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About Hermiston herald. (Hermiston, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (March 11, 2015)
BUSINESS WEDNESDAY, MARCH 11, 2015 A4 HERMISTONHERALD.COM Send submissions or story ideas for the Herald Business page to Editor Jessica Keller, jkeller@hermistonherald.com Involving children in vacation planning F amily vacations produce memories for a lifetime, but they can also teach children great money lessons they’ll need as adults. Involving children in planning family vacations not only helps them appreciate the overall EHQH¿WVRIWUDYHOEXW offers an opportunity for even the youngest to learn lessons about budgeting, saving and essential money management they will encounter every day. If you have trouble tearing your children away from their smartphones, you might be in luck. The technology they use can be very effective in budgeting, pricing and SODQQLQJWUDYHO6XU¿QJ travel destinations can teach children a great deal about what travel really costs. 7KH¿UVWVWHSLQ planning the family vacation should be creating a budget for the trip. Set a realistic dollar limit for the trip and be prepared to discuss why that limit exists. For example, if there is a home renovation project scheduled that particular year, explain how that affects the overall family budget and the resources for the trip. It’s an important lesson in balancing fun and family priorities. After these limits are discussed, work with children to create a detailed budget for accommodations, transportation, food, special event tickets and souvenirs, particularly souvenirs they might buy for themselves. For tips, check out (http:// practicalmoneyskills. com/travel) for saving on and this online calculator (http:// practicalmoneyskills. com/travelcalculator) to help plan. Once the budget is set, point children in the direction of certain travel websites to start and let them bring back as much information as they can on potential locations and costs. Putting youth JASON ALDERMAN MONEY MATTERS Visa columnist in charge of travel planning gives them an opportunity to learn about trade- offs. For example, a cross-country trip that involves substantial transportation costs might contain a valuable lesson in ¿QGLQJDIIRUGDEOH accommodations. Depending on the age of the children doing the research and how much advance time is available to plan the trip, they can also learn how traveling in season and out of season might help the budget. Many peak summer destinations EHFRPHVLJQL¿FDQWO\ more affordable if a family chooses to travel over the winter holidays. Above all, trip planning can teach an important lesson in spending and savings. If children want to buy souvenirs or treats on the trip, that’s an opportunity to have them set aside part of their allowance or chore money to pay for their special purchases on the trip. To get them started, help them save for their goal using this online calculator (http:// practicalmoneyskills. com/savingforagoal). Finally, once everyone is home, parents and children PLJKW¿QGLWXVHIXOWR discuss how the vacation went overall and what improvements can be applied next time. Encourage children to start researching next year’s destinations immediately so the money and activity conversation can begin even earlier. Bottom line: Involving your children in family vacation planning allows them to see the world and to practice good budgeting, saving and spending habits. — Jason Alderman GLUHFWV9LVD¶V¿QDQFLDO education programs. To Follow Jason Alderman on Twitter: www.twitter. com/PracticalMoney Bottom line: Involving your children in family vacation planning allows them to see the world and to practice good budgeting, saving and spending habits. PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHELLE KANE Girls Scouts from Hermiston Troop 51444 learn business skills through annual cookie sales. From left, Claire Wilson, Laura =HSHGD.HOOLH=HSHGD$QGUHD*LVSHUW7HOORDQG6RÀD*LVSHUW7HOORSRVHEHVLGHDGLVSOD\LQ+HUPLVWRQ*LUO6FRXWVZLOOEH VHOOLQJFRRNLHVDWERRWKVLQIURQWRIORFDOEXVLQHVVHV)ULGD\WKURXJK6XQGD\ Girl Scouts learn business skills Annual cookie sales promote goal setting, money management and ethics BY SEAN HART HERMISTON HERALD Girl Scouts raise funds for community service projects during their annual cookie sales, but the project also teaches them valuable business skills. Hermiston resident Sta- cia Miller, the Girl Scouts Service Unit 22 product manager who coordinates the cookie sales in Uma- tilla, Morrow, Gilliam and Wheeler counties, said the project teaches girls how to create businesses for them- selves. “We tell the girls that this is their business,” she said. “We encourage them to treat this as a business. They have customers. They have this money that comes in, and we encourage them to take the money they take in and give it back to com- munity service. I think the way the cookie program is set up is really excellent, and I really encourage my teachers to teach that to the Find Girl Scout Cookies Local Girl Scouts will be selling cookies at booths outside local busi- nesses, including Wal-Mart, Space Age, Banner Bank and Safeway, Friday through Sunday. For times and locations, visit cookielocator. littlebrownie.com. girls.” Miller said she helped with Girl Scouts since her ninth-grader was in kin- dergarten, and this is her ¿IWK \HDU FRRUGLQDWLQJ WKH cookie sales. She said she has two daughters in Girl Scouts and has seen the SRVLWLYH EHQH¿WV IURP WKH FRRNLHVDOHV¿UVWKDQG “My seventh-grader is much more personable talking to people,” she said. “She’s really grown in her people skills. In gen- eral, she’s just blossomed through the interactions that she’s done with her cookie program. I’ve seen it kind of come out in other areas.” Miller said the cookie VDOHVIRFXVRQWHDFKLQJ¿YH things, mentioned on every box: setting goals, deci- sion making, money man- agement, people