Written by
Dee Loflin, SMT Writer

Bloomfield, Missouri – It is that time of the year when Girls Scouts will be selling their delicious cookies door-to-door.  The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led enterprise in the country and begins on Friday, January 4^th – January 21st.  These girls utilize five basic skills they have learned and will use throughout their life.

1.  Set a goal,

2.  Make decisions,

3.  Manage money,

4. People skills,

5. Good business ethics. 

Many of today’s successful women leaders who were Girl Scouts growing up have given credit to their entrepreneurial experience from selling cookies.   All the proceeds from the Cookie Program benefit girls by helping to provide them with low-cost, high-quality leadership programs and experiences.

For each box of Girl Scout cookies that a girl sells, about 25% of the cost goes to the bakery for production, transportation, and support costs.  Of the remaining proceeds, 100% goes directly to benefit the girls.  All proceeds stay within the council jurisdiction and do not go to the national Girl Scouts. Through earned recognitions or other aspects of the Girl Scout Leadership program including, but not limited to the following:

• Low-cost council program events
• Safe and well-maintained program centers for all girls to use
• Volunteer resources and support
• Recruitment efforts and resources
• Publications such as the camp guide and newsletters, provided at no charge to girls
• Council website and online resources
• Financial assistance

The top ten selling cookies sold in the United States are Girl Scout cookies and in 2012 the sales of Thin Mints surpassed Oreo sales.  This made Thin Mints the #1 selling cookie in the country.

In addition to the highly popular Thin Mints, the Girls Scouts in this area will be selling the following cookies:

• Thin Mints: Round dark-chocolate mint-flavored cookies.
• Peanut Butter Sandwich: Two oatmeal cookies with a layer of peanut butter sandwiched in between
• Shortbread: Shortbread cookies shaped like the Girl Scout trefoil
• Caramel deLites: Caramel, coconut, and chocolate doughnut-shaped cookies
• Peanut Butter Patties: Round cookies with a layer of peanut butter that’s covered in chocolate
• Thanks-A-Lot: Shortbread cookies with a layer of fudge on the bottom
• Lemonades: Shortbread cookies with lemon icing
• Mango Crèmes (with NutriFusion®): Vanilla and coconut cookies filled with tangy mango flavored crème enhanced with fruit-derived nutrients

Each year the Bloomfield Girl Scouts host a “Cookie Ralley”.  This year they met at the Bloomfield Elementary School.  About 40 girls from 7 troops from kindergarten to high school sampled cookies, made crafts, sang songs about cookies and Girl Scouting and played BINGO.  They also discussed safety rules when selling their cookies and how to fill out the form.

Please support your local Girl Scouts and purchase the wonderful cookies.  They are available for $4 per box.  During the pre-order period from January 4^th  – January 21^st, no money is collected until the cookies are delivered.

If you miss your chance during January, you will get another opportunity.  Beginning February 9^th, you will find Girl Scouts of all ages selling cookies at booths in front of local businesses.  ShowMe Times will announce the locations and times when the information becomes available.  You can also download the Cookie Finder app for iPhone or Android to find the booth closest to you.

Hurry to get your order placed or buy these delicious cookies, as the Girl Scouts will end their cookie sales on March 10, 2013.

If you would like more information or would like to purchase Girl Scout Cookies, please contact Christy Slaughter at 573-421-5233.  She is a very busy lady this time of year so just leave a message and she will return your call as soon as possible.  She truly appreciates everyone’s support.

If you have a Girl Scout troop in the area and wish to spotlight them, please send us a picture or email information to news@showmetimes.com.