 2013 marks a milestone for the Girl Scouts, with a century of building "courage, confidence, and character" in young girls across the United States and beyond. The organization also celebrates 95 years of one of its most popular programs: the sale of its famously irresistible cookies. For the 2013 cookie selling season, which takes place between January and April of each year, Girl Scouts of the USA has revamped its business approach, taking innovative measures to broaden customer access and overall appeal. And these girls will stop at nothing to make their sale. Over the last 95 years, GSUSA has nurtured a multimillion dollar enterprise focused on teaching young women the ethics of business and entrepreneurship. The program seeks to build confidence and reliability, but not the personal bank accounts of the girls who participate. "Every penny after paying the baker stays with the local Girl Scout council that supports the sale," said a statement from the organization. Councils use cookie revenue to supply troops, groups, and individual girls with program resources, communication support, adult volunteers and assistance in conducting events. The statement continued, "We see the opportunity to increase revenues nationwide and change the dialogue about Girl Scout Cookies." They're baking up some creative ways to get there. The Girl Scouts redesigned their boxes to appeal to a more modern customer, highlighting the five key principles that the cookie sales program teaches: goal-setting, decision-making, money management, business ethics and people skills. "For the first time in over a decade we've updated our boxes to really show that actually Girl Scout Cookies are more than just cookies," GSUSA CEO Anna Maria Chávez told CNN's Early Start. "They develop these young ladies into tremendous leaders that are doing amazing things in their communities." The organization is also making a nod toward health-conscious consumers with the introduction of Mango Crèmes. It's a new cookie featuring mango, coconut, vanilla and "Nutrifusion," a product that "supercharges" foods' nutritional value, according to the maker's website. ABC Bakers, one of only two "Official Girl Scout Cookie Bakers," describes the product as "a mango-flavored creme filling with all the nutrient benefits of eating cranberries, pomegranates, oranges, grapes, and strawberries." Marketing and promotion strategies have also been overhauled. While tradition has it that Girl Scouts go door-to-door taking orders in their community and later hand-deliver the goods, tech trends have now made it possible for customers to seek out their sweet treat suppliers. The Girl Scout Cookie Finder App, available on iPhone and Android devices, provides GPS coordinates for the nearest cookie sales location.
Additionally, in step with recent food world trends, local troops teamed up with Sweetery NYC, a New York City food truck and mobile bakery, to create the National Girl Scout Cookie Day Truck. On Friday, February 8th, girls from all across the tri-state area rolled up to four different locations at designated intervals throughout the day. The snowstorm raged. The Girl Scouts sold on, securing canopy poles and credit card transactions. That's right – the Girl Scouts now accept plastic. Friday marked the introduction of the new sales method. On average, Girl Scout troops participating in the program raise over $790 million a year and GSUSA doesn't have plans to slow down anytime soon. Neither do the girls, themselves. Girl Scouts in the Greater Northeast last week were not only in competition with each other – they were battling the elements. As a blizzard rocked the region, sugar-starved adults trudged through sharp hail and strong winds to get their hands on those famous green boxes. Maribel Sabino, a 14-year-old Senior Girl Scout taking a break from sales to seek shelter from the cold, sat with her family at a café in midtown Manhattan. "We are here selling Girl Scout Cookies to inform people that Girl Scouts is not only about selling cookies and camping, but it is about how Girl Scouts is the number one girl-led business in the world," she said. Maribel's 12-year-old sister Rachel, a Cadette, didn't mind the weather all that much. "It's really a voluntary thing, but it teaches girls about life skills." Their youngest sister Olivia, a 9-year-old Junior Girl Scout, agreed. "I use decision-making every day," she explained. "I have to decide what time I'm going to wake up for school; I have to decide what the Girl Scout money is going to be used for. It not only helps us in the future but it helps us every day." Girl Scouts of the USA serves girls ranging from five to seventeen years of age. Troops exist in every zip code in America and 92 countries across the world. The organization now boasts 3.2 million young and adult members worldwide. Got a favorite Girl Scout cookie? Shout it out in the comments below. |
  Recent Posts
 |
 |
|
© 2012 Cable News Network. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
| Advertise with us | About us | Help | Advertising Practices
How about some sugar free Girl Scout cookies?
If you're willing to give $6 (or more), it would be better to donate directly, instead of buying cookies.
The council/troup gets to use all of the $6.
You get a tax deduction...
For those who don't or can't eat the cookies think of our deployed military and donate to the "Operation Thin Mint" program. I do this so I send the money to my granddaughter in another state. I get the joy of buying but none of the side-effects. The military gets the joy of eating them and a good gift from home.
Getting straight to the issue. Child labor laws violations and slick marketing to fool the public.
Damn leprechauns bombard me as I try to enter the grocery store. Why is the Thin Mint so good!!?? My willingness to resist collapses and I buy boxes...
I always found it odd that kids are taught to not talk to strangers, but sent out to sell stuff to the same strangers.
