New Year’s resolutions prone to crumbling as Girl Scout cookie sales start
Just in time to smash what remains of New Year’s resolutions to lose weight, the 2023 Girl Scout cookie season kicked off this week.
Once again, the troops in Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania, such as Girl Scout Troop 52942 and Brownie Troops 28039 and 28038, will ask their communities to support Girl Scouts by purchasing cookies.
Jill Leicher, co-leader of Troop 52942 along with Kassie Walker and Allison Betts, said every box of cookies sold will contribute toward the troop funding service projects, troop travel and summer camp.
Troop members met earlier this week to go over the new cookie offerings — this year a Raspberry Rally cookie can be ordered online only — and the different ways the Scouts can get cookies into the hands of their customers.
Internet sites and Facebook posts are supplementing the traditional door-to-door sales and the booths set up in front of local businesses.
Beginning Feb. 27, consumers can order their favorite cookies for shipment directly to their front door. In addition to online ordering, consumers can visit gswpa.org to locate a booth near them and purchase cookies in-person from girls beginning March 3 and running through March 26.
The new Raspberry Rally cookie is exclusively offered through digital channels for direct shipment only, enhancing girls’ e-commerce sales and entrepreneurial skills. This latest approach will help to guide the evolution of the cookie program for the digital future.
Girl Scouts of Western Pennsylvania has a link preset for every Girl Scout. They have a choice whether to activate the site and customize it by adding pictures and videos to help drive sales.
Kinzey Ziacik said, “I prefer to sell online. You set up a website, send an email to people and they buy cookies on the website.”
Tessa Carbungco, 11, said she’s made videos on Facebook to drive sales as well as enlisting her mother, aunt and grandmother to pass order forms among their co-workers.
Emma Krenzer, 12, prefers a more personal approach to selling.
Emma said, “I like in-person best, personally. I can never figure out how to do it online. It confuses me. I like to talk to them. I go door to door in my grandmother’s neighborhood. I bring it (the order form) to school and after-school activities.”
Sallie Reid, 11, is a veteran of the booth sales.
“My older sister was in Girl Scouts, so I’ve gone to — I really don’t know — five to seven booths. I’m also taking the (order) form and going door to door selling,” she said.
Her troopmate, Aubrey Colonello, 11, said she’ll be taking a more traditional approach to cookie selling.
Aubrey said, “I’ll be telling my family members and all my friends and stuff, and they take it (the order form) to work and tell their friends.”
Audrey Walker, 11, said she needs to work on her delivery for in-person selling.
“You need to be loud and really try to sell them,” she said. During booth sales, Audrey said that “When people walk by, you have to make eye contact and say, ‘Would you like to buy some Girl Scout cookies?’
“Sometimes you can tell jokes to create a rapport,” said Audrey. “Like ‘Do you think people in Hawaii laugh real loud or do you think it’s aloha?’”
Savannah Zanoli, 12, favors the personal approach.
“I like talking to people in person to get their order down,” said Savannah. “It’s easier to talk to them.” It seems to work for her. She said she sold 432 boxes of cookies last year.
The Girl Scout cookie program is the world’s largest entrepreneurial program for girls.
Girl Scouts’ newly updated Financial Literacy badges offer entrepreneurial playbooks for every age level.The Girl Scout cookie program teaches girls financial literacy, planning, budgeting, teamwork, innovative thinking and confident decision making, according to Girl Scouts Western Pennsylvania.
Natalie Yeager, 12, said selling cookies has taught her a lot. “We learn math and organizational skills and about the supply chain because you have to box up all the cookies,” she said.
Troop co-leader Leicher said, “I think self-confidence is a huge benefit from having cookie sales. The girls are learning how to be knowledgeable about the products. It teaches them to set goals and to reach a goal or not is something you have to work for.”
In addition to teaching lessons, the cookie sales also generate cash for the troop’s activities.
Leicher said her troop initially receives 98 cents for every $5 box of cookies its members sell. But, she added, if the troop tops its 2023 goal of selling 7,370 boxes, the troop will get more money per box.
The proceeds will go to fund troop activities throughout the rest of the year, such as the troop’s recent urban adventure to Pittsburgh for a weekend.
Avert Betts, 13, said, “We went to the Benedum and saw ‘Hairspray.’ We stayed at a hotel and went on the incline and to the Heinz History Center. It was hard to fit it all in.
“I like being with friends and doing fun activities,” she said.
Emma agreed. “The friendships that I made from Girl Scouts is probably may favorite thing about it,” she said.
Jenny Cratty, 11, said, “We really enjoy the summer camps and going on trips like the day trip to Pittsburgh.
“It’s grouping up with my friends, and I enjoy the random groups I’m meeting up with.”
