What A Crock!
Among those trying to make a buck by screwing over GIs, add . . . the freaking Girl Scouts???
Well, according to the Girl Scouts – no. Rather, it’s the company with whom they’ve contracted to ship Girl Scout Cookies.
As you might expect, Girl Scout Cookies can now be ordered online. However, if you have them shipped to a “military address”, there’s a slight surcharge – as in $20 per order.
The surcharge applies to military addresses overseas, including AK and HI. Well, I can understand that – to an extent. Shipping to those locations does often cost a bit more.
But the extra fee also applies to military addresses in CONUS.
I wish I was kidding – but I’m not. I’m dead serious.
Talk about an example of pure, outrageous bullsh!t. Think about it: USPS is available at every installation in CONUS. APO service is available overseas. And any reputable shipping company can access US military installations in CONUS, AK, and Hawaii to deliver packages.
Hey, I can see an extra fee for AK/HI/OCONUS. But hell: even in AK and HI, actual cost plus a fixed handling fee should be the norm – not some bogus $20 per order “surcharge”.
Not convinced? OK, then you tell me: why should a package delivered to, say, Fort Hood, TX, cost any more than one delivered to the adjacent community of Kileen?
The answer: it shouldn’t – because it freaking doesn’t. Shippers typically operate on a zone pricing basis. Whoever is adding that extra fee for CONUS military addresses is simply generating profit via screwing over the troops and their dependents.
As I said above: the Girl Scouts are blaming their “shipper” for this blatantly outrageous fee. Maybe that’s actually true.
However, given some of the other stuff I’ve seen lately about the Girl Scouts, their policies, and their political agenda . . . well, let’s just say I wouldn’t be surprised to find out that they’re getting a hefty chunk of that “surcharge”.
Category: "The Floggings Will Continue Until Morale Improves", WTF?
Even I must admit…I almost didn’t buy the cookies this year because of the leadership. I used to be a scout leader and I cannot justify breaking the kids’ hearts because the adults are idiots. We still need to support the BSA and the GSA…sooner or later those kids who make it to the end of the scout road could be real leaders and the change. You just never know. So many traditions and groups are dying because of political correctness that I have to hold on as long as I can.
Your comment prompted me to visit BSA’s merit badge listing. Here are a few of my favorites:
Citizenship of the World badge (a/k/a The Commie badge); Disabilities Awareness badge (a/k/a The Tim-mah badge; Sustainability (a/k/a The Al Gore badge); American Cultures badge (a/k/a The Diversity badge);Mining in Society badge (a/k/a Coal Sucks badge); Water Sports badge (I was worried about this one but it’s okay.)
2/17 Air Cav…Nice reference to “Tim-mah”. LMAO.
I remember getting a Badge for Marksmanship and Signaling. They’re gone though there is a Rifle Shooting badge still in the mix.
I’m waiting for the “Muslim Heritage Badge” aka “Love Thy Terrorist”.
They split rifle and shotgun into two different merit badges a few years back. Granted, there are a few looney-toons in the BSA who have ramrodded some of these stupid badges through, but for the most part, it’s all good, useful stuff. Only 12 of the 150 or so badges are required for Eagle Scout, and even then there are several options for three of those. Signaling merit badge may be gone, but signaling is often a competition event for various camporees and such.
I think I had the “serial killer” badge list: Archery, black powder, rifle marksmanship, hunting, and wilderness survival.
I’m still an advocate of the Explorer program, especially those sponsored by the military. Scouting itself, is now nothing more than Hitler Youth for the Progressives.
Depends a lot on the council and the troop.
My wife ordered two boxes of thin mints from a co-worker. I told her she may as well give them away b/c I’m not eating them, under protest. The protest has to do with that political agenda you mentioned, Hondo. It’s not something I want to support by buying outlandishly priced cookies. Does Queen Michelle approve of these sales? Shouldn’t the GSA be selling celery stalks or something?
2/17 Air Cav…Are Girl Scout Cookies even on the “Empress Michele Obama Approved List Of Foods For Fat Fucking Kids”?
