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February 19, 2015 - 12:17 pm

a Girl Scout rant (continued)

And again, I am so stressed out over Girl Scouts.

One positive is that they made some sort of change on the back-end so I'm now listed as an 01, which means I can see the troop roster and I can register us for events so I don't have to rely on Donna to do that (or NOT).
I don't like talking bad about people. I don't like being rude to people. If I don't have something nice to say, then I keep my mouth shut. I talk to Jay about how I feel because he's my husband and if I'm upset about something, of course it can reflect on my attitude and cause tension with us. But I'm not going to go badmouth her to Mari or another one of the parents.
She's taking charge again of the girls, the meetings, the content. Things that the GIRLS should be deciding.
Over the summer we agreed to be more girl-led. Well apparently that is thrown out the window.
We opted for a badge day a few weeks ago instead of using two meetings to do one. For several months, I've been suggesting replacement ideas, including another badge, award, service, a fun activity. I suggested having the girls vote.
Well she just picked one and changed the troop plan for the year, case closed.
I, on the other hand, made a voting sheet for the girls to fill out tonight. And I'm going to give it to the girls so that THEY can decide. I gave them 6 choices, plenty to choose from, and activities that can be done in 1-2 meetings.
(we'll call that piss off #1 this month)

Now I worked REALLY HARD to secure the spot at the Boys and Girls Club. I got us a spot not at her house FOR FREE, and it took me time and resources to do. Now she's saying well we should meet at a park for these 3 meetings and these 3 I want at my house and then that leaves just one for the B&G Club so we should just have that one at my house too.
Well MARI told Donna that the meeting she is leading tonight did NOT have to be at a park so it's at the club. I spoke to my contact at the B&G club and there is a park facility that we can reserve RIGHT AT THE CLUB! The park she wanted to meet at is only close to HER house. It is farther for everyone else, and Mari and myself have the farthest to travel.
(so that's piss off #2)

I wasn't even thinking about this one when I started this post, but this is definitely piss off #3.
I was able to pick up an extra booth for last Sunday. No one had signed up for it and when I saw Donna she said she had no plans so she and Lauren could do if it we had another girl. So Pria committed to it.
Well I got there at 8am and no one was there. I unloaded the car, setup everything and then moved my car. No one was there. About 8:20, pria showed up. She clung to her mom until she left at about 8:40. I didn't hear from Donna until after 9, who was confused and thought the booth was the next day (when she told me she was busy on Monday and couldn't help with the booth that we had scheduled for that day). So 9:30 strolls along and they finally show up. Then within 15 minutes, Lauren has to use the bathroom so she takes her. Pria had mentioned that she had to go to the bathroom as well but she felt it was better that the girls go in shifts. So it was probably 10 by the time she sat back down in her chair until 11am. And she pretty much ignored me the entire time so I did the same. It wasn't a great booth but a box sold is a box sold and it's money for our troop.
(piss off #4) International day. Donna wanted to do this last year, but I told her flat out, it's during cookie season and I don't have time to help you. All we had was Amanda, who wasn't much help at all so we didn't do it. I knew she wanted to do it this year and I told her again, that THIS will be her thing to organize and plan. Not mine- I do cookies AND fall product. Well she decided on the country and is doing the whole thing. Why are the girls not involved? Why is she picking everything for them? GIRL scouts, not adult scouts.
She feels that we need to meet at her house for the following two meetings because she doesn't 'want to lug all sorts of supplies' and 'need quiet/no distractions'.

I want to say something to her but I don't know how to say it without being mean or rude. I can't help but be upset and angry. I don't think it's the best interests of the girls and I don't feel like I'm valued at all.


On a non-Donna related issue, Monday's booth was a DISASTER! I had secured Changing hands. I figured Monday would be a great day- president's day- kids off from school and out shopping. I always forget things like this that I DON'T GET OFF ON DAYS LIKE PRESIDENT'S DAY (Just like the Veterans' Day parade).
Also, Cadence wanted to go to winter camp, but I wasn't paying $80. She got 1/2 financial aid (Yay for being borderline poor) and I registered her on the late side. She had to be picked up at 11am, which was the time the booth was starting. Nadya had signed up for the booth but no other parent. I asked Donna if she could do it and she said she promised Lauren they would do something fun that day. I asked Mari and she said she had something and couldn't make it until 12. I didn't want to ask Julia since she had only done 1 booth before and I didn't feel comfortable with the two of them running it, especially in a self-scheduled location. Luckily we had Erik's car so I was able to drive there and Christy took Jade for me so I could be at the booth. Nadya was helping me unload and decided to close the trunk with the keys in it. Erik keeps the trunk popper disabled. So I had to dig them out through the seat pass-through. That did not set me off on the right foot. While I was doing that, they were busy setting up the booth. I knew what cookies I had brought and I knew what cookies Pria had brought. Nadya also brought cookies but before I could count/record them, she had them all mixed up. (strike 2). It was busy early on and we had to be behind the table in our little spot. I didn't have room to sit and try to count them. Also by the time we were setup it was 11:30 and Mari was coming for 12. So then she and Sara were there as well- 3 adults, 3 girls. I didn't know if Christy was coming back with Jade so I stuck around until 12:30. She ended up keeping her until after 2, which was nice. I took off and left the booth in their hands. When Mari dropped everything off, she told me that Nadya took boxes of cookies but she didn't know how many or what kinds. Hours later I got an answer of what she took but my numbers were off. Even more hours later, I realized that the cookies were all mixed up in the boxes. Who the fuck does that and why?! (strike 3)
I was able to get my numbers good but I still don't know what kinds she brought so I don't know for certain the breakdown of what was sold that day, which pisses me off. That's not the way that I do things.
She was helpful at the first booth she did. Loud, polite. I was pleasantly surprised. Not this time around, nothing but problems.

It just seems that there's more things I'm annoyed about over what I'm excited/happy about in GS lately and the majority of the problems stem from Donna. I would really love to know more about splitting troops & troop funds and what the official protocol is.

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archery instructor aka wonderwoman - September 25, 2017
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trying to remember, and wishing I could forget - September 07, 2017
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