Well, we are teaching our children that it's all about the money....
So perhaps the Girl scouts are doing a public service by teaching these little girls how to hustle at an early age.....
I also love the cookies (particularly the short bread and thin mints!), but am not inclined to buy anything from pint-sized high pressure sales people in training who are coached not to take a "no" for an answer. There is something very-off putting about a 10 year old questioning my "no thank you, not today" response, and behaving as if she's in a debate, rebutting any argument. (Don't eat them yourself? Buy for your grandkids", "No cash on hand? No problem - we take MasterCard & Visa") Someone needs to tell these munchkins that "no thank you" means exactly that, and graciously move on to the next house.
I agree, so the very first thing I taught my daughter to say when someone says no is "Thank you, you have a great day..." and move on. No one needs a hard-sell from a 9-year old!
I won't buy a box of cookies for $4.00, especially when the troop only gets 50 cents of that.
My family doesn't eat cookies anyways, so it's no great loss. I'll give to the local troop directly, since I don't need a tax deduction.
"Nutrifusion," a product that "supercharges" foods' nutritional value, according to the maker's website".....what, in the name of God, is this and what does it actually do? Serious question....
How about escaping the traditional gender roles ? How about boy scouts sell cookies and girl scouts do more boy scouts activities ? And why have boys scouts and girls scouts and not simply scouts ? We need to encourage girls be more career oriented and boys be more involved in raising a family/
The Boy Scouts sell several different baked goods quite often and there are many family focused merit badges, which require months of family budgeting, planning, and discussion are required to reach Eagle Scout. Also keep in mind that Girl Scouts are only involved in the marketing and entrepreneurial end of the cookie business, they don't make them themselves. Boy Scouting also teaches valuable cooking skills (which I now use everyday!). And the girl scouts do in fact do many of the same activities as the boy scouts. And then there is Venture Scouting which is a co-ed, high adventure based branch of the Boy Scouts.
You must not know anything about Girl Scouts. When I was in it we did archery, leather working, egg drops, camping and everything else the boy scouts did. Just because they sell cookies doesn't make them taking 'traditional' roles. It just means they have found their sweet spot with cookies. Boy scouts are pretty well known for their popcorn sales... well at least around here.
Susan,
You should really education yourself about Girl Scouts before commenting. I have two girls (now age 22 and 18) that each spent over 6 years with GSUSA and our troops participated in: Rock climbing, archery, camping, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, Ropes courses and many many other "Boy Scout" type activities. Girl Scouting has a badge program for almost every conceivable activity, from home repair and auto repair to baking and sewing. The point is for girls to decide what experiences they want and to try many new activities. The experiences will vary from one troop to another as the interests of the girls vary. And yes our troops did also earn a baking & cooking badge, but guess what, they will all need to know how to cook for themselves one day. That is not giving into gender roles but rather preparing girls to be self sufficient young women.
By separating girls and boys at an age where they tend to be more of a distraction to each other, GSUSA (and Boy Scouts) provides an atmosphere that promotes self confidence. If you look at studies that have followed single sex education you will see that adolescent girls generally show a higher level of self esteem when given the chance to learn and try new activities when in a single sex setting.
I encourage you to volunteer for your local GS council and learn what dynamic girls are doing in GSUSA
I used to seel GS cookies for 50 cents a box..... that shows you how old I am!! :-)
Love the cookies, respect what the organization is trying to do, BUT...
Many pitches have been made to me to buy cookies, all from parents, NEVER once the girls themselves...
Bought 5 boxes...the mom emailed me soliciting me to buy from her daughters (they are in high school), emailed to confirm delivery, and made the delivery herself...never once did I have any interaction with the Girl Scout...
Every solicitation for cookies this year involved only the parents...hmmm...is this really a learning experience...
My policy is to buy from any kid who approaches me on his/her own selling something for school or scouts. So far, that has been 2 different familiies of Girl Scouts and one Cub Scout at work, and one Boy Scout who knocks on our door – don't know him. I "resist" wrapping paper, cookie dough and taffy apples very easily when there's a sign up sheet at work. My mom has stood up in a Girl Scout Leaders' meeting and announced to 40+ leaders that she will buy from any GIRL who calls or knocks, yet year after year, no one calls.
I won't buy a box of cookies for $4.00, especially when the troop only gets 50 cents of that.
Me, too! We thought it was outrageous when the price went up to 60 cents!
meh.....they are as bad as the Boy Scouts.....spreading their evil extreme right winged brain drain.
It seems that it is the liberals who hate everything other than themselves and their causes.
Would you please elaborate, Rockwood?
The GS hold no political stances. It's a group of girls learning about themselves and about the world.
Not so much. GSUSA is inclusive, unlike the Bigoted Scouts of America.
I beg to differ-the religious folk around here won't put their kids in Girl Scouts because they are too liberal. It's an entirely separate organization
Yup that's why they were under fire a few years ago for allowing a transgendered boy into a troop. They had the statement of 'anyone who identifies them self as a girl would be welcome'... totally a right wing group!
