Girl Scouts?

[trcy]

Out of nowhere, DD us asking to join the Girl Scouts. I don't know why, but I am hesitant. I was in it for a few years as a kid. I didn't love it, but didn't hate it either. Again, I am not sure why I am hesitant to sign her up. Any and all thoughts are welcome. TIA!


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[SnuggleBuggles]

If I had a girl, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I know not all troops are run well and/ or the group of girls doesn't always click but on the whole, everyone I know who is involved is very happy. :)

[squimp]

My DD did GS for 5 years, from 1st to 5th grade. It was a nice group and her favorite part was camp. I still work at the summer camp even though she doesn't go anymore (yup, I am a sucker). Do you know the troop leader? They make all the difference. Maybe you don't like the cookie selling? It really depends on the troop how crazy they get with that. Our troop did sales for several years and then took a year off because cookie sales are a lot of work.

[lizzywednesday]

I am a 3rd generation Girl Scout; I signed DD up in the fall after dragging my feet about it and wish I'd done it sooner. She loves it and it's so good for her, socially and personally. She takes everything she's learned in Scouts to heart, which has been very helpful in building up her positive behaviors.

The leader of our troop is very even-keeled and she has a lot of experience; she, her daughters, and her granddaughters were all Girl Scouts, so she also loves the organization and what it does for all kinds of girls.

If there are openings in troops in your area, I would 100% do it. If not, camp season is coming up and maybe your DD would like to spend a week doing a day camp in your area? More info about Girl Scout Camps can be found HERE (http://www.girlscouts.org/en/our-program/ways-to-participate/camp-and-outdoors.html).

Contact your local council; to find your council go to http://girlscouts.org

Dues are $30/year - $15 goes to National, $15 to your local Council. Your troop may ask for additional money on top of that; our troop dues were $30.

If there's a strong Scout presence in your community, or at your DD's school, that's a good sign that her experience will also be a good one. The local area to us is fantastic; they have all kinds of optional weekend activities, a great mix of experienced and not-so-experienced Leaders, and fantastic parents. I'm really impressed with what I've seen so far and hope DD continues to benefit from being in her troop.

Do you have specific questions or concerns?

[lizzywednesday]

... Maybe you don't like the cookie selling? It really depends on the troop how crazy they get with that. Our troop did sales for several years and then took a year off because cookie sales are a lot of work.

Or maybe you're a cookie snob and your local Council is supplied by the bakery whose cookies you really can't stand? :wavey: and :bag

We'll probably sell cookies next year, but I am not looking forward to it.

[Corie]

My daughter absolutely loved being a Girl Scout. She was in girl scouts from kindergarten through 8th grade.

In kindergarten through 2nd grade, my friend and I were co-leaders. This is when we lived in Rhode Island.

Then my DD joined a troop once we moved to Ohio. Our leader here in Ohio was absolutely FABULOUS!!! I was the
co-leader for our troop here in Ohio too.

My daughter has done Girl Scout camp every summer. Sometimes 2 camps a summer. I even went to camp
with her a couple of times. They had a mother/daughter camp and we had a great time! We did the mother/daughter
camp in Rhode Island and in Ohio.

[Corie]

Do you know the troop leader? They make all the difference.


So true!!!

[twowhat?]

Girl Scouts is great if you can find a troop that is a good fit.

For us, we needed low-commitment. We meet just once a month, which is enough to cover the core values taught in Girl Scouts (all of which are great values and that I agree with!). We aren't religious and there's a bit of a religious component in the Girl Scout Law and Promise, but it hasn't been an issue since our troop doesn't dwell on it and focuses on the values (kindness, courtesy, speaking up for what's right, things like that). Cookie sales are a PITA, but this year our troop teamed up with another older troop whose leaders had time to manage the cookie sales. We showed up to help out at booths and bought boxes individually (for our own families, co-workers, etc) but they managed all the warehouse pickups/training/financials/tracking (which is A HECK OF A LOT). We wanted them to keep all the money from the booth sales since we were just piggy-backing on them and were doing it more for the experience for our girls, though they did insist we take a little bit of the money since our troop's cute little girls definitely improved their booth sale numbers, LOL.

