Girl Scouts used the Cookie Program Activity to bring service ideas to life. Procceds earned by troops are often used to support troop community service projects. Troops also participate in Cookie Care & Share. Cookie Care & Share is a River Valleys’ Cookie Program Activity community service project that allows customers to purchase packages of cookies that are donated to recipient organizations by the Girl Scouts. Troops delivered the donation themselves when using the “Care” option, or used the “Share” option and let River Valleys do the leg work and make the donation for them.
500+ Club
500+ Club girls were the star of the show during their day at camp award. Camp Singing Hills hosted 77 girls on June 20 and Camp Elk River hosted 116 girls on June 27. All the girls received feather boas, walked the “green” carpet and participated in super-star camp activities including swimming, singing and games, craft and science projects.
1000+ Club
More than 50 River Valleys Girl Scouts travelled to Coal Valley, Ill., to celebrate being a part of the 1,000+ Club during the 2009 Cookie Program Activity. Part of the trip, where the girls got to have breakfast with the animals and get a sneak-peek at the behind-the-scenes action at the zoo, was funded through proceeds from the Cookie Program Activity
CEO luncheon
Four girls from Girl Scout troop 12087 were selected to enjoy a special and educational lunch with River Valleys’ CEO Linda Keene after their plan was selected as the most extensive and innovative Cookie Executive Officer (CEO) plan for the 2009 Cookie Program Activity. Troop members organized door-to-door sales, signed up for Cookie Booths, and used innovative signs to encourage people to take advantage of their “last chance” to buy Girl Scout cookies. The girls wanted to raise money to fund their Girl Scout Silver Award project, which would cost about $355. They set a goal to sell 525 packages. Using the CEO guidebook, the troop worked hard and exceeded their goal by selling a total of 938 packages.
Feed My Starving Children
Our first service projects of the year was a great success! Seven girls, and their families and leaders, joined other volunteers at Feed My Starving Children to pack nutritious meals for children around the world. The result was 7992 meals (enough to feed 22 children for a year) packed in 2 hours. Afterward, we were allowed to help say a prayer over the meals before they left. We also got to see how many Brownies could fit in a sack which holds a TON of rice! If you 've been there, you will certainly remember, "chicken, veggies, soy, rice!" We would encourage EVERY Troop to try out this great service project! Our girls are already planning their next trip back!
Operation Christmas Child
Troop 21684 from Shakopee went to three places to volunteer their time and talents. The girls volunteered at Petland and earned their pet care badge. They also spent time volunteering at Feed My Starving Children and Operation Christmas Child. They wanted their free time to be spent volunteering and making the world a better place.
“Hooked on Books” puppet show
Girl Scout Troop 10067 from Chaska earned the Girl Scout Bronze Award by performing puppet shows with local libraries and the Eastern Carver County school district. The troop held two shows in December 2008 and a final performance on in conjunction with the district’s “Hooked on Books” event in February 2009. The puppet shows were based on the books “The True Story of the Three Pigs” and “The Mitten.”
Rosewood Girl Scouts Make Quilts
Three troops from the Rosewood Service Unit of Girl Scouts made quilts for children in hospitals. Some of the 17 girls who participated in the event had never used a sewing machine before. They sewed blocks which consisted of a front, batting, and a back, and adult volunteers assembled the blocks into finished quilts, which were donated to Sewing Angels, a nonprofit group that gives quilts and blankets to seriously ill or traumatized children in local hospitals.
The Mother Bear Project
Girl Scout Troop 10286 from St. Francis stuffed crocheted bears for The Mother Bear Project, which sends crocheted bears to children in Africa who have been affected by HIV/AIDS. This is what they had to say:
- “It’s fun to help people.” – Maria, age 10
- “Fun to be able to stuff the bears.” – Kailey, age 10
- “We’re going to make a lot of little kids in Africa happy.” – Caitlin, age 10
- “I definitely want to do this again.” – Katrina, age 11
Cookie Care & Share in Action Stories
Flower planting
Jordan Girl Scout Junior Troop 21220 used some of their cookie proceeds to buy flowers to plant around Lagoon Park in Jordan. The community service project was one part of the troop’s plan to earn its Girl Scout Bronze Award. The girls have chose the theme “Beautifying Our Community” and organized a highway clean-up and holiday decorating project for community business.
Cookie proceeds help girls earn the Girl Scout Gold Award
Lauren used some Cookie Program Activity proceeds to finish her Girl Scout Gold Award project. She redesigning the French language curriculum in District 112 to include aspects of francophone culture into a mostly euro-centric language program. Since the project’s completion, it has been slowly implemented in the Pre-French I- French II classes. At the end of 2012, this program will be fully active in Chanhassen High School as part of the main French curriculum.
Direct benefit from cookie proceeds
Girl Scouts Troop 21305 chose charitable ways to use cookie proceeds. They donated two cents per package to a local food shelf, which amounted to $60. They also sent donations to the residents of the apartment fire in Montgomery, Minn. Additionally, the girls chose to send cookies to soldiers; particularly Lt. Col. Brian Pfarr, the older brother of one of their classmates.
Spreading joy
Rushford Girl Scout Junior Troop 40301 find joy in spreading happiness by delivering flowers to people whose homes were flooded in August 2007. Troop members used cookie proceeds to buy pots, which they decorated, plants, and soil for the project. Potted plants were given to local businesses, a school, relatives, teachers, friends, and a church.
Operation Cozy Toes
Rochester Girl Scout Brownie Troop 40392 collected shoes and used some cookie proceeds to send the shoes to Afghanistan, where many families have a difficult time providing shoes for all their members. The troop reached out to the community to collect shoes to send overseas as the service project component of the Take Action Key in their Brownie Quest.
2009 Cookie Booth Highlights
More information coming soon.
2009 Delivery Highlights
More information coming soon.
2009 Cookie Rally Highlights
More information coming soon.
2009 Cookie Spokegirls
Cookie Spokesgirls are River Valleys Girl Scouts who love the Cookie Program Activity and want to help spread the word. Girls throughout River Valleys participate in a training day to learn about how different media outlets operate and how to talk to reporters, among other topics. When the council receives an interview request, the first girls on the list to call are trained Cookie Spokesgirls.
Cookie Spokesgirls develop skills that translate to successful cookie programs, especially by using their skills at Cookie Booths, and in their day-to-day lives. The girls are confident in their ability to speak with others, they build self-esteem, and they get to see and experience a career option as they explore media relations, newspapers, television, radio, and other communications outlets.
Cookie Spokesgirls have a variety of opportunities to use their skills. Not only do they get to participate in media interviews regarding cookies, but they also can sign up to be a part of the River Valleys speakers’ bureau where older Girl Scouts get the chance to talk to groups like staff, the Board of Directors, donors, and others about why they love Girl Scouting.
For more information on Cookie Spokesgirl training, contact Barbara.Boelk@girlscoutsrv.org.
Send us your 2009 Imagine If... Highlights
Send us your .jpg photos and stories about what your troops did during the 2009 Cookie Program Activity. Tell other girls in River Valleys how you “Imagine If …” E-mail productsales@girlscoutsrv.org.
