On a warm Sunday afternoon in Baltimore this past September, upon arriving at the Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (GSCM) Cookie Kick-Off Rally, I pulled in next to a silver van with a large bumper sticker that read “It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time.” I was there to find out more about GSCM’s cookie sale—the last fall cookie sale in the country of Girl Scout cookies. There are 112 US Girl Scout councils, and 111 of them sell cookies from January through March; these cookie sales are referred to as Spring sales. However, GSCM cookies sales start in September and end in November. This event was not only the kick off of their Fall cookie sale, but also the centennial celebration of Girl Scouts selling cookies.
Katy Perry’s “Roar” greeted me as I walked through the entry way to the day’s festivities. Behind me, scores of girls waited patiently in line with their parents (mostly moms but a few dads, too) to be admitted to the cookie rally. Beyond the check-in line, Junior and Brownie Scouts rolled around a grassy field in large clear plastic bubbles. A climbing wall, not yet in use, was setup and ready to challenge the most physically inclined Girl Scouts. Around the GSCM building, a cluster of white canopy popup tents provided shade and held activities such as a sales pitch improvement workshop, glittery T-shirt decoration, and a used book donation site. There was even a spot where Scouts could have their nails painted “cookie style.” Girls left the booth with multicolored nails, each color representing a different kind of Girl Scout cookie. Throughout the day, the DJ provided the event with a lively soundtrack of continuous upbeat pop tunes.
Inside the building was a maze of additional cookie sale activities, many of them led by Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Girl Scouts. In one room, filled with rows of computers, girls learned how to keep track of their sales. In another, they could make clipboards from deconstructed brown corrugated cookie cartons. Along the hallway between the activity rooms, a construction paper chain grew longer by the hour. On each link of colorful paper Scouts had written their cookie sale goals and added it to the rest. By day’s end, the chain reached nearly the full length of the hall.
At the center of all the action were the stars of the day—the Girl Scout cookies! Multiple trays of Girl Scout cookies were set up for sampling and everyone had the chance to have their fill of their favorites. GSCM sells cookies made by ABC Bakers, so on the trays were Caramel DeLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbreads, Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies, and, of course, Thin Mints. We were lucky to also get a sneak peek at the new “Girl Scout S’more Cookies,” because GSCM’s cookie customers will be the first to be able to purchase them. As part of the 2017 Girl Scout cookie centennial, both Girl Scout cookie vendors–ABC and Little Brownie Bakers—have created a S’More cookie to mark the occasion. ABC’s is a chocolate covered gram-cracker-type cookie with a touch of marshmallow on the cookie. As the old Lays Potato Chips commercial used to say, it was impossible to eat just one. In my soon-to-be-published Thin Mint Memories, I explain how the two different Girl Scout bakers create and name their cookies differently.
As I walked away from the rally, I turned to watch several girls scale the climbing wall. I was taken with their determination as each one carefully elevated herself, despite slips and setbacks, until she reached the top. I have no doubt that, like the girls climbing the wall, the Girl Scouts who attended the rally will use their newly acquired cookie sales skills to rise to new heights.