Honestly the cookie sales are the most painful part since I think they are somewhat of a requirement. The rest of it is really up to the troop leader in terms of how much or how little the troop does. I have heard/seen stories of troops that aren't a good fit. For example in our area there are troops who meet much more frequently, and at times inconvenient to working families. Our troop consists of families where both parents work full time and is a great fit for us.

[trcy]

Do you know the troop leader? They make all the difference. Maybe you don't like the cookie selling? It really depends on the troop how crazy they get with that.
I have no idea who the troop leader is and I don't know anyone IRL that's in it...maybe that's my hesitation.
The cookie sales don't bother me, but I know we wouldn't be top sellers.



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[anonomom]

Both of my girls are scouts -- DD2 has been in since Kindergarten and I am the co-leader; DD1 just joined this year and I (thankfully) have no role in the troop.

It's true, leaders make a HUGE difference. DD1's troop has three leaders and they are really great. The troop only meets once a month, but they do a lot of very cool activities. They've already been camping twice this year and have another trip coming this month. They're well-organized and creative and they give the girls a great experience.

I am... well, not such a great leader. We meet twice a month for an hour, and it always seems really hard to do everything we need to do in that time. We do some extra activities, but not many because it becomes a lot of work for the two of us, and the parents of our girls do not help at all, no matter how often we ask (not that I'm bitter or anything).

The quality of your local council also matters. Ours is very active, and they sponsor tons of activities of all kinds. That helps.

Cookies are a pain, but not a huge deal. Both of my girls' troops asked that each family be responsible for selling 50 boxes or write a check for the amount of money that would bring to the troop. We use the money to pay for patches, supplies and other expenses (we do not charge troop dues).

I'd say that if you can find a troop for your DD, give it a shot. At worst, she won't like it. At best, it works out to be something that she really enjoys and that teachers her a lot of positive lessons.

[Globetrotter]

We have had a wonderful experience with Girl Scouts. It has really helped to make my shy daughter more confident and give her many leadership opportunities. I also like their inclusive policies.
As others say, it really depends on the group. In our case we have a leader and a couple of coleaders, including me.
With Girl Scouts, as with anything else, you get out of it what you put into it. You can have a completely laid-back troop and not do so much or you can be very active. That's really up to you. And your individual girl can also pursue opportunities on her own, outside of the troop. For Instance, they can be a counselor at summer camp or join stem programs.
Because of Girl Scouts, DD has had an opportunity to do things that most kids her age, and with her shy temperament, would not. For instance, her gold award allowed her to work with government agencies that may not have given her an opportunity otherwise. the gold award program has a solid name and opens doors. She also had a great chance to work in the schools for her silver award, as a middle schooler.

[ang79]

DD1 joined Girl Scouts in first grade, she is now a Junior in 4th grade. She had the same leader in Daisies and Brownies and has a new leader this year. Both are very experienced with leading. When DD1 was in kindergarten she wanted to join but there wasn't anyone willing to lead the troop. I was the single leader for a year and other parents did not help out much, which was hard. Second year of Daisies I was able to find a co-leader and we are now leading the Brownie troop together. It is a lot of work as a leader, especially during cookie season. But I only work part time substitute teaching, so I'm able to do it. Both girls' troops meet for 1.5 hrs. weekly and sometimes do weekend activities, but if a girl can't make it to something its not a big deal. I will say that as the girls get older they get to do more cool stuff (DD1 just did archery with her troop and is now learning to sew). We've done day camp and DD1 has done 1-2 night camping trips, but neither have done the week long sleep away camps yet. Our council sometimes does large group activities which are nice because the girls get to do new things and I don't have to plan it! We've also found some local museums that do badge programs, so we have been trying to do as many of those as we can find with Brownies. I love the opportunities the girls are getting to do STEM and outdoor related activities. Both our troops have a big focus on community service too, which I love.

I would ask around and see if you can do a preview meeting with a troop to see how things are organized, get a feel for the leader and group, etc. That's what I did with DD1 before signing her up and I know I've had girls that have tested out the waters by coming to a meeting or two before completing the online membership.

Oh, if you are concerned at all about safety, Girl Scouts is crazy about completing paperwork for permission to attend activities, health forms, etc., and they do a background check on all volunteers. I have a family whose son was in Boy Scouts and they were so impressed with how organized Girl Scouts is compared to Boy Scouts, in regards to having permission slips and health backgrounds, etc. on file for everything.

