February 8 Declared National Girl Scout Cookie Day
For the City-Times
Girl Scouts of the USA has declared February 8 National Girl Scout Cookie Day in celebration and recognition of the largest girl-led business in the world. Girl Scouts will be asking 50 million cookie fans across the nation to purchase more boxes of their favorite Girl Scout cookies in honor of their entrepreneurial endeavors.. The Girl Scout Cookie Program has been recognized by business leaders for their success in teaching girls five essential life skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.
“People still tend to think it is just about cookies, but when these girls come to their door with their sales pitch and talk to their customers about what they have planned with their troop and how they will spend the money, they soon realize this is serious business for them,” said Gail McNutt, CEO of Girl Scouts of the Northwestern Great Lakes.
When it comes to skill building, statistics show the Girl Scout Cookie Program works. According to a survey from the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85 percent of Girl Scout “cookie entrepreneurs” learn money management by developing budgets, taking cookie orders, and handling customers’ money. Eighty-three percent build business ethics, 80 percent learn goal setting, 77 percent improve decision making, and 75 percent develop people skills.
All the revenue earned from cookie activities—every penny after paying the baker—stays with the local Girl Scout council that sponsors the sale and the girls themselves. Councils use cookie revenue to supply essential services to troops, groups, and individual girls, such as providing program resources and communication support, training volunteers, and hosting events.
As part of their experience in any Girl Scout product activity, girls can earn official awards at every level of Girl Scouting, including cookie and financial literacy badges and the annual Cookie Activity Pin.