It is finally time for the infamous Girl-Scout-Cookie season, where people stock up on boxes of their favorite unique cookie flavor before it is all sold out again. Annually, the twelve cookie varieties continue to capture the attention of Americans. However, how did these cookies become so renowned? What are they for? What do Girl Scouts do?
Girl Scout Cookies began as a function of raising money for the Girl Scout program, but it soon evolved to become a collaborative practice that united girls of diverse backgrounds to work towards a common funding goal. What began as selling cookies in a school cafeteria, now raises hundreds of millions nationwide for the Girl Scouts program. After 107 years of selling Girl Scout Cookies, the program continues to flourish.
In 1912, the first Girl Scout troop was founded to build the courage of young girls as they grew into young women. Now, Girl Scouts continue to serve communities, display leadership and courage, and educate themselves and others.
Lucy Hollingsworth, a Girl Scout of ten years, explains the skills she has learned, “I’ve learned practical skills like how to use a saw, build a fire, administer first aid, and a lot more.”
Numerous high-school students at Athens Academy participate in the senior achievement program for being a Girl Scout, known as the Gold Award. The Gold Award requires high-school girls to address an issue in their community that captures their attention. Next, she must gather a team to aid in achieving her goal of tackling the said issue. The Girl Scout and her team must craft a proposal for the local Girl Scout council to approve and then carry out the plan with her team.
In sum, the buying and selling of Girl Scout Cookies can contribute to the continuation of projects like the Gold Award: where girls seek to address pressing issues in our community and inspire others to serve the community as well.
Hollingsworth, as she works toward her Gold Award, learned a great deal on her journey as a Girl Scout and says, “I’ve also learned how to be both a better leader and follower. I learned how to give clear instructions, move at a good pace, and offer helpful rather than hurtful suggestions. In activities where I was not in a leadership role, I learned a lot about active listening, accepting constructive criticism, and embracing the struggle when trying new things.”
The next time you are enjoying your favorite Girl Scout Cookie, appreciate the generations of women who poured their efforts into the growth and development of the Girl Scout organization.