There’s also the new “Cream Cheese Badge” aka, “It’s only Smegma, don’t be afraid of it”
This is just one more reason NOT to buy their cookies. $20 shipping, $3.50 a box on the corner for half the size box as in the store and this……As millions of folks consider digging into pockets for Girl Scout cookies this year, they may be interested to know about the hiring of Krista Kokjohn-Poehler in the Girl Scouts executive office in New York City. Kokjohn-Poehler is an out lesbian married to a woman named Ashley Kokjohn. And, given her sexual preference, it may strike some as odd that her job title is “Girl Experience Officer.” These are the types of people celebrated by the Girl Scouts. Support the cookie boycott that fund Girl Scout activities.
I ordered three boxes from a co-worker. They were $4.00 a box this year. The only cookies my kids will eat, apparently, are the Tagalongs. There are 15 cookies in a box. That works out to 26.6 cents per cookie. Pretty ridiculous.
I’ll probably end up giving away the Thin Mints and Samoas. I could eat an entire box of each, but I’m on a clean eating trip at the moment. Too bad, because those are some damn good cookies. Not exactly $4 a box good, but still pretty damn good.
That’s a really unfortunate name for a lesbian, Kokjohn. Maybe she should change it to Kootjane?
not sure on what installation people are having enough of an issue finding girl scouts that they have to order delivery…… can’t walk around without tripping over one…
As long as either the BSA or the GSA has homosexuals involved with them in ANY capacity, they’ll not get a penny from me. In addition, that entire “political agenda” of the GSA includes support for Planned Parenthood, where the (at least here) local Girl Scouts are taught to “celebrate” Planned Parenthood’s “reproductive services”. Or, as I call it, “Murder Incorporated”.
One nearby troop even had the girls write articles in support of Margaret Sanger, all the while NOT teaching them about her pro-Eugenics philosophy, and that she started Planned Parenthood as a means to eradicate all non-whites from America.
So yeah, that aren’t getting a penny from me.
I like what you wrote!
Thank you.
Used to really get pissed about similar practices when stationed in Germany. My wife would do mail order shopping for kids clothes so our kids wouldn’t look like every other kid who got clothes from our small PX. Before APO AE, it was APO NY, which means shipping costs only to NY. These places would (and still do) try to add extra shipping costs to orders because they were shipping the stuff “overseas”. NO, you’re not. You’re shipping to NY. Uncle Sam ships it from there.
A lot of companies still charge extra for APO addresses, so watch out for those. The only extra expense is the customs label (free at any post office).
Try living in Alaska and having almost every shipper tell you that Alaska is not in the Continental United States. My answer was, “Oh really? What continent is Alaska on?”. Then, years later I had an APO AE address. Thank God for a Vet owned forwarding company called ShipItAPO.
To their credit, Amazon was always cool with the APO AE address.
Scouting programs serve a purpose. Put the politics aside and remember that these programs teach young people many good things.
In past years BSA has come under fire for not accepting gay leaders, now they are under fire for accepting them. They are in a damned if you do and damned if you dont situation.
At the end of the day those programs are many times the only stability in a young persons life.
Do I agree with all of the decisions made by the organizations? Not at all but they are still a lot better than the alternatives.
I know as soon as JRM sees this he will go all Mormon, I know a few of you dont agree with me on this either, that is your right.
As far as upcharging for shipping to military bases, I suggest GSA find a new partner, May i suggest amazon?
“Scouting programs serve a purpose. Put the politics aside and remember that these programs teach young people many good things.”
So does Sesame Street. Big deal.
You want to know what ‘good things’ my 7 year old learned from scouting back in 2003 while I was deployed?
He learned it was mostly a political/status driven organization that wouldn’t give him or his mother the time of day because they weren’t Mormon and didn’t know/hang out with the ‘right’ people in town. That’s right, the son of a deployed soldier marginalized due to a lack of affiliation with the ‘right’ people.
And my own further observations on the organization? In the last 12 years I’ve watched 3 kids from 3 different ‘troops’ make Eagle Scout who would probably wash out of
basic training for discipline/emotional issues, and two of which aught to be behind bars, and damned near were on a couple of occasions. Leaders my ass.
Ya, Scouting doesn’t impress me.
I’m sure some say the same thing about the Military..
Yep. So?
Exactly.
Well if that makes sense to you, and that was your objective, drive on. 🙂
BSA still doesn’t accept gay leaders. Each troop can choose whether or not to accept gay boys; many do not (especially those that are chartered by churches).