skills and business ethics. She said the girls are re- quired to set goals for their sales and make decisions about the best way to pres- ent and sell the product. She said they must also manage the revenue they earn. “They can decide com- munity service projects, what they’re going to do with their money and, of course, the younger girls learn how to give change,” she said. The girls also learn to communicate with custom- ers, she said, and learn to operate ethically, such as not selling in Washington, where the cookie sales be- gin at a later date. “The girls build a busi- ness with their Girl Scout cookies,” she said. “I think, with the right leader and the right focus for the girls, it’s an excellent business.” Sales were so great this year, the organization ran out of cookies in Oregon after selling 2 million box- es in 10 days, and Service Unit 22 almost doubled its sales from last year. Mill- er said she is expecting a shipment today to prepare for this weekend’s booth sales in front of local busi- nesses, and because of the shortage, the girls will be allowed to sell beyond the scheduled cut-off date Sun- day. She said they were giv- en permission to sell for up to two more weeks to reach their goals, but the last scheduled booth sales are this weekend. Miller said people can use an online &RRNLH /RFDWRU WR ¿QG WKH nearest booth at cookielo- cator.littlebrownie.com. For more information about Girl Scouts, visit girlscoutsosw.org. “The girls build a business with their Girl Scout cookies. I think, with the right leader and the right focus for the girls, it’s an excellent business.” — Stacia Miller Hermiston resident BUSINESS BITES Farm Worker and Ag Employer Expo today People are invited to the second annual Farm Worker and Ag Em- ployer Expo from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. today at the Hermiston Conference Center, 415 S. Highway 395, Herm- iston, Oregon. Guest speakers include Fernan- do Gutierrez, state monitor advo- cate for the Oregon Employment Department; Liz Marvin, Project College Bound coordinator with the Hermiston School District, who will provide information on FAFSA; Manny Medrano with Or- egon Human Development Corp.; Elvira Salamanca with CAPECO, who will share training and edu- cation opportunities available; and a farm worker attorney. People will also hear about other train- ing and employment programs to help build the workforce and learn more about the Latino Business Network. Fiesta Foods will be serving dinner at the beginning of the event. For more information, call the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce at 541-567-6151 or, for Span- ish-speakers, Eddie De La Cruz, 541-701-4696. Grand opening today Shipping services of Hermis- ton and the Hermiston Chamber of Commerce are hosting a grand opening and ribbon-cutting cere- mony beginning at noon today at the business, 1000 S. Highway 395, Hermiston. Hermiston High School receives $3,000 from grant Programs at 14 schools in Or- egon, including Hermiston High School, received welcome help as Wells Fargo, Wesley Matthews and the Portland Trail Blazers presented a total of $75,000 in grants through their Take It to the Court for Education program. The grants ceremony took place March 2 at the Moda Cen- ter. The grants presented by Trail Blazer player Wesley Matthews and Wells Fargo Regional Presi- dent Tracy Curtis included $3,000 to Hermiston High School. The money will pay to send a counsel- or to a training program, accord- ing to a press release. HermistonHerald VOLUME 109 ɿ NUMBER 20 JESSICA KELLER EDITOR jkeller@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4533 MAEGAN MURRAY REPORTER mmurray@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4532 The grants ranged from $1,000 to $10,000, based on need. The Trail Blazers, Matthews and Wells Fargo announced the program last October. Their intent was to provide funds to teachers and schools to support academic, art and athletic, or community programs in schools across the To contact the Hermiston Herald for news, advertising or subscription information: • call 541-567-6457 • e-mail info@hermistonherald.com • stop by our of¿ces at 333 E. Main St. • visit us online at: www.hermistonherald.com SEAN HART REPORTER smhart@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4534 SAM BARBEE SPORTS REPORTER sbarbee@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4542 region, according to the press re- lease. At the March 2 ceremony, Curtis told the group their schools were selected from 320 applica- tions returned. “Wells Fargo and the Trail Blazers have individually pre- sented grants to schools in the ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION RATES Delivered by carrier and mail Wednesdays and Saturdays Inside Umatilla/Morrow counties .........................$42.65 Outside Umatilla/Morrow counties ......................$53.90 STEPHANIE BURKENBINE MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT sburkenbine@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4538 past,” Curtis said. “Take it to the Court for Education is a natural extension of our collaboration and a desire by both our organiza- tions to do everything we can for education. We believe that quality education is the most important investment we can make for our future generations.” The Hermiston Herald (USPS 242220, ISSN 8750-4782) is published twice weekly at Hermiston Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838, (541) 567-6457, FAX (541) 567-1764. Periodical postage paid at Hermiston, OR. Postmaster, send address changes to Hermiston Printed on Herald, 333 E. Main St., Hermiston, OR 97838. recycled newsprint A member of the EO Media Group Copyright ©2015 JEANNE JEWETT MULTI-MEDIA CONSULTANT jjewett@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4531 KIM LA PLANT OFFICE COORDINATOR klaplant@ hermistonherald.com 541-564-4530
