Girl Scout Cookie Mafia
It’s that time of year again, when you’re reminded the Girl Scouts are still a thing. Yep… cookie time. I’m curious why they haven’t dropped the ‘Scouts’ in their name and just replaced it with something like ‘Salestician’. Last week, my email and Facebook exploded with pictures of cookies, pie charts (always the worst kind of pie), reward grids, and cyber pleas, as soon as the new cookie season went live. But the posts and emails weren’t from the girls themselves. No, Moms and Dads are out e-hustling to get their daughters prizes and trips galore.
Funnily enough, I saw at Wal-mart, (a week before the arm twisting began), that they now sell imitation Samoas – and let me tell you, they are wonderful. At a fraction of the cost, they also come without the guilt of not buying from every friend’s kid that’s hitting you up for cash.
I’m pro-capitalism, but I wonder what ELSE would Mia learn if she went into ‘scouts’? What are the other life skills they’re teaching? I only hear about them once a year. I recently considered enrolling CJ in Boy Scouts, but was dismayed when I read about the differences in the group, even 10 years ago, let alone when it started. Turns out, they are trying to do with Popcorn, what the young ladies have done with sweets – and losing the battle. I’ve heard a lot of Dad’s are just downloading copies of the original Boy Scouts manual and taking their sons in the woods to learn the qualities of a true scout. I’ve pretty much decided to do the same in the future.
I’m sure I’ll be seen as some sort of… cookie monster… for complaining about this. But tell me: If the lesson is to teach these future leaders of America to be go-getters, learn about money, business building, and self confidence – what are they gaining when you, the parent, are doing most of the work? Who REALLY won that prize or trip? Isn’t it a hollow victory? Do you do their homework so they get a good grade? Do you run on the field and kick a goal during her soccer game, so she can get a trophy (I mean they all get trophies nowadays anyway, right)?
And I dare not mention that, while the cries of childhood obesity are ever louder, pushing cookie sales might not be the best encouragement for their future well being. Err… I guess I DID mention it.