It’s the end of the school year!

Many thanks to all leaders who have volunteered to serve the girls of GSSJC this year. Without you, there could be no troops, groups, or activities.
Now, just because school is almost out, don’t think that your Girl Scout year is over. Take time to let your girls plan a few summer activities so they have contact with Girl Scouting during their vacation. A family picnic, service project, or some other way to keep connected during the summer is a nice thing. Just because it’s summer, it doesn’t mean Girl Scouting is over for the year.

Money Myths

MYTH #1: You cannot carry over more than $200 in your troop account to the next year.

FALSE: There is no set amount of money that can or should be carried over in a troop account. If your troop just completed a successful cookie sale, the troop may have a sizeable bank account. Do not go out and spend the money just to get the account down to that mythical $200 limit. Keep enough money in your troop treasury to help financially fund troop program throughout the fall.

Brownie troops do not go on extended trips and do not need large amounts of money. Field trips to places where girls can learn something about the world, the arts or sciences, or other people are great ways to spend the money.

There are many great ways to use the money the girls earned, such as paying the membership fee for each girl for the next year, purchasing Girl Scout handbooks and badge or try-it books, or purchasing the newest edition of the Brownie or Junior uniform shirt.

Junior troops are beginning to plan extended trips. It takes money to pay for gas, provide a place to stay, and buy food.

Taking them where they can do hands-on activities is fun and they learn something. To do this, a troop treasury is needed. So, keep enough money in your bank account to cover these costs so that individual girls are not asked to pay for trips or campouts.
Cadette and Senior troops have greater needs for money as they begin exploring the world through extended trips within the country and to other countries. Many teens are accepted to “Destinations” trips and the troop can help with funds there, too.

If your troop has a specific plan in mind for your money, make a note of it on your financial statement.

Money-earning activities should not be the main focus of your Girl Scout program. The idea of cookie and fall product sales is to help fund activities and take the financial burden off the families. Raising money should enhance your program, helping the girls learn to budget, set goals and interact with the public. It should not be the used as program itself. Money earning activities must be done for a specified purpose, with a direct goal in mind. When filling out the “Troop/Group Request to Undertake a Money-earning Activity” Form F-32, you must put the purpose of the money earned. Your service unit management will question these funds if you do not put it down. Troops cannot do a money-earning activity without this form properly filled out and approved by the service unit administrator four weeks in advance of the activity. More information on this subject is found in the GSSJC Resource Guide, Chapter 7, page 5.

MYTH #2: Girls who sell more cookies get more of a share of the profits.

FALSE: All troop money belongs to the entire troop. GSSJC Resource Guide, chapter 7, page 1 reads: “Troop/Group money is never allocated on an individual girl basis. All troop/group money belongs to the entire troop/group. It is not individual girl money.” It does not matter if a girl sells 10 boxes of cookies or 300 boxes of cookies, each girl shares equally in the funds generated by that cookie sale. A girl cannot be penalized for having less selling opportunities or a lack of participation in the cookie sale. Leaders cannot keep separate books for each girl. Each girl shares equally when it comes to field trips, camping trips, or other things that troop money is used for. Please, be sensitive to the personal situations and do not make a girl feel bad because she could not contribute the same as another in the product sales. Again, all money generated by any troop money-earning activity is property of the entire troop, not any individual girl.

MYTH #3: Troops have to participate in cookie sales.

TRUE: Troops are not required to participate in cookie or fall product sales. However in deciding not to participate, you are denying your girls of the opportunity to help fund their own activities and the opportunity to be a part of building their own Council.
Proceeds from the cookie sales go directly into girl program in the form of camps, camp equipment, and more. Service units get their operating funds from a small percentage of each package of cookies, which they turn around into girl program. You don’t have to participate, but if you choose not to, your troop cannot hold any other form of money-earning activities. None! So, how will you fund your troop if you don’t sell cookies and fall products? Think about it!