| |
"Think Globally, Act Locally"
BEING A "SISTER TO EVERY GIRL SCOUT" should not mean that we abandon common sense to fit deteriorating standards. When an HonestGirlScouts.com member asked a Girl Scout Council representative why GSUSA allows Planned Parenthood to teach sex education to Girl Scouts, the response was, "One out of every three women gets raped!" WHAT? First of all, is that even a true statistic? And secondly, is that a reason to teach young children how to casually have sex and learn about masturbation, homosexuality, contraception and abortion? We don't think so.
To us at HonestGirlScouts.com, being a sister to every Girl Scout means that we do not allow the less-fortunate to be indoctrinated with the lowest-common-denominator approach to living. Many of us have control over what happens in our own troops and Service Units because we are involved with our own children. But what about all the girls around the nation and the world who are in troops led by volunteers with radical ideas about sexual rights for children as young as five? Should we, as an organization, endorse pro-abortion clinics like Planned Parenthood by having the Girl Scout logo on literature and websites? Doesn't that mean Girl Scouts supports what they are doing?
If you are a Girl Scout leader, co-leader, parent and/or supporter, and you don't agree with the direction Girl Scouts of the USA has taken, we can make a difference by following the new Girl Scout mantra: Discover-Connect-Take Action. If you are reading this, you are already Discovering. You can choose to Connect with GSUSA (good luck), WAGGGS and others. If you want to keep your troop for the sake of the girls, but don't want to fund a radical agenda, Take Action and see if the "Just One Box" campaign is an option for you. Be the best Girl Scout you can be.
What is "Just One Box?"
THE PRINCIPLE IS VERY SIMPLE: Do not sell any more than you are required to be in "good standing" with your council.
For example, in the Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast council, troops are only "required" to PARTICIPATE in both the Fall Nut sale and the Spring Cookie sale. If they PARTICIPATE, they are allowed to fundraise in other ways. GSCCC Council clearly states that NO GIRL is REQUIRED to sell anything. THEREFORE, an entire troop is PARTICIPATING if it sells JUST ONE BOX.
1) So you don't have to register another adult (another $12 to GSUSA and WAGGGS), the already-registered leader or co-leader signs up to be the Cookie Chair (or Nut Chair, etc.). Attend the training, get the sales materials, note all due dates.
2) Sell Just One Box of cookies (or one can of nuts), preferably to be donated to our military. In GSCCC, that is the only way to sell Just One Box without having to buy a minimum case of 12 cookies/nuts.
3) Write a troop check for $4 ($5 for nuts) and mail. You have fulfilled the requirement and are free to fundraise on your own.
Find Out Your Council Requirements
Please do not take the above example as your personal guide. Every council is different and has different rules. Before you begin "Just One Box," make sure your troop will be in good standing throughout the year by following the minimum requirements.
"Just One Box" Economics 100
In California, a box of Girl Scout cookies costs $4.00. If instead, you asked your neighbors and friends to just donate $4.00 directly to your troop, it is equal to a girl selling over 5 BOXES OF COOKIES. You can fund your troop without asking for donations, but we wanted to prove a point. See more Just One Box Economics below.
Based on Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast Council cookie prices: 1 box of Girl Scout Cookies = $4.00
For Girls To Earn
This Amount
(70 cents / box)
: |
Girls Need to Sell
This Number
of
Cookies: |
Local Service Unit Gets
(1 cent / box): |
Regional Council Gets
($2.44 / box): |
GSUSA Gets Licensing Fee from Cost of Cookies
(80 cents / box) |
$5.00 |
8 boxes |
8 cents |
$19.52 |
$6.40 |
$10.00 |
15 boxes |
15 cents |
$36.60 |
$12.00 |
$20.00 |
29 boxes |
29 cents |
$70.76 |
$23.20 |
$50.00 |
72 boxes |
72 cents |
$175.68 |
$57.60 |
$100.00 |
143 boxes |
$1.43 |
$348.92 |
$114.40 |
As you can see, the lion's share of the money goes to the Council. Are you happy with your Council? Have they listened to your concerns? Have they been fiscally responsible, or have there been years of mismanaged funds and properties/assets sold? Many members of HonestGirlScouts.com feel our Councils have abandoned us and are ignoring our concerns about the Girls Scouts-Planned Parenthood connections. We think Council will only listen to us when they feel it in their pocketbook.
