Girl Scout cookies are cookies sold by Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) as one of its major fundraisers for local Scout units. Members of the GSUSA have been selling cookies since 1917 to raise funds. Girls who participate can earn prizes for their efforts. There are also unit incentives if the unit as a whole does well. As of 2007, sales were estimated at about 200 million boxes per year.[1]
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The first cookie sales by an individual Scout unit was by the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma in December 1917.[2] In 1922, the Girl Scout magazine The American Girl suggested cookie sales as a fund-raiser and provided recipes. In 1933, Girl Scouts in Philadelphia organized the first official sale, selling homemade cookies at the windows of local utility companies. The first Girl Scout cookie recipe was a sugar cookie. In 1936 the national organization began licensing commercial bakers to produce cookies.
During World War II the Girl Scouts sold calendars in addition to cookies, because of shortages of flour, sugar, and butter. In 1942 there were 48 cookies per box, available in either vanilla or chocolate. Customers were limited to two boxes during some war years. By 1943 Girl Scouts also collected fat in cans with Girl Scout labels to aid the war effort and sold War Bonds at no profit.[3][4][5][6][7]
Each Girl Scout regional council decides which licensed baking company to use for cookie sales in that council, thus determining which varieties are available in the area covered by the council.[8][9]
Girl Scouts sell cookies to relatives, friends, neighbors, and others in their town or city. In recent years, because of safety concerns, an increased emphasis has been placed on cookie booths, where girls sell from tables in public areas under the supervision of adult troop leaders, rather than door-to-door. Many councils offer the option for customers to sponsor boxes of cookies to be sent to U.S. servicemen and women.[10] In 2007, an official website was launched, with information on purchasing Girl Scout cookies.
As an incentive to sell, Girl Scouts are sometimes offered prizes, such as stuffed animals, trinkets, coupons, credits toward Girl Scout camp, activities, or uniforms. These incentives vary from Girl Scout council to council. The accumulation of prizes is usually cumulative, so that a girl who has won the prize for selling 100 boxes of cookies will also get the 75-box prize, the 50-box prize, the 25-box prize and the 20-box prize. In some councils, girls may choose to earn more money for their troop instead of prizes, if they are working toward a troop goal such as a trip or other expensive activity. This type of fund raising is intended to teach Girl Scouts valuable skills in planning, teamwork, finance, organization, communication, and goal setting.[8]
Traditionally each regional Girl Scout council set the prices for cookies sold in that council. A 2006 article in the Boston Globe noted that price "is hardly ever a factor, until buyers find out that the same box of cookies is selling for less in the next town over." The Globe found that a box of Thin Mints sold for $3.50 in Rockland and $4.00 in neighboring Norwell.[11]
It has been said that, as part of the change in organizational structure in August 2006, this variation was ended, and all troops now sell cookies at the same time, in the early months of each year, and at the same price, $3.50 per box.However, as recently as Winter 2011, councils were selling cookies at different times and for different amounts depending on your geography.[12]
In 2009 the number of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, and Tagalongs in each box was reduced and Lemon Chalet Cremes became smaller because of the increasing costs of ingredients and transportation. [13]
In February 2011, police shut down a Girl Scouts cookie stand that was operating without a permit in Villa Rica, Georgia. Both the mayor and police chief stated the officer did nothing wrong, however the city provided the troop with a pizza party to make up for the confusion.[14]
Each Girl Scout council operates its own cookie sale. Approximately 70% of the proceeds stay in the local Girl Scout council to support Girl Scouting in that area, including a portion that goes directly to the group selling the cookies.[15] The profits are divided by a formula, with local troops receiving about 10-15% of the retail price, the council more than 50%, and the manufacturer the remainder. In 1992 Girl Scouts sold 175 million boxes of cookies nationwide.[16]
Revenues at all levels are used to pay for events and activities for the Girl Scouts, maintenance of the councils' Girl Scout camps and other properties, cookie sale incentives, and Council administrative costs.[17]
In 2008, 15-year-old Jennifer Sharpe from Dearborn, Michigan sold 17,328 boxes of cookies, a record for her troop and possibly an all-time record.[18]
Girl Scout cookies are made by large national commercial bakeries under license from Girl Scouts of the USA. The bakers licensed by the organization may change from year to year, though this is not common. In 2008 the licensed companies were Little Brownie Bakers (LBB), a subsidiary of Keebler, which is owned by Kellogg's, and ABC Bakers, a subsidiary of Interbake Foods LLC, which is owned by George Weston Limited.[17][19] ABC Bakers has been licensed to produce Girl Scout cookies since 1936.
Up to 28 varieties of Girl Scout cookies are offered. The same cookies may be sold under different names by different bakeries, with the choice of bakery determining the name. There has been no move to standardize names.[20][21] The merger of many councils (from 312 to 109) following the August 2006 reorganization resulted in many councils changing bakery, thus causing some confusion at that time.[12]
The national Girl Scout organization reviews and approves all varieties proposed by the baking companies, but requires only three types: Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwiches (ABC)/Do-Si-Dos (LBB) and Shortbreads (ABC)/Trefoils (LBB). The other kinds can be changed every year, though several popular favorites, such as Caramel DeLites (ABC)/Samoas (LBB) and Peanut Butter Patties (ABC)/Tagalongs (LBB), are consistently available.
Girl Scout cookie varieties include:[22][23]
Federal guidelines issued in early 2005 called for people to minimize their consumption of trans fat, which is now widely understood to be unhealthy for the heart. Concerned parents urged the Girl Scouts to address this and other health concerns about the cookies, suggesting that the cookie program was at odds with the Girl Scouts' healthy living initiative. The Girl Scout organization replied that the cookies were a treat which "shouldn't be a big part of somebody's diet," and said that they are "encouraging" the companies that bake the cookies to find alternative oils.[28]
In 2007, following reformulation of the recipes for a number of varieties, Girl Scouts of the USA announced that all their cookies had zero trans fat per serving.[29]
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is used in some cookies. The bakers indicate that it is a necessary ingredient in ensuring the quality of the cookie.[30]
On February 23, 2010, Little Brownie Bakers announced a recall of some batches of their Lemon Chalet Crèmes. While they were safe to eat, some of the cookies had an off odor and taste.[31]