• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • Join Newsletter
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Login

Quad Cities Business News

Prescott, Prescott Valley, Chino Valley, & Dewey/Humboldt

  • Business
  • Columnists
  • Community Profile
  • Local News
  • Tourism
  • Education
  • Spotlight
  • Digital Issues
You are here: Home / Archives for Girl Scout Cookies

Girl Scout Cookies

Learning Business Skills Early

February 25, 2023 By quadcities Leave a Comment

Annual Girl Scout Cookie drive trains girls to be entrepreneurs.

You only have 3,484 packages left to sell to reach your goal of 3,500, and the annual Girls Scout Cookie drive has just begun.

For Madisyn “Madi” Van Hemert, a 12th grader in Girl Scout Troop 212, these goals are exciting, achievable and educational.

“After 12 years of scouts, I have learned many valuable life skills,” said Van Hemert. “Money management has been the biggest skill. Additionally, I have learned customer service skills, budgeting and how to grow with the modernizing advances that we have to incorporate.”

Van Hemert is also working on a project for a Gold Award, the highest earned award in Girl Scouts, which must be started in high school and must demonstrate leadership skills and a desire to give back to the community.

Mentoring her on her project will be Nikki Lober, the Troop 212 leader, who has been involved with Girl Scouts for more than 30 years.

Lober recently collected comments to post in the girls’ own words about their goals and what they have learned from the cookie sale.

“I have been privileged to lead this troop and see many girls come and go,” she said. “I have seen each and every one of them grow and leave our troop with more skills and more confidence than when they started.”

Since her scouting daughter, Amelia, graduated from high school, the troop has been limited to older girls in middle and high school, thus “providing a place for any girl who wants to continue but their original troop does not,” she added.

So far, Troop 212, which has been active for 19 years, has welcomed girls from six troops. There are 16 registered girls this year.

Lober also is the cookie manager for the Sunny Peaks Service Unit and trains all the Girl Scout leaders in Sedona, Flagstaff, Williams, Winslow and Page on the procedures for the cookie sale and how to teach the girls and parents how to have a successful cookie sale.

“Most of these girls have been selling for years, so I support them by training them on new information for the year and making sure they have the resources they need. Each year, the older girls plan a Cookie Kickoff or Cookie Rally. At this event, they have activities to teach the younger girls the skills needed to be successful in the cookie sale.”

This year, the troop goal is to sell 12,000 boxes. There are 12 girls selling and their goals range from 250 to 3,500 boxes, depending on the time they have to put into the sale.

The girls train with a cookie booth. They take turns sharpening their professional behavior and sales pitch. They also engage in a door-to-door sales practice to help them become more comfortable talking to customers.

A cookie-tasting session teaches them about the cookie varieties, so they know their products.

They also learn about goal setting for themselves and their troop and play a business ethics game to learn how to live by the Girl Scout Law throughout the cookie sale. “The older girls make sure that each activity has some fun to go with the learning,” Lober said.

On the cookie website, Emma Hirning, an 11th grader, wrote that she completed her Gold Award in 2022, and that she has enjoyed being her own “cookie boss.” She states that she is “hoping to sell 350 boxes this year to be able to make wonderful memories with some of my best friends in Troop 212! I am so happy to have the opportunity to raise money to go on fun trips with some of my favorite people!”

The history of the Girl Scout Cookie is long. It began in 1917 with home-baked cookies made by scouting girls with the help of their mothers as baking advisors. These early baking endeavors began about five years after Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouts in the U.S., as an effort to raise money to finance troop activities.

The simple sugar cookie was the first product. Today, there are 13 kinds, from the classic Trefoils (shortbread) and Thin Mints (mint chocolate dipped), to newer Adventurefuls (brownie cookie with caramel crème and sea salt) and Raspberry Rally (crispy raspberry flavor dipped in chocolate).

Alexis Velazquez, a ninth grader in Troop 212, posted about the cookies and the sale: “Being my own cookie boss with special needs for the past seven years has taught me to have more confidence in myself,” she wrote. “As well as learning to work as a team and getting to eat some yummy cookies.”

This year, the website for the cookie sale reminds customers of the benefits to the girls from their selling efforts: “When you make a Girl Scout Cookie purchase, you’re helping the next generation of girl entrepreneurs get an important taste of what it takes to be successful – teamwork, planning and a positive outlook.”