[trcy]

Alright, you all talked me into it. I just signed her up. Question...Do parents stay for meetings or is it a drop off? Thanks again!


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[Corie]

Alright, you all talked me into it. I just signed her up. Question...Do parents stay for meetings or is it a drop off? Thanks again!





Most parents drop off their child and hightail it out of there unless they are staying to help.

[anonomom]

Most parents drop off their child and hightail it out of there unless they are staying to help.

Yes. If you feel more comfortable, you can ask to stay for the first meeting, but in general it's better when the parents drop off.

[sariana]

Around here parents are not allowed to stay unless they also are registered. If you registered only your daughter, you may not be allowed to stay. A troop leader should contact you soon, and s/he (yes, it could be a dad) will be able to provide that kind of information. Two adults always are required at meetings and events, though. The girls never should be alone with only one adult, female or male.

[Snow mom]

Most parents drop off their child and hightail it out of there unless they are staying to help.

Here you are required to have the state background check which you would get volunteering at a school, etc. to be in the room during the meeting. To do the background check through GS (and they do require their own, even if you've just had one at a school) you need to be an adult member of GS. That kind of summarizes our experience with GS, which was that it was constantly another $20 here and $15 there. After the dues at sign up it was a small activity- $10, then troop dues- $75,then required clothes and uniform, then fall fundraiser, then an email that DH and I needed to join at $25 each, then another activity for $18, then cookie sales, then winter camporee for who knows how much... then we quit. I couldn't handle the constant not knowing how much participating was going to cost. My DD does several other extracurriculars where we pay a set amount per session, quarter, or month and this was initially going to be her less expensive extracurricular. I do agree with others that the troop leaders (and to a lesser extent the girls in a troop) make a big difference in the experience. The constant rolling expenses probably would have bothered me less if I were happier with the actual troop. I guess my advice would be to give it a try but leave yourself an out if the troop or expenses aren't what you expected--my DD was really upset with me when we quit.

[sariana]

Here you are required to have the state background check which you would get volunteering at a school, etc. to be in the room during the meeting. To do the background check through GS (and they do require their own, even if you've just had one at a school) you need to be an adult member of GS. That kind of summarizes our experience with GS, which was that it was constantly another $20 here and $15 there. After the dues at sign up it was a small activity- $10, then troop dues- $75,then required clothes and uniform, then fall fundraiser, then an email that DH and I needed to join at $25 each, then another activity for $18, then cookie sales, then winter camporee for who knows how much... then we quit. I couldn't handle the constant not knowing how much participating was going to cost. My DD does several other extracurriculars where we pay a set amount per session, quarter, or month and this was initially going to be her less expensive extracurricular. I do agree with others that the troop leaders (and to a lesser extent the girls in a troop) make a big difference in the experience. The constant rolling expenses probably would have bothered me less if I were happier with the actual troop. I guess my advice would be to give it a try but leave yourself an out if the troop or expenses aren't what you expected--my DD was really upset with me when we quit.

The troops don't get any of the registration fees. Some troops do collect a large amount of money upfront, but new leaders don't know how much things are going to cost. A troop that sells a lot of cookies may be able to cover the costs of events, but we get only 70-75 cents per box. So it takes time to build up a good fund.

I collect dues mostly to allow the girls to build responsibility. Our dues are not high enough to cover all our costs, and we never require payment. I'm fortunate to have pretty laid-back parents who don't get upset that some girls don't "pay their own way," but we never chase down people for payment. We post costs and hope for the best. But troop money is troop money. Per Girl Scout policy, we cannot designate money earned by the girl. All money earned by the troop is available to cover costs for all troop members. I do know some troops who had some issues over this policy.

Also all activities are strictly voluntary. I have one girl who attends only field trips; she never has attended a meeting to do badge work. And that's okay. She just won't earn those badges. (I do keep track of who does the work.)

