Where The Girl Scout Cookies Go...

No, I am not talking about your hips!....

Haha.

Anyways... 

So we went over a little bit and advise from other leaders around the nation for how to deal with cookie season in part 1.

I posed these questions:

But do you know the work that goes behind it?
Did you know the break down of what troops (the girls) get from that?
Do you know how much work goes into doing a successful cookie season?

I promised to answer them. So here we go.

(And these are based off my knowledge and a lot of work both reading up and getting through cookie season myself as a parent, leader, and cookie mum).

1) What goes Behind It...

Some troops are starting from nothing going into a season of cookies that entails many deadlines, math, advance payments, teaching girls how to do cookie season (take orders, do math, business skills, etc), organisation of girls and their orders, plus cookie booth locations, getting cookies for cookie boothes and guessing at what cookies will sell, etc etc.

2) The Break Down...

...of the cost of where the money for cookies go when you buy a box of cookies.
What it does not say on the website for our council, and I am pretty sure that some of it that goes directly to council goes towards salary-- I would be interested because all Service Unit Managers and Troop Leaders do not get paid. They do, and I am interested how they get the money for the wages. Which may or may not have anything to do with cookie season but does make me curious.

Where Cookie Money Goes
 

$0.69  Troop's proceeds (average based on various earning opportunities)

$1.05 Cost of product, transportation, promotion, Service Unit proceeds, rewards, administrative costs and debt

$2.26 Directly to Council: Some of it supports direct service to girls and adults

Financial assistance for girls

Camp programs and eight camp properties

Council-wide girl programs

Training for adult volunteers

Marketing, technological, and web support

Six convenient office locations and staff support for our volunteers and troops

(This image provided above is from Girl Scouts) 

3) What goes into a successful cookie season...

The leaders and families HANDS DOWN are the reason troops have successful cookie seasons. Whether that be the troop leader or the cookie leader. Again, I am SO happy I am not doing this on my own this year. Last year was so incredibly hard and there were times that I wanted to tear my hair out and I did border quitting being a leader because of it. It was stressful, I got yelled at and cursed at by parents who did not like cookie season, etc. This year, with more hands on deck, I don't think that will happen, thank goodness. 

Successful Cookie Rally, Strong Leadership Team, Cookie Booths, Communication

I asked on my girl scout leaders group about what rewards they were using their cookie money for to give you an idea. See Below.

5 hrs · Washington

I am doing a blog post on where cookie money goes... One part of that is what different troops around the nation choose to do with their cookie money. Can you put your troop number, state, and what you do with your cookie money? 

Comments

Elizabeth Murray Troop 099, with Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina. We divide our cookie money up into thirds. Needs/Wants/Community. Our needs are the badges and patches we've earned, supplies for awards and activities, etc. Our wants are end of year trips, or field trips, or parties. The community aspect is usually where we spend 1/3 of our profit to give back to the community somehow. This year, our girls elected to have a book drive to supply the local library with new books for their children's section.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 5 hrs

Sara Atkins Juliette in GSEP SU 515- Mill Creek, PA, we don't get cookie money because she is a Juliette. All her cookie money though goes to our Service Unit. She loves the programming in our SU and we have a huge schedule of events throughout the year. Her favorites are Me and My Guy, Baby Bundles, and can't wait till she is older and can go on the transportation scavenger hunt. If she sells 200 or more boxes she does get credits and uses those to pay for her uniform needs and badges she has earned.

Unlike · Reply · 2 · 5 hrs

Niki Heiser Schmidt 8098 7th Grade Cadettes, Manitou Council, WI - we use our cookie money for supplies, badges/patches, trips (camping, waterpark, cabin camping), snacks, tents, lots of field trips and activities. In the past we have spent very little on community/chari...See More

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 5 hrs

Kelly Zurek Troop 70088 & 70593, IL. Girls usually split proceeds part towards philanthropic effort - blankets for animal shelter / community service project - planting garden at camp for disabled, part towards fun outing - council run badge overnight workshop or museum overnight, etc.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs

Lee Anne Garland Troop 1832 nations capital.

As daisies we used it to fund our troop for the following year. We did that for 4 years. We collected no dues and paid for almost everything for all our girls.

Then our last year as brownies we took a troop trip to great wolf lodge and camping. Paid for everything for whole troop.

Now as juniors/cassettes were saving for a trip to Savannah, ga.

We're also using it for supplies, etc.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs

Cheryl Jackson Lenser Cadette troop 1074 in GSCI (Central Indiana) -- we use our cookie money for Early Bird registration for all girls and two adults who want to return for the next year; badges/patches, council activities, supplies, SU activities, troop camping trip(s); a...See More

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs

Beverly Vanover Troop 8232, Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois. We are a CD troop. Money is used for badges, ect and field trips, community service, we also get donations for some service projects. Any events, field trips ect the girls past a portion. If it costs $20 girls vote on amount they need to pay.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 4 hrs

Amber Crady Clore Troop 1603 Kentuckiana. Because we believe that camp is a huge part of the girl scout expierence, we use a portion of our money for the girls to go to day camp if they want to. After that the money is spent on patches, service projects, field trips, etc.

Unlike · Reply · 2 · 3 hrs

grin emoticon

Here are some more responses:

Tascha Farnsworth Troop 39 GSHCC 2nd year daisies donated 10% to a local animal shelter and they donated $120 back to GSUSA for other girls to be able to participate in scouts. They were also able to go to build a bear and buy themselves their badges and an end of year dinner at a nice local restaurant. The troop bought vest and patches needed for their bridging as well. They saved what was left for the following girl scout year earned badges

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 1 min

Amy Stai Worden 56457. Fun field trip, supplies, badges.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 16 mins

Jeanie Glaser 10694, Girl Scouts Heart of Pennsylvania. The girls (Juniors) want to donate a portion of the money to charities. We are taking a big camping trip to Harriet Tubman State Park, Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, and Assateague Island, where we'll earn the NPS patch and more. Whatever money is left will be put aside for future event registration fees.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 8 mins 

Daniella LeBlanc Eget Troop 60303, CO, we use a portion to give back to the community (last year my girls purchased several hundred dollars in supplies for a homeless shelter), they do a fun celebration with a small amount then use the rest to fund the next year for badges, events, etc.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 2 hrs

Barbara Kreisler 1192. PA. Trips. Food. Crafts.

Unlike · Reply · 1 · 1 hr

As you can see, the responses vary. So what your troop does with cookie money is totally up to your girls. But please let the girls make a big decision in what they do with their cookie money-- even the daisies! That is one of the points of cookie season!