At least the girl scouts don't discriminate against sexual preference. The boy scouts need to enter the 21st century and get their act together.
The cookies are nasty and over priced. If i wanted to donate to the girl scouts i would just donate directly, not buy the crap cookies.
Over priced – maybe, the money goes to the GS. But they ARE yummy !!!!
I will always support the Girl Scouts... but never the Boy Scouts, who continue to deny some kids equal opportunities and encourage intolerance and dishonesty.
Oh? The Girl Scouts won't even allow boys to join.
I buy them because I like them but it still bothers me that the local troop gets so little from each sale while the national fat cats take the lion's share. Welcome to corporate America, girls.
"Every penny after paying the baker stays with the local Girl Scout council that supports the sale," said a statement from the organization"
It DOES say "local" GS council.
That is total BS, the troop gets about $0.60 per box, the rest is gone baby, gone. I have seenm some unscrupulous adults charging $6.00 per box too.
The troop is not the local council. The local council is usually the state office that oversees all of that state's Girl Scout camps. The local council offers programs that any troop can attend and many other things (like scholarships). This is where the "other" money goes. True, a troop only gets a small portion, but the local council needs funds to provide those camps and activities that all troops can use.
According to the GSUSA website, approximately 70% of the price of a box of cookies stays with the council, 10% goes to the Girl/Troop. GSUSA gets its money from licensing... check here for more information: http://www.girlscouts.org/program/gs_cookies/faq.asp
Also, if you wish to make a donation right to the Girl/Troop, in my area, it has to be made to the Council as the actual corporate entity... And I'm not sure that my money would go to the Troop that i want it to go to.
If you wish to donate to a local troop, you can. At the end of the year, the troop leader completes a sponsorship form that accounts to their council office on what funds were received.
Hello, For those of you who would like more information on what the local council's do with the the approximately $2 per box they receive in proceeds from cookie sales, here's what the San Diego Council does:
- The majority of salaries and support costs come from separate fundraising sources (like our annual gala). 85% of all funds that go to our council directly go back to THE GIRL!
- Council maintains 6 facilities including a headquarters, 3 service centers and 2 open space camps in very expensive San Diego
- For the camp grounds, the council pays for the maintenance of many acres of open space, cabins, facilities and forests (some in high fire risk areas and require aggressive care to keep the grounds safe)
- The council pays the super expensive California property tax rates on all of its facilities including all of the open space ($$$$!!)
- 12% of all girls who attend camp in our council do so for free; if you count the camps earned by the girls who sell cookies, there are about 30% of girls who attend a 5 day camp for free.
- Council provides, free, discounted and "lending" camping gear to thousands of girls per year.
- Our council alone helps to provide over 10,000 hours of community service PER MONTH
- Last year we reached the mark of over 1 million boxes of cookies sent overseas to our military men and women
And, on a personal cookie mom note, I have seen the opportunity to sell girl scout cookies change a young girl's life. We had a girl who was so painfully shy that she could barely speak to other adults in the troop. However, when she was given a message, a purpose and a stage, she became one of our top sellers! She completely broke through her shyness, and in the span of about 3 months, I saw a completely different child! Her Mother was in tears of joy one day as she felt like her daughter could actually function around others after she had joined scouts. It wasn't just the cookie sales, it was the whole effect the scout program had on her.
So, the next time a little girl asks you to buy a box of cookies, even if you don't buy some, please say no politely. You never know how much courage it took for that girl to ask you that question.
Thank you to everyone who supports girl scouts through cookies and other methods! :)
Thank you for your response and your testimonial.
No thanks. I don’t support Planned Parenthood!!
Huh?
Why not? When I first got married, Planned Parenthood was there for me when I couldn't afford healthcare so I could have a yearly exam to make sure I was healthy enough to have children in the future. They do SO much more than offer birth control services and abortions. They are a HEALTH CARE clinic first. Please educate yourself instead of listening to propaganda.
I miss Girl Scout cookies!! I used to see them as a kid, and have only seen them twice as an adult. Once, the Thin Mints - my favorites!! - were in some ice cream!! And another time in a candy bar!!
The last box of cookies I bought, was either three or 3 fifty a box. I think there was maybe 12 cookies in the box. That's an expensive box of cookies, and they weren't that good.
$3.50 for 15 Caramel deLites – my favorite!!
Try not to think of them as expensive cookies, try to think of it as supporting a good cause :)
These girls work their rear ends off to raise funds for their troop and council. They also put aside a part of their troop's earnings for service projects like stocking local food banks, buying clothes and toiletries for families in need, and giving toys to sick children.
It's more about the confidence building, teamwork and skill building than it is pushing the cookies. Please consider supporting them!
And, if you don't like or cannot eat the cookies, you can always buy a box to donate to servicemen and servicewomen overseas. And yes, I am a parent of a GS. ;)
Peace to you all!
