Girl Scout Day: Who Else Eats a Whole Sleeve of Those Thin Mints?
Oh those Girl Scouts! Ever since we got our first taste of those darn Thin Mints we’ve been hooked. You open that aluminum-foil packaging, grab out a cookie, grab another, and soon you realize you just housed down the entire sleeve (and believe us, you’re never proud of it!). The only thing that has changed over time when it comes to those famed Girl Scout cookies is that the quantity of cookies per box has gotten smaller, which is probably a good thing.
Back in our days, the biggest thrill of the year was getting your cookie sell sheet — that thicker-stocked, color-coded chart where your friends and family would itemize the kinds and quantities of cookies they wanted (Thin Mints, Savannas, Scot-Teas — we’re talking 1970s flavors now). Competition was fierce when it came to trying to reach your goal — you needed to sell something close to 75 boxes to get that coveted cookie badge (see the below pic, as we got a few of the badges).
It didn’t take a Dale Carnegie class to figure out your sales’ smarts either. You always wanted to be the first Girl Scout in the neighborhood to arrive at the Millers or Smiths (insert last name of whoever in your community was known for being the top buyer). If you had sisters who were also Scouts, good luck! There would be full out 50-yard dashes to get to that house first. Even better, though, was when your mom or dad took those order forms to their work. Jackpot!!! Goal completed.
Clearly, Girl Scouts was far more than just cookie sales. The thrill of receiving your very first Girl Scout badge (was it for Cooking, Horseback Riding, Archery?) or getting your first brown sash (when you were a Brownie) or when you crossed that bridge and got your green vest (you’re an official Girl Scout) and, of course, the wonderful volunteer work of helping others, all bring back so many good memories.
Some History on the Girl Scouts
Girl Scout Day is celebrated every year on March 12 to commemorate the day when the founder, Juliette Gordon Low officially registered the first 18 Girl Scouts in Savannah, Georgia. Low, also known as “Daisy,” started the first troop all the way back in 1912.
Keep in mind that women were not legally allowed to vote until 1920 … so this was a time when girls and women were not thought to do much other than get married and raise a family. The Girl Scouts challenged all that with its focus on self-reliance, leadership and curiosity. The Girl Scouts were actually inspired by the Girl Guides, founded in Great Britain in 1910. By the 1920s, there were similar groups all over the world. In 1928, the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) was formed, and by 1931, they had a whopping 1 million members. It was undoubtedly taking off!
March 12 celebrates Girl Scouts Day
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In the over 100 years of the Girl Scouts, they have done lots of good deeds. During the Great Depression, Girl Scouts collected food and clothing for people in need. During World War II, they grew victory gardens, ran Farm Aid projects and more to help out. During the Korean War, they created “Kits for Korea” and spoke out about racial equality, which could often be a big risk in the ’60s. As the years went on, the Girl Scouts spoke out not just about racial equality, but the environment, bullying, drug use, teen pregnancy, and any other hot topic you can think of.
Girl Scouts Kansas Heartland/Flickr
In recent years, there are about 2.5 million Girl Scout members all over the world, still gathering to help young girls find the confidence to become strong and successful women. In the past decade, the Girl Scouts have focused on women in STEM, hoping to get more girls into the fields of math, science, robotics and coding. In the words of Girl Scouts everywhere, it is best to “be prepared.”
Celebrate and help support these young ladies by purchasing a box of cookies today! Now… let’s find out if you’re a smart cookie:
Wonder Women
March 2018
Celebrate these fabulous famous females who have changed helped the world!
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