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Health & Fitness

BLOG: It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!!

Girl Scout Cookies? Where, When and Why??

Girl Scout Cookies Make Confident Girls!

It's Girl Scout Cookie Time! Are you ready??

Beginning Feb. 2, Girl Scouts around the Twin Cities will be coming to your door asking if you need your yearly fix! Last year, our Eagan girls alone sold 85,358 boxes. In fact we are always in the top in the Twin Cities and we, as a council, are near the top in the nation!

Girl Scout Cookies can be purchased only from Girl Scouts and only during cookie season Feb. 2 through March 17. They will be going door-to-door through their neighborhoods and selling at booths through participating retail locations (booth sales begin Feb 11th). Watch for booths at various locations in Eagan or try our new free mobile Cookie Finder app for your iPhone® or Android® phone.

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We’ll be back with all your favorites—Samoas, Thin Mints, Tagalongs, Trefoils, Do-Si-Dos, Savannah Smiles, Thank You Berry Munch, and Dulce de Leche. In following with the majority of Girl Scout Councils in the 5-state region, the price of a box of Girl Scouts Cookies will be $4, an increase of $.50 from last year.  This will be the first price increase in 9 years.

Do the girls benefit from the Girl Scout Cookie Program and the revenue generated by the sale of Girl Scout Cookies?

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Absolutely! The $700 million Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the country and generates immeasurable benefits for girls, their councils, and communities nationwide. Last year, our Eagan Girl Scouts sold 85,358 boxes of cookies generating revenue of $298,753! The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the nation’s premier financial literacy program where girls learn essential lifelong and  business skills including—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.

My daughter was the top sales person for the Eagan Girl Scouts during the 2012 Cookie Program. What did she receive for this effort? The challenge of going outside of her comfort zone, the hard work of going door-to-door, standing at countless booths and talking to everyone she knows gave her the experience of hard work and networking. During the cookie program, she is learning to run a mini-business, while also learning about supply and demand, money management, leadership, team work and goal setting. She also received lots of incentive prizes, a 6-day horse camp experience, a shopping spree at the American Girl Doll store and her sales and those of her troop mates contributed to our troop's goal of saving for a trip to California.

A portion of the revenue goes to the Eagan Girl Scouts that help support the events that are hosted at a city level. Because of cookie sales, we are able to host many events for Eagan Girl Scout families at little or no cost. One big event is the Pinewood Derby (yes, girls do the Pinewood Derby and might I challenge that the girls do it better than the Boy scouts).

Funds Raised Through the Cookie Program Help Pay for Many Aspects of Girl Scouting:

  • Keeps camp affordable by subsidizing the registration cost
  • Supports the Girl Scout Leadership Experience which includes Girl Programming, curriculum and events
  • Provides grants to girls and troops with financial barriers, so that Girl Scouting is available to all girls

Where can I find recipes using Girl Scout Cookies?

Check out the web sites of these two Girl Scouts licensed bakers: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. Also visit www.pinterest.com/GSUSA to find and share recipes.

Is my purchase of Girl Scout Cookies tax-deductible?

No and yes.

  • No, if you keep the cookies. If you buy Girl Scout Cookies and take the cookies home (to consume them), you've purchased a product at a fair market value. For this reason, no part of the price of a package of Girl Scout Cookies used in this way is tax-deductible.
  • Yes, if you leave the cookies with Girl Scouts as a donation. Many Girl Scouts ask customers to pay for one or more packages of cookies for use as part of the donation programs “Cookies for the Community” or “Operation Cookie Care Package.” Customers not receiving Girl Scout Cookies don't benefit directly from paying for them, so those individuals may treat the purchase price of the donated cookies as a charitable contribution. Additionally, customers may wish to donate cookies they have purchased from a Girl Scout to another qualified organization, which may qualify as a donation to the organization receiving the cookies and may therefore be tax-deductible.

So look for Girl Scout cookies in your neighborhood! These girls are working hard to learn the skills that will stay with them throughout their lives. Incredibly, two thirds of U.S. Congress women and 80% of women business owners were Girl Scouts. The girl at your door may well be the future Condoleezza Rice, Martha Stewart, Katie Couric, Barbara Walters or Taylor Swift - All former Girl Scouts! If you dont need a cookie, consider donating a package or just give them an encouraging word!

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