Clevercandl – my apologies. I meant to reply to the person above your comment. :)
I bet the Girl Scouts themselves (the girls) didn't design any of the new looks, apps, etc. It's all pretty much got to be masterminded by the producers and upper management at the GS. I really wonder what roles - if any - the young ladies themselves played in this? This would have been a golden educational opportunity. Well, I guess they learn instead that the corporate elite rule, and they just have to follow what is dictated to them.
To be fair, there are a lot of people who ask if our GS troops accepted credit cards last year.
It was something that GSUSA took into account.
Not true. One year when my daughter was a Girl Scout daycamp, they came to the camp and asked them their opinions and let them vote on different aspects of the cookie sale. Please find out before you make assumptions.
Wow, I remember the days of eating box after box of THIN MINTS. I definitely didn't eat enoug TAGALONGS when I could! :(
MMMMMMMmmmmmmm
I love girl scouts.
Friday most certainly did NOT mark the start of taking plastic in girl Scout cookies!
We have been doing that for over a year here in North Texas! My 6 year old can swipe your card and ring up your order as fast (or faster) than any store employee can ;)
so glad to see that the gsa enthusiactlally supports the inclusions of lesbian girls.
What is wrong with you? Yeesh!
The negative posts in this post are incredibly nieve and socio pathic. You got people here with no will power and no sense of self worth who want to blame the scouts for making them fat. The same people fill their buggy with HoHO's and soda but they dont hate their grocer. You can have cookies if they are part of a dietary plan but no you cant eat the whole box. Its simple.
You most certainly CAN eat the whole box...if you just do it once a year!! :)
"you can't eat the whole box"? That sounds like a challenge! I accept your terms and will see you on the field of battle.
"Chavez, the first Hispanic leader of the Girl Scouts, took over for retiring Kathryn Cloninger, whose salary, tax filings show, was $356,911. A Girl Scouts spokesman would not divulge Chavez’s salary."
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/what_mean_girl_gVKRPj3S6thvIhe2Qjy0ZM
link from posting of JDM
Girl Scouts seem to want to keep salaries secret.
That's at least less than what the president of BSA makes, whose 2011 compensation was over $1 million. Maybe she should lobby for equal compensation?
$356,911
That salary was the previous CEO salary.
Will the app tell me where to get cookies from Little Brownie Bakeries? All the girl scouts around be are selling cookies from ABC bakery which are not nearly as good.
You'll have to go out of your area. Each council decides which baker to use.
"Chavez, the first Hispanic leader of the Girl Scouts, took over for retiring Kathryn Cloninger, whose salary, tax filings show, was $356,911. A Girl Scouts spokesman would not divulge Chavez’s salary."
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/what_mean_girl_gVKRPj3S6thvIhe2Qjy0ZM
link from posting of JDM
Tagalongs used to be my favorite cookie that came in a box, they arent nearly as good as they used to be, you get less peanut butter and it has a weird dull taste compared to around 5 years ago when they were amazing. Now they are on par with standard grocery store cookies which I never buy. I was told that they changed the baker awhile ago, well this new supplier is horrible.
I went from counting the days to girl scout cookie sales to not buying a box in 2 years.
I swore off them many years ago because they are blatantly overpriced (sorry even for a good cause, they are a rip-off). Perhaps it was because the price kept going up & the boxes got smaller? They eliminated some of the flavors that people liked or better yet, I found I could get much BETTER cookies at the grocery store for less than half the price that these overpriced little boxes sold for. Sorry, Girl Scouts, but maybe you need to find another vendor, or at least give people close to their money's worth. I don't plan on ever buying them again.
It's the baker, Little Brownie Bakers make the awesome ones, ABC Bakers *suck*, which is quite sad as they're based in my hometown of Richmond, Virginia. It seems to be troop dependent, as I bought some Tagalongs from one lady at the office that were from LBB and they were oh, so good, and someone else (at the same office) supplied from ABC, and it was incredible how much worse they were!
One additional thing – I don't recall the difference, but the boxes are designed differently between the bakers (or they were last year, at least), you can tell at a glance. I think the Little Brownie Bakers boxes say "Peanut Butter Patties" on them under "Tagalongs", and the ABC ones do not. Either way, you can look at the boxes themselves and it'll say which baker made them.
I know girl scout cookies are not the healthiest thing to eat, but we buy and eat several boxes every year and I am not obese, but I do excerise.
So what do you want, a cookie?
Great reply. It madde my day :)!.
Boycott all scouts until further notice!
Or at least girlcott them
The first time I tried a gs cookie – I gagged! They are awful. When my girls were little they wanted to join the brownies. I wasn't thrilled with how their 'badges' were "earned". As a result, both girls joined the 4H. They serve the community, they learn how to talk in public and they are not separated by sex. They don't get "badges" for some lame 1 hour session.
