Cookie money

Ami.Mental asked what happens to the girl portion of the money earned from Violet's cookie sales, since she's a Juliette. In our Council, the Juliettes (individually registered girls) are treated very well. From what I've heard in Juliette yahoo groups, our Council is one of the very best in the country. Violet will receive "J-Bucks" in $5 increments for the cookies sold. She gets it at the same rate as the troops do, 50c per box.

J-Bucks can be spent in the Girl Scout shop on girl clothing and uniforms, toys and hair accessories, books and patches and official insignia. For shop sales the main requirement is that it be stuff for the girl. I can't take her bucks in on my own and get myself a cool Girl Scout sweatshirt that says Volunteer all over it. But she can buy herself a cool t-shirt or a Groovy Girl wearing a uniform and sash.

They can also be spent for the girl portion of registration for day camp, resident camp or any Council sponsored program. Again, we can't use them for my fees to attend Mom and Me camp with her next summer. And we can use them for the $10 national registration dues. I think the older girls can apply to have some of them used for expenses towards their Gold or Silver award, but I'm not positive.

Violet's plan is to spend most of her J-Bucks on resident camp, but get another groovy girl too. We don't make her buy her own badges or uniform or pay her dues with them. The J-Bucks do expire after about 3 years and of course if you lose them, so sorry but that's the way the Thin Mint crumbles. (I do hold onto Violet's for her.)

Our Council is joining with 3 other area councils beginning next fall as part of the national realignment program. I'm hoping these rules don't change. We are the largest of the 4 councils that will be joining together and in the last year or so our council has really upped their Juliette program and outreach. They seem to really believe that their individually registered girls are an important part of the program. They've just unveiled a new webpage just for Juliettes at the Annual meeting last weekend. And they even do a Just for Juliettes event or two each year.

She won't receive her paper J-Bucks for a couple of months, but it should be in plenty of time for the final camp payment.