[ang79]

Concerning the additional costs post, I think each troop handles this differently. There is a base fee for membership (moving from $15 to $25 starting for year 2017-2018). That is the national dues. In my troop we have a $30 troop dues that I collect at our first meeting in the fall. I try very hard to budget things so that I don't need to ask parents for additional money. But it is hard when we don't get proceeds from fall product til end of December and proceeds from cookie sales til April. Ordering patches and badges at $2 a piece for 12 girls adds up quickly and as girls get older and there are more outings, camps, etc. available to them, costs also go up. My older daughter's junior troop had $30 dues in the fall and often for activities the troop pays half and the girls pay half. These are not required activities though and we have opted out of some of them.

My co-leader and I are having a hard time with the increase in the national dues that is coming because as leaders we need to pay dues as well. And any parents that are driving/chaperoning trips are supposed to be paid members. So I feel like it is going to cause more parents to not want to volunteer as a leader or helper. I'll be paying $75 to sign myself, and 2 daughters up. That's a lot for some families if there aw also dues, uniforms, and other things to pay for. We are already talking about possible fundraising to help offset the increase in membership fees for girls returning next year.


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[Corie]

Here you are required to have the state background check which you would get volunteering at a school, etc. to be in the room during the meeting. To do the background check through GS (and they do require their own, even if you've just had one at a school) you need to be an adult member of GS.

Yes, you are absolutely correct. I had totally forgotten about this requirement.

[wendibird22]

DD1 did it for 3 years (1st-3rd) and DD2 is still in (K and 1st). I found it a great way for DDs to make some friends with girls outside their own classroom and to have an extracurricular during a time period when there isn't much for that age other than dance. It's wholesome fun, not competitive, some great lessons and activities. And both my DDs' troops were real low key about fundraising. Neither has ever set a cookie sales goal or pushed the other fundraising. The only thing that got challenging is there tends to be a lot of "add ons" like bowling, zoo tour, overnight, movie day, Halloween party, etc that are outside of the twice monthly meeting and at an additional cost (beyond our dues) and of course DDs always want to go to those things and it's just hard to fill up your weekend with extras when you feel like you are already rarely home (2 WOH parents). With DD1 being active in sports now, we quit scouts this year...she has a peer group and activities. We will let DD2 do it another year or two if she choses to.

[lizzywednesday]

Most parents drop off their child and hightail it out of there unless they are staying to help.

:yeahthat:

I stayed for two meetings - one because it was our initial/welcome meeting and the other because our usual parent volunteer was unable to attend.

ETA: I am considering getting certified as a Leader for next year, so I will have to remember to factor Adult dues and kid dues into our Fall costs. (For our Council, Adult dues are $15 and kid-dues are $30.)

[american_mama]

I've been a leader for about 5 years, including the middle school years, and I am very active in Girl Scouts.

The best things about Girl Scouts for all ages are.... girls get to direct their own activities, girls get outdoor experiences (may be light or may be adventurous), girls get hooked into camp options (day and sleepaway), those camps are some of the cheapest around (and usually really outdoorsy), girls get to interact with girls of different ages, girls feel part of a whole history and renowned organization, girls are part of an organization that people go out of their way to support.

Selling cookies is work, true, but it's the easiest fundraiser you'll ever be part of.... it's a $4 price point in our area and people come up to you smiling and wanting to pay money for your product. I don't care how many cookies a girl sells, but I want every scout to sell cookies because it's a famous part of Girl Scouts and gets every girl/family invested in the troop. Last year, we had a girl join our troop who was visiting from China. She and her parents had no idea how to sell, but I really wanted her to be part of this iconic part of Girl Scouts. I assigned my DD to sell with her after school to teachers, the girl quickly caught on, and she sold 12 boxes, enough to earn the basic patch. I was thrilled for her and felt she'd accomplished her goal. Another girl in my troop on a scholarship sold over 300 boxes - I was thrilled for her, feeling like she'd been able to contribute hugely to our troop financial success. It's mostly about the money, but girls do also learn skills from the cookie sale. During last year's cookie sale, our girls decided on a major troop activity (camping weekend), did the math to set a troop sales goal to finance that, set a donation goal, acted as coaches to kindergarteners selling for the first time, and went on a field trip to a women-owned business, where they learned how she financed, advertised and is growing her business. And they did all the standard interacting with customers, making change, explaining the product.