Finally, because of the 4-H, both got hired over applicates who were in the scouts. My youngest told me that her boss said the 4-H teaches them responsibilites – something the scouts don't do.
Wow....aren't you just an amazingly smug little B.
That is incredibly inaccurate, and rude.
Why not join both? GS takes girls younger than 4H (non prep). I have two daughters, and both have been in both GS and 4H. They have benefitted from both. Yes, they do 4H public speaking annually, but GS has the girls engage with the public in a different way–selling cookies, public service projects and research, etc.
Second generation Girl Scout cookie mom here. For those of you on diets, Girl Scouts has a 0 calorie option. Donate cookies. In our council they get shipped by the Blue Star moms to our troops in Afghanistan. Or you can donate them to the local food bank. The customer chooses.
And by the way those few cents a box that the kid earns can add up if you sell a lot of boxes. It took two years of selling, but last year my teen paid for a Girl Scout sponsored trip to Costa Rica (yes they volunteered replanting rainforests, but also had lots of fun) and hopes to go to Switzerland and Italy with the scouts in two years. Her troop earns $.70/box from her efforts (with bonuses) which they will use this year to buy and install new engines on their Navy-donated boat. Her troop is a Mariner troop so they learn engineering and navigation skills during troop meetings in addition to selling and goal-setting skills from cookie sales. All that from selling cookies.
That is really cool. I buy cookies because I like the taste, but it is good to hear some of the good things girl scouts are doing.
I plan on buying a few boxes on the way home from work today. I bought extra last year to try to counteract the ridiculous boycott. Delicious Samoas with a sprinkling of political spite...doesn't get any better, kids.
They should be ashamed of the ingredients in these cookies. The entire food industry in this country is geared toward feeding us artificial additives that are NOT food (many of which are banned in the rest of the world). The Girl Scouts should be responsible for teaching nutritional information to these young girls on top of just teaching them how to sell. Why not come up with cookies with real ingredients?
Looking at a box of Samoas, among the horrifyingly unhealthy and artificial ingredients that should not be consumed are: partially hydrogenated oil, enriched flour, high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin, and more.
A note on partially hydrogenated oils (a.k.a. trans fat): Trans fat has been shown to be deadly even in small amounts. “Previous trials have linked even a 40-calorie-per-day increase in trans fat intake to a 23% higher risk of heart disease.”
http://healthland.time.com/2012/07/17/nycs-trans-fat-ban-worked-fast-food-diners-are-eating-healthier/
So what you're saying is that cookies are bad for you? Goodness golly gosh, this changes everything!
No, what I'm saying is that additives and artificial sugars are terrible for you, and have horrible health effects that exceed any negative effects of eating real sugars, butters, etc. There is a reason this country has a 33% obesity rate and it's not because of a little sugar and butter. Do your homework or you'll end up dying young and fat too.
So YOU are claiming our Nation is obese because of girl scout cookies, huh? That is so absurd, I don't even know how to respond!? Get a life!...
Robert, you ninny, look: trans-fats are very bad for you. Therefore, GS cookies w/ trans-fats in them are very bad for you. This does not mean that GS cookies are the only source of trans-fat. A lot of the "food products" you'll find in stores have this crap in them.
The GS should make their cookies without it.
Yeah! I've been eating "Thin" Mints for weeks now and if anything I'm GAINING wieght. What the heck?!? ;P
As much as I love my carmel delights, girl scout cookies are horrible for you. 2 cookies is like 250 calories.
Girl Scout Cookies are made with Palm Oil.
SAY NO TO PALM OIL! Did you know that each and everyone of us is fueling one of the world's biggest ecological disasters and acts of primate genocide in history?
Borneo and Sumatra are two of the most bio-diverse regions of the world, yet they have the longest list of endangered species. This list includes the magnificent orangutan. These two South-East Asian islands are extremely rich in life, containing around 20,000 flowering plant species, 3,000 tree species, 300,000 animal species and thousands more being discovered each year. Despite this amazing biodiversity and delicate web of species, an area the size of 300 football fields of rainforest is cleared each hour in Indonesia and Malaysia to make way for the production of one vegetable oil. That's 6 football fields destroyed each minute. This vegetable oil is called palm oil, and is found in hundreds of the everyday products, from baked goods and confectionery, to cosmetics and cleaning agents... many of which you buy in your weekly shopping.
Due to the massive international demand for palm oil, palm oil plantations are rapidly replacing the rainforest habitat of the critically endangered orangutan; with over 90% of their habitat already destroyed in the last 20 years.
Orangutans are some of our closest relatives, sharing approximately 97% of their DNA with humans. Orangutan means 'Person of the jungle' in the Indonesian language. It is estimated that 6 to 12 of these 'jungle people' are killed each day for palm oil. These gentle creatures are either killed in the deforestation process, when they wonder into a palm oil plantation looking for food, or in the illegal pet trade after they've been captured and kept as pets in extremely poor conditions and provided with extremely poor nutrition.
