Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Sales are Through the Roof

This is the last week for the Girl Scout fall product sale. Violet's sales are once again amazing. So many parents don't have their girls participate in the sale because it is too similar to the schools' fall fund raisers. Just another example of the bully tactics used by the schools. We don't use the schools and yet I have a real estate tax bill that shows I support them. Boy howdy, do I support them. To the tune of a couple thousand dollars each and every year. Yet Girl Scouts charge a mere $12 per year, and only for those joining. I wonder who needs my magazine subscription dollars more?

Anyway, the fall sale is always her big selling time. Try as we might we just can't generate cookie sales. In a good year she'll sell around 150 boxes. To be part of the "good" sales and get invited to the cookie party and get the good prizes, girls have to sell 300 boxes. Some girls sell over 1,000 boxes. I don't know how they do it. We've tried the form in the office, door-to-door sales, family and friends. All she gets is a frozen butt from trudging through the ice and snow and a handful of orders.

Juliettes aren't allowed to do booth sales (the sales outside stores). For the first time this year troops will get to count those sales towards the girls' total sales. They can divide it up however the leader chooses, evenly or just to those girls who show up. I have a lot of mixed feelings about that. Since I don't have a troop I don't think I can question the girls getting the extra credit too much. They are working and selling, if they go.

I don't like that the incentive prizes will be delayed a month or two because of the booth sales. It is my current understanding that Juliettes will have to wait for booth sales to end before their incentives are even ordered. It is sounding like it will be May before they see their little stuffed animals and flimsy necklaces. I hope they at least get their GS Credits earlier. In our council (or at least I hope it is still the case after the completion of the merger) the independent girls get credits to be used for camp, programs, in the GS store for the equivalent of the troop proceeds for the cookies they sell. The problem is, the credits expire in mid-September. If they don't get them until May, that cuts back on their spending time considerably.

Oh well. Not like anyone can change Girl Scouts, Inc. They do what is best for their corporate positioning. The girls are a secondary consideration (actually probably a tertiary or whatever the equivalent word is for fourth or fifth).

But for now, Violet has met her personal goals, earned the big and little stuffed monkeys and will have a nice pile of credits to use in the store on fun little things. She also earned all the patches, so they will make a nice little picture. Thanks to all of you who helped out. Just one little e-mail address or snail mailing really does make a big difference! Thanks!

3 comments:

Gail said...

You guys have monkeys? We have snow leopards this year for fall sales. It's always funny to see how these things differ from place to place, including the levels needed to get the cool prizes.

This is the first year I finally figured out why GS needs a signed permission slip before the girls sell. I always thought it had to do with safety. Heck, no, by signing that sheet the parents are guaranteeing they'll pay for whatever their kid sells. How could I have been so naive for so long? It's all about money!

Mel said...

Ack, you wrote me about magazine sales and I don't think I replied about that because I was going to ask about what they had and how much. There are several mags I'd subscribe to. I like home decor mags, Vegetarian Times, a few others. Is there a site to look at?
We got a peek at some cookie sale reward items at the leader meeting last week and talk about UGLY, all red, yellow and orange tie dye looking, eeeeeesh! LOL B might love them though. It was a kangaroo, a tote bag, and the bandana. I really hate cookie season, so dreading it!!!!
I talked to B about going the Juliette route next year depending on how the troop works out this year (not sure how well I work with others at this point...I'm a control freak..) she really wants to be in the Cadette Lego League with or without a troop. LOL We'll see if she feels the same in a year.

Fatcat said...

Woohoo, stuffed monkeys! My daughter always has room for more stuffed animals.

Glad to have participated.