Who Is Really Selling Girl Scout Cookies?

Welcome to Moms Talk, a weekly discussion on Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch that is part of a Patch-wide initiative to reach out to moms and families. Each week in Moms Talk Q&A, our local Moms Council of experts and been-there-done-that moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions.

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This week's question:

"Girl Scout cookie season is underway and that means the competition is on. The business of Thin Mints and Samoas is huge and many moms have their own memories of growing up and walking door to door in their own brown sashes selling individual boxes to their neighbors.

But who is really doing the selling these days? Are you asking your Daisy Scout at the age of 5 to do the same door-to-door sales pitch? Do you find more parents approaching you at work or church asking you to buy cookies? As a parent, are you willing to just write a check rather than put up with the pain of doing the selling?"

Michele Caldwell: I remember excitedly walking door-to-door, selling Girl Scout cookies to my neighbors.  I could not wait to get my cookie sheet, so I could be the first one to start because back then people only bought from the first little girl who asked.  If my friends knocked before me, my potential sales would be lost.  After all, my neighbors were my only prospects.  I knew everyone in my neighborhood, and which ones were likely to buy.

 Today, it is not safe for children to knock on doors in their communities because, sadly, not everyone knows their neighbors anymore.  It is not at all uncommon for two families to live next door and know nothing about each other.  It is just too risky for children to go alone.  Because of this, schools and scout leaders are not allowed to require door-to-door sales.  Parents are forced to step up and either sell the cookies at work, or walk with their children.  Like it or not, this is just the way it is now.

The way Scouts remedy for this problem is to sell as a group.  If you’ve ever tried to shop at the grocery store, rent a video, or even get gas on the weekend, you’ve experienced the mob of Girl Scouts selling cookies.  Boy Scouts also sell their Popcorn this way.  Like it or not, it is the best solution they have to keep the fundraiser alive.  Parents can only do so much peddling at work, and it isn’t fair to their children if they aren’t involved. 

Whether you like this new sales method or not, it probably depends on if you know any Girl Scouts.  I can remember many years before my Goddaughter was old enough to sell cookies, causing us to go without; my sons were not pleased.  It was a blessing to see the troops at the store.   It might be nice if they would stay at their table, allowing customers to come to them, but where is the fun in that?

Bethany Scheck: It's Girl Scout Cookie Season!  We all have our favorites, but as with anything else in life, it's best to enjoy them in moderation.  As a mom to a first-year Girl Scout Brownie, I decided to take that same approach with cookie sales.  My daughter's troop set an objective to go on a camping trip, and they're using cookie sales to raise money to meet their goal.  My daughter proudly wore her new vest as she walked door-to-door, up and down our street selling those cookies.  She managed to sell 52 boxes.  Some girls in her troop have sold hundreds of boxes with the help of their parents bringing the forms to the office.  Neither my husband or I work in a traditional office setting, so bringing a form to work wasn't an option for us.  I'm certainly grateful for all of the boxes everyone sold.  I don't see any harm in parents helping boost sales by passing the order form around their social or work environment.  I believe as long as everyone demonstrates the same traits that the Girl Scouts program strives to teach our girls, then why not? Girl Scout Cookies are a 90-year tradition! The product sells itself.    

My daughter understood why she was selling the cookies, she did a great job, and even met a few neighbors along the way.  Maybe next year, when she's just that bit older, and we're more a more experienced troop we'll walk a few more streets, or try harder to get one of the coveted booth sales.  In the meantime, I certainly don't mind writing a check to make up for the difference.  It was a good experience for her and that's all that matters.