On the other hand, no daughter of mine will ever be a Girl Scout. As for the cookies, I found recipes for every one of their offerings that in many cases are better (and certainly better for you) that the ones from GSUSA.
ENIGMA 4 YOU wrote:
“as soon as JRM sees this he will go all Mormon”
_______________________
YAAAAAY ! ! !
Thank you.
Being I am naturally so rebellious, cantankerous, and questioning, most Mormons would consider me not to be such a good Mormon.
So I really am grateful that someone else seems to think maybe I am enough of a Mormon to still have a slim chance of avoiding Eternal Damnation, IF I am really, REALLY lucky in the Hereafter.
Oh, by the way, in addition to being kicked out of high school, I was also kicked out of the Explorer Scouts.
There well could be regional or other variations, but our local Girl Scouts have been very supportive of the troops and families. They have donated hundreds (maybe even thousands) of cases of cookies to the family support group.
Everyone is welcome to support/not support any group they wish for whatever reasons they choose. Would just like to point out that there is no one with whom I always agree much less any group whose tenets I completely support. It’s always about trying to balance the good they do in spite of the things which may be less than perfect, whatever that is.
“Put the politics aside and remember that these programs teach young people many good things.” The problem IS the politicizing of an organization by its pc leadership. A diversity merit badge? A world citizenship merit badge? A sustainability merit badge? And of course scouts are taught some good things. That’s the way indoctrination works best. You lure people in with promises of goodies, such as canoeing, hiking, and the like, and then you incorporate some view-altering crappola along the way. Look at an organization’s leadership and its vision statements and you can learn a lot about what the organization is and wants to be. Whatever the GSA and BSA once were, they ain’t no more.
I call BS, even for overseas military locations. I participate in Soldier’s Angels and sent many packages, mostly via Amazon, to my soldiers. Since APOs are in the continental US, every shipment was free using my Prime membership. I even did Subscribe & Save for the gummy bears one guy liked, sending him a bag/month.
BTW, I’m really glad the girls that usually sell to us didn’t come by this year. We switched to a high fat, low carb diet 18 months ago and no longer eat that kind of stuff. My sugar-free grain-free versions are FAR tastier anyway!
Really? I’d love to find a recipe for a Keto version of oatmeal cookies.
Always have tried to support the GSA and BSA kind of like the NRA – I disagree with some of their fringe elements but by and large they have pretty much stood for things I could support. (Disclosure – I am a former Boy Scout,
my grandsons are Scouts, my daughters were all Scouts, and both the wife and I were leaders in the Girl Scouts. So I am biased.)
All I can say now is that I have written the GSA and told them I’ve bought my last cookie. The entire cookie-eatin’ family has ben advised to do the same. Gonna miss those peanut butter patties…
I’ve been done with Scouting for a while, and I’m a former Scout.
Whether one believes that the Girls Scouts are great or are the more friendly wing of Satan’s Army is really not the point.
Many companies and organizations get caught up in the horrible policies of third party vendors.
Whether the Girl Scouts as an organization knew or should have known about this is one issue that can be discussed.
But now that they do know, what are they going to do about it?
The fact that when the Girls Scouts were asked specifics about the shipping company and the policy on pricing and they declined speaks volumes to me.
There is not a person here that has not made a mistake in the private or personnel life. Often it is not the mistake, but how that mistake is handled.
In this case, instead of stepping up to the cookie plate and saying “we aren’t going to allow this to happen,” the GSA punted and appear to not be addressing the issue.
A pox on the GSA leadership.
Bingo. Personally, I’d not be at all surprised to find out they’re sharing in the “take” from that bogus “military address surcharge”. But I could be wrong about that.
I think this depends on the troop. I order from my niece in Virginia so long as I don’t actually have to see them – I could eat a box of thin mints at one sitting. The first year she a a troop mate with a deployed dad who got all such designated boxes with shipping paid for by the troop. The past couple of years the I don’t want to see them boxes have been delivered by her troop to the VA.
The Girl Scouts should take a look at a true supporter of the military. Community Coffee (www.communitycoffee.com) roasts some great coffee and is based in Baton Rouge. They have a Military Match program specifically for those serving overseas. Order through the program and they’ll double what you pay for with a free mug thrown in for good measure. Free shipping and other promos apply as well. I ordered 18 lbs of coffee, a Fresh O Lator and some other stuff while I was in Afghanistan.
