PurpleChest
Joined: Oct 25, 2003
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On a recent visit to the USA to visit my in-laws, never a joyous task, there were few highlights (typical highlight - trying a new fast food brand(Carl Jnr) and discovering it was 'quite good') but many many lows.
A key dissapointment was my partners massive exceitement at finding 'Girl Scout Cookies' for sale. She telephoned me from the store to tell me about it, as i was minding our small child at her folks house.
I got mildly excited. Home made cookies rock, and while my wifes are excellent, I was genuinely looking forward to the products of a small, clean, Girl Scouts hands as she earns a cookery badge. i wondered if would be the clasic UK 'Girl Guide' product of Rice Crispies and chocolate? Or would it have a unique American flavour to it?
Well a unique American flavour it definately had.
I was crushed.
'Girl Scout Cookies' are not produced by Girl Scouts at all, but by some faceless monolithic corporation. You get about 18 in a packet for your $4. Now I know it's supposedly money for a good cause but can you honestly tell me the maker isn't getting his cut? 'Cos I'm a gambling man and I've some money says he is.
Nor do the ingredients list Girl Scouts.
hence the only involvement of Girl Scouts in 'Girl Scout Cookies' is selling the sickly guilt purchases to the public. Probably to earn a badge in 'Marketing' or 'Customer facing skills'.
I am at a loss to fully convey my disgust. |
Last edited by PurpleChest on %b %20, %2006 - %15:%Apr; edited 4 times in total |
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Mezir
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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 Posted:
Apr 20, 2006 - 13:49 |
 
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| PurpleChest wrote: | | Nor do the ingredients list girl guides. |
That's a crying shame.  |
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Build a man a fire and he's warm for a day; set a man on fire and he's warm for the rest of his life. |
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pizzamogul
Joined: Jun 13, 2005
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Apr 20, 2006 - 14:03 |
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Actually, Girl Scout cookies have set the standard for fundraising in the United States. Now, my kids resell all kinds of prepackaged trash (candy bars, meat, candles, etc...) to raise money for their schools. Occasionally my church will have a bake sale, but I've seen store-bought foods being sold there as well.
If it makes you feel any better, the company that makes the cookies for the Girl Scouts has been doing it for decades and to the best of my knowledge doesn't make anything else. My guess is that the Girl Scouts are getting the best of this symbiotic relationship.
Although, now that you've sampled them you must vote in my Girl Scout Cookie poll.  |
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"Don't expect mercy."
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PurpleChest
Joined: Oct 25, 2003
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Thanks be to Google.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2004/03/06/MNG4F5FR1E1.DTL
Some highlights:
| Quote: | | The Girl Scouts' national office has received complaints because the cookies are made with plenty of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil -- think Crisco or margarine -- which the Food and Drug Administration and the nation's top medical researchers agree is the most dangerous fat in the human diet. |
| Quote: | | Profits: Each troop keeps 12 to 17 percent of sales. |
And I WAS RIGHT!!!!
| Quote: | | "The cookie program is an entrepreneurial program. It encourages them to look at various fluctuations in the market, whether it's the Atkins craze or grocery store strikes," said spokeswoman Marion Swan. "Our emphasis is not on the proceeds from the cookies but the skills that the girls learn." |
It is about 'customer focused skills' badges.
For shame. |
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Gitzbang
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 20, 2006 - 14:46 |
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The world is such a bad place ... no babies in baby oil and now not even a single little girl in girl-scout cookies? |
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Arktoris
Joined: Feb 16, 2004
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Apr 20, 2006 - 14:57 |
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Buying Girl Scout Cookies is basically a tradition in the USA....kinda like the reverse of Halloween. Instead of children coming to your house to recieve sweets, they're giving them to you.
But yeah, the cookies aren't exactly high quality and are anything but homemade...although the thin mints I just don't seem to get tired of...and I'm not sure why. |
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Macavity
Joined: Nov 23, 2004
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Apr 20, 2006 - 15:15 |
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Send the little brownbird to space camp!!!!!
(If you get it, that's nice for you)  |
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When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. -C.S. Lewis |
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destroyer_dabes
Joined: Jan 27, 2006
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Apr 20, 2006 - 15:15 |
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wow, 14 to 17 percent? do you have any idea how little a grocery store nets from the food they sell? Thats a really big percentage of sales in the grand sceme of things. I worked at a very succesful resteraunt that made 3% profit.
Buying girl scout cookies is the best way to help support young girls just as buying wreaths from boy scouts is for boys. The money raised goes towards facilities, membership, campouts, and every other little thing involved in scouting. Often, one cookie season can pay for an entire year of a girl scout's costs. Believe it or not, there are plenty of people involved in scouting who can't make rent, so this fundraising is essential. And if you think a dime goes to the leaders, thats untrue; being a boy scout leader, I can say that we are probobly the poorest run of mankind ever At any rate, buying girl scout cookies is good for America, as my future wife will be able to make it in the marketing world and cook me a decent meal. |
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PurpleChest
Joined: Oct 25, 2003
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I don't deny they probably raise millions for Scouting. And Scouting (And 'Cubs', 'Brownies' and 'Girl Guides' in the UK) is a great thing.
But I expect a 'Girl Scout Cookie' to made by a Girl Scout. The they could feasably keep the entire $4. barring a little bit for ingredients.
And I'd rather a Girl Scout got a 'Cooking' badge than a 'Marketing' one. Your future wife will be handing you a TV dinner.
See, I'm not much of a capitalist. |
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destroyer_dabes
Joined: Jan 27, 2006
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Apr 20, 2006 - 15:38 |
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you fail to see the logistics of the opperation. First of all, home made cookies mass made and sold would have to meet FDA standards, meaning inspections of every cook site. Add to that the time needed to cook, the perishability of home made, and the ammount of burnt to a crisp profits, and it just doesn't work. I helped to sell 100 boxes with my sister; I don't think she would have been able to make 100 boxes worth of cookies. Add to that the pre done marketing and variety of product, you can't beat pre packaged cookies. The product is high quality and hasn't changed in years. I doubt home made cookies would garner any sales. |
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Meech
Joined: Sep 15, 2005
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Apr 20, 2006 - 15:39 |
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| Gitzbang wrote: | | The world is such a bad place ... no babies in baby oil and now not even a single little girl in girl-scout cookies? |
Imagine my surprise whwn I ordered a virgin daiquiri and got a little drink. |
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JanMattys
Joined: Feb 29, 2004
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Apr 20, 2006 - 15:51 |
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Hey, what about my face when I entered a Virgin Store?
Sigh  |
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Macavity
Joined: Nov 23, 2004
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Apr 20, 2006 - 15:53 |
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Destroyer may be right here, you are fighting against a long-standing practise, and we people in N.A. are notoriously paranoid about faceless strangers poisoning us. I, personally, know better, but you couldn't get most folks to buy homemade. It's worse down in the south were they still mostly think trans-fats are cool, but hey, I eat home-baked everything! |
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When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up. -C.S. Lewis |
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Gitzbang
Joined: Aug 02, 2003
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Apr 20, 2006 - 16:15 |
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| JanMattys wrote: | Hey, what about my face when I entered a Virgin Store?
Sigh |
Why would you want someone you need to teach all the tricks? |
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Meech
Joined: Sep 15, 2005
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Apr 20, 2006 - 16:16 |
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Does Trans fat come from Transvestites? |
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Putting the FU in fumbbl since 9/2005 |
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