I love cookies; they are absolutely one of my favorite treats ever! Who doesn’t love cookies? Whether they are grabbed from the Oreos package on the counter or fresh baked, they are amazing. My love of cookies runs deep, think Angelica from the old-school Nickelodeon cartoon “Rugrats.” Seriously, I never seem to get enough. Well, sometimes things change….
When you work for the Girl Scouts, cookies take on a whole new meaning. I am sure that most of you are now drooling at the thought of Thin Mints, but let me tell you, the behind the scenes is a completely different world. Now, I do not mean for this to be an exposé on the world of Girl Scout cookies, but there is a lot of work that goes on before, during and after the sale that leads to you getting those coveted boxes from your smiling neighborhood Girl Scout. There is a staff that works hard to prepare troop leaders and other volunteers for the sale, ever so nicely schooling them on how to talk to the parents of the girls in their troop about the sale, when to sell (and not to sell early, as that is a big no-no), how to place their troop order, where and when and how to pick up the orders, deliver the orders, collect the money. Yes, it is a lot of information and a lot of work for the troop leaders as well. They are volunteers that are so generous with their time and a big part of why the cookie sale is such a big success in councils all over the country. There are area cookie coordinators who organize all the details of the ordering and delivery of the cookies for their town or county. So many people behind the scenes that you, as a cookie-loving supporter of Girl Scouts, never see.
Cookie time is hectic to say the least. It is a time of hauling boxes, resulting in sore muscles and scraped knuckles, paper cuts and headaches. It is a time of organizing and re-organizing, phone calls and money collection. It is a time when drive from town to town to oversee and assist with deliveries and in the process, you get really sick of the smell of cardboard. As a staff member, you might feel overwhelmed, and rightly so. At the end of the day, it is a labor of love, truly. It is about girls gaining valuable leadership experience, learning about financial literacy by counting their boxes and dollars, setting goals and working to meet them, of working to earn money to do special projects or go on trips. For some little girls, the first time they get that cookie order card and knock on the neighbor’s door, is magical, it is a moment they never forget. I know I still remember going door to door and selling cookies as a Girl Scout, a proud member of Troop 58, Land of Lincoln Council. It was such an experience, and me being the little goal-getter, I always tried to sell as many as I could, more than anyone else in my troop. Usually, I succeeded. It was hard work, but oh so worth it in the end. Now, as an adult, it is so exciting to see girls come in and pick up their cookies, looking in amazement at the large stacks that they worked to sell.
Cookies sales do so much for the girls in Girl Scouts, they provide opportunities like nothing else can. They are part of something so large, a national experience of learning new skills and setting goals, and the excitement, oh the excitement! The sale also provides opportunities for the adult volunteers and supports the staff. It is a circle of support and energy and chaotic opportunity. So, when you open that box of Girl Scout cookies, so excited that they have finally arrive, think for a moment about the work that went into that box getting your hands, the staff, the volunteers, the girls. We may be exhausted and ready to see them go as quickly as they came, but deep down, we know it is a well-earned exhaustion, from laboring with love for all girls. Yes, I still love cookies and Girl Scout cookies rank amongst my favorites (no, they don’t pay me to say that), but I am, and by the end of this cookie delivery week, will be exhausted, not wanting to hear the word cookie for quite some time. I know, I know. When I started at Girl Scouts, I was told that my enthusiasm for cookie time would not last. Honestly, it has not yet faded. I can be enthusiastic and excited and exhausted all at the same time. Sometimes exhausted enthusiasm shows how hard you work and the passion you have. Perhaps a cookie will perk me up a bit....
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