As for the parent volunteer rules, there are about 110 Girl Scout councils around the country, and some rules are standard and some vary. For instance, my council does not require every adult in the room to be a registered adult volunteer. I think that's over-the-top, personally. However, it is standard that every Girl Scout council requires two adults at every event with girls. Membership fees to Girl Scouts vary slightly by council because there are two parts: a set national fee (which is going up next year) and an optional add-on council fee fee in an variable amount. But councils just present it as a membership fee, so most people don't know there are (or could be) two parts. Next year, I expect the membership fee to be $25-50 total for most councils.

The person who felt like the costs kept coming unpredictably sounds like she had an atypical experience. I wouldn't like that either. The standard unifrorm is just a sash or vest with pins and patches (costs $25-50), NOT a skirt/shirt/hat combination. Those are optional uniform items that look adorable, but are uncommon as they are too expensive. For most troops, the costs are
* membership fee $25-50)
* dues (usually under $50)
* uniform (lasts for 2 years, costs vary depending on what you buy)
* possibly some parent contribution towards special activities.

In my troops, parents might pay $15-30 for an end-of-year weekend trip if we didn't sell and save enough during the year to fund it completely. In addition, there are some books that Girl Scouts can buy to use during the year ($16 or $7, depending on the book) but in my experience, most troops don't require that either. I don't.

The biggest benefit to Girl Scouts has happened as my daughters have gotten middle school and older. Being a day camper has turned into being a youth staffer for my older DD1, and she loves it, feels like it's her camp, and has matured greatly from leading younger girls and having adult volunteers rely on her as a camp expert. There is also solid training for youth to prepare them for these roles. In addition, I've found out about cool Girl Scout sleepaway camps at great rates for my older daughters, like sailing, caving, Harry Potter. My DD2 is loving the increasing community service we are doing in scouts and the service is more substantive as she ages. And troops often travel as they get older: girls love being able to choose their destination and work towards it. Done right, it is more independent and girl-led than family vacations. DD1's troop went 8 hours away to Savannah, GA for several days and DD2's troop is doing their first trip this year (beach, amusement park, and marience science boat tour).

I was a slow convert to Girl Scouts, but my daughters liked it so much, for different reasons, that I just got more and more involved. My daughters have many good things in their lives, but Girl Scouts fills a special niche.

[sariana]

I've been a leader for about 5 years, including the middle school years, and I am very active in Girl Scouts.

The best things about Girl Scouts for all ages are.... girls get to direct their own activities, girls get outdoor experiences (may be light or may be adventurous), girls get hooked into camp options (day and sleepaway), those camps are some of the cheapest around (and usually really outdoorsy), girls get to interact with girls of different ages, girls feel part of a whole history and renowned organization, girls are part of an organization that people go out of their way to support.

Selling cookies is work, true, but it's the easiest fundraiser you'll ever be part of.... it's a $4 price point in our area and people come up to you smiling and wanting to pay money for your product. I don't care how many cookies a girl sells, but I want every scout to sell cookies because it's a famous part of Girl Scouts and gets every girl/family invested in the troop. Last year, we had a girl join our troop who was visiting from China. She and her parents had no idea how to sell, but I really wanted her to be part of this iconic part of Girl Scouts. I assigned my DD to sell with her after school to teachers, the girl quickly caught on, and she sold 12 boxes, enough to earn the basic patch. I was thrilled for her and felt she'd accomplished her goal. Another girl in my troop on a scholarship sold over 300 boxes - I was thrilled for her, feeling like she'd been able to contribute hugely to our troop financial success. It's mostly about the money, but girls do also learn skills from the cookie sale. During last year's cookie sale, our girls decided on a major troop activity (camping weekend), did the math to set a troop sales goal to finance that, set a donation goal, acted as coaches to kindergarteners selling for the first time, and went on a field trip to a women-owned business, where they learned how she financed, advertised and is growing her business. And they did all the standard interacting with customers, making change, explaining the product.

As for the parent volunteer rules, there are about 110 Girl Scout councils around the country, and some rules are standard and some vary. For instance, my council does not require every adult in the room to be a registered adult volunteer. I think that's over-the-top, personally. However, it is standard that every Girl Scout council requires two adults at every event with girls. Membership fees to Girl Scouts vary slightly by council because there are two parts: a set national fee (which is going up next year) and an optional add-on council fee fee in an variable amount. But councils just present it as a membership fee, so most people don't know there are (or could be) two parts. Next year, I expect the membership fee to be $25-50 total for most councils.

