Girl Scout Cookies Have Arrived!
Girl Scout cookies were delivered this past week to the Manchester area. Have you been dreaming about the creamy chocolate, peanut butter, and crunchy cookie of the Tagalongs or the cool burst of mint combined with smooth chocolate in the Thin Mints? Either way, the wait is over!
You will soon see girl scouts in their uniforms with large smiles on their faces hawking copious amounts of colorful boxes sure to please the kid in you. This year, the price is $4.00 per box. Our area, the Heart of Michigan Council, was the last in Michigan to increase the price per box from $3.50 to $4.00, but alas, it has happened.
This year, there are a couple of promotions to keep in mind if you are buying cookies.
The first is the Strive For Five. Any person who purchases five boxes of cookies has the opportunity to enter a drawing for FIVE CASES of cookies! Complete an entry slip and you will be called if you win. It’s that simple! Buy five boxes and have a chance to win sixty boxes of your choice.
A second promotion is the Girl Scout Cookie Championship Give-Away! This promotion is for a year’s worth of cookies (52 boxes). This promotion runs through February 28, 2014. To participate, entrants must:
• Follow @Girlscouts on Twitter
• Download the Official Girl Scout Cookie Finder App (available from ITunes or Google Play)
• Use the app to “Meet the Cookies.”
• Share your favorite Girl Scout Cookie on Twitter via the Official Girl Scout Cookie Finder App to qualify.
See the details and official rules here.
Selling cookies teaches five main skills:
Goal Setting:
Each girl sets their own goal of how many boxes she would like to sell as well as working together with the troop to set a troop goal. Each girl can participate as much or as little as she desires.
Decision Making:
The girls decide together what they want to do with the money that is raised. They’ll decide if they want to donate cookies to a local food bank. In the Manchester area, cookies are often donated to the Community Resource Center.
Money Management:
When a customer buys a box (or two!) of cookies, the older girl scouts are responsible for counting the change and being in charge of their own money. For the younger girls, a parent can help to develop this skill.
People Skills:
If a girl scouts wants to sell cookies, they have to ask someone to buy them! Building people skills and working on having good manners always comes with selling cookies.
Business Ethics:
The very first line of The Girl Scout Law is “I will do my best to be honest and fair”. While the girls always want to increase sales, having ethical sales principles is much more important. Girl Scouts teach the girls to do what’s right. To make sure that people get what they have paid for and to pay for what they get.
Each girl is responsible for their own cookie sales. Many troops organize cookie booths in central locations such as the grocery store or in front of the bank, but ultimately, it is up to the individual girl to set their goal and try to achieve it.
There are two cookie booths already scheduled for Manchester. You’ll be able to purchase cookies at United Bank and Trust on Friday, February 21st from 3:00 – 5:30pm, and again on Saturday, February 22nd from 9:00am-12:00 noon.
To find a cookie booth near your work, enter your zip code into this website, and all of the sites will populate by date. Remember that many of the booths are located at Kroger, Lowes, and other major stores. If you keep your eyes open, I’m sure you’ll find a young girl with a large smile and lots of colorful boxes filled with yummy Girl Scout cookies. If not, send me an e-mail and I’ll connect you with one. Enjoy!
You must be logged in to post a comment Login