The Cookie Crumbles

The days of Girl Scouts going door to door are gone. It is no longer safe for girls (alone or in groups) to simply knock on doors and sell cookies. You don't know if the person behind that door has a gun or is a child predator. If the Scouts wanted to use the Internet to sell cookies, have the local chapter set up the website. People could order cookies and the chapter could forward the order to the closest troop. The troop leader could help the girls deliver the cookies. The Girl Scouts don't say a word when parents of Scouts take the pre-order sheets to their place of employment and sell cookies for their daughters. What is that teaching the girls?

Cookies sales are part of the the Girl Scout national program and they are very successful with it. If Freeborn and more importantly her Troop leadership feel they need a online presence to raise funds there are many other products they could sell. As for cookies I prefer to by mine in person.

Hmm, I wonder if all of these parents would be so upset if it were THEIR kid who came up with Wild Freeborn's capitalistic idea to sell these delicious cookies online. I agree with the other readers' comments that by limiting how these girls can sell cookies is both a hinderance to the Scouts and the organization as a whole. What is the real issue here? Are they trying to raise money or self-esteem? If the sale of cookies is truly about a contest, then why coyly imply that it isn't?

I, like many others in their mid-twenties, don't have connections to the Scouts, as I don't have children or any friends with children of the Scouts' age. This year I didn't even see the girls at the local grocery store and I missed the sign-up sheet at work, so guess what? By not offering an online forum in which to buy the cookies, I just didn't. And not only did I lose out, the Girls Scouts did, too. And so it will be as this digital age matures ....

We're talking about two different things here. The first is that what they did went against the rules of the Girl Scout Cookie Program. So they just can't do it.

But more important is should they be able to do it? I think so. Girl Scouts isn't about selling cookies. It's about teaching young girls entrepreneurship. She had the idea to sell cookies online, hired a consultant (her dad), and tried to create business. What's not to like about that? It helps her learn. It helps her troop.

I understand the other parents' arguments that she would have an unfair advantage, but solving that problem would be as simple as awarding different prizes for face-to-face sales and Internet sales.

I really hope they can work to get the policy changed.

Hmm, I wonder if all of these parents would be so upset if it were THEIR kid who came up with Wild Freeborn's ingenious idea to sell these delicious cookies online. I agree with the other readers' comments that by limiting how these girls can sell cookies is both a hinderance to the Scouts and the organization as a whole. What is the real issue here? Are they trying to raise money or self-esteem? If the sale of cookies is truly about a contest, then why coyly imply that it isn't?

I, like many others in their mid-twenties, don't have connections to the Scouts, as I don't have children or any friends with children of the Scouts' age. This year I didn't even see the girls at the local grocery store and I missed the sign-up sheet at work, so guess what? By not offering an online forum in which to buy the cookies, I just didn't. And not only did I lose out, the Girls Scouts did, too. And so it will be as this digital age matures ....

Merliejo, you don't know what you're talking about. In our council, all troop have opportunites to sell at retail outlets. Some just choose not to.

I was a cookie director for about 85 troops and this is so typical of girl scouts! They make it impossible for them to get themselves out of the red. I think what this girl did is exactly what Juillet would want of a girl who is in girl scouts! So many people do not really understand the vision that Juliet had for all girls. It takes parents to get the whole competition thing going, a good troop leader will teach the girls that they are working together to create a really good program!
As far as the nocallnewton you need to understand the girl scout motto and belief system...you are so off base!
There are many rules in place to protect the beginning of sales and there are good incentives for the those who want to be top sellers, but again you need to understand that girl scouts are for teaching leadership skills and team work.
When I was a leader all my girl won many honors in school, became very productive citizens and they worked together to get them to Sanavvah GA. Yes we has some girls who did more than others but there was not bad talking about those, they just wanted to be together. After all we are not all born sales people.
Parents if you are not involved in girl scouts you need to stay out of it!!!!

As a current GS leader, I totally disagree with Newsweek's position and that of other posters. Many girls will not have the tech savvy to set up limits on internet sales that (1) protect them and (2) don't limit sales to their local area. Although competition among Girls Scouts in inevitable when it comes to cookie sales, that is a problem that should not be exacerbated by allowing internet sales. Girls have plenty of time to learn the nuances of Internet commerce. At the tender age of 8, Ms. Freeborn should be focused on interpersonal skills. If she has excess sales savvy, she could better serve her fellow scouts by coaching them in their own sales!

By the way, I live in Ames, Iowa and would not only love to buy cookies for myself and my family, but I would like to buy some boxes to send in a care package to my brother who is currently stationed in Iraq. I would also contribute separately to Cookies for Troops fund. Its a shame that I don't know more girls in the scouts, so that I could support my local Girl Scout troops and National Guard troops that are deployed!!!

If they had more people like Wild Freeborn in their sales and marketing department, maybe their sales wouldn't be down 19%. What an intelligent and creative young lady. She should be praised for her idea. It was awesome! Go WIld!!

This is the 21st century. I think this is great way to teach the girls how selling is done today. Isn't teaching the girls how to be future successful women part of the goal. She was also still selling the conventional way. Sounds like a go getter to me!!!! Former Boy Scout.......... and I buy the cookies!!!!!!!

I am a former GS, GS Mom and GS Volunteer. When I was a young GS selling cookies there were no such things as the current "incentive rewards" yet we still managed to sell our cookies without a problem simply because the cookies are popular and tasty.

Yes, my parents took the order form to work and offered their coworkers the opportunity to purchase (no hard sells) AND I went door to door and sold the cookies -- getting my face-to-face time (much safer back in the day!). All sales benefited my Troop and the GS in general not me specifically.

Now, my daughter's parents take the order form to work (again, no hard sell) and offer the opportunity to purchase AND she goes door to door in our neighborhood or her grandparent's neighborhood; however, she is only allowed to go door to door with Mom or Grandma since it is no longer safe for 6 year olds to go door to door without their parents. When she went door to door she stepped forward and conducted the transaction (for both sales and delivery) while Mom or Grandma stayed back waiting to provide protection, if needed.

Yes, my daughter was the "high" seller in her Troop, but she still sold less than 200 boxes (about 40% of the sales were hers) and there were others who also sold over 100 boxes in her Troop - I imagine that their parents helped out a bit too.
One difference that we seem to have from most of the other parents who have posted that they sold for their daughters is that our coworkers have actually met our daughter so they actually know the GS that they were buying cookies from.

As for the competition between Moms and/or Troops, I say get rid of the cheezy "incentive rewards" and just let the girls (and okay, lets be real, the parents too) sell the cookies. The fundraisers are supposed to benefit the GS as a whole and also the local Troops, not the individual girls!

As for using the internet (with or without Dad's help), good for Wild for being such a forward thinker with only her Troop's welfare in mind -- but she did break the rules and Dad not only allowed her to, but he helped her to do so - so shame on Dad for not teaching her that rules are meant to be followed instead of teaching her how to skirt around them!

If you lived here in Asheville you would probably know that most of this put on by the little girls father. He has been one over the years to challenge laws policys and procedures at every turn and is no doubt using this to once again to make his voice heard at his childs expence. Continually on City Council he would stomp and scream if he didnt get his way until he was finally dismissed. He was even ticketed for spray painting his own street to get attention.Shame on you Mr Freeborn, If its aginst the rules get them changed but until then follow them.

For al the parents who thought it NOT FAIR for Wind to sell cookies on the internaet..let me assure you that that the only thing fair in life is that the Fair is a place where people go and throw cow manure chips. Teach enterpreneurship. We are all better for it.