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To open the Girl Scout cookie season in Fairfield County, scores of volunteers got up early Saturday morning, bundled up against the cold, unpacked moving vans packed with cookies and loaded case after case of the tasty treats into cars, vans and SUVs for delivery to individual troops.
“It’s for a good cause” and “Save me a box of Thin Mints” were common comments from members of Danbury High’s Peer Leadership class who helped out at the cookie distribution and competed to carry as many cases at one time as possible. One successfully managed seven cases -- or 84 boxes -- in one armload.
But for the Girl Scouts, the cookies are about more than just a beloved fundraiser and delectable desserts.
“It’s a way for the girls to talk about what they want to do as a troop and set personal and group goals,” said Kari Kaplan, director of membership services in the Wilton office of Girl Scouts of Connecticut. “They are able to take action through the funds generated by the cookie sales."
Girls learn five core skills through cookie sales, said Kaplan, the mother of three Girl Scouts in Danbury:
- Goal Setting
- Decision Making
- Money Management
- People Skills
- Business Ethics
Also, girls at every level of scouting can earn a Cookie Business Badge every year.
"It's all about financial literacy," said Kaplan.
Proceeds of the cookie sales – they cost $4 per box – go to benefit troops, the Girl Scouts of Connecticut and the national Girl Scouts of the USA organization -- and to pay the bakery bill. In Connecticut, Scouts sell eight different cookie flavors: Trefoils, Do-Si-Dos, Samoas, Dulce de Leche and Thank U Berry Much as well as the top-selling Tagalongs and Thin Mints and the newest flavor, Savannah Smiles, named for the birthplace of Girl Scout founder Juliette Gordon Low.
To find a cookie sale near you, visit this website or download this App.
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