Troop funds, or money earned by girls in a troop, belongs to the troop as a whole, regardless of how much each girl may have earned for the troop during council-managed Cookie and Fall Product Programs or other supplemental money-earning activities. Individual girl rewards, such as Cookie Credits, Fall Funds, or Juliette Program Credits and reward items, are the property of individual girls.
In situations where troop membership or status changes, such as when a girl leaves a troop to join a different troop or participate individually as a Juliette Girl Scout, when multiple troops join together as one, or a troop splits into two or more, it is at the original troops’ discretion to decide how money in their account(s) is distributed. This policy outlines the permitted distribution methods for troop funds.
Policy Statement:
- The money raised by girls in a troop setting is the property of the troop, and as such, the troop decides how it is used, including how it is disbursed in the event of a troop membership or status change, such as members leaving, mergers, or splits.
Standards:
- Individual girls may not benefit financially from Girl Scout-related money-earning activities.
- When a troop disbands, the troop decides how the its remaining funds are disbursed.
- When a troop is in the process of disbanding, the girls must decide as a troop how to spend any remaining funds while they are still active.
- If any girls are remaining in Girl Scouts, either in a new troop or as Juliette Girl Scouts, it is up to the discretion of the disbanding troop whether to donate funds to the girl(s’) new troop.
- If a troop has disbanded with funds remaining, the funds revert to River Valleys.
- When a girl transfers to another troop, the girl’s original troop may decide to donate a proportionate amount of money to the new troop. This is at the original troop’s discretion.
- This is also applicable if a girl becomes an individual Juliette Girl Scout, or if a Juliette Girl Scout joins a troop. See Juliette Girl Scout requirements in the Juliette Girl Scout Money Management Policy.
- If a girl transfers to a new troop during either of the Cookie or Fall Product Program timeframes, her funds and sales data numbers remain with the original troop. When the program has concluded, the original troop decides as a group how funds will be distributed.
- When a troop splits into two or more troops, the funds are to be divided between them in proportion to the number of girls in each new troop.
- For example: A troop of ten girls splits into two troops of six and four. The troop of six takes 60% of funds from the original troop, and the troop of four takes 40%.
- When two or more troops merge, the funds in their troop accounts are to be merged.
- Under no circumstances may funds be distributed to individual troop members (girls or adults).
- See also: Troop Disband Policy