The person who felt like the costs kept coming unpredictably sounds like she had an atypical experience. I wouldn't like that either. The standard unifrorm is just a sash or vest with pins and patches (costs $25-50), NOT a skirt/shirt/hat combination. Those are optional uniform items that look adorable, but are uncommon as they are too expensive. For most troops, the costs are
* membership fee $25-50)
* dues (usually under $50)
* uniform (lasts for 2 years, costs vary depending on what you buy)
* possibly some parent contribution towards special activities.

In my troops, parents might pay $15-30 for an end-of-year weekend trip if we didn't sell and save enough during the year to fund it completely. In addition, there are some books that Girl Scouts can buy to use during the year ($16 or $7, depending on the book) but in my experience, most troops don't require that either. I don't.

The biggest benefit to Girl Scouts has happened as my daughters have gotten middle school and older. Being a day camper has turned into being a youth staffer for my older DD1, and she loves it, feels like it's her camp, and has matured greatly from leading younger girls and having adult volunteers rely on her as a camp expert. There is also solid training for youth to prepare them for these roles. In addition, I've found out about cool Girl Scout sleepaway camps at great rates for my older daughters, like sailing, caving, Harry Potter. My DD2 is loving the increasing community service we are doing in scouts and the service is more substantive as she ages. And troops often travel as they get older: girls love being able to choose their destination and work towards it. Done right, it is more independent and girl-led than family vacations. DD1's troop went 8 hours away to Savannah, GA for several days and DD2's troop is doing their first trip this year (beach, amusement park, and marience science boat tour).

I was a slow convert to Girl Scouts, but my daughters liked it so much, for different reasons, that I just got more and more involved. My daughters have many good things in their lives, but Girl Scouts fills a special niche.

Thank you for your post! This is great information.

Just a note about uniforms: The official Girl Scout uniform at any level is a white (preferably collared) shirt and khaki bottom (skirt, shorts, or pants). These items can be purchased anywhere, in any style or brand. "Rank" sashes or vests generally are worn over that basic uniform. Each level also has various pieces in its own color (blue for Daisies, brown for Brownies, and so on), but IME few girls wear those on a regular basis.

All that being said, uniforms never are required by Girl Scouts.

[anonomom]

I've been a leader for about 5 years, including the middle school years, and I am very active in Girl Scouts.

The best things about Girl Scouts for all ages are.... girls get to direct their own activities, girls get outdoor experiences (may be light or may be adventurous), girls get hooked into camp options (day and sleepaway), those camps are some of the cheapest around (and usually really outdoorsy), girls get to interact with girls of different ages, girls feel part of a whole history and renowned organization, girls are part of an organization that people go out of their way to support.

Selling cookies is work, true, but it's the easiest fundraiser you'll ever be part of.... it's a $4 price point in our area and people come up to you smiling and wanting to pay money for your product. I don't care how many cookies a girl sells, but I want every scout to sell cookies because it's a famous part of Girl Scouts and gets every girl/family invested in the troop. Last year, we had a girl join our troop who was visiting from China. She and her parents had no idea how to sell, but I really wanted her to be part of this iconic part of Girl Scouts. I assigned my DD to sell with her after school to teachers, the girl quickly caught on, and she sold 12 boxes, enough to earn the basic patch. I was thrilled for her and felt she'd accomplished her goal. Another girl in my troop on a scholarship sold over 300 boxes - I was thrilled for her, feeling like she'd been able to contribute hugely to our troop financial success. It's mostly about the money, but girls do also learn skills from the cookie sale. During last year's cookie sale, our girls decided on a major troop activity (camping weekend), did the math to set a troop sales goal to finance that, set a donation goal, acted as coaches to kindergarteners selling for the first time, and went on a field trip to a women-owned business, where they learned how she financed, advertised and is growing her business. And they did all the standard interacting with customers, making change, explaining the product.