Orangutans are considered as pests by the palm oil industry. In the deforestation process, workers are told that if wildlife gets in the way, they are to do whatever is necessary in order to dispose them, no matter how inhumane. Often orangutans are run over by logging machinery, beat to death, buried alive or set on fire... all in the name of palm oil.
Government data has shown that over 50,000 orangutans have already died as a result of deforestation due to palm oil in the last two decades. Experts say that if this pattern of destruction and exploitation continues, these intelligent acrobats of the jungle will be extinct in the wild within 3 to 12 years (as early as 2015). It is also thought that their jungle habitat will be completely gone within 20 years (approximately 2033).
Around 50 million tons of palm oil is produced annually; with almost all of that being non-sustainable palm oil, that replaces 12 million hectares of dense, bio-diverse rainforest. That's the equivalent landmass of North Korea deforested each year for palm oil alone!
Palm oil is also having a shocking impact on our planet. The production of this one vegetable oil is not only responsible for polluting rivers and causing land erosion, but when the plantation workers set fire to the remaining trees, shrubs and debris to make way for the oil palms, it produces immense amount of smoke pollution that is toxic to planet earth. This has been found to be the second biggest contributor to greenhouse gas in the world.
By purchasing products that contain crude palm oil, you are helping destroy ancient, pristine rainforest, wipe out species like the orangutan, and create a large-scale ecological disaster. Think of the consequences next time you do your weekly shopping; the consequences not only for orangutans and other animals, but for us as the human race; for we cannot survive without the rainforests either. We have a choice, orangutans do not.
Actually they are no longer made with Palm Oil. Check your facts and the boxes. THey used to be. Found out it was bad. Stopped.
There is NO palm oil in girl scout cookies! I hope you had FUN typing all of that pointless verbiage! Do you sit up all night searching for useless "issues" to complain about? Just curious......
I don't have a specific point of view on the plam oil issue, but it is listed as an ingredient on the Caramel Delights(sub-ingredient of vegetable shortening), Thin Mints(same – under vegetable shortening), and Mango Cremes(listed as it's own ingredient).
Might be good to actually examine a box or 2 before making blanket statements that it's not in there.
The Girl Scouts – Pushing American Obesity for 95 Years
Humans – blaming everyone else for their problems fo ~250,000 years
Aud – you nailed it!
Poor fat Bob, it's always someone else's fault, isn't it?
Girl Scout cookies are not irresistible, they're run of the mill generics. The amount of cookies you get shrinks with each passing year while the guilt is ratcheted up by all the parents shucking this stuff at work. People by these cookies because they want to help support the organization, not because they are actually good cookies for a good value.
It's. A. Fundraiser. They're trying to make money – get it?
As for quality, I'm sure they're just as good as the candy bars your kid sells for school.
I bought some boxes just yesterday, but now that I've looked a the labels more closely, I wish I'd just made a donation.
Why are GS asking their supporters to buy something really unhealthy when better ingredients are available? I like cookies, but not ones made with Food Inc. crap in them.
53 years ago I attended Girl Scout summer camps in Arizona. Every day we had the unsold girl scout cookies for dessert at lunch. I remember those times with fondness. Being a brownie and a girl scout were a great part of my childhood.
Check out this recent NY Post story about what life is really like for Girl Scout employees under their new CEO. http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/what_mean_girl_gVKRPj3S6thvIhe2Qjy0ZM
A more than $350,000 salary and a mantra that work comes before family doesn't seem to mesh too well for a club that is supposed to instill family, charitable and moral values in young girls and young women. How unpleasant and sad. I wish the Girl Scouts were far less corporate and money driven and far more into activities for the girls. I understand you need money to do fun things, but I feel like Girl Scouts these days is 80% cookie drives and candy and magazine sales, and only about 20% useful lessons and field trips.
I did not see any information about actual dollars spent on programs or salaries on http://www.girlscouts.org
Article did not list salaries of the Girl Scouts of the USA leaders: Anna Maria Chávez, CEO and Connie L. Lindsey,
Chair of the National Board of Directors
We now have to pay up front when ordered. That may be necessary because people may refuse to pay for them when delivered, but it is a little disconcerting.
as a father of 3 daughters who were all girl scouts I can verify that we often had people order $10-$40 of cookies then when the girls went to deliver them they would have "changed their minds" or "short on money right now" The local neighborhood troop has to pay for those, as a parent I waited until afer deliveries where done then my order was whatever other people had refused to pay for so the local troop didn't have to take the financial hit.
I highly doubt Mango-Cremes are any healthier than the rest of the line. Adding fruit to a cookie doesn't decrease the fat, sugar, and carbs. Likely just marketing spin; as if having a bunch of cute girls selling cookies for a good cause wasn't enough. No wonder we're all obese.
