Join Donate Shop Forms Contact. About Girl Scout Cookies. Cookie Program Update. Cookie Price Update One of these major improvements is an update to our cookie pricing. What else is new We know that the cookie program can be a significant undertaking for troops, volunteers, and parents. Cookie warehouses and cupboard in multiple locations around the council. Why did Gateway Council need to increase the cookie price?
Gluten free Toffee-tastic: Special food safety testing protocols of the production line and the product are required, and the specially sourced ingredients are priced higher. These cookies also carry third-party gluten-free certification. Natural flavors require twice the recipe quantity to deliver same flavor intensity consumers expect, and special storage conditions to extend shelf life are needed. Privacy Policy Terms and Conditions.
The Girl Scouts, for their part, do not condone this practice. And to access it, a potential customer needs a digital invitation from a participating Girl Scout, which means you need a connection to an actual Girl Scout, perhaps because you are related to her. Girl Scouts are not supposed to pass out their cookie URL to strangers, for safety reasons.
There is one tiny loophole in the system: Amazon. But while you can technically buy them online, without interacting with a single girl, the Girl Scouts of the USA would strongly prefer you do not.
Girl Scout cookies do have detractors. People love Girl Scout cookies. Part of that is the taste; they are eminently edible, because they are cookies. Part of that is the nostalgia. They remind you of childhood, how you once were a Girl Scout, or knew a Girl Scout, or ate cookies. They are simple and pure. They are also pleasantly limited. To Goodbody, a big part of the appeal is civic-minded: People want to support the girls themselves. Girl Scout cookies are not the best kind of cookies.
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Sarah Lawrence for Vox. Reddit Pocket Flipboard Email. The basic facts of Girl Scout cookies Girl Scouts is an organization for girls ages 5 through 18, who are organized by age group and visually recognizable by color-coded uniforms. Girl Scouts sell cookies. Each Girl Scout council conducts a single cookie sale each year, which generally lasts for six to eight weeks. Some rebellious troops sell them in the fall. No individual scout is required to sell cookies. However, not all cookies are available in all locations.
This is very sad, but also beautiful in a way, like how flowers are beautiful because they die. Girl Scouts selling cookies at a cookie stand. Girl Scouts preparing to sell their stock. Invest Invest. Advocacy Advocacy. Support Girl Scouts by donating nationally or to your local council, becoming a lifetime member, and advocating for girls. For Volunteers For Volunteers. Resources for Girl Scout members. Find volunteer, Girl Scout, and family tools and support.
Explore badges, activities, and more. Find cookies, learn when cookie season starts in your community, and locate cookie sale booths by simply entering your zip code in the Find Cookies! You can also call or email your local Girl Scout council.
Council staff or volunteers can help you find a cookie booth near you. Councils conduct their cookie season for about a six- to eight-week period per year, most between January and April, but some as early as September.
You can search for cookie sales in your neighborhood, get details on your favorite Girl Scout Cookies , and use social media to tell your friends. Our Digital Cookie platform keeps girls front and center as we move beyond the booth and offer a convenient way for consumers to buy cookies online and support girls at the same time! Depending on the council, girls will either use a personalized cookie website, mobile app, ecard, or direct link to ask their customers to make a Digital Cookie purchase.
To find out if the Digital Cookie platform is available in your area, visit www. We caution against purchases of Girl Scout Cookies found for sale online at auction, community list sites, or sites such as eBay and Amazon, because GSUSA, your local Girl Scout council, and our licensed cookie bakers cannot guarantee the freshness or integrity of these cookies.
In many instances, these cookies are actually expired, or the sellers are using Girl Scout intellectual property without our authorization. Further, purchasing cookies in this way does not support Girl Scouts participating in the cookie program.
Councils select the varieties offered in their area. To see a listing of all current varieties of Girl Scout Cookies, along with pictures and descriptions, go to Meet the Cookies. In May , the FDA announced that the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods would reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases, such as obesity and heart disease. The new label on some Girl Scout Cookie packages will help consumers make better-informed food choices.
