The Girl Scout Cookie program is the largest girl-led business in the country and generates nearly $800 million for girls and communities nationwide.
DEERFIELD –Thirteen-year-old Lynette R. Lavigne is part of a multi-million-dollar business.
She’s a Girl Scout, and she sells Girl Scout Cookies.
Girl Scout Cookies are a program activity for girls and are at the heart of the Girl Scout leadership experience.
“The Girl Scout Cookie program is the largest girl-led business in the country and generates nearly $800 million for girls and communities nationwide,” noted Dana K. Carnegie, community relations manager for Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts. “When a Girl Scout sells you cookies, she is building a lifetime of skills and confidence.”
Last year Lynette, a member of Troop 11590 in Deerfield, sold 210 boxes of the annual treat. She helped other members of her troop sell the cookies at a nearby auction house and went door-to-door selling cookies in her neighborhood.
This year the cookies sell for $4 a box.
But the benefits of the cookie campaign are more than financial; the girls learn important life skills. “I have learned many different aspects of salesmanship, teamwork and communication from selling Girl Scout Cookies,” Lynette said. “I've learned things such as handling sales, marketing and advertising, and I think they will be valuable skills in life.”
“The Girl Scout Cookie Program is one of the few youth-oriented programs in the country providing its participants the ability to decide how to direct the proceeds generated through their business activity,” Carnegie said.
Some girls are using their proceeds for travel—from trips abroad to local travel. Some girls use their cookie money for summer camp, and some to give back to the community.
“It's important for us to get to decide how to spend the money we make so we can put it toward things we'd like to do, such as the Europe trip we are going on this summer,” Lynette said.
Her mother, Dana M. Lavigne, troop leader for the seventh and eighth graders, explained that during troop meetings last year, participants discussed events that they would like to participate in and one of the significant activities they agreed upon was a Girl Scout-sponsored trip to Europe. Another was to pay for the design of a "Welcome to Deerfield" sign that will be built and placed at the intersection of River Road and Routes 5 and 10 in Deerfield.
The girls’ cookie-selling goal this year was to make more than $700 in profit. This equates to more than 1,225 boxes of cookies. “They are well on their way and should make their goal,” Lavigne said. “When you are able to get teenage girls focused on a goal and they all have a common interest together, this common interest sparks amazing ideas and dialogue.”
Once this happens, she can step back and watch the “magic” happen. “I don't think they even realize that they are translating a thought to a dream to a goal into action,” she continued. “They are learning how to make their dreams come true one step at a time. This process is a very important key to leading a group at some other time in some other place where others only know how to dream.”
Last year girls in central and western Massachusetts sold 1,066,753 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies. Girls/troops earn up to .73 cents per box.
Catherine M. Wauczinski, a troop leader of Troop 40101 in Easthampton, reported that the girls typically use their cookie proceeds for service projects and activities. They have not yet decided on a new service project. They recently finished a project using last year’s cookie money; they bought a set of Girl Scout guidebooks for the town library.
Jocelyn M. Potter, “cookie mom” for Hadley's Daisy Troop 11914, said the cookie sale is a family affair for the troop. One family spent a few days selling door-to-door in their neighborhood; several siblings helped at booth sales or selling to teachers.
One father took an active role in helping his daughter sell nearly 300 boxes within the first couple of weeks of the sale. “Most customers are excited to buy cookies, so it is a nice experience for all those involved,” she said.
Members of the troop decided to use some of their proceeds for new sashes and a camp activity as well as for cat food and dog treats for a local animal shelter.
If persons didn't want to buy a box of cookies but wanted to support the Girl Scouts, they could buy a box that would be donated. The Daisies planed to make a donation of some 40 boxes of cookies to a food pantry. “What I love about their decisions is that they are able to not only purchase something with their own money for themselves and they are able to help others,” Potter said.
The annual cookie sale not only generates money for the girls and their charities, but it helps them to build a lifetime of skills and confidence. “Goal setting is a skill they will have with them for a lifetime,” Potter said, noting that the Daisies in the troop are first graders so they need more support making decisions with their leaders and selling cookies with families. “This was their second year selling cookies, and in just a year, the girls' confidence grew. It will be exciting to watch their ability to set goals and sell cookies on their own improve each year.”