If you read the box, there are actually no mangos listed in the mango creme cookie ingredients. There are shitake mushrooms though ! ;)
I write the troop a check without buying cookies. At least they get more than sixty cents. Troop leaders fund badges and all kinds of things out of their own pockets because of lack of support from the GS admin. Get rid of the HIGH DOLLAR ADMINS and I will gladly buy cookies.
Couldn't agree more with your suggestion funds siphoned off troop's take to go to other (administrative) destinations and it's just pure "wrong." For instance, I led a poor troop but my assitant (on welfare) had to pay to assist...It came out of troop dues. Cookie chairman had to pay for membership so she was bonded (handled money for troop)...She did countless hours and effort and had to PAY the GSA to do...If cookies order went into another crate (so many boxes per crate,) troop had to buy that crate...absorbing the cost. Then, the creme de la creme...I went to RI headquarters to ask what happened to the proceeds (did any little deserving girl from poor neighborhood "go free" to camp that year, Nada...Not One! No little girl allegedly wanted to. I was disgusted. I left the ranks, believing it's a well-oiled operation, squeezing lots of money out of the little girls' efforts, and far from what it appears...I'm waiting for someone to do an in-depth report on this...And yeah, I realize I'm treading on a sacred cow here...But it should be looked into.
I wish the MN River Valleys council would wise up and allow credit card transactions and get in on the new cookie flavors. We seem to be a bit behind these other councils mentioned in the article. BTW – our girls get $.65 per box sold – up $.15 from 2012, which more than makes up for the $.50 increase in price (and eliminates all those darn quarters!!). And for those that criticize the parents who help sell – this is no different than any other fundraiser kids undertake. No crime to have help – as long as it is the GIRLS who decide how to use their proceeds and put at least 40% back into something that benefits the community. I don't care if my daughter learns how to be a consumate salesperson or not – I care that she learns to manage money and give back.
I just write the troop a check, if you buy the cookies, they get what...sixty cents? I know the camps need to be funded, but the troops operate under budget with the leaders paying out of their own pockets for badges and other things. Get rid of the HIGH DOLLAR ADMINISTRATION and I will buy a box.
you are totally right. A $4 box and $2 goes to the bakery $1 goes to the national HQ $.3 goes to incentives and badges for the girls then the local troop gets 70 cents. I usually buy a box (it gets the girl a point toward her badge) and give them and extra couple dollars to give to the local troop.
Speaking only of the predominant association: Boy Scouts are associated with helping old ladies across the street and camping and earning badges, but Girl Scouts are associated with baked goods. Does anyone else see a problem with that?
Boys scouts are the ones who dscriminate against gays. Oh and they sell wreaths and popcorn.
Boy Scouts don't discriminate against gays, it's the ADULT boy scout LEADERS that try to.
It is a private organization and if they don't want the gays then they do not have to have them. If gays want to be "boy" scouts, then let them set up their own organization. I am sure all of the gay community will support them and buy the cookies or chocolate or whatever they sell to make money. Leave private companies and organizations alone about this, why would a gay person want to be where they are not wanted.
Yeah, and why would a black person want eat at a "whites only" restaurant? I mean, gay boys dont like camping anyway right? They only like theater, and ballet, n stuff like that.
Seriously, in some cases this type of discrimination is perfectly legal, but the legal freedom to be a bigot does not also confer protection from the ridicule of people who *don't* have their heads up their asses. So yes, the boy scouts are completely deserving targets of public scorn.
I associate Girl Scouts with camping, but Boy Scouts have the benefit of being backed by churches, which helps them have meeting sites. Of course, the backed by churches part is a double edged sword with the new problem of gays in scouting.
No, I see no problem with that. Did you have a specific problem in mind yourself, or were you just asking what everybody thought?
I still have cookies in the freezer from last year. I'm good but thanks anyway.
I love that you actually took the time to type that. What a joy you must be in person.
LOL
Blahface76, that may be the best reply I have ever read on a message board...I think I may just have to steal it!!
Take a couple of frozen thin mints, chop them up, and mix them into vanilla bean ice cream. You're welcome. And for everyone complaining about these cookies making them overweight, what in the world do you expect when you don't practice moderation? Your health is YOUR responsibility. YOU have to decide what's important in your life. If eating bad-for-you foods until near bursting brings you happiness, go for it, but remember when you have a heart attack that you alone are to blame. And trust me, it is possible to maintain a healthy and attractive weight while still enjoying a treat now and then.
I agree. I enjoy 4 thin mints with my cup of evening tea. 80 calories.
Don't eat the whole box people. Simple!
When is it NOT girl scout cookie season? I feel like I am always buying these things from my little cousins and co-worker's children.
Oh wow! Yet ANOTHER "joy" of a person!... Oh well...
Who needs an app to find them. They are everywhere for those 2 weeks. No one is safe.
I'm glad they updated the boxes, I think it had been at least 15 years since they had done so. They might have mentioned that while the cookie sale is having its 95th anniversary, the organization itself is 101 years old–Girl Scouts ROCK! I love opening the freezer in July and finding Thin Mints or Trefoils (the shortbreads) waiting to be enjoyed!
