Girl Scout Cookie season has arrived. From January through April, there are Girl Scouts outside grocery stores, schools or parks selling cookies at their stands.
In 1912, Juliette Gordon Law started Girl Scouts in the U.S. Five years later, cookies started being sold to finance troop activities. The individual Girl Scouts unit Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Okla., had the idea to start selling these cookies at their high school. Cookies were initially homebaked by the girls and moms volunteered to be their advisers.
The American Girl Magazine, published by Girl Scouts of the USA, included an article in July of 1922 by a director in Chicago, IL., Florence E. Nelli. According to girlscouts.org, this article had a cookie recipe, estimating the ingredients cost to be 26 to 36 cents per six to seven dozen cookies. Neil suggested that troops sell these cookies for 20 to 30 cents a dozen to make good profits. Throughout the 1920s, Girl Scouts continued to make home-baked sugar cookies with the help of their mothers and went door to door selling them to the community for 25 to 35 cents.
By 1936, the National Girl Scout organization began the process of licensing their cookies to sell them nationwide. More than 125 councils held cookie sales within the next year.
Girl Scouts began to pivot in World War II due to shortages in sugar, flour and butter. As an alternative, they began selling Girl Scout calendars in 1944 to raise money. Cookie sales began to increase again after the war.
In the 1950s, the variety of cookies sold included a vanilla-based filled cookie, a chocolate-based filled one, shortbread and a chocolate mint, now known as thin mints. Production and sales continued to increase exponentially. The best-sellers were Chocolate Mint, Shortbread and Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies by 1966. A larger variety of cookies began being offered years later as well as a logo depicting Girl Scouts canoeing or hiking, further increasing sales.
Today, available cookies include Samoas, Trefoils, Lemon-Ups, Do-Si-Dos, Tagalongs, S’mores, Toffeetastic and the best-selling Thin Mints. As of 2021, these cookies are both kosher and Halal certified. There are also many vegan and gluten-free varieties to ensure everyone enjoys these delicious cookies. Girl Scouts has recently introduced Raspberry Rally, a sister to Thin Mints, that is only available to be shipped. All earnings stay local and fund fun experiences such as field trips and sports clinics for Girl Scouts. Make sure to visit your local Girl Scouts stand, get a glass of milk and enjoy!