The success of the cookie campaign each year is aided by a Family Guide, published by the Girl Scouts – Cactus Pine Council, which serves more than 90 communities in Central and Northern Arizona.

“It helps the families help their Girl Scouts,” said Lober. “There are also lots of resources on their website to help the girls with skills and also help them earn a Family Cookie Entrepreneur pin and badges.”

The troop earns $0.95 per box sold, which the girls decide how to spend. “The remaining proceeds from the cookie sale stay with our Arizona Cactus Pine Council to support our camps, girl programs and activities, and for volunteer support and training. The cookie sale is not a competition between girls or troops. It is an opportunity for the girls to learn how to be businesswomen and support the programs they love.”

“Troop 212 gives back to the community each year. “We have adopted a trail, and we take advantage of many different volunteer opportunities. We always help out at Riordan Mansion events. Our favorite is the Tea on the Veranda.”

The role of volunteers has always been vital to the success of scouting. Coconino County Board of Supervisors Chair Patrice Horstman has acted as an informal volunteer “whenever the Arizona Cactus Pine Girl Scouts have reached out to me,” and was honored by the group as a “Woman of Distinction” in 2018.

With Liz Archuleta and Kerry Blume, she helped establish Troop Pearl, an adult Girl Scout Troop dedicated to assisting the Girl Scouts. “I was a Girl Scout in my youth and have tried to live the Girl Scout creed of ‘building a better world,’” Horstman said.

She has also been assisting girls in developing business skills for successful cookie drives, the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world, she noted.

“The Girl Scouts are dedicated to building courage, confidence and character in girls,” she said. “The cookie drives helps to further this mission. Money earned can allow the girls to embark on wonderful adventures. These cookie drives teach the girls important financial, organizational and marketing skills.”

Horstman has assisted some scouts with perfecting their techniques and in developing a “sales pitch” for in-person sales. “Since we also live in a virtual sales world, I have reviewed some Girl Scout cookie sales videos,” she said. “Each girl has their own approach that reflects their personality. Cookie sales give the girls real life leadership experiences and provides an opportunity to contribute to the financial benefit of their troop, so that together the girls can engage in projects, travel or community programs.”

Troop 212 meets once a month for planning that includes deciding how to spend the money they earn.

For Troop 212, goals include horseback riding and travel. “We have been planning for their Costa Rica trip for five years. They set aside some of their cookie money each year, and we are going this summer. As for giving back to the community, we donate cookies to first responders. Last summer, we were able to thank the firefighters on the Tunnel Fire with several cases of cookies,” said Lober.

Girl Scout cookie season in Arizona usually runs for six weeks. The Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, which serves Phoenix as well as greater Central and Northern Arizona, began the cookie drive officially on Jan. 16, with cookie delivery closing on March 5.

The link to find cookie booths is  https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/how-to-buy-cookies.html. QCBN

By Betsey Bruner, QCBN

Courtesy Photo: Madi Van Hemert, left, a 12th grader in Girl Scout Troop 212, is pictured with her sister, Peyton, selling Girl Scout cookies during the annual drive last year in front of Sportsman’s Warehouse in Flagstaff. 

Filed Under: Business, Education, Local News, Tourism Tagged With: Girl Scout Cookies, The Arizona Cactus-Pine Council

The Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge is Back

January 28, 2022 By quadcities Leave a Comment

“As a female business owner, I can speak firsthand about the importance of all the skills learned by young Girl Scouts.”

The Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge is back for its eighth year! After taking a break in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council (GSACPC) has announced the return of the activity, taking place all month. Twenty esteemed chefs from venues throughout Central and Northern Arizona will participate in this year’s friendly competition to create a winning dessert with one of these Girl Scout Cookies: Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils or Lemon-Ups.

“The participating chefs will use their culinary prowess to re-imagine these classic Girl Scout Cookies into a delicious dessert and feature it on their menus throughout the entire month of February. A portion of the proceeds will support Girl Scouting in Arizona,” said Mary Mitchell, interim co-CEO for GSACPC.

There is a voting component to the Challenge. Starting Feb. 1, and through month’s end, the public can visit girlscoutsaz.org/dessertchallenge to vote for their favorite dessert. At the close of the Challenge and based on qualified voting, a 2022 champion will be crowned.

