SCIOTO COUNTY— Punxsutawney Phil recently emerged in front of a crowd, where he did not see his shadow and predicted an early spring. Local Girl Scouts are left wondering where that spring is, however, as they stand dressed to impress and determined, at cookie booths all over the region, adamant on following through with their business plans of selling cookies to benefit the programming their peers spend all year participating in.

Like the postal service, these Girl Scouts deliver, rain, sleet, or snow, as witnessed by local girls standing in the elements, loyal to their booths, outside local businesses like Walmart and Gahm’s. With half the cookie season over, the girls see importance in staying true to their goal of making for a successful campaign of funding future opportunities for their troop.

“Of course, we wish there was better weather for these girls selling cookies to fund camp and other impactful educational opportunities, but they’re also learning that a little discomfort may be necessary to do big things, and they seem to not let it phase them as they take their role in the program seriously,” Membership Manager for Scioto (Indian Rock), Gallia, and Vinton (Little Racoon) Heather Book said. “Girl Scouts of America builds future leaders and hard work is instrumental in that development. Combining that work with big hearts; I don’t see how they can fail as I witness them persevering in the snow and cold without a complaint.”

According to the national organization, “The sale of cookies by Girl Scouts had humble beginnings, born as a way for troops to finance activities. The first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts occurred in 1917, when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them in their high school cafeteria as a service project. As the Girl Scout Cookie Program developed and evolved, it not only became a vehicle for teaching five essential skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—but it also enabled collaboration and integration, as early as the 1950s, among girls and troops of diverse backgrounds as they worked together toward common goals.

“Today, nearly 1 million Girl Scouts participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, generating nearly $800 million in cookie sales during the average season. All of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program—100 percent of it— stays with the local council and troops. With over 50 million households purchasing cookies every season, the irresistible treats can be found nationwide and will hold a beloved place in Americana for years to come, continuing to help girls take the lead and, ultimately, change the world.”

Ohio options this year include Adventurefuls, which is a brownie inspired cookie topped with caramel cream and sea salt; classic thin mints; Tagalongs; Samoas; Do-si-dos; Trefoils; Lemonups; s’mores; and Toffee-tastic. All options are $5.

The sale of cookies began Friday, January 5 and will run through Sunday, March 17, meaning the girls are halfway done with their mission.

“The cookie program is the largest girl-led entrepreneurship program in the world. It is important because it instills a lot of useful skills in these future leaders,” Book said. “The cookie program teaches girls five important skills. These skills include goalsetting, where these girls set their owns goals with their team and make plans; decision making, where they decide where and when to sell cookies, what to do with earnings, and more; money management, where they develop budgets, take orders, and carry out transactions; people skills, where they learn to speak and listen to customers and their team; and business ethics, where girls act honestly and responsibly during every step of the cookie sale. Through these five skills, all girls develop tools to use in the real world through and after school.”

Book echoed the national program, stating the financial benefits are also important.

“100 percent of net revenue from cookie sales stays in your local community,” Book said. “Troops use their portion of the proceeds to attend world-class programming, unique outdoor adventures, and projects that create positive change in their communities. In my opinion, the best part is that being girl led means the girls choose what activities they participate in based on their interests and passions.”

Book stepped out in last week’s snow and plummeting temperatures, armed with special patches that reward booth sellers for their effort. She greeted many girls, including Troop 9447 at Gahm’s Market in Lucasville, where Emma Ackerson, Phthalo Aurelian, Rosie Pinson, and Eloise Kemper were all bundled in layers against the cold while wind ripped at their booth dressings and displays.

Book visited with the girls, heard their pitch, and was impressed. She left with 28 boxes of cookies and the girls left with new patches.

“It is exciting to help get girls and adults involved,” Book said. “As a troop leader and Girl Scout parent myself, I believe whole heartedly in the GSOH mission to show girls that they have the power to have a positive effect on not just their community but the world.”

To anyone with a child interested in becoming a Girl Scout, or someone who would like to become a volunteer, Book encourages them to visit www.gsoh.org/join. Girls and volunteers are welcome to join all year long, and GSOH have extended year memberships beginning April 1, 2024. For questions, contact Heather Book at [email protected].

With half the season behind them, the community can expect to see many Girl Scouts out in the community to make the most of their remaining time. For only $5, you can support these girls in their personal development as future leaders, all while leaving with a box of guilt-free cookies where calories obviously don’t count when you’re serving the Girl Scouts.

Reach Joseph Pratt at (740) 353-3101, by email at [email protected], © 2024 Portsmouth Daily Times, all rights reserved.