Founded in 1912, Girl Scouts is a widely recognized organization that helps girls discover their strengths, passions, and talents through the development of leadership skills. From elementary school students to high school students, being a Girl Scout also includes one thing almost everybody loves: cookies.

On Cam High’s campus, and around the world, Girl Scout cookie season is something highly anticipated by many. Senior Kelsey Keefer has been in Girl Scouts for 10 years and is one of many Scouts who sell to fellow students. 

“Because [my troop is] an older troop, we don’t really do booths anymore, or go door to door,” said Keefer. “I just bring a bag [of cookie boxes] to school every day during the main part of cookie season and I’ll sell out within the first two class periods.”

Junior Mallorie Mehrali, a Girl Scout of 11 years, also said that selling cookies at school is highly effective. “When I sell cookies at school, I walk around campus with a duffel bag or backpack full of cookies […] sometimes I sell all of them by 10 A.M.,” she said.

The price recently increased from $4 per box to $5, and there are a total of 9 types cookies being sold this year: Thin Mints, Caramel DeLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Lemonades, Thanks-A-Lots, Shortbread, Chocolate Chip, and the newest addition, S’mores.

“Our most popular is Thin Mints, which is a chocolate mint cookie,” said Mehrali. “Our second most popular are the Caramel deLites, a vanilla cookie topped with caramel and coconut finished off with a chocolate drizzle.” 

A recent poll conducted by the Stinger, determined the most and least popular Girl Scout Cookies. Results are as follows:

• Thin Mints (25%)
• Caramel deLites (25%)
• Thanks-A-Lots (25%)
• Peanut Butter Patties (14%)
• Lemonades (6%)
• Girl Scout S’mores (3%)
• Trios (Gluten free chocolate chip cookie) (3%)

Each troop keeps about $1 per box sold, according to 11-year Girl Scout and junior Abby Michalak. “[The money from cookies helps to] fund girl scouts locally to explore more,” she said. “Sometimes it is a camp for leadership or a new event.”

“The money that is kept [from the cookies] usually goes straight to our [troop’s] account, and I know for my troop at least, that we like to save it up because we want to do a project at the end since it’s our last year of Girl Scouts,” said Keefer about her troop. “We want to go camping for a few days, maybe at a national park.”

Although Girl Scouts seems to be all about the cookies to some people, it is actually about more than that. As stated on the Girl Scout website, “at Girl Scouts you will find out who you are, what you care about, and what your talents are.”

“[Selling cookies] helps you be able to go out and talk to other people more,” said Keefer. “I recently got a job, and I know that at least from selling cookies that it helps me put on a facade as a business person that is ready to put out a product.”

According to junior Marissa Hiji, a Girl Scout of 10 years, selling cookies helped her with developing leadership skills. “I’ve learned what it’s like to be a leader in my community and learned valuable skills I can use when I become an adult,” she said. “[Girl Scouts] gives me the opportunity to be a part of a program that is big across the country for empowering girls and helping the community.”

“In Girl Scouts, ‘girl’ stands for ‘go getter’, ‘innovator’, ‘risk taker’, and ‘leader,'” said Michalak. “It is about teaching girls the importance of believing in themselves and those around you.”

“Girls Scouts is not just about selling cookies,” said Mehrali. “It’s about finding your inner spark and confidence.”