This year’s Central and Northern Arizona competitors and their tasty creations include:

The County Seat 

  • Cookie: Lemon-Ups
  • Dessert: Level Up Lemon Bar
  • Description: Talk about an update on grandma’s lemon bar! This twist blends in Lemon-Up Girl Scout Cookies and adds a cheesecake-style topper and some candied lemon peel to round out this take on a classic.
  • Address: 120 W. Gurley St., Prescott, AZ 86301
  • Website: countyseataz.com

“We started as just one small restaurant and have grown much bigger, in large part to the support of the community. Giving back to this community that we love is in our DNA, and [supporting] the Girl Scouts is a great way to do that and support future women leaders,” said Skyler Reeves, proprietor of Vivili Hospitality Group, who owns The County Seat.

Beaver Street Brewery  

  • Cookie: Samoas and Trefoils
  • Dessert: Coconut and Caramel Tiramisu
  • Description: Whipped mascarpone layered with bits of Girl Scout Samoas and Trefoils.
  • Address: 11 S. Beaver St. #1, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
  • Website: beaverstreetbrewery.com

Lumberyard Brewing Company  

  • Cookie: Trefoils
  • Dessert: Strawberry Shortcake Jar
  • Description: This vanilla pudding is amped up by the addition of Girl Scout Trefoils and fresh strawberries, which are all layered in a mason jar and topped with whipped cream.
  • Address: 5 S. San Francisco St., Flagstaff, AZ 86001
  • Website: lumberyardbrewingcompany.com

“I was a Girl Scout for eight years, and my mom, Winnie, was the troop leader for my sister’s troop in Flagstaff. Growing up being a Girl Scout gives you a strong connection to your community and gives you an avenue to explore new things. In addition to my mom and me, many of our team members are Girl Scout alumni, so it is very personal for us. I think we’ve taken part since year one, in fact, or almost every year we have been able,” said Kelly Hanseth, owner of Beaver Street and Lumberyard.

Shift Kitchen & Bar 

  • Cookie: Thin Mints
  • Dessert: Mint Chocolate Churros
  • Description: Hand-made to order, these chocolate churros benefit from a powder made from Girl Scout Thin Mints. Once fried, they are plated with cream cheese whip, mint powder, chocolate sauce, chocolate crunch and a scoop of Earl Grey gelato.
  • Address: 107 N. San Francisco St. Ste 2, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
  • Website: shiftflg.com

“As a female business owner, I can speak firsthand about the importance of all the skills learned by young Girl Scouts. From public speaking and money management to strategic planning and creativity, it is the perfect introduction to entrepreneurship. It is my goal to guide and support any young woman in Northern Arizona that wants to lead their community,” said Shift owner Dara Wong.

Grand Canyon Brewing + Distillery  

  • Cookie: Thin Mints
  • Dessert: Minty Chocolate Mousse Trifle
  • Description: Forget Rachel’s disastrous trifle from Friends! This beauty is sweet and smooth thanks to layers of mint-infused chocolate mousse and white chocolate mousse, made even richer with Girl Scout Thin Mint powder. It is topped with Thin Mint crumbles and whipped cream and garnished with berries as well as a bonus Girl Scout Thin Mint cookie.
  • Address: 1800 S. Milton Road Suite 11, Flagstaff, AZ 86001
  • Website: grandcanyonbrewery.com

“A big part of what we do at Grand Canyon Brewing & Distillery is giving back and supporting local groups that empower the youth in our community. When the opportunity to participate in the dessert challenge came up, I was thrilled to join in and help to show our local girls that we care and want to see them succeed,” said John Peasley, founder, Grand Canyon Brewing & Distillery. QCBN

By Alison Bailin, QCBN

Alison Bailin is the director of client service at HMA Public Relations.

Filed Under: Business Tagged With: Alison Bailin, Do-Si-Dos, Girl Scout Cookies, Girl Scouts-Arizona Cactus-Pine Council, Samoas, Tagalongs, The Girl Scout Cookie Dessert Challenge, Thin Mints, Trefoils

Primary Sidebar

JOIN NEWSLETTER

.
.

Categories

  • Business
  • Business Calendar
  • Columnists
  • Community Profile
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Local News
  • Spotlight
  • Tourism
  • Uncategorized
  • Video Spotlight

Footer

Advertisement

Get QCBN Email

COPYRIGHT © 2023 | QUAD CITIES BUSINESS NEWS