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Girl Scouts were told to stop bracelet-making fundraiser for kids in Gaza. Now they can't keep up
Missouri Girl Scout leaders threatened legal action against a troop that made bracelets to raise funds for starving children in Gaza, provoking outrage and ridicule from the girls’ supporters and advocates for people trapped in the Palestinian territory by the latest humanitarian crisis.
Girl Scouts of the USA said its eastern Missouri chapter had only been following fundraising rules, but that it was “disappointed and disheartened by the tone” of the communication with the troop in St. Louis.
“We felt like we were targeted, unfairly belittled and unheard,” said Nawal Abuhamdeh, a first generation Palestinian Muslim American and the leader of Troop 149 in St. Louis, which has since disbanded from the Girl Scouts.
Tasneem Manjra, a troop leader in California, said it looks like the Girl Scouts are backtracking because they were called out.
“I think that’s a load of Thin Mints,” said Manjra. “They were way too heavy-handed in their response to Nawal and her troop.”
Abuhamdeh said the fundraising effort began because the girls in her troop were uncomfortable selling Girl Scout Cookies while people are starving in Gaza. During one meeting, the girls — who are of Pakistani, Indian, Somali, Syrian, Palestinian and Jordanian heritage — cried and said they felt hopeless.
https://apnews.com/article/girl-scouts-gaza-bracelets-ae0d36cf651a0e995243a85084fbd016
Organizations run by adults getting in the way of kids again....
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ColinC
(11,098 posts)
Emile
(42,316 posts)RussellCattle
(1,928 posts).......assimilation, yet holding onto to her heritage. I imagine a hijab wearing young women with her troop of diverse girls. Because, you know, America.
littlemissmartypants
(33,724 posts)On my honor I will try to do my duty to God and my country, to help other people at all times and to obey the Girl Scout rules...
Or something like that. It's been a while. Like almost 60 years. I loved being a Brownie and a Girl Scout. These girls are right on target.
Lovely story. TY!
Happy Women's History Month!
❤️
xmas74
(30,058 posts)They used the Girl Scout name and troop number. Council didn't know about the fundraiser. They didn't know about the product or pricing. They didn't know about how sales were conducted. (Face-to-face has more issues due to potential danger to girls, which is why all booth sales now are to be reported to council with the adults names who will be in assistance onsite.)
Council didn't know where the money was going. These girls had their hearts in the right place but not everyone does. Council needs to know the name of the official organization it's going to and the percentage. They need receipts after the sales.. This protects everyone if there are ever allegations of fraud.
NickB79
(20,363 posts)I've been a Cookie Dad for 6 years now, and you do NOT do anything unapproved by the Council. Even selling cookies a day before the cookie season begins can get your troop banned from selling the next year. You do NOT sell anything using the Girl Scout name without prior approval.
The troop leader disregarded a host of rules here.
xmas74
(30,058 posts)This could easily have been part of a World Thinking Day activity. Many troops have Cultural Fairs during that time where they have an international fair and each troop represents a country. This troop could easily have had a booth represent Gaza and prepare a sample dish to try for a small price that would go to whatever group they all fundraise for that year. They could have then sold bracelets at their booth and asked for donations and council would have approved.
LisaM
(29,636 posts)I read the linked article and they are selling bracelets made in the color of the Palestinian flag and that spell out "Palestine". That's not so innocent as it sounds from the headline. I can see why the national Girl Scouts objected. And the parents seem to be at fault, too.
There are always people starving. This is a very specific thing. Why don't they wear bracelets that spell out "Haiti" or "Ethiopia"?
People would react differently if the bracelets spelled out "MAGA". We all feel terrible about the loss of life and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but I don't think they should be using the Girl Scout name to do this.
littlemissmartypants
(33,724 posts)Africa is starving all over. Yemen has been ignored and children have been starving and dying there with little relief. Syria is a mess. Afghanistan is the same. Even Ukraine is one of the worst now.
War aka "conflict" is one of the worst contributors in the creation of starvation. Climate change is going to kick our asses worldwide in this department, too. Already is.
The World Food Program is begging for money while they continue to fall farther and farther away from their goals.
Here's their list of emergencies:
https://www.wfp.org/
EMERGENCIES
●AFGHANISTAN
●CENTRAL SAHEL
●DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE CONGO
●ETHIOPIA
●GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS
https://www.wfp.org/emergencies/global-food-crisis
The world faces a global hunger crisis of unprecedented proportions.
In just two years, the number of people facing, or at risk of, acute food insecurity increased from 135 million in 53 countries pre-pandemic, to 345 million in 79 countries in 2023.
