Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Why I won't buy Girl Guide Cookies

I love the Girl Guides, I even used to be one. And cookies, oh yes, count me in! But I won't buy Girl Guide Cookies.

First of all they are exactly the kind of additive-loaded artificially flavoured garbage that I avoid like the plague. Now I will cheerfully chomp down on something not entirely wholesome if it tastes fantastic and/or makes me feel really good for a brief time. The cookies don't do that. They provide an instant sweet-and-yuck hangover.

I used to buy them anyway because I felt guilty any time someone drove all the way up to my rural abode. Likewise with the well-meaning folk who go around canvassing "For Cancer". Should that not be Against Cancer? These days they get sent away empty-handed, with a polite brief explanation. I refuse to spend another dime on the established big disease charities. We digress and anyway I covered that topic.

If the little darlings showed up with home-made chocolate chip cookies or held a bake sale I would be glad to partake. But I guess that is too risky. And heaven forbid they might have to do something themselves. No, they get driven around by parents and sell a factory-made product. May I ask in what way this is character building?

Would you believe what we used to do in my long-ago far-away girl guide days? Now I sound like a curmudgeonly old timer going on about the Depression. But seriously, this happened.
We had an action called "heitje voor een karweitje", roughly translated as "two bits for a chore". 

During an assigned week in early spring, probably the Easter Vacation, Scouts and Guides all over the Netherlands would knock on doors in the neighborhood and offer their services in return for a small donation, typically $0,25.
I was a shy socially awkward child and hated it with a passion at the time. Usually some of my mothers friends would allow me to do their dishes, just so I could meet the minimum face-saving requirement. It would have been easier to come up with things to do in the country.
If any local Girl Guides want to come around in spring and give me a hand on the land, I will be glad to donate.

P.S. I don't remember any warnings about child molesters lurking behind every door.


3 comments:

JBinford-Bell said...

With you on this. They do not even go door to here but have their mothers put the quilt trip on you at their place of business. This gets so obnoxious I avoid the grocery and chamber and coffee shop.

For years when force to buy the odd box or two I tossed them because of palm oils, artificial sweetners, etc. Now here they have gone digital for the ordering. Free at last.

Catherine Sweetpotato said...

I always appreciate your perspective and agree about the quality of these little sugar bomb,preservative laden cookies. I have a long history with the thin mint varieties and make exception with my purchase of this product once a year.
I do like to support the Girl Scouts and believe they have worthy programs for the young women who they serve.
Girl Scout cookies are now available on-line which certainly takes out any of the fun or salesmanship of having Girl Scouts turn on the door step…but as you mention, this tradition of door to door sales seems to be full of potential for problems and dangers for these young girls.

Ien in the Kootenays said...

Dear Catherine, no criticism of your graciousness was implied. This rant was written years ago. Actually I was being facetious about the risks.