Girl Scouts: Party Time

Posted by My Heart Song

5/7/2012

Last week my daughter's Girl Scout troop enjoyed a Build-a-Bear party. Isn't that 100-year Anniversary Girl Scout bear adorable?! With the matching vest... too cute!

After a crazy busy season of selling Girl Scout cookies, the troop makes plans for how to spend the profits. At least 10% will be donated - the girls are responsible for brainstorming ideas of places to help, researching what specific needs those ministries have and then vote on which one or two places they want to help. 

Last year, the troop purchased a patio set for a local soup kitchen that had an outside area for residents to eat or relax, but no patio furniture. The troop bought the furniture, delivered and assembled it on site, and served a meal or two at that soup kitchen. 

Another percentage of the profits will be set aside as savings, to carry the troop through general expenses this fall and winter... until next year's cookie selling time rolls around and provides funds again.

With the rest of the money, the girls make plans for a few fun events. They plan a party (such as one at Build-a-Bear) in which the cookie profits pay for everything. The girls also want to go tent camping this summer, so the troop will pay for that.

I have appreciated the fact that the girls are getting a real-life lesson in money management through the cookie sales program. Selling Girl Scout cookies is like a little business and each girl is to be involved with her own sales and inventory, turning in money, and keeping track of her total sales. And now that the cookie sales are done, the girls move to another level as they consider what to do with their profits. So they are learning how to save a little, give a little, spend a little. 

Although we won't be continuing on with Girl Scouts after this year, I am thankful for these lessons my daughter has learned. She's enjoyed the money-side of cookie sales so much that she has decided she may want to become a banker or accountant. 

Thanks, Girl Scouts, for the opportunity for her to learn valuable lessons through her own mini-business! 

PS: just for fun, here is my blog post from last year's Girl Scout party.  When we joined last year, we came in right after cookie sales ended. But we were in time for the party (enjoyed the perks without any of the work, really). I think my daughter appreciated the party much more this year, after all of the hard work she put in with the cookie sales. She was our troop's 3rd highest seller, out of 16 girls!