A global food crisis
https://www.wfp.org/global-hunger-crisis
Conflict, economic shocks, climate extremes and soaring fertilizer prices are combining to create a food crisis of unprecedented proportions. As many as 783 million people are facing chronic hunger.
●HAITI
●MYANMAR
●NORTH EASTERN NIGERIA
●SOMALIA
●SOUTH SUDAN
●STATE OF PALESTINE
●SUDAN
●SYRIA
●UKRAINE
●YEMEN
Children are starving here. I know moms who survive on candy to save grocery money for their kids who without free school meals have one meal a day provided at home. So moms are starving right here in the USA, too. Sacrificing!
The F N Christian Nationalists couldn't care less, of course. Because of that fact, I hate them with the white hot heat of a thousand suns because of their neglect and abuse of women and children.
Hungry children in the greatest nation in the world should be against the law. Hungry children have been a focus for me for a very long time.
I wish I could do more. It breaks my heart.
Global Hunger Index
https://concernusa.org/news/hungriest-countries-in-the-world/
Produced annually by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe, the Global Hunger Index examines the available data for hunger levels around the world.
In 2023, the world faces a devastating combination of crises: the long-term effects of the 2020 pandemic, ongoing impacts of climate change, and the knock-on effects of conflict and violence which, even when localized, can hurt millions on a global scale.
Simply put: World hunger levels remain too high, and the progress we’ve made to reduce those numbers is not enough. For nearly 750 million people, the basic human right to adequate food is violated on a daily basis. Many of those people live in the following ten countries; the world’s hungriest countries for 2023, as ranked by Concern Worldwide and Welthungerhilfe in this year’s Global Hunger Index.
The 2023 GHI: Highlights
https://concernusa.org/project-profiles/global-hunger-index/
Progress on ending hunger has stalled — and in some cases reversed — since 2015. In 18 countries, hunger levels are increasing rather than decreasing.
After decades of decline, the prevalence of undernourishment has been on the rise. The number of undernourished people has climbed from 572 million then to about 735 million today.
58 countries will fail even to reach Low hunger status by 2030 — a 25% increase compared to 2022.
However, many countries are also making progress: Seven countries whose 2000 GHI scores indicated Extremely Alarming hunger levels have all reduced their scores in the intervening 23 years.
Young people need to play a major role in transforming food systems
Although progress to Zero Hunger has been made, gradually, since 2000, the 2021 Global Hunger Index shows that the world is not on track to achieve Zero Hunger by 2030, which is one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. In many places, progress has been too slow, and is further threatened by the health, economic, and environmental crises of 2020. Read the full 2023 Global Hunger Index.
PDF Download here:
https://concernusa.org/public/uploads/2023-global-hunger-index_en.pdf
The world's worst humanitarian crises: 8 to know in 2024 posted Dec 8, 2023
https://concernusa.org/news/worlds-worst-humanitarian-crises/
At the end of 2019, we presented 5 of the worst humanitarian crises to know in 2020 — just before the onset of one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises in recent history.
Since then, our annual ranking of humanitarian crises (which in itself is a tricky term, more on that below) has reflected the difficulties added by COVID-19, as well as protracted conflict, climate change, and other factors that have led to a record number of complex humanitarian emergencies.
“Ranking” humanitarian crises isn’t as easy or as straightforward as the title makes it seem. We’re basing this list on figures provided by UNOCHA’s 2024 Global Humanitarian Overview, which factors in the number of people in need of assistance, funding needed to meet that need, and the level of funding met for the year ahead. Some numbers represent a combination of need based on the UN’s estimates, which in some cases are separated by humanitarian need and refugee need.
Thank you, LisaM. ❤️
xmas74
(30,058 posts)And food drives.
The World Food Program is on their list of approved organizations for fundraising.
It could have been so easy.
Raine
(31,180 posts)littlemissmartypants
(33,724 posts)Include policies, procedures, regulations and workforce management with the enlightened guidance of some trusted and benevolent experts.
I'd work for that badge with gusto!
Thanks for your reply, xmas74.
❤️
xmas74
(30,058 posts)They didn't notify council about the fundraiser. Council needs to know about all the particulars due to fraud in the past and for insurance reasons.
Also, all troops sell cookies. I've heard around here that they didn't do the cookie sale. The cookie sale benefits national, council, local troops and the girls themselves. Profits from those sales go to maintaining scout camps, assisting scouts with camp scholarships and even paying for scouts memberships for girls who otherwise cannot afford to join. The cookie sales directly benefit girls they personally know.
