I need to make a decision about Girl Scout cookies

  • Thread starter Thread starter savedbygrace71
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
S

savedbygrace71

Guest
I have several friends with daughters in GS, and of course, it’s cookie time. I would like to support them. But, I have other friends who posted links such as this one

lifenews.com/2013/12/04/what-every-pro-lifer-needs-to-know-about-the-girl-scouts-link-to-planned-parenthood/

On Facebook. What I can’t tell is how much of a concern this really is. Are you buying GS cookies? Is there a definitive link between GS and planned parenthood here? I am not that familiar with this above website so I wasn’t sure if it is one to rely on.

Thanks for your thoughts.
 
Just my opinion.Yep, I still buy girl scout cookies not because I personally want to support their agenda but because I like the cookies. My daughter was in a homeschool girl scout troop where none of that agenda was run -it was all wholesome activities.

If I stopped buying from every company that supported things that don’t agree with church teaching there would be a very limited selection of anything to choose from. I pick my battles. My daughters experience was positive -whatever liberal, feminist agenda the headquarters promotes was never allowed to filter down to her level.
 
Logically I always say no. But my stomach always wins when I walk out of the grocery store and they are pushing them in the back alley.

CURSE YOU THIN MINTS!!!
 
I’m not a huge girl scout cookie fan but if you enjoy them I wouldn’t stop because of this article. 1. Its an opinion piece so while it may be well researched (or not) without studying all the attached links, I wouldn’t put a lot of stock into it. 2. A few of the organizations that are listed as problematic are ones only have very cursory “interactions” with planned parenthood. Idealist.org for example is an excellent resource for jobs in the non profit sector and while planned parenthood may place a job with them, so do hundreds of other organizations. Amnesty International also does good work although I only dealt with them briefly in high school before joining United Nations so I’m not intimately involved. According to this article The Girls Scouts holds no position on abortion.
 
Hmmm. Mixed feelings. I was going to think this out, but then our neighbor girl asked me today. So I bought 3 boxes. And now I have a good reason to pass them up everywhere else.
 
savedbygrace71 said:
I have several friends with daughters in GS, and of course, it’s cookie time. I would like to support them. But, I have other friends who posted links such as this one

lifenews.com/2013/12/04/what-every-pro-lifer-needs-to-know-about-the-girl-scouts-link-to-planned-parenthood/

On Facebook. What I can’t tell is how much of a concern this really is. Are you buying GS cookies? Is there a definitive link between GS and planned parenthood here? I am not that familiar with this above website so I wasn’t sure if it is one to rely on.

Thanks for your thoughts.
Click to expand...
Hello!

I would most definitely not buy GS cookies. I know the cookies are yummy, but GS gives a lot of its fundraising to Planned Parenthood. It is similar to the Breast Cancer Society. A second reason I don’t buy GS cookies is that I dropped out of my GS troop because my troop leader told me I was not allowed to discuss religion when we were doing projects about ourselves. For these two reasons, I don’t want to associate with GS at all.

Here a couple links you can look at:
gerardnadal.com/2012/01/28/in-their-own-words-girl-scouts-partner-with-planned-parenthood-across-the-nation/ → GS denies being in league with Planned Parenthood, but here is the CEO, Cathy Cloninger, on The Today Show admitting to Girl Scouts partnering with Planned Parenthood.
honestgirlscouts.com/
lifenews.com/2013/10/16/girls-gone-bad-the-girl-scouts-link-to-planned-parenthood/

Lastly, here is a link to make your own GS cookies: sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=7_homemade_girl_scout_cookie_recipes 😉

I hope this helps!
  • SnowAngels
 
I honestly don’t think there cookies are all that great first of all. Second of all I feel like if you needed to post about the dilemma then you already have your answer. If you weren’t concerned about it then you would have made the purchase.
I also don’t buy Starbucks or pepsi products anymore for similar reasons as the girl scout issues. I also feel like communities should support the smaller Ma & Pa cafes instead of big corporations like Starbucks.
 
erica2001 said:
I honestly don’t think there cookies are all that great first of all. Second of all I feel like if you needed to post about the dilemma then you already have your answer. If you weren’t concerned about it then you would have made the purchase.
I also don’t buy Starbucks or pepsi products anymore for similar reasons as the girl scout issues. I also feel like communities should support the smaller Ma & Pa cafes instead of big corporations like Starbucks.
Click to expand...
But just because you have doubts or questions about someone or something doesn’t mean those doubts or questions are always justified.
 
