I really hate school fund raisers for kids.

[HumblePie]

As a kid growing up I refused to do them. Got in trouble a few times until my parents backed me up in front of the principle.

You know what I'm talking about right? These fund raisers that force elementary kids to run around the neighborhood selling overpriced junk. They exploit the kids as slave labor salesmen and hope that because they are kids they get sales. Also, when you look at the percentage of actual proceeds go to the school from the sales versus profit from the fund raising companies it would make you shake your head in shame.

It's not like the schools aren't get money from my property taxes and other revenues in the first place. It's not like the fund raising money is used for anything most of the time besides a few cheap field trips for the kids to a zoo. Speaking of which, they still ask for parents to pay for those field trips.

So why am I ranting about this? Well with school starting, I had my doorbell rung about a dozen times last night from various neighborhood kids trying to sell me junk. It's annoying and I know I'm going to be bothered more for the next few weeks.

I hate the exploitation of the kids, who are usually punished if they don't sell anything, for funds they will never see.

Look, I have nothing against fund raisers by themselves. Kids on a sports team needing some money for new equipment or something and are doing a car wash. I'm there supporting it. I was in the boy scouts before and I've done fund raisers for trips or new tents and those I support now. So long as it is something the kid DO for the funds and they see a direct benefit of most of the funds. Like for example one of the fund raisers I did in the boy scouts was to make some Kalua Pig on the beach in Hawaii and sell it. The scout master found someone to donate the pigs, we cooked them up while camping, and sold them and delivered all the meat. All profit for the troop.

The current crap of selling cheap, useless plastic items, or overpriced cookies, candy bars, or popcorn needs to stop. I refuse to buy any of that shit and I will not support a company profiteering off exploiting children.

 

[shortylickens]

I hate kids.

 

[ussfletcher]

I hate schools.

 

[Leros]

Selling boy scout popcorn was the worst. That stuff is ridiculously expensive.

 

[bignateyk]

I agree whole-heartedly. I would rather just give them money for nothing than give them $20 for a box of shitty popcorn that i'll never eat, and have $10 go to the shitty popcorn company.

And what's up with the shit they sell nowadays? They used to sell hershey candy bars back in the day (10 years ago). At least people eat those, even if they paid $1 for them. The shit they sell today is disgusting.

I don't get it. I'll never let my kids go begging for money around the neighborhood. Why don't parents just buy their kids shit for the clubs they are in? Why does everyone else have to pay for shit for your kid?

 

[AstroManLuca]

When I was in elementary school I remember them enticing us with the promise of prizes for sales. Of course it was usually impossible to get enough sales for even the smallest prizes.

My parents explained to me that it would make way more sense to simply donate money to the school instead of spending the same amount of money on stuff we don't need and the school only gets a percentage of that. People only ever really buy that crap as a way of helping the school anyway, not because they actually want it.

 

[bignateyk]

I remember this stuff from when I was a kid. My parents never let me do it, thank god, but I remember they had prizes and shit for the kids who sold the most.

Their parents would stand up there all proud of their kid for going around begging for the most amount of money. I'd be fucking embarrassed and ashamed to see my kid standing up there.

 

[Saint Nick]

School fund raisers were hilarious. No one wanted to buy anything from me (why would they?).

First fund raiser I did, we sold these mugs that had sports teams on them. The bottom popped off and you could store stuff in it (lolwat).

The second one was this huge catalog of random shit. Chocolates, knick-knacks, cookie dough, popcorn, the list goes on. No one wanted any of it. They usually just gave me money for the fund raiser anyway.

What a waste of time.

 

[bignateyk]

The girl scouts are the only ones who have figured it out. They actually have a product people want. They don't need to shame people into buying their worthless shit, because they created their own product, and it's amazing, and not overpriced.

 

[HumblePie]

The girl scouts are the only ones who have figured it out. They actually have a product people want. They don't need to shame people into buying their worthless shit, because they created their own product, and it's amazing, and not overpriced.

It used to not be overpriced. They are now. Compare those cookies today to 10 years ago and you'll realize they are a third of the amount for 4x times the cost.

I don't buy girl scout cookies anymore either.

Also, the girl scouts buy those cookies from a company and today get a much lesser percentage of the "profit" than they used to.

 

[bignateyk]

It used to not be overpriced. They are now. Compare those cookies today to 10 years ago and you'll realize they are a third of the amount for 4x times the cost.

I don't buy girl scout cookies anymore either.

I haven't bought them in a few years. I remember gorging on and entire box of thin mints once. It was awesome.

 

[vi edit]

Yep, pretty much agree entirely. As a kid I hated it. As a parent I loathe the day they try to force my kid to do it. Am I a good or bad parent if I'd rather have my kid do chores around the house and I just gave them $50 in cash to use towards whatever they are trying to buy/go to?

