Is Girl Scouts Expensive?

One topic often discussed on Girl Scout leader facebook pages is money and the costs associated with running a Girl Scout troop.  There are complaints about the costs forced onto troops by GSUSA or our local councils whether through mandated training classes or the cost of program materials such has handbooks or badges.  There are also complaints about how little cookie money is kept by troops. Those discussions make me wonder:  Is Girl Scouts Expensive?

What Expenses Are Required?

In trying to determine if Girl Scouts is expensive, first you have to determine what costs are required.  Honestly, this depends on which council you are in, who is participating, and where you meet. The expenses below are organization costs--costs that the "Girls Afterschool Adventure Club" that you started would not have:

Troop Expenses:

Here are some costs at least some troops cannot escape:

• Registration:  All girls and adults must pay the $25 per year registration fee; however, most councils have some provision to help low-income people with this expense, at least initially.

• Background Checks:  All councils require that leaders and at least some other registered adults undergo background checks.  The cost of these varies by location but $10-$30 is not uncommon, though they are generally good for multiple years;

• Basic Training:  All councils require at least some training for new leaders.  Many charge at least a nominal amount for it, often refunding the expense via gift certificates for shop purchases or program materials;

• Badges:  Hypothetically you could have a Girl Scout troop that never earned badges, but honestly, why bother?  The Daisy Petal Set is $8.50; other badges are $3.00 each;

• First Aid/CPR Training:  If a troop adult already has this training, or is considered "trained" by virtue of his/her job then you can skip this expense.  Otherwise, figure on $50 or more for First Aid/CPR training, unless your council picks up this fee. 

• Program Materials:  At this point you can run a troop off GSUSA's online Volunteer Toolkit and other free online resources so, strictly speaking printed handbooks are no longer necessary.  However, many leaders prefer written materials.  With all badges included (including the new ones) The Girls Guide to Girl Scouting is between $25 and $40 or more, depending on the level.  However, used copies are pretty readily available.  

Girl Expenses

While troops generally get the money for their expenses from the girls via dues or, after they are established, from cookies, other product sales or troop money earning projects, most individual girls also have expenses.  These vary by troop and personal preference, but can include:

• Uniforms:  While other areas may be different, in my area few girls wear the complete uniform.  However most do have a vest or sash.  Vests range in price from $18.50 for Daisies to $26.00 for Cadette/Senior/Ambassadors. Sashes are $7.00 to $9.00.  

• Insignia:  Uniforms need patches--troop numbers, council patches, flags and insignia tab with pins.  Depending on how many numerals are in your troop number this can cost another $25. 

How Do These Costs Compare to Other Groups?

Obviously, if you form your own after school club for girls,  you would avoid many of those costs.  But what about if you chose to affiliate with some other organization?  How do their organizational costs compare to Girl Scouts?

BSA (Updated 10/24/19)

The most direct and well-known competitor to GSUSA is BSA.  In January, 2020, BSA members will pay national dues of $60.00, as compared to GSUSA's $25.  BSA councils can also charge up t o $60 per youth.  Their handbooks are $13.00 each, and my understanding is that most youths have their own handbooks, whereas under the current program, I know that few girls purchase their own books.  Uniform shirts are $25 to $30.00 each. Badges are $2.79 each as compared to GSUSA's $3.00.  Cub Scout Ranks (1 per year) are $2.29 each, and belt loops are $1.89.  Each unit has to pay a $40.00 liability fee per year.  BSA also requires certain training of leaders, and I do not know the cost of that.  In short, the costs (excluding supplies and activities) to run a GSUSA troop seems to  be significantly less than a BSA troop.

American Heritage Girls

AHG is a scouting-type organization that requires its members to profess the Christian faith and which has explicitly religious aspects to most of its programming.  While GSUSA and BSA operate on the national, council and troop level, AHG is a national organization with local troops.  

In order to start an AHG troop (and AHG troops, like BSA troops are intended to be relatively permanent groups as opposed to GSUSA troops which usually last as long as the leader chooses to lead), an initial charter fee of $325 must be paid.  The charter must be renewed yearly at a cost of $195 per troop.  Girls and adults pay $26 per year for membership, and girls add $20 per year for program support.  Depending on levels, their uniforms are $12 to $27.  Their handbook is $18 and I have no idea whether most girls own them, or not.  Badges are $3.25 each, and Service Stars are $0.75.

In short, it appears that the per girl cost to run an AHG troop is higher than the per girl cost for a GSUSA troop.  However, AHG troops are required to be chartered to a church and I suppose it is possible the church picks up some of those costs.  On the other hand, AHG troops do not have access to council-owned properties nor do they have a local council offering programming.  

What About Cookie Money?

Everyone knows that Girl Scout Cookies are Girl Scouting's biggest fundraiser.  The question for many is whether cookies are a good fundraiser for troops or if the local councils are using child labor to finance their existence.  

The amount of money received by local troops for cookies varies by council.  I've seen amounts as little as $0.35 per box and as high as $1.00 per box, though somewhere close to $0.50 seems pretty normal.  The amount that ends up in troops' hands depends on the price of the cookies (the same cookies sell for $3.50 in at least one council, $4,00 in many and $5.00 in some) and the needs of the council. Make no mistake, the lion's share of cookie proceeds go to the councils--local non-profits that own and operate Girl Scout camps, recruit and train leaders and administer the Girl Scout program locally.  

However, the other way to look at it is that Girl Scout branding and public relations make the cookies a relatively easy sell.  Yes, it does seem like your troop would be better off selling World's Finest Chocolate or similar--keep $1.00 for each candy bar sold--but how many of those candy bars does each child sell when they come home from school?  What percent of the money that gets sent to school is yours or your close family's? 

Now think about Girl Scout cookies.  How much of that money comes from people with no dog in the hunt?  For troops willing to do multiple booths, sales of 150 boxes per girl aren't unusual.  Even troops that don't do booths get close to 100 boxes per girl in many areas, especially for girls who have large extended families and/or two working parents.  How many fundraisers can you do, especially with young children that easily make $50.00 per child?

A former pastor of my parish once described us, using a take-off from the local PBS station as "member supported OLDP".  While many of us would like to think there is a huge pot of money out there that "they" donated for Girl Scouts, the reality is that for the most part, we are "member-supported Girl Scouts".

At the national level, GSUSA is supported by some grants, by sales of program materials like handbooks, badges and merchandise, by licensing fees for cookies and other products and by membership fees.  At the council level, most of the money comes from cookies, but councils also charge usage fees and obtain some grants. Some councils also charge membership fees.

At the troop level, some girls get support from council but most pay membership fees, buy products and sell cookies.  Still, in my troop, a girl this year could do everything with us and buy a sash for under $100.00.  That's 18 meetings with activities/crafts, a day at camp, a weekend camping trip for her and her mom, a science day, a ballet activity, an outdoor art day, a trip to the Apple Store and an end of the year cookie activity.  My Daisies will get about half the petals, plus 2-3 badges, plus their safety pin, and finally 2 leaves.  My Brownies will earn 5 or 6 badges.  I don't think $100 out-of-pocket is a lot for all those activities.

What do you think?  Is Girl Scouts expensive?