SnowAngels said:
Hello!

I would most definitely not buy GS cookies. I know the cookies are yummy, but GS gives a lot of its fundraising to Planned Parenthood. It is similar to the Breast Cancer Society. A second reason I don’t buy GS cookies is that I dropped out of my GS troop because my troop leader told me I was not allowed to discuss religion when we were doing projects about ourselves. For these two reasons, I don’t want to associate with GS at all.

Here a couple links you can look at:
gerardnadal.com/2012/01/28/in-their-own-words-girl-scouts-partner-with-planned-parenthood-across-the-nation/ → GS denies being in league with Planned Parenthood, but here is the CEO, Cathy Cloninger, on The Today Show admitting to Girl Scouts partnering with Planned Parenthood.
honestgirlscouts.com/
lifenews.com/2013/10/16/girls-gone-bad-the-girl-scouts-link-to-planned-parenthood/

Lastly, here is a link to make your own GS cookies: sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=7_homemade_girl_scout_cookie_recipes 😉

I hope this helps!
  • SnowAngels
Click to expand...
Very helpful. I am not buying them. God bless.🙂
 
I only buy them because my favorite niece sells them for her troop. Otherwise I would probably refuse. And it also annoys me that they’re always delivered in the middle of Lent!!!
 
SnowAngels said:
Hello!

I would most definitely not buy GS cookies. I know the cookies are yummy, but GS gives a lot of its fundraising to Planned Parenthood. It is similar to the Breast Cancer Society. A second reason I don’t buy GS cookies is that I dropped out of my GS troop because my troop leader told me I was not allowed to discuss religion when we were doing projects about ourselves. For these two reasons, I don’t want to associate with GS at all.

Here a couple links you can look at:
gerardnadal.com/2012/01/28/in-their-own-words-girl-scouts-partner-with-planned-parenthood-across-the-nation/ → GS denies being in league with Planned Parenthood, but here is the CEO, Cathy Cloninger, on The Today Show admitting to Girl Scouts partnering with Planned Parenthood.
honestgirlscouts.com/
lifenews.com/2013/10/16/girls-gone-bad-the-girl-scouts-link-to-planned-parenthood/

Lastly, here is a link to make your own GS cookies: sparkpeople.com/blog/blog.asp?post=7_homemade_girl_scout_cookie_recipes 😉

I hope this helps!
  • SnowAngels
Click to expand...
catholicnewsagency.com/cw/post.php?id=621

here is an article explaining what the organization promotes. I am not saying that everyone in the Girl Scouts holds these views, but by reading a few articles, I will not be buying any cookies because they support a lot of morally wrong ideologies. I would recommend supporting the American Heritage Girls instead.
 
I have chosen to stop buying GS cookies, as well as the BS popcorn.

True, I can’t boycott every company that is involved in things I am against…but these are ones I don’t have to research and I don’t “need” either item…therefore, it’s an easy decision for me.

I just tell the adorable child asking “I’m sorry, I can’t.” And they have been fine with that…no one left in tears! Guess it would be harder if it was a relative…if that was the case I’d make a phone call to the parent beforehand explaining I wasn’t buying and why, so the child never asked me! My family knows me, and would understand.
 
If someone close to me were in GS, I’d probably just make a donation directly to the troop.

I don’t need the fat or sugar. 🙂
 
KCT said:
If someone close to me were in GS, I’d probably just make a donation directly to the troop.

