Samoas, Caramel deLites, Samoa Smile, 4 1/3, Hole In One, Girl Scout Cookie Season, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 2009, all photos © 2009 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
From the moment visionary Juliette Gordon Low exclaimed “I’ve got something for the girls of Savannah, and all of America, and all the world, and we’re going to start it tonight!,” the fate of the Girl Scout Cookie was sealed. Her providential encounter with Robert Baden-Powell, founder of the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides, led to that historic day on March 12, 1912, when Low gathered 18 girls to register the first troop of American Girl Guides (changed to Girl Scouts in 1913).
Liz and I passed Juliette Gordon Low’s Savannah home on a breezy morning bus tour last summer. Later that day, we would take Mom to see the childhood home of writer Flannery O’Connor, but the tour of Low’s home will have to wait until the next trip South. Juliette Gordon Low was a writer, too. Known as “Daisy” to family and friends, she supported and developed a lifetime interest in the Arts. She wrote poems and plays, sketched, and later became a skilled painter and sculptor.
She was also deaf and spent her life advocating for girls with disabilities at a time when they were excluded from many activities. Juliette suffered chronic ear infections and lost hearing in one ear from improper treatment. At 26, she would lose hearing in her second ear on her wedding day after a grain of good-luck rice lodged in her ear, puncturing the eardrum and resulting in an infection and total loss of hearing.
Long before women had the right to vote, Low was instrumental in encouraging girls to develop self-reliance and resourcefulness, not only in homemaking, but in future roles as professional women in the arts, sciences, business, and marketing so their organization would be self-supporting. Cookie sales began as early as 1917 with the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, which (with mothers as technical advisors) baked cookies and sold them in the high school cafeteria as a service project.
After claiming humble beginnings as a simple sugar cookie (click for an original Girl Scout recipe), the Girl Scout Cookie business is thriving. Once packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker, and sold door to door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen, there are now over a dozen varieties of Girl Scout Cookies sold all over the world. When I was a Girl Scout in the 1960’s, there were about 14 bakers (now there are two or three), Girl Scout Cookies were being wrapped in printed aluminum foil or cellophane, and a number of varieties were available including Chocolate Mint, Shortbread, and Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies.
What’s your favorite Girl Scout Cookie? Today there are eleven varieties, including three mandatory ones — Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich (Do-si-dos), and Shortbread (Trefoils). I’m a Samoa fan (or Caramel deLite, depending on the baker). Liz’s #1 is the Thin Mint. I’m also the resident Cookie Monster. Just last week, I finished up our last box for the year, when Liz and I happened to step into a Walgreens yesterday and guess what? Right smack dab inside the door was a huge table of Girl Scout Cookies, complete with two Troop leaders and three Girl Scouts (sporting Junior Girl Scout Cookie Biz Badges).
What was the first thing we did? Buy two more boxes, one Samoa, one Shortbread. And, sadly, you can never eat just one!
After doing the research for this piece last weekend, I felt qualified to strike up a conversation about “Daisy” Gordon with one of the Girl Scouts in Walgreens. She was excited to tell me that their troop was writing a play for Juliette Gordon Low to be presented at their next meeting. “What’s the bestselling cookie this year?” I asked her mother. “Oh, the Thin Mint, hands down,” she said. “Followed by your friend (tap, tap, tap the box), the Samoa!”
Did you belong to the Girl Scouts? Were your parents involved (my mother was once the Troop Leader of Troop 38)? Or maybe you were a member of another girls service organization. If so, you owe part of what you learned to Juliette Gordon Low. She has had ships, schools, and even a stamp named after her; on July 3, 1948, President Harry S. Truman signed a bill authorizing a stamp in her honor, one of the few dedicated to women.
At a time when she was down and drifting through life, Low’s chance meeting with Robert Baden-Powell inspired her to pay it forward. Her legacy lives on in the 3.7 million members, and over 50 million girls, women, and men who have belonged to the Girl Scouts. On January 17, 1927, at age 67, Juliette Gordon Low died from breast cancer at her Savannah, Georgia, home on Lafayette Square.
Low was baptized, confirmed, married, and buried (in her Girl Scout uniform) at Georgia’s first church, and John Wesley’s only American parish, Christ Church Savannah. It was on those same steps in 1912 that she recruited many of the 18 original Girl Scouts. After her death, her friends honored her by establishing the Juliette Low World Friendship Fund, which finances international projects for Girl Scouts and Girl Guides around the world.
Resources:
- Girl Scout Cookie History
- Juliette Gordon Low Biography
- Girl Scout Museum
- Savannah Birthplace of Juliet Gordon Low
- Juliette Gordon Low Biography, Family History, Portrait Gallery
- Test Your Juliette Gordon Low Quotient
- Girl Scout Cookie FAQ’s
- Girl Scout Cookies — Varieties, Photos, Ordering, Nutritional Values
-posted on red Ravine, Monday, March 9th, 2009
This year we ordered three boxes (gone since last week): Peanut Butter Patties (aka Tagalongs), Lemonades, and Thin Mints. I didn’t order this time, because if I did I would have gotten two boxes of Samoa/Caramel deLites and one Thin Mints. I also like the Trefoils/Shortbread.
