Girl Scouts earning their way to Disney!

So it's the night before and I'm freaking out! Scouts are dropping their luggage off tonight. We are ready to go!!
 
Just saw this thread for the first time - but WTG! I've just taken over my DD's Brownie troop from an implosion situation and what a goal! I realized reading all of this, I have no idea what our Council's rules are for fund raising in general - yet another thing to learn this year!
 
Hey everyone we are back!!

What an amazing trip! The scouts had an awesome time. We didn't see everything we planned on seeing. We even passed on the food festival. It we ended up at Garden Grill for dinner that night.

We had a two hour flight delay homeso we didn't get home until 3am!

I'll post pictures when I get a chance. Funny my family hasn't even unpacked yet we've been so busy!

Met a bunch of Girl Scouts there. PA, TN and FL. Most didn't know about the YES program! One troop drove down, were there for five days, staying off park, no dining plan and their scouts had paid a lot more then us - flying, dining plan, saying on site for four days.

Our animation history program was great. Jim was awesome. Taught us about film history, we got to draw Mickey with an artist and went behind the scenes.
 
That sounds wonderful!!! Does anyone know if there are any patches sold at WDW?
 
Hey everyone we are back!!

Jim was awesome.

Oh my goodness, wouldn't it be so funny if we had the same CM.

We had "Jimmy" the accountant, he said they only let him out of the office once or twice a month to teach a class.

Lemme see if I can find a pic of him, lol. that would be too funny
 
At last night's meeting we had out October Breast Cancer Awareness meeting with our BC survivor. We looked thru our Disney pictures gathered from the Memory maker and adult pictures. Was so great to hear the girls views on the trip! They had such a great time!

Now to plan the year, work on Silver awards and plan Niagara Falls trip!

Jim was an older gentleman probably in his 50s grey hair, blue shirt.
 


Guess what everyone, we are going back to Disney!

That's right. So I was awarded a grant from my company specifically for the volunteer hours I worked for Girl Scouts. The grants are enough to cover our entire Disney trip. Trust I asked scouts about trips to California, dude ranch, Bermuda cruise, kayak trip ....but they came back to Disney. So we are going back and going on a Yes program again!!
 
Update - Last night we went over the yes programs vs regular tickets. Disney YES has already closed out their 2016 programs and the 2017 individual programs are supposed to be coming out soon. Scouts decided to go with regular tickets and not wait for the YES programs since he chance we wouldn't get the one we wanted could happen. Decision was made to focus on earning badges while we're there.

Also talked about how to best utilize our snack credits. Each scout will research best options at each park. Picked rides for fast passes and colors of tshirts for each day. There's talk of making (sewing and crafting) our own Mickey ears.

Lots of great leadership skills going on here! Might be just another Disney trip, but the skills being used are what's important!

I think we're going to surprise the scouts and do a bridging ceremony as well as an age out for my eldest daughter who is graduating. Thinking the bridge near Paris might be perfect. Semi quiet and great picture opportunity.
 
So this is a very negative rant and I apologize for it.

So my company awards its employees grants based on volunteer hours, every 25 hours you earn $500. Back in September I entered my hours for 2016 to date and was first awarded a grant for $5000. I contacted my council to let them know funds were coming and to pass on the grant to my troop. Council freaked! How could I think I was entitled to these funds? They were awarded to my council's 501c3 and the funds should go to Council and not my troop! I had to go to council and explain the grant program and ask the company to confirm that the grant is awarded based on the purpose the volunteer/employee states in the grant request and NOT to the Council. After much discussion Council agreed to grandfather me the grants only for 2016 since they didn't have a grant policy in place but they would make necessary changes for 2017.

By that time I had already been awarded $7500 in grants. I had entered grant purposes as educational trips, programs, camping, (I also lead a GS camping competition team) so camp supplies for the camping competition. Once we knew we would get the funds I asked my troop what they wanted to do with the funds. The four scouts I have said a trip to Disney so we put down the budget and realized for my volunteer hours for 2016 we could afford it. Flights, hotel and such were booked.

Tonight after I asked where Octobers funds were I get a call from the CFO of my council. Does your company know what you're using these funds for, that you have four scouts, that you're planning a trip with these funds? You didn't say you were going on a trip with the original grant? (well I didn't think I was going to get the original grant and hello I did say an educational program and the YES program would be that) Are you personally benefiting from the grants? Nope. I planned the funds to go my troop, the camping troop and my service unit. I even booked a council overnight program, something we usually can't afford cuz we would have these funds. So the CFO wants to send email to foundation to ask these questions. She wants to be transparent. Make sure I'm not benefiting from these grants in any way.

I'm sorry but this is so sad. I'm actually ashamed of my council and embarrassed with my company. I'm being awarded for the volunteer hours I give to Girl Scouts and Council is trying to get the money, deny the troop the money and make the foundation question what my troop is using the funds for. Not once have they said what an amazing benefit and that's great that the 500+ hours of volunteer time away from your family (leader of two troops, trainer for council, camp coordinator and I help organize programs for service unit) is awarded back to your troop and service unit like this!

Again I'm sorry for the rant and you might think I'm wrong to be so upset but these are funds being given directly back to the scouts I volunteer for and they are deciding what the troop funds will be used for, how can council act like this. not following the promise and the law.
 
Update - So here's the latest status of our trip.

1. Disney just announced that they will only be doing individual programs in January and no addl programs until after August! So that means we won't be doing a YES individual program.

2. My Council went back to my Company's Foundation to make sure they were applying the grants according to what the Foundation wanted, ie to a Troop and not Council. See previous rant about Council trying to take the grants that I and their employee was awarded for my volunteer hours with GS. The Foundation came back stating the grants were to be used for the programs/Troops I've requested the grants for. Finally success that my troop can have the grants.

So now we are planning the badges we will earn while we're there. secretly I'm putting together a bridging ceremony for them with a bottle cap pin like fron UP.
 
2017 Trip Update

My Council is updating the grant policies for 2017 so they will receive 25% of all volunteer grants with a max = to $250 X # of scouts in troop or $5,000. Well my troop is probably going to disband next year so my grants will now go to Service Unit. Finally got all of our funds for our trip so that's enough to talk about money.

So to make it a more Girl Led trip, each scout randomly picked a park so they have to pick all fast passes, snacks, attractions, etc everything (except meals cuz we already picked our ADRs) in each park.

What I've decided to do is surprise each scout with their own special bridging event at their park. I've made the UP like pin based on the character they like and will 'pin' them at our own special bridging event at each park. Something special for each scout. Can't wait! We're about 50 days away!
 
Update!

So we are about 30 days away from our trip and about to get knee deep into cookie season! Tonight we talked about our packing list since the weather will be completely different in FL compared to New England. We also talked about getting into shape for all that walking. Yikes I better start doing that. Need to get deposits and contracts from parents and get my paperwork together as well as pack my emergency backpack. Since my daughter is a T1D I'm bringing a friopack to keep her back up insulin pen cool, just ordered it!

Need to finish the character pins for the bridging events and plan a location at each park! Where are all bridges??
 

GET A DISNEY VACATION QUOTE

Dreams Unlimited Travel is committed to providing you with the very best vacation planning experience possible. Our Vacation Planners are experts and will share their honest advice to help you have a magical vacation.

Let us help you with your next Disney Vacation!





Top