Girl Scout cookie project builds teamwork and leadership skills

For close to 75 years the Girl Scout cookie program has helped girls across the 30 counties of Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, an agency of the United Way, develop skills they will use throughout their lives.

The Girl Scout cookie program teaches girls ages 5-17 how to work together as a team, set goals, and develop plans for reaching those goals. Additionally, they cultivate a sense of business ethics, public speaking and interpersonal communication skills and acquire knowledge in marketing, money management and customer service. The Girl Scout cookie program has truly evolved into the nation's premier financial literacy and entrepreneurship program.

"Each and every year we are helping girls to discover their leadership abilities to fill all sorts of roles in the future. They may become the manager of a local bank branch, a business owner, or the CEO of a major corporation," states Jeannette Archer-Simons, chief executive officer of Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania.The cookie sale provides them with the skills to be an entrepreneur or a good business executive, while helping them reach their troop goals.

On January 4, Girl Scouts in northeastern and central Pennsylvania will begin taking orders for eight delicious varieties of Little Brownie Bakers' Girl Scout cookies. They include All Abouts, Do-Si-Dos, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Samoas, Sugar Free Chocolate Chips, Tagalongs, Trefoils and Thin Mints. All Little Brownie Bakers' Girl Scout cookies contain zero grams of trans fat per serving. Throughout the council area, Girl Scout cookies will be sold for $3.50 a box by individual Girl Scouts and at local troop booth sales from February 15 through March 11.

Proceeds, after paying the baker, stay in the communities served by the council with troops keeping 17 to 20 percent for their own use- one of the highest troop profit rates in the nation.

"Our annual Girl Scout cookie program activity helps us to make the Girl Scouting experience available to any girl who wants to participate," says Archer-Simons. "Last year's cookie revenues were used by troops for trips, community service projects and badgework activities and by the organization to sponsor learning activities in outdoor education and camping, career exploration, travel opportunities and arts, health and fitness knowledge, and math and science initiatives."

For more information about becoming a Girl Scout or Girl Scout volunteer, contact Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania at 1-800-692-7816. Or log on to the council's Web site at www.gshpa.org. To locate a Girl Scout troop that sells delectable Little Brownie Bakers' Girl Scout cookies visit www.gshpa.org or www.girlscoutcookies.org