Does anyone skip cookies and charge dues? I was thinking $100 per girl troop dues which would cover all badges and awards plus the basic field trips. 35cents per box of cookies is not worth it to me. they did give up 5-10 cents more per box as cookie dough, but we had to spend it on stuff in the council store.
Dues are charged by some troops to cover expenses, especially before any fundraisers. All the moms frankly had enough of cookies last year and the EVERYONE said they would rather not sell cookies. We were doing booths every weekend due to overbuying and a mistake by the cookie leader in the office. Then to get the bonus, we had to sell them all by x date so the moms ended up buying the leftovers. It is way cheaper to just give $100. The moms already said we spent way too many hours to make the 35 cents per box and we would rather just pay our own way. Our girls did not enjoy selling in the cold weather outside walmart or going door to door.
a family business agreed to donate cash to the troop so we are all set. i would hate for anyone to not join because of cost.
You only get $.35/box? What a rip off! I am going to just start donating a couple bucks to the local troops when they are selling rather than buying the over priced cookies.
I've been a Girl Scout leader for over ten years. We have charged dues between $60 and $80 per girl, per year depending on our bank balance and plans/goals. There were a few years we didn't collect any dues at all because cookie sales were strong and we were always very frugal with our funds.
We didn't take cookie sales that seriously. No girl was ever required to sell cookies, and many didn't (or only sold a few boxes.) When the girls were younger they LOVED having a booth and there were always one or two moms willing to organize that. Then of course there were the girls that really got into it, or had large families or parents with large workplaces, lol! You would be surprised how quickly the money adds up.
And I think it's important to sell cookies because it supports Girl Scouts of America, it is their main fundraiser. Besides that, it is a tradition and SO many people look forward to cookie time each year, girls and customers alike :)
Our dues are $45 with cookies if that is any help to you. Personally I would be distraught if our troop didn't sell cookies. I mean come on!!! Where would I get my fix?
we sell cookies in our junior troop and our dues are $5 per meeting (comes out to $40 in the fall and $40 in the spring) after that, the parents don't pay for anything else.
In our council, the troop must participate in each of the three main fundraisers- magazine/nut&candy sales, cookies sales, and Annual giving (adult only giving)- prior to holding any other type of fundraiser. You may want to check out the local council/unit charter before you raise money.
Our troop treasury policy: girls buy their own national membership, books, sash and insignia. Troop pays for earned badges and annual pins. If there is money in the troop account, we pay half for most of the trips. By asking families to pay half we get more of a guarantee of participation. When they don't show up, troop only loses 1/2 the money.
I couldn't agree more with you! Cookie sales are a pain in the neck, most of the money goes to the Council and whatever your Council offers you, you still have to pay for it. I think $100 sounds about right. I would put it this way to your parents...we are anticipating the cost per girl will be around $100 for this year. We may have to ask for another $25 if we find that this will not cover all of the things we want to do but feel that our initial guesstimate is correct.
I had a troop of 35 girls and the last year, we decided not to sell cookies after an issue with the Council. No love lost there. But I do love Girl Scouts!!!
Considering that the cookies cost $3 or $3.50 per box and you only get .35 for the troop, I would seriously consider looking for a different fundraiser...I would MUCH rather pay a fee than spend hours trying to sell cookies!
Wow. Most troops charge dues, but $100? Frankly I would think that would drive some families out of the troop; even if they could afford it they might be incensed at dues that steep. Likely many of them also pay fees for soccer or dance or other activities and a whopping $100 for GS could be enough to tip them into bowing out. And forget getting any new girls whose families are at all strapped for cash in this economy. GS is supposed to be as open as possible and dues that high put it out of reach for some.
Also, GS is supposed to be about "girl leadership." Have you asked the girls themselves if THEY wnat to sell cookies? For many it's a highlight of the year, especially booth sales. Cookie sales are also intended to teach girls about responsibilty (keeping track of their own sales and money); public speaking (when they talk to people about what they have to offer); and what it means to represent an organization in a mature way (when they are at a cookie booth and must behave responsibly because they're representing GS). I have always hated to sell anything but as a GS leader, as a parent of a Junior and way back in the day as a GS myself, cookies were the one thing I never minded selling. Plus...your girls willl all get asked by neighbors and friends and relatives, "Oh, can you get me some Girl Scout cookies?" and they'll realize they missed out.
GS never forces any girl to sell anything and girls certainly can opt out of selliing. But in the interest of "girl leadership" you should at least ask the girls first.
Wow! .35 a box? We are selling cookies but our girls have a jammed pack year and the budget per girl is $150. I've set dues at $40. And am stresstibg cookie sales!
My cookie M. is fantastic and we are working super hard to not pay anymore out of pocket than $40
My daughter just started brownies this year and i wasn't told about any of this? dues what is that? I haven't paid anything cept for the books, sash, and some patches. I have volunteered to help lead also. I registered in March when the $12 fee was waived.
$100 dues? That's insane. I have two girls in GS and one who's about to get assigned a troop. Parents already have to pay $12 to register their girls for the October-September year plus themselves if they want to attend all of the meetings and field trips. Most troops in our area pay between $25-35 without a fuss. Start-up troops request $50 dues. That should cover badges/patches. Field trips can be partially covered by troop funds and dues, or you can ask parents to pay for trips as they come up throughout the year. It's considered bad form to ask for more than $50 in this economy.
I would sell both QSP and cookies. Not only will the girls and families be disappointed if you don't, but their neighbors, friends, and families will be disappointed. You'll miss out on some major earning power for your troop. If your girls have goals for themselves, then the .35 per box to the troop adds up.
Sign up to do presales and sign up to do cookie booths. Get out there as a group as much as possible so that the girls selling individually will be icing on the cookie. When you set up cookie booth have the girls make signs that include letting customers know that they can donate cookies they buy to the troops. Remind people that buying cookies is great for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Get the girls to connect with customers at the booths by talking about their own favorite cookie flavors. My daughters look forward to the sales every year. They're crazy. But they're also top sellers and their troops do phenomenally well.
You don't have to run the cookies or QSP yourself. You can ask that one or two or even three of the moms in the troop volunteer to run the whole thing. The Cookie M. goes to special training and they deal with everything.
