Girl Scout 'Thin Mints' take the cake on Daniel Island

Local troops put care, coordination into selling cookies

Behind every delicious Girl Scout cookie is a network of dedicated volunteers working to coordinate the sale of each box of cookies to benefit the girls in their troop.

The leaders of Troop 705 on Daniel Island are no exception, and for the past nine years these moms have spent countless hours helping their troop members make the most of their Girl Scout experience.

On Sunday, Jan. 20, two of the leaders, Kelly Hood and Carol Braswell, met at the Starbucks on Daniel Island to finalize the cookie orders and to discuss upcoming sales at stores around town. The troop sold 1,700 boxes of cookies during pre-sale, which is the busiest time for girls selling door to door and online.

The most popular kind of cookie sold by the troop? Thin Mints, according to Hood.

“Each girl is working to sell at least 1,000 boxes to cover the cost of a trip,” she said. “The exact destination will be voted on by the girls once they reach their target.”

In the past, trips have included a water park in North Carolina, an overnight treehouse/canoe trip, and even a cruise to the Bahamas.

As a “Rainbow Troop,” they have three levels of Girl Scouts — Juniors, Cadettes, and Seniors — with 11 girls ranging from fourth graders to high school sophomores. Along with leaders Beth Yost and Audra Raus, they meet every other Sunday at the Japan Karate Institute on Daniel Island.

Hood and Braswell agreed that it’s hard to quantify how much time they devote to their troop.

During cookie season, which lasts about three months, “We definitely do something related to Girl Scouts every day,” Hood said.

“We spend hours on emails alone,” Braswell said.

Although responsibilities vary, troop leaders stay busy planning meetings, communicating with parents, arranging transportation, organizing trips, coordinating with community leaders, sorting and delivering boxes of cookies, completing required permission slips and registration forms, attending training courses, and — perhaps most importantly — working with the girls to earn badges and to promote the values of Girl Scouts.

“It’s worth it because we’ve watched the girls grow,” said Hood. “It’s nice to see things click.”

In the past nine years, the girls have learned how to manage money from cookie sales, how to budget time — between school and scouts — and how to be more forward-thinking when working toward a goal, she said.

“My daughter told me one of the most important things selling cookies taught her was how to talk to adults,” Braswell added.

Troop 705 is part of the East Cooper Service Unit 650 — serving the Girl Scout troops on Daniel Island and in the Mount Pleasant and Cainhoy areas. Leaders from all of these troops meet once a month to discuss upcoming events and to collaborate with each other.

On Daniel Island, the troop has participated in trash pickup along roads and waterways, as well as other community projects.

For more information about Girl Scouts of America or to join a local troop, visit girlscoutsesc.org.

Daniel Island Publishing

225 Seven Farms Drive
Unit 108
Daniel Island, SC 29492 

Office Number: 843-856-1999
Fax Number: 843-856-8555

 

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