(The cookies themselves are made in union bakeries. They provide union jobs to American workers with decent pay and good benefits.)
The scout leaders knew this. You're given all this information before cookie season. You're given the information about additional fundraisers when you first become a leader and you are expected to acknowledge it. The information is regularly updated and sent to troop leaders.
I've heard this story so much lately and the thought was lovely but the approach was wrong. If they had put together a plan including what they were selling, how they were selling it and where the profits were going council might have approved it.
Hope22
(4,755 posts)Really, it sounds like these kids needed a break for mental health. Silly them for speaking out. Thinking about Boy Scouts and if they had decided to do a fund raiser. Would they have been supported and applauded for their efforts or tied up in red tape. It’s all sad. Written rules, liability, waivers and on and on. The parents should have organized the bracelet building events. Let the kids talk and work out the stress of a crazy @#$king world and then reconvene to scouting when they felt like they had made a true contribution to starving children. Much better lesson that selling overpriced cookies to run the machine. Sometimes kids need to sit on the floor and be heard and feel supported and do something to help! My heart goes out to these kids.
xmas74
(30,058 posts)Following the rules already set in place is done for their protection and council protection. There are rules in place on how and where sales are done to keep the young women out of danger. Council wants to know where they will be and if there will be enough adults to monitor any activity. You don't want young girls going door to door or in some areas that might not be safe with no adult supervision. Council is insured and if this is allowed to happen they could lose it, penalizing all of the girls in this Council.
Several years ago after the Joplin tornado there were multiple scams. One scam claimed to be part of "Scouting" trying to fundraiser for scouts affected by the tornado. There was no fundraiser by any troop. Notifying Council in advance with this information will allow them to answer any questions that may come up.
The rules are in place for these reasons. And Boy Scouts are very different. Boy Scout troops are sponsored by a local group such as the VFW, local churches, etc. Many of those groups do not need to fundraise because their sponsor does it for them. Girl Scouts do not have sponsors. It's why it is much easier to start a troop and decide the direction of the troop. It's why places like homeless shelters have Girl Scout troops and not Boy Scout troops.
They chose to not follow simple rules that the adult leaders knew existed.
Hope22
(4,755 posts)That the parents should have listened to the scouts and made it happen. It didn’t have to be a scout event. Kids have so much suffering these days it’s really out of control. When they actually say they are hurting we better start listening. We don’t want children going door to door anytime. I don’t even want to go door to door campaigning. Not talking about that at all. But no worries. Thank goodness I don’t have girls because I’m sure they would not enjoy a renegade mother!😉
xmas74
(30,058 posts)Many troops often gather together at a cultural fair as one of their events. Each troop runs a booth, often representing a country or specific culture or region. The girls research and decorate each booth. Many sell dishes from that country and offer swaps. The money earned from those often goes to food banks, local programs or refugee programs. Some have extra items for sale with those proceeds and donations going to other programs.
They do this all across Missouri and the girls love it. This troop could easily have chosen Gaza, made items and used the proceeds for donation to an approved program. World Food Program is approved as are plenty of refugees programs. (There's probably more since I was involved.)
If they had just done it like this, for example, and maybe stated more bracelets are available with online contact it wouldn't have been an issue. The leaders chose to break the rules.
Hope22
(4,755 posts)
Deuxcents
(26,966 posts)I hope that their efforts are not in vain but that the leaders use this as a teaching opportunity and not a punitive one.
Hope22
(4,755 posts)Beastly Boy
(13,283 posts)entitled pricks on social media and ignorant "freedom fighters" on college campuses all put together.
And their only agenda? "That’s what they felt like they could do.”
I wonder, how many performers from the ever-vocal "genocide" chorus ever considered donating to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund?
xmas74
(30,058 posts)Organization that they can fundraise. And the GS have merit badges for food bank and food drives.
If they had reported it to council it would have been approved.
GAJMac
(266 posts)With your final assessment. "Organizations run by adults getting in the way of kids again...."
If we so called "adults" would just get out of the kids' way, we would have a much fairer, kinder, and more just society.
RussellCattle
(1,928 posts)......going door to door selling mints and cookies, it was something like the box costs $4.00, but the Girl Scouts only got 80 cents, and half of that went, not to the troop, but to the local council. Like I said "something like" this.
xmas74
(30,058 posts)Pays for repairs on their camps, insurance, scholarships,etc.
Remember, Girl Scout troops aren't sponsored like Boy Scout troops. They have nowhere near the amount of resources.