I don’t need the fat or sugar. 🙂
Click to expand...
You are better off donating directly to the troop - the national council gets MOST of the money from the cookie sales. The troop gets something like 25 cents per box. The national council is affiliated with PP, even if the local councils are not. For that reason, I will not buy the cookies any more. I would also not allow my daughter to participate in the girl scouts, if I still had young enough daughters to do so.
 
Keebler Grasshoppers are very close to Thin Mints, if that’s your fave. I’m not sure if there are any comparables to Samoas though.
 
I stopped buying them last year when I learned of the Planned Parenthood connection. It saddened me, as I think the cookies are delish! Nostalgic, too–I sold them as a little scout, back in the days when we went door-to-door through the neighborhood–only choices then were Dutch Shortbread (aka “Trefoils”) and the Thin Mints. (Hey, lady…take your choice…ya gotta take one or the other…I’m not leaving your porch 'till ya do!)

I also stopped Starbucks when I learned of their big push for homosexual marriage–gosh, and they’re just a block and half away from me and the employees were so nice.

Being courageous for your beliefs is kind of HARD!!! 😦
 
I will buy them. Is there a definitive link between GS and PP? That depends on what you mean by link. There are some who have been leaders in Girl Scouts that have also supported Planned Parenthood. Of this there is no doubt, so that is definitive. The other allegation are just that, allegations. If you search the GS website for their statement on the matter, they denounce any connection with Planned Parenthood. The Catholic Church is still connected with Girl Scouts many places. These two facts are good evidence against much of a link.

If you want to know, chase down the allegations on places like LifeSite News, but follow the links fully. I did and found only two substantial incidents, both anecdotal and not reflective of GSA officially. All the stories and allegations sprung from just these two pieces of evidence, though it was replicated many times, like looking through a tunnel of mirrors.

So, as I said, I will still buy the cookies and support the girls, especially those associated with local parishes.
 
I am buying cookies too… in fact, I am the troop cookie manager. I also know where all the money goes (unless they are lying to me). As would be expected most of it goes to the baker, then to the local Girl Scout Counsel, then our Troop. The troop gets 60 cents a box (or 15%). That’s a pretty decent return–especially compared to other fundraisers kids do.

I think it’s like pnewton said… it’s almost a witch hunt with the Girl Scouts based on very shaky allegations that seem to only exist in internet blogs. The Girl Scouts official policy is, “The Girl Scout organization does not take a position on abortion or birth control, and these topics are not part of the Girl Scout program or our materials. We believe these matters are best discussed by girls with their families.”

If you don’t want to take their word for it, the National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry investigated the Girl Scouts already and have refuted the allegations for years. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops started an investigation two years ago and hasn’t yet ruled against the Girl Scouts–they expressed concerns to the Girl Scouts and the Girl Scouts made some changes and everything settled down–but no ban. I trust Church organizations more so than stuff I find online–so that’s good enough for me.

There are several troops sponsored by our parish that are associated with the Catholic school. We are allowed to sell cookies before and after Mass right there in the Vestibule. The priests even recognize Girl and Boy Scouts once a year in our parish. And I live in a very conservative diocese.

But if a person really still has a problem with it, don’t buy of course. Or, if you really want to support the local girls and leave the national organization out of it, you can always give a donation directly to the troop. 100% of the money given to a troop stays in a troop and is spent on those girls. Especially if your troop is associated with your Church and run by Catholic parents/guided by your priest (like the one my daughter is in), then that should put your mind at ease.
 
mellowcalico said:
I am buying cookies too… in fact, I am the troop cookie manager. I also know where all the money goes (unless they are lying to me). As would be expected most of it goes to the baker, then to the local Girl Scout Counsel, then our Troop. The troop gets 60 cents a box (or 15%). That’s a pretty decent return–especially compared to other fundraisers kids do.
Click to expand...
The 15% seems so low to me after having my boys get 25% in their own individual accounts and another 10% or so for their troop from their popcorn sales. Thinking this year of just doing a cash donation to the troop and not worry about buying or selling the cookies (of course, it happens I don’t like the cookies either so that probably helps) 😃
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top