Everyone in, no one left out

Pilfered from
http://www.girlscoutsla.org/pages/product_sales/cookies_general.html

I've blogged a bunch about Girl Scout cookies lately. I'm not sure if people who buy cookies understand what it's all about. I can't speak for other troops, but I can tell you what it means for our troop.

We are a very economically diverse troop, which pretty well reflects our neighborhood. We are not one of the troops that meets at a school and is made up of students from only that specific school. We are open to anyone who can get to our weekly, hour long meetings. We have decided to not ask parents for money, beyond the Girl Scout registration, which can be waived for financial needs. Every year we get a few requests to waive the ~$15 fee. Times are tight.

This means that no parent or child feels left out of an activity because they can't afford it. This is really important to me. There's a Girl Scout motto about supporting every girl.

How does this relate to cookies? The cookie sale is our one and only fundraiser. Our troop will be making 75cents per box we sell. In addition, Girl Scouts of Central Maryland will be using some of the proceeds to keep campgrounds operating. They also fully fund troops in economically destitute places like the Maryland Penitentiary, where incarcerated moms get to bond with there daughters through a troop.

Cookies allow our girls to budget, plan and chose activities. The girls lead and the adults support. The girls reach consensus on activities and prioritize them. Then we keep tabs on how the sale is going and reflect on what that means, what we will be able to add or will have to cut back on.

But even beyond money, I think cookie sales help our girls. Booth sales let girls learn about speaking out and interacting with strangers in a professional manner. Their personal sales teach them about organization and following up on commitments.

I should probably put some sort of fine print disclaimer here:
I am not a spokesperson for Girl Scouts or Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. The opinions and views I've expressed in this post (and every post on this blog for that matter) are my own. I haven't been compensated by anyone for anything I have or haven't said here.

So there!