We encourage consumers concerned about sugar intake to discuss dietary options with a doctor or registered dietitian. For consumer convenience, each of our licensed bakers lists dietary exchanges on the cookie information pages of their websites, so people with diabetes and parents of children with diabetes can make informed choices.
The amount of sugar and carbohydrates is also listed on each cookie package. Girl Scout Cookies are sold for a short time every year and are considered a snack or special treat. As with all treats, they should be enjoyed in moderation.
GSUSA promotes a healthy lifestyle for girls, which includes a well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise. Our health and fitness programs encourage girls to adopt fitness and healthy eating habits early in life and to continue them into adulthood. Girls are also taught to consider ingredients and portion size when choosing snacks. This information is clearly listed on both the cookie package and the cookie order form. You can also find the information on the Meet the Cookies page of our website or on the Cookie Finder app.
With special regard for allergen concerns, our bakers bake Girl Scout Cookies in state-of-the-art facilities, and consumers can be assured that every required safety protocol is adhered to in order to prevent cross-contamination of ingredients. To find out which licensed baker supplies your council with cookies, contact your Girl Scout council. Ingredients may differ slightly by baker. It is important that the girls we serve see themselves reflected in the cookie program; from the girls we feature on the packages to the various thing's girls do with their cookie earnings.
Adding halal certification to our existing kosher certification was an important step forward in this regard. Palm oil is an ingredient found in many baked snacks sold in the United States and is the most widely used vegetable oil in the world. Per GSUSA's licensed bakers, it is necessary to use palm oil in our cookies because of its unique ability to provide volume and texture in baked goods, usually without adding trans fats. Additionally, growing palm oil requires less land in comparison to other vegetable oils and supports the livelihoods of more than 4 million farmers globally.
One of the primary goals of our Girl Scout Cookie bakers is to create the best-tasting cookies possible using the best ingredients available. The world's food supply is intricately tied to the use of palm oil, so we believe promoting sustainable manufacturing principles is the most responsible approach for Girl Scouts and Girl Scout Cookie development.
At Girl Scouts, we have an opportunity to use our strong voice to bring about positive change on this important issue, and our bakers have made the following commitments:. GSUSA and our licensed bakers are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil RSPO , an organization of growers, buyers, manufacturers, conservationists, and other interested parties striving to develop and follow best practices to ensure sustainability.
Our licensed bakers are committed to Sustainable Palm Oil in Girl Scout Cookies and are continuing to research viable alternatives. Thanks to the encouragement of and partnership with Girl Scout members, GSUSA and our bakers have realized the power of the Girl Scout brand to make a positive difference in the move toward sustainably produced palm oil. Our licensed cookie bakers are actively working with their suppliers to ensure that the cocoa used in Girl Scout Cookies is responsibly sourced.
Our bakers are required to provide assurance that cocoa sourced for Girl Scout Cookies is child- and slave-labor free. To provide this assurance, our bakers require compliance from their cocoa suppliers through strict supplier codes of conduct. Our bakers are working with cocoa suppliers, farmers, and industry partners to identify risks and support education and training that promotes sustainable and ethical practices.
GSUSA understands that, despite the best efforts of our manufacturers and the ongoing work by their suppliers, we also have a responsibility to provide leadership on the topic of slave labor and human trafficking. We are committed to using our powerful voice and brand wherever possible to effect change in this area.
Little Brownie Bakers is part of the global confectionery and branded-chocolate company Ferrero Group. Ferrero is committed to working on the challenges to end deforestation in the cocoa sector, as well as to implementing key principles and strategies that underpin socially and environmentally sustainable cocoa production.
The collective aim is to end deforestation, restore forest areas and create better lives for farmers and their communities in these cocoa-producing countries, with a particular focus on women and youth.
GSUSA is committed to providing cookie customers with the highest-quality products available. We understand that customers have questions about the foods they choose to eat, and GSUSA works alongside its trusted bakers to develop recipes using ingredients that will produce the best-tasting and highest-quality cookies.
Girl Scouts recognizes that many people have concerns about GMO ingredients, and we monitor member and consumer opinion on this matter while simultaneously addressing industry trends; scientific trends; and, of course, consumer preference. It is important to note that there is worldwide scientific support for the safety of currently commercialized ingredients derived from GMO agricultural crops.
