Service Project done at Troop meetings

[CNYScouter]

I am not sure what to think of this so I thought I would put this out for discussion.

 

My son came home from his Troop meeting, which he told me that they had spent the whole meeting doing a service project.

This project consisted of the Scouts filling a jar with Cookie Dough, putting a label on the jar and then putting a top on the jar. He is then expected to sell the Cookie Dough and the money donated to charity.

The issues I have with this are:

1-Most of this project was planned and coordinated by an adult. The only things the Scouts had to do was to fill, label and seal the jars. I think this type of activity is fine for a Cub Pack but not an activity for a Troop.

2-Using a Troop meeting to do this. I think that this should have been scheduled for another time.

3-Selling a product and giving the money to a charity. I dont see this as a service project. To me actually doing something for the charity is service, not selling something and giving money.

 

The only reserve I have is that I do not know if this is something for our C.O. or not. If this is something that our C.O. asked the troop to do to help them with Im OK with that but I still do not think this should have been done for a Troop meeting and should have been scheduled for another time.

 

Whats everyones thoughts on this?

 

[SemperParatus]

This is a money-earning project, not a service project. Accordingly, the guidelines on the reverse side of the Unit Money Earning Application should be followed.

 

 

[SueM]

I assume this is not an Eagle project??...as earning money even to give to a charity is prohibited.

 

At anyrate, not that it is implied that they are doing so, but more as a reminder.. boys should also not wear their uniform while selling the cookie dough...(This message has been edited by SueM)

[evmori]

Not a service project! More of a fundraiser even if the profits are given to a charity.

 

Ed Mori

Troop 1

1 Peter 4:10

[EagleInKY]

I'll have to agree with Semper and disagree with Sue on this. Money-earning is allowed, even if the money is going to be donated. They just need to be up front with what they are doing. It's not a service project. Frankly, I'd rather them spend time earning money for the troop and performing real service for the charity.

[SueM]

EagleinKY,

 

I only meant that IF (hypothetically) this were being done as an Eagle project (and there was no indication that it was) then fundraising would not be allowed beyond what was needed for materials.

 

Sue M.

[ScoutNut]

Money Earning - NOT Service.

 

One other problem I have with this is the product itself. Is the Cookie Dough homemade? Is it in some type of bag, with the bag placed in a jar, or is the dough being scooped up by handfuls & dropped into an empty jar?

 

I am sorry to say, this sounds VERY unsanitary, with much potential for tampering & I would not even consider purchasing it. You might find this a hard product to get rid of.

 

[EagleInKY]

My apologies Sue. I misread your post.

[SueM]

Not an issue EagleinKY..sometimes I have a hard time being clear in what I'm trying to say.

 

I also have an issue with the way the cookie dough is being handled..I know that selling cookie dough is supposedly a big money maker in some areas..you see the stuff advertised in the Scouting magazine all the time, but I get the impression that this is not that commercially made stuff but rather a home mademix?? I could see a real liability issue with this for the troop.

 

sue m.

[msnowman]

Several years ago our Pack did something similar, except our jars were dry, meaning we measured and packed the dry ingrediants in the jars and attached the recipe card to the top. The purchaser (or receipient if it was given as a gift) then had to add the "wet" ingrediants from their own larder (meaning eggs, oil, shortening, etc). Packed that way the cookie "dough" keeps as long as it stays dry (in theory). My mother still has hers sitting on her cupboard. After 5 years there is no way you could get me to try them now, but it at least hasn't turned into a science experience gone bad.

 

Perhaps this Troop did something similar. Otherwise I would be worried like others have been about sanitation.

 

YiS

Michelle

[hotdesk]

Service Projects during meetings shouldn't (in my opinion) occur unless A. the boys are the ones wanting to do it and B. it can't be done on another night.

 

With that said our troop helps Christmas Clearinghouse package toys during a meeting in December. The meeting is usually either the one right before school gets out or just after school gets out for holiday break. The troop does it because the boys want to do it.

 

 

[Lisabob]

I'm with everyone who says this is not really a "service" project. Beyond that, my understanding was that if a BSA unit wants to raise money for donation to an outside charity then technically they have to get council approval for that too.

 

I ran smack into this myself at a district meeting not too long ago. In a misguided fit of good will I proposed doing a fundraiser where money would be donated to red cross for a certain recent disaster. The council folks pitched a small fit. According to them at least, all charitable fundraising by scout units for organizations other than BSA is strictly forbidden without explicit written permission from council. (and they did have reference to specific BSA literature but I no longer have it handy to quote chapter and verse, sorry)

 

What ensued (as prelude to a much bigger fit, I might add)was a long and messy conversation about the appropriateness of unit-level raffles, car washes, spagetti dinners, etc.. where part of the money is donated to a local charity (very common practice in our area), holiday monetary donations from units to groups like Toys for Tots, etc..

 

We were also informed that under no circumstance could we raise money specifically for our CO, no matter how worthy the CO may be, or what its particular charitable status is.

 

If these don't pass muster - and I was told in fairly clear terms that they *do! not!* - then I can only imagine the local Council reaction to some unit selling (homemade? yuck) cookie dough for charity...if in fact the unit hadn't sought and received permission from Council to do so.

 

Anyway, it sure doesn't sound like a service project from the description provided so far.

 

Lisa'bob

A good old bobwhite too!

[firecrafter]

Our troop has done "service projects" on meeting nights in the past. We have gone door to door collecting food for our charter's food pantry. We also go Christmas caroling to the local nursing home & shut ins every year. Both the PLC's idea. I don't see the cookie dough as service.

firecrafter

[SR540Beaver]

We kind of sort of did service during troop meetings, but it was very limited. Our CO was a small church with quite a few elderly members. The church needed help weeding and maintaining the flower beds. The troop had already decided it was something they were going to do for the CO when the COR came and asked if we would do it. It seems that great minds think alike! We did our initial clean-up on a Saturday. After that, whoever was service patrol for the month would be charged with inspecting the beds and take 10 to 15 minutes of troop meeting time to maintain the beds.

[orennoah]

In addition to all the problems noted above (including not Boy Led, waste of meeting time, food handling problems, etc.), it's my understanding that the BSA cannot raise funds for other organizations, no matter how worthy.

 

For example, our Council could not raise funds for the Red Cross in the wake of this year's hurricanes. Donations had to be in the form of gift cards from such places as Home Depot, Best Buy, etc.