One rule I keep to, as a former Girl Scout, a past leader, and a past Neighborhood Cookie Sale Manager–the GIRL must sell me the cookies, NOT the MOM. I conduct the transaction with the kid, not the adult, no matter how pushy the adult is. Let the girl do the selling, parents! The parent should be the go-fer, security and the support crew. Happy sales to all!
I completely agree with you on that, but I understand how difficult it can be to carry your scout around to "safe" places where the scout can do the work. Years ago, we didn't think twice about letting kids roam the neighborhood selling cookies, popcorn, magazines but now you just cannot take that chance any more! The burden of finding safe places and following them the ENTIRE time is more than some parents are willing to give! It is such a shame, because the scout was originally supposed to do all the work and gain the values of good communication and fiscal responsibility!
that's not the truth of it, though. Many girls with larger orders get them sold by their parents at work. The girls do little, if any, of the work themselves.
A good portion of the money is wasted on crappy "incentives" (i.e. cheap little toys, etc.), salaries, etc. The girls don't get much of it. Here, they are closing their camps, so it's not even going toward that. Girl Scout cookie sales do not really benefit the girls themselves much at all, IME.
My girls wrote out scripts in their own words and phoned relatives and neighbors to take cookie orders. I did take order forms to work–not allowed to solicit, but we could post the order sheet on the common bulletin board in the break room. Anyone who ordered from a remote order form got a hand-written thank you (usually in crayon). There was always some contact with the actual scout.
My kids never sold door-to-door, the council here sets up the booths and the troops have to scramble for them, the troops are not permitted to set up booths without express permission from the council (for security reasons). We sold cookies at -20 degrees F, many stores allow booths outside, but not inside their buildings. This weekend, the temps will be in the teens. I always buy at least one box from an outdoor booth, if I pass one. There are some tough girls out there!
That's funny Valerie! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!
Those buttery ones, you know, the simple yellow ones that you can just slip into your mouth, along with a cold liter of milk? I could suck down two boxes of them while watching the ballgame. They rule!
Put two of those shortbreads together with frosting–world's best sandwich cookie! Try lemon or cherry frosting–try freezing the frosted cookies, too, they are good right from the freezer (if they last that long).
Or try Nutella...
The shortbread are my favorites as well.
and making the sandwiches with cheese filling in between... and we wonder why America is fat and has healthcare issues....
Oh Yeah! Those scouts should be selling broccoli and spinach instead, right?! I'm SURE they would make a "killing" doing that, huh? (sarcasm alert)
Way to go Al.
Oh yeah, man! I like my Trefoils crumbled over ice cream. So, so yummy!
I think the Girl Scouts need to revisit the traditional favorites (mint, peanut butter, others) while they're trying out these new ones. Whoever changed the recipies on the traditional flavors really blew it. They are waxy and tasteless. Let's make sure we keep a good foundation for these young ladies in what they're trying to sell without some rush to the future on untried flavors. I just give money and don't buy cookies because they're no longer tasty enough to eat. It's too bad...I was a girl scout...and sold cookies myself a while back.
They still have mint and peanut butter...both the chocolate covered and the plain peanut butter patties. I personally love the Lemonades...they are a newer flavor and not something you could find in a store normally. Although my favorite of course is the thin mints.
to bad most of the money goes to administration- those that 'run' girl scouts, rather than the troops themselves. yup. the troops only get pennies per box, while tthose execs get dollars... donate to the troop directly... better use of $$, less calories and get the same cookies at the store in the brand name for less anyway.
You are WAY of base with that comment. In my council the cookies sell for $4.box. The troop gets 60 cents, the individual scout from 5 to 20 cents depending on the number sold. It does cost some money to bake, package and deliver the cookies to the council and then the troops. That's about $1.25 per box. So we have $2 that goes to council that is used to maintain facilities and funds summer camp and other programs. Compare a week at GS camp to a week at another camp and the cost is 2-3 times the cost of GS camp.
Our YMCA camp is half the cost of a girl scout camp per week. And the girls would get a heck of a lot more of the proceeds if they were doing things like their own bake sales or car washes. If they sold a dozen homemade brownies for $4.00, I bet they'd make at least 75% of that in profit for their troop. No need to feed the $350,000 salary of the Girl Scout CEO or the expensive, nongreen packaging of the GS cookies. So much for promotiing community service and volunteerism. I think someone smelled the money and got confused with running a club for girls and an investment service. It's sad.
Also, keep in mind that they do add some value. Most troop leaders are moms (some dads), and an increasing number of them have jobs on top of kids and scouts. If there was no council there to coordinate, we couldn't offer these girls much. Sure, there are some abuses from time to time, but I know our concil takes on things that most of us just don't want to deal with.
I don't want to eat something ("Nutrifusion") that reminds me of nuclear reactions.