More importantly, we know that there are more efficient ways to raise troop funds without supporting an organizational agenda we do not believe in.
Raise Your Own Money
Here are some ways other troops are compensating for not selling over-priced Girl Scout cookies:
1) Have a traditional Bake Sale with homemade goodies. Turn it into a fun event by baking together with the girls instead of just asking a parent to make something, or make it a combination of the two.
2) Recycle, reuse and reduce by having a garage sale, then donating what's left to a shelter or a thrift store that supports a local charity.
3) Have a car wash. Pre-sell the tickets around the neighborhood, at parents' workplaces, at church, etc., so you know ahead of time how many cars to expect.
4) Have an E-cycling (electronic recycling) event. Many e-cycling services will pick up old and used electronic devices (cell phones, computers, printers, monitors, ink cartridges, etc.) and give you a percentage of the value.
5) Host an event for girls, like a Spa Night, Girls' Movie Night, Mystery Dinner or She-And-Me Tea Party with snacks, games and activities. Charge a reasonable fee for admission, making sure there is profit left to make it worth the effort. (and make a donation to your Service Unit, if you wish)
"Act Locally" and Help Your Service Unit
If you know your local Service Unit has nothing to do with the choices your Council and GSUSA have been making, support your Service Unit without selling cookies.
- That 1-cent-per-box your Service Unit is missing from whatever your historical cookie sales have been are easily replaced with a donation from your troop. $1.00 = 100 boxes of cookies sold.
- Host a local Service Unit event, or volunteer to run an event that raises money for the Service Unit:
- Girl Scout Movie Night
- Me-And-My-Guy Bowling event
- She-And-Me Tea
- Girl Scout Family Picnic... the sky's the limit!
Other Considerations
- Take care of all troop positions with as few people as possible. Every Membership Fee funds GSUSA and WAGGGS, allowing them to partner with the UN, PP, etc. Be sure to follow the Safety Wise ratios of children to adults.
- POSITIONS REQUIRING REGISTRATION INCLUDE: Leader, Co-leader, Cookie Chair, Nut Chair, Treasurer, Day Camp Volunteer, and probably more. Some troops can make due with just the leader and co-leader filling all these roles with the correct adult/child ratio.
- GIRL SCOUTS of USA TRIES TO GET YOU TO REGISTER ALL THE PARENTS. If you can get by without having every parent fill one of the positions, try to do so. By the way, it is NOT a requirement that a parent who helps drive must be a registered Girl Scout volunteer. Regular liability/injury insurance is adequate coverage for a legally licensed, insured driver.
- EVERY YEAR, GSUSA ASKS FOR "FAMILY GIVING." There is no guarantee where that money goes. Once the money goes into the general fund, it could host a United Nations workshop on sex education or go for sponsorship of a Planned Parenthood campaign or a study on accepting homosexuals as friends. How would you know?
- EACH FEBRUARY 22, "THINKING DAY" ASKS FOR DONATIONS. The Juliette Lowe Worldwide Friendship Fund (JLWFF) goes directly to the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS), the connection most responsible for partnering with International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
- GO GIRL-SCOUT RETRO: Original scouts made their own uniforms, baked their own cookies and did not have to use New Age-Activism-Advocacy Journey books to earn awards. Remember, every uniform, book, patch and gift item sold by Girl Scouts funds the GSUSA through licensing the logo and wholesaling the items to Council shops.
- Teach the girls how to sew their own uniform. Sashes are the easiest.
- Find alternative sources for patches. Many craft stores (Joann's, Michael's) have embroidered flag patches. Many internet stores sell many of the same fun patches sold in Council stores.
- Consider using numbers from Boy Scout sources, or teaching the girls to embroider their own.
- Ask older Girl Scout troops for their old books instead of buying new ones. It's recycling/reusing.
TOP OF PAGE
Please join our Facebook page to receive HonestGirlScouts.com updates
For
questions/comments or to request website update notices, send your e-mail info to: HonestGirlScouts@gmail.com
|
|