As for the parent volunteer rules, there are about 110 Girl Scout councils around the country, and some rules are standard and some vary. For instance, my council does not require every adult in the room to be a registered adult volunteer. I think that's over-the-top, personally. However, it is standard that every Girl Scout council requires two adults at every event with girls. Membership fees to Girl Scouts vary slightly by council because there are two parts: a set national fee (which is going up next year) and an optional add-on council fee fee in an variable amount. But councils just present it as a membership fee, so most people don't know there are (or could be) two parts. Next year, I expect the membership fee to be $25-50 total for most councils.

The person who felt like the costs kept coming unpredictably sounds like she had an atypical experience. I wouldn't like that either. The standard unifrorm is just a sash or vest with pins and patches (costs $25-50), NOT a skirt/shirt/hat combination. Those are optional uniform items that look adorable, but are uncommon as they are too expensive. For most troops, the costs are
* membership fee $25-50)
* dues (usually under $50)
* uniform (lasts for 2 years, costs vary depending on what you buy)
* possibly some parent contribution towards special activities.

In my troops, parents might pay $15-30 for an end-of-year weekend trip if we didn't sell and save enough during the year to fund it completely. In addition, there are some books that Girl Scouts can buy to use during the year ($16 or $7, depending on the book) but in my experience, most troops don't require that either. I don't.

The biggest benefit to Girl Scouts has happened as my daughters have gotten middle school and older. Being a day camper has turned into being a youth staffer for my older DD1, and she loves it, feels like it's her camp, and has matured greatly from leading younger girls and having adult volunteers rely on her as a camp expert. There is also solid training for youth to prepare them for these roles. In addition, I've found out about cool Girl Scout sleepaway camps at great rates for my older daughters, like sailing, caving, Harry Potter. My DD2 is loving the increasing community service we are doing in scouts and the service is more substantive as she ages. And troops often travel as they get older: girls love being able to choose their destination and work towards it. Done right, it is more independent and girl-led than family vacations. DD1's troop went 8 hours away to Savannah, GA for several days and DD2's troop is doing their first trip this year (beach, amusement park, and marience science boat tour).

I was a slow convert to Girl Scouts, but my daughters liked it so much, for different reasons, that I just got more and more involved. My daughters have many good things in their lives, but Girl Scouts fills a special niche.

I think the "extra expense" aspect of things will vary greatly by both council and troop.

Our council sponsors a lot of activities -- museum sleepovers, geocaching events, fishing trips, journey-in-a-day programs, etc. They are well thought out and a lot of fun, but they aren't free. In both my girls' troops, we are asked on a per-activity basis to pay those fees (ranging from $5 to $45). My co-leader and I haven't yet been organized enough to state at the beginning of the year exactly which activities we want to do, so there's an element of unpredictability to it. Even DD1's troop, which is very well-organized, has added activities throughout the year.

[american_mama]

ust a note about uniforms: The official Girl Scout uniform at any level is a white (preferably collared) shirt and khaki bottom (skirt, shorts, or pants). These items can be purchased anywhere, in any style or brand. "Rank" sashes or vests generally are worn over that basic uniform. Each level also has various pieces in its own color (blue for Daisies, brown for Brownies, and so on), but IME few girls wear those on a regular basis.
All that being said, uniforms never are required by Girl Scouts.

The "unifying look" is what Girl Scouts calls the white shirt and khaki bottoms, but there is no preference for it being a collared shirt. And, as you pointed out, these items can be any brand.
http://www.girlscouts.org/en/our-program/uniforms/where-to-place.html

There are special optional Girl Scout shirt/skirt/hat combos for Daisies and Brownies, not sure about Juniors, but none even offered beyond 5th grade. IME few girls at any age buy the full outfit, nor is there any requirement or expectation to do so. In fact, there aren't many times a uniform is required at all... maybe things like parades, cookie booths, awards ceremonies, flag ceremony, a state or national Girl Scout meeting, or a visit to the Girl Scout Birthplace in Savannah. More formal events where you might expect a Girl Scout to be in uniform.

I like each girl in my troop to have a sash or vest for these special events, as a place to display patches and badges, and to increase the sense of idnetity of being a Girl Scout. If cost is a factor or the girl is in her last year in a given level, I always point out how much cheaper the sash is. Another good thing about older Girl Scouts... after 6th grade, the sash or vest is the same! Size up in 6th grade and never buy another uniform!