to not want people packing my bags at the supermarket checkout to raise funds for their kid's football/ice hockey/ highland dance trip to Croatia?

[bleedingstill]

My kids have hobbies. I pay for them.
Bag packing at supermarkets is a bit annoying, no?
On several counts.

I feel better now

I think it is such a shame TheFlyingOnion-in our area people voted to pay more in subscriptions (just because they have plenty of money) making it difficult for the person who can't afford it and it means that the Scouts don't get a high profile in the community. Bag packing seems a nice, easy way to get money for charity, I don't even mind if they are raising money to go to Peru etc. The whole point of these challenge adventures is that the young person is supposed to raise some part of it themselves and not just resort to
the 'bank of mum and dad'. People are very mean spirited. (I do think they should teach the bag packing though)

Does this extend to SN young adults? I think it is lovely when the supermarket employ them, and always let them pack my bag and have a chat.

In the last few months Sirzy in my local M&S bag packers have included some of a class of 11 year olds raising money for a safari in Kenya - they told me they needed the money as otherwise not all of the parents could afford the safari. And a groop of teenagers raising money to do a charity bike ride round China.

I would have been happy with the 2nd one if my money was going to the charity and not the cost of the bike ride! After all bike riding and the flight to China won't be cheap.

exoticfruits - of course not - those SN people are being paid to do a job just like anyone else.

In both those examples lesley33 I may well have decided to pack my own bags although I'm very much in favour of the principle of the bag packing for charity, I'm pretty dubious about those charities where you get to indulge in a life long travelling dream whilst allegedly raising loads of funds.

Our local Sainsbos must be less well healed as it tends to be football groups saving up for tours or the dreaded pipe bands. In fact as I tend to lurch between Waitrose and Lidl I usually miss them altogether.

I don't have a problem with bag packers for charity. I just think that some stores need to be more discriminating about the "causes" they support. And I agree I am very dubious about charity things where you indulge a long held dream.

I have a friend who did one of those who paid for the activity herslf and only asked for people to donate to the actual charity. I had no problem giving her a big cheque.

The bike ride I would support but not the holiday.

Exoticfruits I agree. It's a shame when any of the youth organisations are out of reach of people. When I was a cadet we paid 50p a week with a discount for siblings, even now for most units it seems to be between 50p and £1 which includes activites and uniforms. For that to be doable we have to fundraise. I would hate to see anyone excluded because of money.

Scouts do indeed still do the Christmas post. It's a total PITA, I might add. Just when you've got so much else to do and they present us with a huge stack of cards to deliver. Costs a fortune in petrol too, because you can never be sure which area you are going to get - it could be on the other side of town.

Such a shame Sirzy-parents didn't want to put themselves out to do fetes etc-they would far rather throw money at it-not what Scouts is about. Also which parent would feel confident enough to say 'I can't afford it, I would rather give my time for fund raising'?

My feeling was that they should never have been given the choice and pressure should have been put on getting helpers for events in the community.

FLYINGonion,
you said

"You miserable gimmer. Not only are you BU, you are being spoiled, uncharitable and thoughtless. Your OP is selfish and arrogant"

Please go back and read my OP then retract your insult .

I referred specifically to foreign trips for children's sporting past times.

I don't mind Scouts etc. fund raising for unit funds ( I was a brown Owl and we tried to keep are subs as low as possible so everyone could join) and I don't mind individuals who have been selected to represent their area at big international events doing so (I know a school friend of mine could never have aforded her trip without some grant aid)
However, I'm probably not popular with our Guides because I have objected to fund raising for a trip which is simply a very expensive overseas company camp,
the only selection criterion for which is that your Mother didn't pass out when she saw the cost. No way can I ask people to fund my child's holiday, when they are probably wondering how to pay for theirs.

Totally totally agree Startail.

You'll be pleased to hear I gave my 12yo a detailed lecture lesson on how to bag pack yesterday. As I said in a previous post (I think), he'll be bag packing for a Scout trip to Norway. I actually do feel quite uncomfortable about it and didn't know the Scouts would be asked to fund raise for this trip. I'm not going to exclude him from doing it because it's too late to make any sort of point about it through my son. TBH, I'd be better off giving the troop the money I would use in petrol to get him to the supermarket. I will speak to him this morning about why he thinks people should donate towards this trip.

As for how to pack, I suggested he get in pairs and one sorts and the other packs.

Some of these comments are hilarious. I didn't realise people minded chucking a few pennies to the local youths. I raise money for local youth football teams and I don't think you quiet understand how much money they require. With winter training fees, kits, training gear, pitch fees, ref fees, balls and away days it can be well over £2000 every 6 months. Like yourselves I pay for my child's activitys but parents can't afford the sheer volume of equipment these local teams need. If these young boys weren't being taken on by VOLUNTEER coaches twice a week for training and matches then who knows what what life's they'll lead. Some of them NEED this. It's something for under privileged kids who need a hobby to get involved in and the fact that the local parents dread seeing them in the supermarket is in my opinion very sad

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ZOMBIE THREAD

SAM 'some of these comments are SIX YEARS OLD FFS

~.~.~. ZOMBIE THREAD ~.~.~