Em’s favorite is the Peanut Butter Patties. The Lemonades were different, a newer cookie–shortbread with stamped lemon icing. They were pretty good, although I think I’ll pass on them next year. I can eat a whole column of Thin Mints in a couple of days, easily, but boy did I miss the Samoas this year. BTW, my only gripe about the Samoas is that not very many come in a box.
I was a Girl Scout but got kicked out of my troop after my best friend and I got in trouble at Girl Scout Camp the one summer we went. Which was fine; I wasn’t earnest about getting badges. I wanted all the badges–thought they were adorable, and something about the way they all looked on a sash was most appealing–but I was lazy about doing the work. Perhaps if I would have joined at a younger age, I would have been indoctrinated well, but by the time I joined (maybe age 13 or 14?) I was on the cusp of becoming a super rebellious kid.
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I kind of like the Shortbreads with tea. They are light and not as sweet. Last night we had a little vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and leftover strawberries. We had run out of the shortcakes that we buy with the strawberries. Liz crumbled the Trefoils over the ice cream and added the strawberries. It was perfect, almost as good as the shortcake. I did notice that the Lemon cookies were different this year. I didn’t like them as well either. I actually thought the Samoas tasted a little different to me (the chocolate on them), too. But maybe it was just me.
ybonesy, we had a few girls in our Troop that were more rebellious than others, too. I bet it’s natural for every troop. I used to love the sash with the badges, too, and it was fun to see the two Girl Scouts in Walgreens wearing their uniforms and sashes. I didn’t earn a ton of badges. I think I was really shy and insecure back then. I still have my old Junior Girl Scout book with my old handwriting on it. And I do remember a Flying Up ceremony. I think it’s a good organization for girls. Teaches a lot about the dynamics of groups. They can be crazy. 8)
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I was never a Girl Scout but I loved those cookies. Remember when the scouts came to your door and your mom would order about 4 boxes of cookies because they were so cheap that even your thrifty mother could buy several boxes “to support the Girl Scouts.” When I worked outside of the house, the parents of Girl Scouts would pass around the order forms for cookies and we could have cookies for the whole year.
My favorite cookies are the shortbreads. I never like mint or any of the fancier ones. Just a simple shortbread cookie or ten or twenty at one setting. Haven’t seen hide no hair of a Girl Scout selling cookies since I left work. Guess I will need to go to my local drug store and see if they have set up shop there.
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What a lovely and informative post! Both my daughters are involved in the Girl Scouts; every year it’s cookies out the wazoo. Our favorites around here are the Thanks-a-Lots and the peanut butter sandwich cookies.
I am going to show this post to my oldest daughter this evening when she gets home. She’ll be thrilled . . .
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Brian, thanks. I’m thrilled that you want to show this to your oldest daughter who is a Girl Scout. I hope you’ll keep me posted on what she says. I had to look at the Thanks-a-Lot cookie (photos and descriptions at the last post link) because I really didn’t know which one it was. I don’t think I’ve ever had it:
It says the Thanks-A-Lot is: a shortbread cookie with a layer of fudge on the bottom and the words “Thank You” in English, French, Chinese, Swahili or Spanish embossed on the top. Thanks-A-Lots have been made by ABC Bakers since 2006 and were preceded by a similar cookie called the Animal Treasure.
What fun! I don’t know if those were offered in our area. I’ll have to check. I do remember the Animal Treasure though. I bet they didn’t have the “Thank You” embossment. But maybe they did and I don’t remember!
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Bob, we haven’t had any Girl Scouts come door-to-door here either. But right after we got home from Walgreens, a young Boy Scout came knocking on our door. His mother was standing at the bottom of our steps waiting for him. He was selling tubs of popcorn and nuts for the Boy Scouts. And he was so cute, that Liz and I couldn’t resist (even though we aren’t fond of solicitors at our door). We struck up a conversation with him and it turns out he lives just up the hill from us. So we now have an endless supply source of Boy Scout items!
I read in the Girl Scout Cookie history that the Girl Scouts started setting up their wares at malls in the 50’s with the invention of both the suburb and the mall. I honestly had not seen them around (but I don’t get to the malls much; I hate shopping) and was kind of surprised to bump into them at Walgreens. They were right as you come in the door and I’m sure they sold a lot that day.
And it’s true, the cookies sure aren’t as inexpensive as they used to be. Aren’t they around $4 a box now? The good news is that I read that 70% of the proceeds stays in the local Girl Scout council to provide resources needed to support Girl Scouting in that area, including the Troop selling the cookies (nationwide, an individual group receives from 12-17% of the purchase price of each box sold); the balance goes directly to the baker. So most of the money is going directly to support the organization which seems in line with Juliette Gordon Low’s vision.
Yes, the Shortbreads are great. I like the simplicity of them. Plain and simple.
