My diary today is a personal narrative about a dilemma I faced this week and how I resolved it.
My nine-year-old daughter Katie joined Brownies again this year. I was a Girl Scout for many years and have lots of good memories of scouting activities. As a Brownie, she gets to do lots of "try it" activities, participate in recreational outings, and spend time socializing with other girls her age.
BUT...I am seriously considering whether to allow her to stay in Girl Scouts. Last night we picked up her nut & magazine fundraiser packet. I know the troop needs money for their activities and the piddly $10 a year dues for each girl doesn't provide for much at all. I also realize that many families have a tough time paying even that $10. Some kind of fundraising is a necessity.
The way the "Magnut" fundraiser is structured is typical of a lot of these fundraisers that use kids to hawk products. There are the usual incentives (aka overvalued crap) that girls can earn by selling a specified number of magazine subscriptions or a certain dollar amount of packaged nuts -- a stuffed monkey (sell $100 for the small monkey or $550 for the large one), ribbon watch (for $450 in sales), t-shirt ($200 in sales), or lamp ($700 in sales). I don't have time to look up the figures and doubt whether they're even available, but I wonder how much of those gross sales dollars are actually returned to the troop for their activities.
Then the Girl Scouts amp up the pressure to sell by awarding patches for reaching various sales levels! The girls put their patches on their sash or vest to show their accomplishments. That's a good thing when the accomplishment involves a learning or service activity, but for selling stuff?? This year's magnut patch is actually a collection of 7(!) smaller patches, all with inspirational names like "Goal Achiever" and "Design Your Future," that fit together to make a cute picture of a treehouse. The most insidious patch of the bunch is the "Create Opportunity" patch. Girls earn this one by completing a booklet with the names and addresses of 10 of their relatives or friends, each of whom later receives a mailing inviting them to...you guessed it...buy magazines! Included in the mailing is the postcard that the girl filled out asking the recipient to please support her troop by purchasing magazines. So, essentially, girls receive a patch for spamming their friends and relatives!
I'd rather support the troop by making a donation directly to the troop. If I give them $50, they get to use all $50 for their troop. If I spend $50 on magazines and nuts, it will help her earn incentives and patches but how much money does the troop get? I don't know but I'm betting it's not much. However, since we got the packet the other day Katie's been ooohhing and aaahhing over the incentive trinkets and the adorable patches. It's all she's talked since, and she will naturally be disappointed if I tell her we aren't participating.
I was very torn on what to do. Should I help Katie participate in the fundraiser, earn her patches and trinkets, and spend $50 on magazines and nuts that we neither need or nor want, not to mention having to ask friends and coworkers to buy the same crap? Or should I put my foot down and just donate that $50 to the troop?
After discussing the issue with my husband and several friends, I pondered what everyone said and my own experiences. I remember things from my youth that seemed so important at the time but, looking back, they really weren't. I'm sure Katie will feel the same way someday about these silly incentives and patches.
I finally talked to her about it last night. She has the typical kid's way of looking at the world in black and white and at first she was upset that I was criticizing the organization she loves so much. But we continued to talk and eventually she understood my concerns about the fundraiser, at least as much a nine-year-old can.I'm just going to make a donation to the troop. In place of the junky incentives I'm buying her a book she wants from the book fair next week. Building on a friend's thoughts about teaching her that you have to work to earn things, she has to do a some chores around the house to earn the book.
I feel much better about the situation now. The troop gets the money they need and Katie learned a little about consumerism and standing up for what you think is right.