Girl Scout Cookie Season Underway

As the evening air grew chill with the setting sun, troop leaders, Cindy Koshatka and Katherine Lennon, stood cheerfully with Girl Scout troop number 213 outside the Burke Spartan Restaurant selling cookies. The young girls smiled brightly and called out to passersby that they had, “Cookies for sale!”

This year, from Feb. 19 to March 28, if a Girl Scout troop doesn’t show up at your door then they are definitely to be seen conducting sales from booths in your local area. A long-enduring tradition that began back in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low, Girl Scout cookie sales have become a rich part of American history. “I was a girl scout when I was young,” Koshatka said proudly. “And my daughter was a girl scout until she went away for school.” Standing next to her, Lannon also admitted being a girl scout when she was a little girl. “Even my mother and grandmother were girl scouts!” Lannon exclaimed.

Though not all Girl Scout volunteers have a history of being in Girl Scouts, usually those who go through the program as young girls become avid supporters and volunteers of Girl Scouts later. “I am passionate about Girl Scouts,” said Koshatka.

All the proceeds made from the cookie sales stay in the Greater Washington area to fund Girl Scout council and troop activities, as well as a charitable cause that the girl scouts choose each year, themselves, “We think it’s important that the girls choose which cause they want to donate to,” said Koshatka.

By participating in Girl Scout activities and doing cookie sales, these young girls develop many important business skills, five of which include: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.  In 2010 alone, thousands of scouts were able to retain more than 2.8 million dollars to fund their activities and charitable causes. Any cookies that remain are also donated charities or to troops that are overseas.

Marybeth Lannon, a 9-year-old Brownie in troop 213, stood with her friends, grinning excitedly as they approached people passing by with brightly colored cookie boxes.

“I’ve been in Girl Scouts since I was five,” said Marybeth. “My favorite activity was when we were able to raise enough money to go rock climbing last year!” When asked if she was comfortable talking to people she didn’t know to sell cookies, Marybeth shrugged nonchalantly and replied, “I’m used to it now.” As she rejoined her friends in calling out that they had cookies for sale, Koshatka laughed, saying, “And these are our shy girls.”

Each weekend from Friday to Sunday, the Girl Scout booths are set up for sale in the evening. In the Burke area, Girl Scout booths can be spotted most commonly at from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. or at off of Old Keene Mill Road from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. You can also find them at the and by next to Burke Commons. In the West Springfield area, booths are most commonly set up at Walgreens by Rolling Road and Old Keene Mill Road from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information on where you can find a local Girl Scout booth sale, go to http://cookielocator.littlebrownie.com/.

For more information on the history of Girl Scout cookies and FAQs, go to http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/cookie_history/.