Selling/soliciting door to door is one of the most humiliating things I ever had to do. I'd rather do hard physical labor to earn money than that. It doesn't build character...it crushes it.

And the worst part is that after somebody pays $14 for their tin can with 8 pathetic little cookies in it that look like they survived a nuclear winter...the poor kid selling it gets like $.50 from that sale.

Bleh. That's part of the reason I don't buy Girl Scout cookies. On a $3 or whatever the high way robbery rates those things are the poor kids get a whopping $.25. Fuck that. Here's $5. I just bought 20 boxes.

 

[KIAman]

It's not just about the money. It is life lesson as well. As to annoying kids trying to sell stuff, this is why I live behind a gated security wall.

 

[vi edit]

It's not just about the money. It is life lesson as well. As to annoying kids trying to sell stuff, this is why I live behind a gated security wall.

I don't know the life lesson in peddling low quality products for astronomical prices where the only party really gaining any significant profit or gain is neither the buyer nor the end seller.

I'd rather my kid mow yards, shovel snow, or deliver papers if they want to learn about work ethic and making money.

 

[Glitchny]

When I was in school a portion of the money you raised got put into an account for you (the student) that could then be used to pay for other things. I know people who paid for their entire senior trip (cruise/flight/hotel+spending money) using the money they got from doing the fundraisers.

I didn't really do them though I think I got a few people to buy something every once in awhile.

 

[Sloper]

Learning and practicing how to make a sale is a great learning tool.

Yes, they are selling garbage. Yes, it's misleading. Yes, it's annoying.

But it's a good social skill to learn so live with it.

 

[wiredspider]

I feel bad for selling that crap when I was in school, I mean why sell 10 overpriced items to get a <$1 toy thing? I know better now, but now I buy stuff from the kids out of guilt now. Though after the last time, probably not.... (paid for a 17.50 item that I never got, asked about it, and got a cheaper item that I definitely did not order)

 

[highland145]

Coupon books, 5 to a package. Fine print: If you open the package, you're responsible for the cost of all 5. Cost me $70 when the boy was in 1st grade because he opened all of 3 packs. Never again.

 

[sactoking]

Learning and practicing how to make a sale is a great learning tool.

Not for the 95% of the population that doesn't grow up to be a degenerate salesperson.

(BTW- my wife is a salesperson)

 

[KIAman]

Not for the 95&#37; of the population that doesn't grow up to be a degenerate salesperson.

(BTW- my wife is a salesperson)

Hint: Salespersons are not the only profession to utilize sales skills.

Example: Don't learn math because it doesn't apply to the 99.999% of the population that doesn't grow up to become nerdy mathematicians.

 

[waggy]

my kids school is worse.

they do these but have a list where the kid has to fill out a list of family and friends address's and phone numbers.

1st year she brought it home i threw it out. she was talked to by the teacher saying it needs to be done. i sent it back with a notes saying we are not giving away the names and address's.

so they kept her from a "party" for the kids that did it. I raised hell.

now they don't separate the kids that do it from the ones that did. but they still try to force the kids to fill out the paperwork.


I don't mind buying girl scout or boy scout stuff. sure the GS cookies suck and the popcorn blows but it does help the groups.

 

[God Mode]

Awww cute kids selling candy. I'll take 2 boxes of those thin mints and let me also get 3 caramel delites.

 

[HumblePie]

Hint: Salespersons are not the only profession to utilize sales skills.

Example: Don't learn math because it doesn't apply to the 99.999% of the population that doesn't grow up to become nerdy mathematicians.

Let them learn like 90% (made up stat) of all other kids. When they reach 16 have them get a retail sales job like everyone else. They'll learn plenty.

 

[HumblePie]

my kids school is worse.

they do these but have a list where the kid has to fill out a list of family and friends address's and phone numbers.

1st year she brought it home i threw it out. she was talked to by the teacher saying it needs to be done. i sent it back with a notes saying we are not giving away the names and address's.

so they kept her from a "party" for the kids that did it. I raised hell.

now they don't separate the kids that do it from the ones that did. but they still try to force the kids to fill out the paperwork.


I don't mind buying girl scout or boy scout stuff. sure the GS cookies suck and the popcorn blows but it does help the groups.

That disciplinary shit is crap. When I was a kid and they first instituted that crap, they tried to suspend me from school for 3 days and would receive all F's for those 3 days. For refusing to do the fund raiser. My parents had to hire a lawyer to send the school a nasty letter to get them to reverse that stupid decision. I saw another kid get paddled by the Vice Principle for that and I was about to as well before my parents stepped in again.

 

[meltdown75]

wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh