with that sort of paltry return on the effort, why rely on that for raising the go-to-camp money?
The girls could do extra work around the house & neighborhood, or (heaven forfend!) even start their own little business to earn money for camp & dues.
And the experience will make good, self-reliant citizens out of them...
I know, because my (now-Eagle Scout) sons did it.
I suggests you take on a Girl Scout troop and try to give a groups of 6-10 year olds an alternate way for everyone to earn money for camp. Especially when some come from struggling families in very poor neighborhoods.
Given the lack of parental support and limited opportunities for elementary and middle school girls to go safely and independently out into the community to earn money, the organized cookie selling program is a great equalizer of opportunity for all the girls to participate.
The cookie season only runs about 6 weeks a year, which is good. Girl Scouts may ONLY raise money for their troops or Council, which is also good.
The cookie badges guide the girls into age-appropriate skills to run their own small group business. The activities help them develop a business plan and budgeting goals, to work as a team, and to meet adults as customers under the safe protection of trained adults in charge.
Cookie selling IS their own small business and has been for almost 75 years.
And they become a lot more good self reliant citizens than the dance schools here that push kids to earn thousands of dollars for costumes and the sports teams where the parents run concession stands to raise thousands of dollars for their kid’s uniforms and traveling leagues.
Given my experience with pushing overpriced popcorn for my Boy Scout, give me $4 a box cookies to sell ANY day.
And for every principled poster here who has a suggested comment to make to a child selling cookies, I have heard equal comments from liberals and homosexuals to the little Boy Scouts selling popcorn.