The Coronavirus (COVID-19) has stopped life in its tracks-including those of Girl Scout leaders during cookie season. Here is what you can do.
Updated February 2021
Now that spring is around the corner, I had been intending to write about Girl Scout camping. I have several posts in draft form about what leaders have done to make their trips a success.
Those posts seem moot now, since all Girl Scout activities have been cancelled. In fact, all life outside your home has been postponed until further notice. My school, where I am the principal, has shut down for two weeks the rest of the school year. My children will not return to school until the end of April this year, as our district has shut down. I am paddling the same boat as all of you.
Image created by the author in Canva
I am reading Facebook posts from all of the leaders who are stuck with cookies and wondering if they should still hold a booth sale. In my book, that is a hard “no”. Before the massive public school closing, a decision was made at my synagogue to close our preschool and religious school because they are not “essential” for daily life. Shutting down for the greater good of our community was the reasoning behind it.
(Please be sure to check out my more recent blog posts about the Coronavirus and Girl Scouts here)
Is Selling Girl Scout Cookies Essential?
The answer to that question is “no”. I feel for leaders who are stuck with cases of cookies and have nowhere to sell them. While it is Council specific, some are accepting returns while others are not. Some are extending cookie season and others are telling leaders the season is over, pay up.
I feel for girls who are so close to their cookie goals and for older scouts who have been saving for that big trip that may not happen now or ever. Girl Scout Seniors and Ambassadors who are close to finishing their Gold Awards need the income they derive from cookie sales to fund their projects.
This is all serious business and it affects your troop’s bottom line. It is not, however, essential. Leaders cannot put the health of the girls in their troops at stake. The exponential exposure effect is at play. We must do everything in our power to “flatten the curve”.
Leaders need to teach the girls to think beyond themselves. The greater good means no cookie booths. You cannot practice social distance while selling cookies. Also, how does selling cookies during a pandemic do for the optics of the entire organization?
What can leaders do with all of their cookies?
You can ask families to take them to sell. They can post their child in uniform, sharing what has happened to booth sales and talk up the fact that they can still get them personally delivered. I saw a photo online of a “Coronavirus Survival Kit” that had 4 boxes of cookies tied together with a tag. It may not move 1,000 boxes,and it might not clear out your home of the cases stacked in your living room. It can move a bunch and help you in the long run.
Your girls and you can also post on social media that people can buy boxes that your troop will donate to local food pantries. People can Venmo or PayPal the money to you, and after you have sold enough to make it worth the trip, donate them.
Cancelling Girl Scout Activities
Again, the greater good is what leaders should be thinking about. Hosting a Service Unit Event, a dance, or some other fundraiser should now be put on the back burner. Field trips are unnecessary.
Should Leaders Have Girls Earn Badges at Home?
This question has been asked at least a dozen times in various Girl Scout Facebook groups over the past week. Leaders want their troops to stay in Girl Scout mode, and not having regular troop meetings makes this a challenge.
Should leaders spend time and effort creating badge work and other activities for their girls?
That depends on your troop. If parents have been good about doing any outside of troop work in the past, then they might enjoy having their girls work on badges at home. If parents blow this stuff off, I do not think you should waste your time.
Image created by the author in Canva
Let’s be honest. Many parents are struggling to find childcare for their sons and daughters if they have to go to work outside the home and are considered an essential worker. They need to get on their kids about keeping up with homework and work from home if they are telecommuting. Parents are getting a small taste of what life for a teacher is like…keeping a student on task, finding ways to relay a concept if it is not learned the first time you approach it, etc. This is larger than the daily homework struggle.
It is not homeschooling, it is crisis schooling.
Families may be worried about an elderly parent or relative or how they are going to get food on the table if they are not being paid if their office is closed. As the leader, you will always be more vested in the troop than your parents. I do not want you to set yourself up for disappointment after putting in so much time and effort. You can always do badge work with your daughter.
If you want your girls to earn badge work with no effort on your part, you can select a badge from:
Find the badge you want your girls to earn, send the parents the link via your form of communication (Facebook page, email, Shutterfly, Band) and then let it go. You can create a quick form that the girls can fill out so you know what they did for each step. It should require a parent signature.
Staying Connected to Your Troop
In a recent blog post, I shared 5 safe and easy ways for leaders to stay connected to their girls as we stay at home.
Please stay safe during this time of uncharted waters.
Do you have anything for Cadettes? All I see are Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors. I have Cadettes that I would love to share with.
I do have a Cadette Journey site. You can find it here https://cadette-girl-scout-journeys.blogspot.com/
You can also search “Cadettes” in this blog’s “Search Box”. My posts from when my troop was in this level will pop up. Stay safe!