Supporting South Louisiana by buying unfattening tastiness (black, no sugar New Orleans blend is the best–though an occasional cafe au lait is a treat) beats supporting Girl Scouts by buying fat pills.
First of all, let me say that I have been assosiated with scouting either as a participant of leader for over 50 years, though with a few breaks. I have found that even troops within a single district can be very different, depending on the leadership. I often advise parents to visit several troops to find one where they and their son feel comfortable and welcome. Even though my son got his eagle and left scouting years ago, I feel an obligation to stay engaged. I would guess that over 30% of the scouts in my current troop are from families without a father active in their son’s life. Although neither I or the other adult leaders in scouting are perfect role models, we try to be there for the boys. We make mistakes, but I made a lot of those as a parent as well, and somehow my son survived. I do note that the number of scout leaders that are also veterans is far higher than mere demographics would explain. The best thing about scouting is that the boys learn to run the organization at the troop level. The first few years are spent learning basic outdoor skills, than teaching those to others, and finally acting as leaders within the troop. I have been incredibly fortunate in seeing so many boys grow into young men that I am proud to know as they begin their adult lives. The fundraising issue that was mentioned made me smile. Our troop, much to the chagrin of the council, decided not to sell BSA popcorn as the price has continued to rise as the quality declined. We sell discout cards outside Sportsmans Warehouse where a 10% discount more than offsets the $5.00 cost of the card, especially just prior to hunting season. As for the political correctness, this is not a new problem. During the late 70s nd early 80s, the program was radically changed to make it seem more relevant for urban scouts. Membership nose dived until the camping and outdoor emphasis was returned. It was worth noting that in the… Read more »
Well, that’s a fine message. Truly. Shooting does continue to be one of the most sought-after badges. 100+ years ago, there were 14 badges offered: Ambulance, Clerk, Cycling, Electrician, Fireman, Gardener, Horseman, Marksmanship, Master-at-Arms, Musician, Pioneer, Seamanship, Signaler, and Stalkers. (Before anyone says it, the stalking badge was for tracking!)
OK…busting the shipping alright…run it!
Dogging out the Girls Scouts? Really?
Yes, really. BSA and GSA formerly were politically-neutral youth groups. That’s no longer the case; each is now pushing the PC agenda, and otherwise engaging in stupid crap.
Whenever anyone does something truly stupid, reprehensible, or dishonest – they should be called on it. Period.
Hondo-
Got my GS cookies today! 5K run tomorrow to ease the fat cookie calorie pain!
Sending to an APO shouldn’t cost any additional money, its technically being mailed to an address in the U.S.
The local kids selling the cookies get very little money from them. Most of it goes to the cookie company. Top that off with the “surcharge for service people”, and I think I will skip the cookies.
The easiest way to fix the “ding” to the kids? Drop a $20 or three in their collection can. They get 100% of that to spend on the local pack/troop/mob/pod.
No need to gig the kids with the grownup stupids, just say “I am watching my weight. But here is some cash for your local activities.”
The Bluebirds used to sell real mints, covered in dark, or milk chocolate.
THOSE never lasted more than 5 minutes in our house of 4 sisters and 3 brothers. However, seeing as 3 of my sisters were Bluebirds, we seemed to have crates of those mint chocolates around 🙂
I was a Life Scout, Assistant Scoutmaster, and Scoutmaster of 2 troops. You can bet, we NEVER did any of the PC crap the local Council wanted. Summer camp was a riot when our troop descended upon the unwary 😀
Ditto Common Sense. We send a dozen or more care packages overseas annually. We use USPS Priority Mailers. Pack it with as much as you can for a reasonable fee, usually about $20 for the boxes we use. If I could cram a Volvo inside, it would still cost less than the GSA is charging. I love the GSA/BSA, but this doesn’t seem reasonable.
How odd that this topic appeared when it did!
Just yesterday, I went to Wal-Mart to buy some Spam and some cookies because, why should my computer be able to hog all the Spam and cookies, if’n I don’t get to enjoy some for myself?
True story!
Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!
Hardee Har Har!