Friday, August 29, 2008

Girl Scout Leader Ettiquette

As a Girl Scout leader for the last three years, I have pretty much held my parents' hands through everything. I have emailed, and printed out schedules, I have made phone call after phone call reminding them of deadlines, and then reminding them again, and then adjusting deadlines for them. Today I decided that would be coming to and end. I drafted my beginning of the year letter and told them we would be making changes. I told them that a deadline is just that and unless there was an extreme emergency it would not be adjusted. I told them that I would not be giving reminder calls. (I will probably send out general reminder emails, but they don't need to know that.) that I would not store product (nuts and cookies) for them in my home. There would be a pickup date and they needed to find a way to pick them up on that day. Any product not picked up, could be sold. I told them that any incentives earned by their daughter that are not picked up in a timely manner, would be donated to charity. (I still have cookie incentives from the Spring for one of my girls.) I didn't do this to piss people off, I did this to as subtlety as I could tell them that they were grown adults and they need to be more responsible about this stuff. One mom emailed me back saying that, "my requests/demands seemed reasonable." I cam off as demanding...not exactly my intention, but then subtlety was never my strong suit. The mom whose items I have been storing called. I unfortunately missed her call. She put it all on me. I guess it is my fault that I still have her daughters stuff. Whatever. She says she has left several messages this month...nope just one when I was in New York. She wanted to register her daughter for next year and pick up the items. I didn't call her back. I guess it is my fault. I did tell her in June when she called for the same thing that I was going to be out of town and would leave them on my porch for her. I then went into the attic and dug out her daughters stuff along with the registration form and left them on my porch. A week later I brought them in because it was going to rain, plus she had missed the early registration deadline. I once again stored the items. I will unpack them next week just before the meeting, she can wait and if that doesn't work...too bad. I have called her back and left her a message. We will see what happens. TTFN, Miki

2 comments:

Valerie said...

You go girl! I do not think you are being unreasonable at all.

Love ya - Val

ps...I remember when you dug that stuff out in June - you did it while we were there ya?

Miki said...

I don't think I am being unreasonable...but this mom didn't seem happy.

Yep...that is the stuff I dug out while you were here. I am not going to be free storage for someone anymore. I looked last night, I actually have at least 2 girls incentives( a plush dog on a pillow, not small). After Sunday they are going to charity unless arrangements are made.