Editorial

More than just cookies

Posted 2/6/14

It’s that time of year again! The Girl Scout troops of Rhode Island will be out and about in the community selling their famous Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Shortbread and all of the other types of …

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Editorial

More than just cookies

Posted

It’s that time of year again! The Girl Scout troops of Rhode Island will be out and about in the community selling their famous Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Shortbread and all of the other types of Girl Scout Cookies, ruining all of those New Year’s resolutions to eat healthy.

But we all don’t really mind because the cookies are so delicious and buying a box (or three) supports the world’s largest girls’ leadership organization.

But the Girl Scouts Cookie Program, a $760 million business run by young girls, does so much more than provide valuable funding to keep the program up and running. According to a press release about this weekend’s National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, Girl Scouts of Rhode Island says that participation in the annual four-month cookie program (December to March) teaches young girls the valuable life skills of goal setting, decision-making, money management, business ethics and people skills.

When you are buying your box of cookies from a Girl Scout this year, take a minute to think about what these young girls are really doing. Sometimes a girl as young as 7 years old (maybe even younger) is standing outside the local Stop & Shop, talking to people she has never met about buying cookies. The courage that must take; many adults would be uncomfortable performing that task.

While their parents supervise them, it is the girls that take the lead when it comes to selling the cookies, counting the money and more. CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA Anna Maria Chavez said in a statement that “supporting the program helps girls build a lifetime of skills and confidence.”

While buying Girl Scout cookies has become a bit of a tradition now that the program is celebrating 97 years in existence, it is nice to take a minute and remember that you are not only buying a delicious treat to keep in your house. You are helping young girls learn the skills they will need to succeed in the rest of their lives, something that in this day and age is becoming all the more important.

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