Recycling is community dependent. Girl Scout Cookie packages may or may not be accepted by your local recycling service depending on the types of materials it processes. Several Girl Scout Cookie varieties are produced in soft pack packaging only, without a carton. The film overwrap is similar to the protective wrapping found inside the boxes of all cookie varieties and is recyclable in certain markets.
While the shift to film overwrap has eliminated thousands of pounds of paperboard from the waste stream and the reduction in packaging weight has saved thousands of gallons of diesel fuel, the material may not be accepted by some local recycling services. The box packaging for many of our cookies is made from paper and is recyclable. We continue to work with our bakers to evaluate ways to maximize the recyclability of the package, while maintaining freshness and shelf life.
Although parents and Girl Scout adults may assist, girls make the sale, set learning and sales goals, learn to think like entrepreneurs, and gain five essential skills that are part of the program. Participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program is voluntary and requires written permission from a parent or guardian.
The experience helps girls learn essential life skills while powering amazing troop experiences for girls year-round. We caution against purchasing Girl Scout Cookies for sale online at auction, community list sites, or sites such as eBay and Amazon, because GSUSA, your local Girl Scout council, and our licensed cookie bakers cannot guarantee the freshness or integrity of these cookies. In many instances, these cookies are expired or are using Girl Scout intellectual property without our authorization.
Each Girl Scout council determines its precise method of helping Girl Scouts sell cookies to customers. Cookies can generally be purchased via the following means, or some combination thereof:. Girl Scout councils provide participating girls with an order card and, for some, access to a mobile app to collect orders from potential customers. Girls turn in their order cards, the council orders the cookies, and then girls go back to the customer to deliver the cookies a few weeks later.
Direct sale. Participating Girl Scouts sell cookies directly to customers, bypassing the order-card process. Booth sales. Participating girls sell cookies at booths authorized by councils and set up inside and outside various retail establishments. To find a cookie booth near you or learn when cookies go on sale, simply enter your zip code in the Find Cookies!
The safety, health, and wellbeing of our girls and volunteers is and must be our priority, and we are encouraging all Girl Scout councils to comply with local and federal social distancing guidance during the COVID pandemic. Online and mobile sales. Many councils participate in the Digital Cookie platform, and more councils join every year!
To check if your council participates, visit Digital Cookie. Through Digital Cookie, girls can sell online and through mobile devices. Many girls enjoy marketing their online cookie business by inviting customers, via an email or social media link, to visit their personalized cookie websites.
Other girls take in-person orders using a mobile app designed specifically for Girl Scouts. The safety, health, and wellbeing of our girls and volunteers is and must be our first priority, and we are encouraging all Girl Scouts to comply with local and federal social distancing guidance during the COVID pandemic. Depending on their age, Girl Scouts must be accompanied or supervised by an adult when selling and delivering Girl Scout Cookies or use the buddy system when selling and delivering door-to-door.
Adults must always be present during cookie booth sales. To ensure freshness, Girl Scouts only sell cookies produced for the current season. Therefore, if a council or troop has cookies left at the end of the sale, GSUSA encourages it to work with local food pantries and other charitable organizations to distribute cookies as a special treat for people seeking food relief services. GSUSA works with our licensed bakers to ensure that they too have an annual plan for responsibly managing leftover cookie inventory.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program has never been about individual sales results but rather the program outcomes, through which girls learn important entrepreneurial and life skills and invest their earnings in powering troop activities year-round. There are many impressive cookie bosses throughout the United States, and the Girl Scout Movement will continue to recognize those girls as top sellers.
The program strives to offer girls important experiences in entrepreneurship, business, and finance from a young age, as well as provide girls and Girl Scout councils with the funding necessary for a variety of activities and programs throughout the troop year. Our councils, which handle their own sales tracking, may continue to track their top sellers locally to showcase the skills girls learn and the incredible ways in which girls are investing their cookie earnings to create positive change in their communities.
The net proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie sales stay local with the originating council and troop to fund activities for girls year-round as well as impactful girl-led community projects.
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