Scouts cookie sales to begin; new kind added
The doom of New Year's resolutions to eat healthier — the Girl Scout cookie sale — starts Friday.
There will be a new flavor to sample this year, said Stefanie Marshall, the public relations and marketing manager for Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, the group representing 20,000 Girl Scouts in troops across 27 counties, including Butler County.
Lemon-Ups will join the lineup replacing the Savannah Smiles lemon cookie.
Lemon-Ups is a crispy lemon cookie baked with messages inspired by Girl Scout entrepreneurs. “I am a go-getter” and “I am an innovator” are among the eight phrases that bring the experience of Girl Scouting to life.
Marshall said the new cookie joins the 2020 lineup, which also includes perennial favorites as Thin Mints, Samoas and Tagalongs.
“Those three are always available,” said Marshall. “We like to change out cookies occasionally.”
“The last new cookie introduced was the S'mores in 2016,” she added.
It's probably good the cookie selections get freshened up every so often, the cookie sale has been around for over a 100 years, since its start in 1916.
The longtime fundraiser, which this year runs from Friday through March 22, bankrolls Girl Scout activities.
“All proceeds from the cookie program stay local,” said Marshall.
Jackie Schnoetag, a troop leader of Troop 26494 in Butler, said her 22-member troop sold 8,000 boxes last year.
“We were the biggest-selling troop in the area,” she said.
Schnoetag said her Scouts make their sales in a number of ways.
“We do a little bit of everything,” she said. “We sell door-to-door. My girls also do online sales.
“Each girl has a personal website the girls, themselves, set up,” she said.
And, beginning Feb. 28, Schnoetag said, “It's booth sales period where we set up in front of businesses and high-traffic areas. Last year, we sold 300 boxes in two hours at Walmart.”
Schnoetag said her troop raised between $6,000 and $7,0000 last year, money used to fund the troop's outings and community service projects.And there is more than just material benefits said Mary Beth Guynup, troop leader of 19-member Troop 20035 in Summit Township.“Girl Scouts has been a great adventure for both my daughter (Mercedes) and I,” she said. “She started in kindergarten and is currently in the ninth grade. Girl Scout cookie seasons has helped her in many ways.“First — in talking with adults both familiar and new. When she was little, we would practice her little speech and she would go to each relative's house or call them. Today, she has already wrote down her text so she is ready for Friday's big start day,” Guynup said.“Second — her confidence level in knowing her product. She has become very knowledgeable about her products over the years and is always ready to offer suggestions or answer questions at our booth sales,” she added.“Thirdly — money management. When she was little, she would just repeat what I said was owed and take the money and hand it to me. Now, not only can she figure out the amount due and change but she is helping the younger girls at our booths.“Finally — I believe that her goal-setting has been improved by cookie sales. Girl Scouts can earn little prizes for selling cookies. When she was younger, her goal was the stuffed animal. Today, she wants to make 'Super Seller' every year. That is over 600 boxes of cookies,”said Guynup.Guynup said her troop uses the proceeds to pay for field trips and go to events in the area.“For example, the father/daughter bowling is coming up and the cookie money will pay for the girl's share of the event. This helps keep the cost down for the parents too, as they only need to pay for the male companion,” she said.“Our troop is going to do a ceramics field trip next meeting and we are using proceeds from last year to pay for it,” she said. “But the biggest thing we are trying to save up for is a trip to Washington, D.C., this spring. We have been saving some of our cookie money for the past two years so we can spend a weekend in our nation's capital.Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania's Marshall said the new cookie packaging continues to emphasize Girl Scouts taking part in diverse experiences available to members — from camping and canoeing, to exploring space science and designing robots, to taking action to improve their communities.Still, not every change resonates with the local troop leaders.Like the end of the Savannah Smiles.“I have to say it was a personal favorite of mine, and I am a little disappointed it's gone,” said Schnoetag.
In the 2019 Girl Scout cookie sale, the troops represented by Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania:- Sold 2.36 million boxes of cookies.- Top-selling varieties were Thin Mints, Tagalongs and Samoas (Full ranking: Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Samoas, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils, S'mores, Savannah Smiles, Toffee-Tastic)- How many Girl Scouts sold cookies? Over 15,500- How much money went back to Girl Scout troops? Almost $2.1 million- How many boxes of cookies were donated through Operation: Sweet Appreciation to military service members? Over 47,000Girl Scout cookies can only be purchased from a registered Girl Scout. To find Girl Scouts selling cookies near you, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org or use the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app, free on iOS and Android devices.— Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania
