|
Girl Scouts are out in force but they won’t have to force you to buy their cookies, including that campfire favorite, S’mores. The annual sale kicked off February 4 and runs through March 19. The Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast reported 56 girls in the Santa Paula and Fillmore area will be selling cookies. |
Girl Scout: New cookie flavor S’mores introduced for traditional fundraiser
February 10, 2017
By Peggy Kelly
Santa Paula News
Girl Scouts are out in force but they won’t have to force you to buy their cookies, including that campfire favorite, S’mores.
The annual sale kicked off February 4 and runs through March 19. The Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast reported 56 girls in the Santa Paula and Fillmore area will be selling cookies.
And, that includes Troop 65101 of Santa Paula.
According to Troop Leader Talitha Sadler, the 10 girls in the troop, who range in age from 5 to 9 years old, are raring to go and offer for only $5 a box of delightful traditional Girl Scout cookie treats, as well as the new flavor, S’mores.
This year is the 100th anniversary of the first known instance of Girl Scouts selling cookies. Selling cookies helps Girl Scouts learn the basic skills and acumen they need to be leaders in business and sales, manage their personal and family finances, and gain self-sufficiency and confidence handling money.
And, they go out prepared to do business: girls recently attended Cookie U to learn how to manage their ‘cookie business’ and develop five skills all while having fun — money management, decision making, people skills, business ethics, goal setting and so much more. The annual Girl Scout Cookie Sale program provides important leadership development skills, as well as vital funding resources for girls to pursue activities and service projects, purchase uniforms and materials, and attend camps.
All of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program—100 percent of it— stays with the local council and troops, vital funding resources for girls to pursue activities and service projects, purchase uniforms and materials, and attend camps.
The area 2017 Girl Scout cookie line-up includes beloved traditions, along with the new great-tasting S’mores: Thin Mints, Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lot, Trios, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, and Shortbread.
Sadler did not hesitate when asked her favorite cookie: “S’mores! I tried it, and it is delicious. They make a really good chocolate covered graham cracker,” with a marshmallow pillow, a treat “I heard is one of the top three sellers so far.”
Thin Mints, she added, are a perennial top seller along with Carmel deLites.
You’re probably crazing cookies now — take heart, Girl Scouts will be selling cookies outside Vons supermarket where you can grab a box on your way in to shop and one on the way out.
“The sale lasts about six weeks,” so there will be plenty of time to buy and buy again.
Sadler said cookies would also be on sale at dance, gymnastic and basketball school events, door-to-door and online.
The first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts occurred in 1917, when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them as a service project. It is estimated that cookies began selling as early as the late 1920’s along California’s Central Coast.
“Today, the Girl Scout Cookie Sale Program still fuels adventures for girls – continuing as an invaluable activity that fosters entrepreneurism helping girls to take the lead in powering their experiences and service to community,” said Jody Skenderian, Interim CEO of Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast, which serves over 10,400 girls across six counties.
The organization is committed to making the Girl Scout Leadership Experience available to girls in ways that impact their lives both in the moment and into the future. Girls participate in troops, individual projects, council events, day camps and more. A variety of leadership, outdoor skills, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) based programs and events provide girls with opportunities to learn and explore in fun and informative ways.
Involved in the Girl Scouts since October 2015, Sadler enjoys being a leader to up-and-coming leaders, including her own children, 7-year twins Addison and Eva and 5-year-old Natalie. Her Troop co-leaders are Sara Glauser and Heather Merenda.
Sadler was a Brownie in the 1980s, “Only for a year, but I knew I wanted my daughters do it,” when she discovered the two top-flight nurses caring for her premature twins were Scout Leaders.
Girl Scouts enjoy a variety of activities ranging from Take Action community projects and visits to Santa Paula Police and Fire stations to arts and crafts.
Sadler said the girls mixed two activities when they took part in the Santa Paula Optimist Club Christmas Parade, had their photo taken and decorated frames for the photos as a present for their parents.
Coming up February 22 is Girls Scouts World Thinking Day: “We’re researching Ireland, will do a skit about it and make shamrock pins,” that will be swapped with girls from other troops.
Visit the Facebook page, Girl Scouts of California’s Central Coast for more information or visit www.girlscoutsccc.org/cookies to order online.
