, right?
If you really MUST have a box of thin mints or samoas, buy them from a girl who is not in a troop. Some areas don't have enough girls interested to form a troop, so they're on their own. Guess how much they get for a box of cookies? A big, fat goose egg. Or, go directly to the council and purchase a box there.
Buying a box from a troop just means you're giving to the corporate greed - an executive director needs a new car, taking clients out for lunch is expensive, "Hey, let's all get new computers!". The waste never ends.
Don't get me wrong. I think the scouting experience has much to offer to all children, but IF I let my children participate, they would not be doing the fundraisers. (I think the boy scouts sell popcorn ? - and I'm not sure about their money division or sales protocol, so I can't speak on that.)
Furthermore, I don't care if they freeze well, you still don't need those calories, my hooligans. Have a lovely Thursday!
Love,
I sold girl scout cookies every year I was in scouts (1st grade through senior in high school) and I hated it. Ugh. I hated sitting in a booth at the grocery store or at a winery asking every person who walked by if they wanted to buy a box of girl scout cookies. Talk about a lesson in humilation. Selling calanders was worse becuase no one wanted one but I hated selling cookies with a passion too.
ReplyDeleteAs an adult I always buy some, in part because of my experience doing and also becuase Hubbs has to have somoas. Personally I just want one box of peanut butter ones and that's it.
We were hooked into cookie selling thing for a couple of years, when my daughter was a Brownie. I don't recall the split back then, but I don't think it was much better.
ReplyDeleteBTW, if you "just have to have them", Keebler now has several 'clones' that are just as good.
I tried to write them a check last year as you suggested, but they couldn't take it. I had to "buy" cookies for the troop.
ReplyDeleteThere are also several very good "cheat" recipes for those inclined to bake their own!
You can always buy the cheap "clone" cookies and dress up as a girl scout and sell them for $3.50 ea then donate the profits to the charity... hmmm... now that I think on it if "you" dress up do it as a catholic schoolgirl and you can charge $10 a box ;-)
ReplyDeleteMy princess is a Brownie and those damn cookies are $4 a box this year and were last year as well. Like someone above said they won't accept the donations. The Girl Scouts of America won't underwrite/sponsor the activities if they don't sell the cookies. So if the girls do something the cookie money and dues help defray the costs, if they don't sell the cookies they don't get anything at reduced rates.
ReplyDeleteAt least the cookies are good. That popcorn scam is just a total embarrassing rip-off.
ReplyDeleteI hate fundraisers...I really do. I have watched the box of Samoas get smaller and smaller every year. Soon we will be paying $3.50 for just one...just wait.
ReplyDeleteUgh! Hate having to walk through the sweet little girls just to get into the grocery store. There is just NO WAY I'm paying $4 for a box of cookies.
ReplyDelete