(Fremont County, WY) – Girl Scouts in troops across Wyoming are prepping for the upcoming cookie season, their cookie campaigns kicking off on Friday, February 2, with the theme, “Unbox the Future.”
The Girl Scouts is the world’s largest entrepreneurial program for girls. In Fremont County, there are Girl Scout troops in Dubois, Pavillion, Fort Washakie School, and Wyoming Indian. There are seven troops in Lander and seven troops in Riverton.
“We’re gearing up and getting ready for it,” said Girls Scout Leader Susan Bronson. “This (February 2nd) is when the girls go around with their paper orders.” The girls may do door-to-door sales with an adult with them, or they can set up a little “storefront” to take cookie orders.
“The girls can talk bout what they’re selling their cookies for and what their goal is,” Bronson said. A parent or guardian helps take the orders, and cookie buyers can pay for them there, or they can opt for an email to be sent with a link for the buyer to order online. The cookies can then be shipped (with a shipping charge), or arrangements can be made to have the order dropped off, or the scout can notify cookie buyer(s) of where and when they can pick up their order.
“We’ve kind of come up in the digital age,” Bronson said about online ordering, adding that cookie buyers can only order online when the Girl Scout emails the link. “The information is kept private and protected. They only send the emails out to friends and family or co-workers…it’s a great way to get a hold of grandma who lives in Iowa, or auntie who lives in Florida. That way they can sell cookies directly to them and not have to box them up and ship them.”
Bronson said that the third wave of cookie sales comes around on March 22, when Girl Scouts can set up booths or tables and sell cookies at grocery stores, local events or other businesses
“We have agreements with Smith’s and Walmart, where we sign up on our end and the troops will get to go on certain days…you walk up to the girls, they give you their wonderful little sales pitch, you give them the money, and you’re happy campers.”
Bronson also said that she is willing to give out “leads” to the Girl Scouts if she is contacted by someone who wants to buy cookies.
“We hear a lot of people say, ‘Oh no, you’re back again!…and we’re only here for a little while on these corners,” Bronson chuckled. “So I kind of fairly divvy out a lead…contact the leader and say, ‘Hey, I need you to send your little cookie seller…” We do a lot of good sales with the girls.”
A Sweet Deal
This season, cookie lovers can enjoy the full assortment of Girl Scout Cookies, including fan favorites such as Thin Mints®, Caramel deLites®, and Peanut Butter Patties. They can also enjoy Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Trefoils, Adventurefuls, Lemonades, Toast-Yay!, and gluten and allergen-free Caramel Chocolate Chip.
There will not be a price increase this year. They will sell for $5 per package, with the exception of the gluten and allergen-free Caramel Chocolate Chip, which will sell for $6 per package.
According to Bronson, Thin Mints have had the highest sales, “…and then Caramel Delites, and then Peanut Butter Patties,” she said. “The gluten-free Chocolate Chip has also sold very well.”
Girl Scouts set their own goals on how many boxes they want to sell, and get rewards and prizes for reaching their goals, which are listed on the back of their “Cookie Card”. The tier-structured goals and rewards program begins at 50 boxes sold.
The Girl Scouts of Wyoming and Montana sold over a million boxes of cookies last year. Funds raised from the cookie sales go towards their troops, their annual Girl Scout Summer camp, and a financial aid program.
“You’ve got girls that are little go-getters, so they want to sell a lot of cookies because they want to go to camp…so if a girl meets her goal of 1200 boxes, it literally pays for her camp,” Bronson said. “If a girl can’t afford to join the Girl Scouts, or if a girl can’t afford to go to Camp, we have money there that they can apply for. We don’t want any girls to ever have to miss out on these opportunities because of financial situations at home.”
Unboxing the Future: Not just about the cookies.
Bronson said that there is a lot more to the Girl Scout cookie campaign and that the program is “not just about the cookie.”
“I think people don’t understand that we are teaching the girls lifetime skills,” she said. “They’re learning communication, how to talk to people. They are learning how to count money back. One of the huge things I teach the girls is to ’count it back, don’t just don’t hand it to them.’ You’re teaching the girls math by multiplying … ‘Cookies are five dollars a box; they bought five boxes. How much do they owe you?’ The older girls get into making posters…some of the troops I’m working with are making books…goal setting is another skill…meeting those goals and the pride they have in themselves. So there are a lot of skills that go into this, and most of the time the girls don’t even realize what they’re learning until they are older.”
The Girls Scouts of Montana and Wyoming say that “this year’s theme, Unbox the Future, aims to remove social barriers that often keep girls boxed in. When bold, goal-getting Girl Scouts sell a package of cookies, they’re doing much more than what’s seen at face value. Girl Scouts are entrepreneurial powerhouses, creating a more equitable future for themselves and the world. Every box of cookies sold provides invaluable experiences for Girl Scouts such as service projects, troop travel, and summer camp”
How to Purchase Girl Scout Cookies This Year
Via Girl Scouts of Montana & Wyoming – Girl Scouts will take pre-orders February 2 through February 18, with delivery in late March.
Beginning February 16, customers who do not already know a Girl Scout will also be able to purchase cookies to be shipped directly to their homes by entering their zip code into the Girl Scout Cookie Finder. This link can also be used to find a local booth, purchase cookies and/or to donate cookies for local community causes.
Cookies can be purchased at local Cookie Booths March 22 – April 14.
You can also text COOKIES to 59618 to stay informed about how to purchase Girl Scout Cookies and other exciting Girl Scout news. Learn more about the Terms and Conditions and the SMS Privacy Policy.
For 112 years, Girl Scouts and their enthusiastic supporters have helped ensure the success of the iconic annual cookie program—and they’ve had fun, developed valuable life skills, and made their communities a better place every step of the way.
Girl Scout Cookie season is recognized nationally from January through April, but local timing varies; visit www.girlscoutcookies.org to sign up to be notified as soon as your local troops begin selling in your area.
For more information about the Girl Scouts of Montana and Wyoming, visit their website or Facebook page.