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Kokua Line
Question: My daughter is a Brownie who is working very hard at selling Girl Scout cookies. However, I am dismayed to learn that for every box of cookie she sells, her troop gets 50 cents, while the Girl Scout Council gets $1.60. Why don't the girls, who do all the work, get the majority of the profit? What does the Girl Scout Council do with the money it receives from the cookie sales? Does any of it go back to the respective Girl Scout troops? Cookie sale proceeds
help all Girl ScoutsAnswer: The annual sale of cookies is the major fund-raiser for the Girl Scouts, said Lorraine Inouye, interim executive director of the Girl Scout Council of Hawaii.
Last year, about $725,000 was raised to support Girl Scout activities in Hawaii; the goal this year is $750,000, Inouye said.
While it's true that only 50 cents of each box sold goes directly to the troops, the rest of the profit goes back "indirectly," she said. Among other things, the Council uses the money to maintain three Girl Scout camps and provide financial help to girls who otherwise would not be able to participate, she said.
Also, a troop as a whole can qualify for other prizes and incentives by selling cookies, Inouye said. That includes anything from patches, movie tickets and T-shirts to program activities, such as going to Sea Life Park or on a neighbor-island trip.
"It depends on the troop's goal," Inouye said. Cookie sales will end Feb. 6.
There now are about 5,700 Girl Scouts in Hawaii, ages 5 to 17. By the end of the membership year on Sept. 30, "we're hoping to have at least 7,000 girls," Inouye said.
Q: I have not yet received my federal income tax forms and a number of my friends have not. Where can we call? I tried the IRS and I just get a machine.
A: Call 1-800-829-1040, an IRS spokeswoman said. You initially do get a recording with various information options to choose from. However, you also are able to talk to someone in person.
Q: Last weekend there was a story about the girl who lost her eyesight after a fireworks accident. But the paper never said where donations should be sent and who checks should be made out to. Can you let us know?
A: As reported last week, you can send donations to Sherri-Lyn Kalama at 41-720 Bell St., Waimanalo, HI 96795. Checks should be made out to Sherri-Lyn Kalama Medical Fund. Call 259-9207 for more information.
Sherri-Lyn lost her right eye after sparklers she had bundled with duct tape exploded in her face on her 14th birthday, Dec. 26.
The teen-ager "is taking it one day at a time," her mother, Aileen Kalama, said.
Medical expenses not covered by insurance are expected to be $8,049, plus $700 for a lens replacement. As of yesterday, $410 had been raised.
Mahalo
On Friday, Dec. 17, I got into a minor collision at the intersection of Wilder and Metcalf. Immediately, a concerned young lad came to assist me. He called the police and directed traffic so I could move my car to a nearby service station. Whoever you are, thank you and God bless you. -- K. Harada
Mahalo
To Keolu Shell Station, for the wonderful job it does with its Christmas decorations during the holiday season. -- No name.
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