Would you like to buy some Girl Scout Cookies?

Daisy Girl Scouts from Troop 40938 had their cookie booth on Saturday in front of Millie’s Coffeehouse on Main Street. The enthusiastic crew was eager to make sales and earn money for their troop activities! On Sunday, Scouts from Troop 40099 had a cookie booth in front of Emanuel Church. More are planned for the coming weeks. And pre-ordered cookies will be coming soon!

by Marsha Chartrand

For all the fans of Girl Scout cookies, there is good news! Girl Scout Cookie sales have started in the Manchester area as of this weekend. 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? The new, “clean“ S’more cookies or the gluten-free Toffee-tastic? No matter what your choice, the wait is over!

This year the Scouts are offering nine flavors of cookies, both old favorites and new. The most traditional, Trefoils, Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, Samoas, Adventurefuls, Lemon-Ups, and Tagalongs, are all $5 per box. The newest flavors, S’mores and Toffee-tastic, are $6 per box. All of them are sure to please the kid in you (and your family members)!

All cookie proceeds stay local! In fact, 76% of the cost of each box is reinvested in local Girl Scouts! That’s right, all the money that a council and its troops raise through the Girl Scout Cookie Program — every penny after paying the baker — stays with that council and its troops. Girl Scout councils do not provide any portion of their cookie revenue to Girl Scouts of the USA.

When you buy Girl Scout Cookies, you’re helping to power new, unique, and amazing experiences for girls — experiences that broaden their worlds, help them learn essential life skills, and prepare them to practice a lifetime of leadership. Selling cookies also teaches girls five main skills:

Goal Setting:
Each girl sets their own goal of how many boxes they would like to sell, as well as works with the troop to set a troop goal. Each girl can participate as much or as little as they desire.

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 Scout 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 teaches 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.

If you’re looking to get your fill of Girl Scout cookies before the season ends:

• Watch for announcements of more cookie booths in coming weekends
• Pre-ordered cookies will also be delivered this month
• Email girlscoutsofmanchestermi@gmail.com and they’ll hook you up with a troop!

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by Marsha Chartrand

Marsha Johnson Chartrand, a founder, writer, and copy editor with the Manchester Mirror, is a 50-year resident of Manchester. She has a long history of volunteer and community involvement.