Well, the time is here. The end of your troop year is drawing close, and the girls are eagerly anticipating their final troop activities. For some troops, that means a moment of reckoning: despite all their best efforts at Fall Products Sales and Cookie Sales, they do not have enough money to fund all of their goals. As a leader, what do you do?
1. Ask the parents to pay the difference.
This might be an option if the girls are short only a small amount, there is only one thing they have left they want to accomplish, and it will not be a financial hardship on any family (the key word here is ANY FAMILY.)
2. Decide whether a Supplemental Money Earning Activity is appropriate.
Troops are permitted to engage in extra money earning activities to fund a particular goal, but this option comes with many mandatory stipulations, including submitting forms and receiving approval from the Service Unit Manager and your Council. There must be a clearly defined need for the extra funds. In addition, you must indicate what part the GIRLS have played in planning this activity. Commercial fund-raisers and profit-sharings are prohibited. Most councils require that the troop must have participated in all council-sponsored sales programs prior to applying for and conducting a supplemental money earning activity.
3. Use this as an opportune "teachable moment".
Sometimes
in life you don't have the finances right now to buy what you want - a
snazzy car, a total wardrobe overhaul, the latest iPhone. Process with
the girls that this is not a failure, it is just reality, and they will
face this situation over and over again in their life. Brainstorm what
else they can do that is within their financial reach that would still
satisfy them. Do they need to go to an expensive water park, or would
they be happy at a smaller community water park or pool? It is not a bad
thing to allow girls to experience scaling back their aspirations to
fit the reality of the situation, and learning they can still be happy
with the result. In fact, you will be giving girls an incredible gift of learning to "live within their means." The important point here is allowing the girls to make
their own choices so they can take ownership of it and feel satisfied.
As a troop, you will probably be faced with this situation many times over the years. By allowing the girls to take the lead in solving the challenge, they will become better equipped to handle their own personal wants and needs in the future.
