Marshall Girl Scouts to begin annual cookie sales

Girl Scouts in the Marshall area will be taking orders for cookies beginning Jan. 9. Area residents can order Girl Scout cookies from Friday, Jan. 9, through Thursday, Jan. 25, according to a news release from local scouting officials.

The girls will be offering eight varieties of cookies, including one new type.

Girl Scouts will continue to offer perennial favorites, including Thin Mints, shortbread cookies, peanut butter patties, peanut butter sandwich cookies and the Caramel deLites.

Additionally, Girl Scouts will sell Thanks-a-Lot, a shortbread cookie with a chocolate layer on the bottom, and Lemonades, a lemon iced shortbread cookie.

This year, Marshall scouts will be offering Daisy Go Rounds, a reduced-fat crispy cinnamon cookie that comes with five single-serve snack packs.

Cookies will be delivered beginning the week of Monday, Feb. 16, and will cost $4 per box. Local troops receive 55 cents per box sold.

The annual cookie sales campaign is the primary fund-raiser for Girl Scouts, and the money raised is used for service projects, badge work, crafts, activities, campouts and other trips.

Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland Council, which includes Marshall, receives a portion of the price of each box sold.

This money is used to provide leader materials and council representatives who assist area troops, maintain council-owned campsites and a host of programs for all age level scouts as well as scholarships to offset the cost to individual girls.

Additionally, the cookie program is an integral part of Girl Scouting's business

and economic literacy initiative for girls ages 5-17.

"Through this program, girls manage inventory, set goals, learn money management and develop marketing skills," said Jennifer Phillips, a local Girl Scout leader who organizes cookie sales for Saline County.

"Essentially, the girls run their own business," Phillips said. "The entire troop sets a goal and follows a plan leading toward that goal."

Local troops aren't the only ones who benefit from cookie sales, local officials said. Troops may elect to participate in the "Cookie Share" project, a service project to help other organizations

in the community.

Each troop decides which organization in the community it would like to help by asking customers to donate an extra box of cookies to be given to that particular charity.

In past years, troops have chosen organizations such as the Lighthouse, Marshall Senior Center, Butterfield Youth Services and Head Start for their contributions.

Marshall scouts have a special cookie kickoff rally planned for Thursday, Jan. 8. Girls will gather from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the fellowship hall at Covenant Presbyterian Church for games, crafts and sales tips. Girls will be bringing canned goods to the event for the Community Food Pantry.

Anyone who is not approached by a Girl Scout but who wishes to order cookies can call Phillips at 660-886-4608 or Mary Jo Rieth, 660-886-8524.