The most exciting time of year for a Girl Scout is January-March, which happens to be cookie season. As a Girl Scout troop leader and official cookie mom, let me explain the importance of purchasing a box of Girl Scout Cookies®.
You are helping the girls reach a goal
Each girl works with her family to set a personal goal and each troop sets a collective goal. Each booth that is held fosters connections between the girls as they work together to set up, stock, manage, and sell the cookies.
You are helping the girls build confidence
Each interaction a girl has with a customer boosts her confidence and public speaking skills. She is learning to greet people, hold conversations, and build her customer base in her community.
You are helping the girls learn money management skills
When you buy a box of cookies please be patient with the cold, tiny fingers counting your change, possibly for the first time. This experience helps them learn to add, subtract, count change, handle money, and keep track of inventory. In a technology-driven world, the counting of physical cash and giving back correct change are essential skills that must not be overlooked.
You are helping expose the girls in the troop to new experiences and learning opportunities
Our troop voted to spend our funds earned on a trip to a local stable for an introduction to horseback riding. This is a skill the majority of girls in our troop have not participated in. They will earn a badge and learn how to care for an animal, the level of commitment it takes, and also make the core memory of horseback riding with friends for the first time.
You are helping the girls give back to their communities
We also voted on a service project to purchase items off of a wish list at a local hospital to make children’s stays more enjoyable. We will do a troop shopping trip and teach the skill of budgeting while making our purchases.
I encourage you to buy the cookies if it’s in your budget. If you can afford two boxes, I challenge you to give one to an elderly neighbor or leave it out for a delivery driver. If not, please engage with the girls when you see them outside of a store. Ask them about their favorite flavor of Girl Scout Cookies or what they love about Girl Scouts. If you were once a scout please share your favorite memory with them and encourage them to continue selling the cookies.
Sincerely,
A Cookie Mom
