Girl Scouts Ban Online Cookie Sales

My husband and I were discussing this very thing a couple of weeks ago when we once again saw the GS cookie billboard in our city. I personally think that there are valuable skills to be learned in marketing, advertising, and sales by providing safe and easy ways for every girl scout to set up her own online cookie store.

Why not provide the entire troop with access to these services to assist in sales? The girls could learn how to promote their websites in their community and still do door to door sales. In fact, those children without internet and computer access in their homes need exposure to these technologies in other arenas, and what better than a trip to the local library or some other locale to teach these girls important skills?

If I remember correctly, instilling young girls with confidence is one goal of girl scouts...and confidence with computers and technology is an important skill for most of the professions they will enter.

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my openion on the girl scouts selling cookies on the web,is not a bad ideal,
but it should only be done after the fact,of the dead line when sells have ended; rather then doing it when it's open season, of ea girl trying to sell there cookies;
yes i agree w/ the parents,of the girls that are trying to sell there cookie, there is alot of work trying to get the cookie orders,and then doing the delivery of thm all, and making sure you have all the money accounted for:
my dau was also in the brownies,girl scouts,jrs,senior, and she did very well in it,meet alot of people did alot of activetys,and learn alot,and she did sell cookies door/door,when it was safe many moons ago... but sunday here i saw a lil girl and her dad out infront of a store selling cookie, boy did it ever bring back some memories for me "YES" i am glad to see them working for there goal,GO GIRL SCOUTS!!!!

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I think the problem is when people rely ONLY on online selling. I think most girls don't sell thousands of boxes. If most people could have an online presence and sell a few boxes, they would probably stop there and not do door-to-door, which is an experience they will get from very few other things during their young life. I think online selling as a supplemental method is great. Perhaps if they say, you have to sell a minimum door-to-door FIRST....

One of the reasons I have my daughter in girl scouts is to teach her stuff the "old school" way. It's harder to sell door-to-door, and therefore teaches alot more, such as work ethic, social skills, accountability (promising and delivering on time), etc.

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What I find sad is the "parents" of other girls objected to this. Why does it have to be a "contest?" Don't a lot of us buy these to help the organization? A big part of these sales go directly to them and that's why I buy them. They will all benefit from this. Not just this one girl. It sounds to me like sour grapes. I applaud her moxy and think they are losing out.

I haven't had a Girl Scout come to my door in more years than I can remember and if I could buy them online, I would do so. Kids don't seem to do that much anymore. Don't tell anyone but I'd buy anything from any child whether I wanted it or not. If they took the effort, I would feel it was like a donation. Adults would be a different story but a child, most certainly.

I also don't really see the difference where they're sold. How can it be different than sitting in a mall or in front of a grocery store. I can't help but hate when organizations make me feel obligated to buy whatever they're selling when I walk into a store. They start their sales pitch before I'm even out of my car. Sorry, I feel this was a very lost opportunity to help them out.

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My daughter is in girl scouts and I happen to agree with the ban on selling on line. I put my daughter in for the specific purpose of getting her out and talking to people. She didn't talk for the first 2 years of her life, partly due to a learning disability and partly because she has a VERY outgoing older sister who does all of the talking for her! I have seen the difference from her first year of cookie sales, where she could barely look at the customer to talking to everyone that comes in about her cookie.

I too wish it wasn't a contest, but it is. My daughter has been top cookie seller for 3 years running and the other girls get sooo mad at her. We don't even bother to booth sell (outside store sales) because the other girls get mad and yell at her telling her she doesn't need anymore prizes or cookie sales. This years cookie mom wanted to know exactly what and who I was selling too and how my daughter made so many sales!

And as far as access, out cookie mom this year has no home Internet access, In fact I believe she took all of the info about the orders to our troop leader to email it out!

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I disagree with individual girls selling cookies online because it takes away much of the purpose of selling cookies. You aren't doing much selling then. The lessons you'd be learning would be how to build a website and how to attract traffic to your website. Excellent lessons, but you can learn these things through other activities. I'm sure there is a badge you can earn that does involve those web skills. Cookie sales teach the girls lessons, and to be sucessful they do have to put themselves out there and learn how to talk to people. It can be a real confidence booster, and friendly competition is fun. It all depends on the atmosphere in the troop. Also they don't recommend you sell door to door anymore for safety reasons. I'm sure some people still do, if they live in nice areas. If people want to buy girl scout cookies online, maybe the girl scouts should have a general girl scout website with profits from those boxes going to local troops of the person buying. I'd guess they don't do that because they want you to buy off a girl IN PERSON so she can gain that experience. That's really the point.

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It would've been nice if the current system they have set up for people looking for cookies online actually worked. They have you fill out a form asking for a local girl scout rep to contact you, but no one ever does. I filled it out twice, my friends filled it out, and nothing. I just wonder how many sales they are losing by not selling online and making people fill out a form without follow up. I easily spend at least $30 on cookies and if I could get them online, probably more to freeze them. I think they need to move into the 21st century and figure out how to make it equal for everyone if that's the issue.

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Please note that I am not against using the internet to announce and promote sales which is within the acceptable use of the internet in the policy. Where this situation has crossed the line is in the ability to order directly through the internet. I am willing to work to change the policy with the Girl Scouts but as of today, the implementation referred to in the article is a violation of the current policy.

I am thankful this situation is getting the attention I had hoped for.

The GS USA policy is outdated and needs to change, but what is truly unacceptable is that this parent is setting the wrong example for this girl and misrepresenting the goals of our organization. We must have this debate within the organization where we can truly change the policy as a nationwide effort.

There are plenty of programs offered to girls though the Girl Scout Science, Technology, Engineering and Math programs for growing girls leadership skills in emerging technologies. Girl Scouts recently revised the GS Leadership program and new materials and pathways for our key objectives of Discover, Connect and Take Action! GS is working with Microsoft to promote Online Safety for Girls, and for years has hosted technology programs at IBM.

The issue at hand is the policy that Girl Scouts cannot sell online and how it is enforced, and even better - how it should change.

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I am actually a current Girl Scout, and happen to sell over 1000 boxes every year WITHOUT the internet. Selling cookies is not a contest, but I agree with Girl Scout Headquarters decision to stick with the rules and say no selling on the internet. it was actually a rule before the incident because it is unsafe. the point of Girl Scouts is also to go out and interact with people, make a better world around you. Every year I have people tell me how much it means to them to see our smiling faces, even if it is only once a yr. it is because it reminds them that the younger generation cares not only about them, but their needs.Selling cookies online does not do any good for the girl scout, she does not learn anything either because in school children typically make videos and use the internet on a a daily basis. Going out into the public and interacting forces you to react to different situations at the exact moment, it forces you to think and handle different situations in life. It prepares you. Selling online is NOT allowed for many reasons other than not being safe, and I believe I should remain that way.

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