I did see in the Girl Scouts FAQ’s link that the best-selling Girl Scout cookies are:
25% Thin Mints
19% Samoas/Caramel deLites
13% Peanut Butter Patties/Tagalongs
11% Peanut Butter Sandwich/Do-si-dos
9% Shortbread/Trefoils
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The Thanks-a-Lots are a bigger cookie, crispier than the shortbread, but equally yummy when broken in half and dunked in coffee . . .
OMG! I think I sent every girl in my daughter’s troop to camp with all the boxes I’ve gone through . . .
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And for us, the peanut butter patties were the big hit. People love to store them in the freezer and dig them out during the dog days of summer . . .
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Oh, that’s exactly what I used to do when I lived alone. I would buy about 7 boxes from mothers at work, peddling their Girl Scout daughters’ wares (I used to love when Girl Scout Cookie season came around at work), and then when the cookies came in, I’d drop about 3 boxes into the freezer (after consuming another 3!) and get them out later in the year. They freeze really well! I’m glad you brought that up.
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QM, I was a Brownie & later a Girl Scout. I really don’t recall selling the cookies, though.
My favorite is the shortbread. J likes the Samoas & Thin Mints. We bought ours last year from a stand outside Michael’s. I’ve seen the stands set up outside lots of stores & even at yard sales. D
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Wow, diddy, stands at yard sales. That’s a great idea. I can totally see it. Interesting you don’t remember selling Girl Scout Cookies. I wonder if it’s something only some of the girls did who were interested in that kind of service work. Or if all the girls did it.
In fact, that’s a question I have for Brian if he comes back to this post. Do all of the girls in his two daughters’ troop have to sell Girl Scout Cookies? Or only the ones who want to. Hmmmm.
It’s kind of amazing that the Shortbreads are so popular. I bet they are the most like the original Girl Scout Cookies. They do have a familiar down-home taste. Kind of like the peanut butter cookies. BTW, they were clear to say on their website that their peanut butter cookies are not affected by the recent peanut butter scare. None of their bakers used that brand of peanut butter.
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I like the Shortbreads because they are so buttery and not so sweet. I tend to like baked goods that aren’t terribly sweet, so they’ve always been one of my favorites.
For the short time that I was a Girl Scout, I sold cookies. I remember how complicated the form seemed to me, how I had to make sure and select the right boxes of cookies in the right amounts, and put in the dollar amount and the address. I only mostly sold up and down my street. I could always count on my neighbors buying, although the girl I was in Girl Scouts with also lived on my street, so we’d divide it up. We hit a few other streets around, plus any parents of friends.
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“Do all of the girls in his two daughters’ troop have to sell Girl Scout Cookies?”
Not at all. Of course, there is the pressure to do so. The girls can earn badges for selling, and then there’s the money that can go toward camp or other outings the troop takes. And a part of the money does go in a fund to underwrite many of the expenses incurred while operating the troop.
Your math in the original post made me think a bit, for around here the big complaint is that the girls see very little of the money they raise on behalf of the troop. I’ve had people refuse to buy them for that very reason. But I think it has more to do with how each scout district operates. I’ll talk to my wife later and see what she can tell me about the figures in our neck of the woods . . .
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QM, I might have sold them, I just don’t have any memories of it. I’ll have to ask my Mom. I did live in a fairly remote area with not many neighbors. It was a long time ago & my Mom was working a full time job in addition to attending Nursing School.
I was also surprised to read your figures on the amount of money that goes to the Scouts. I had heard it was a very small percentage of the proceeds.
Yes, the shortbreads are buttery & I think the closest to a homemade cookie. I wish I had some now! D
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I heard recently that Girl Scouts here are told NOT to go door-to-door, except maybe in their own neighborhoods. It is a safety concern, I guess. So now, they sell at their parent’s workplaces, at church and they set-up tables in public places. There are many of us that would still buy cookies if they came to our door. I seem to have only Boy Scouts selling popcorn in my neighborhood now. I miss those Thin Mint cookies.
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breathepeace, I think it’s sad that the world has come to that…that Girl Scouts can’t even go door to door these days due to a fear of predators and other strange people. But it sure makes sense to me. I’d definitely be wanting to walk along with a son or daughter who was selling door to door.
I find the same thing at Halloween. Parents are pretty suspicious and stay close to their young kids when the candy is doled out. Which begs the question — is the world really less safe than it was all those years ago? Or does news simply travel faster.
ybonesy, the forms are still kind of complicated. When the Boy Scout stopped by with his photos of popcorn tins, and he turned it over to write down our order in his young handwriting, I thought to myself — how does he keep track of all that? It’s all done by hand, too. No selling on the Internet.
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Brian & diddy, I got those figures in this comment directly off the national Girl Scout website:
The good news is that I read that 70% of the proceeds stays in the local Girl Scout council to provide resources needed to support Girl Scouting in that area, including the Troop selling the cookies (nationwide, an individual group receives from 12-17% of the purchase price of each box sold); the balance goes directly to the baker.
And I was surprised by them, too. But if I remember correctly, there was a disclaimer that the figures vary according to where you live in the country. And it’s up to the Girl Scout Councils as to how much they distribute to the individual Troops.
That made me want to poke around to see what the Councils were in our area here in Minnesota. There is a Girl Scout Council finder on their site (LINK). What I found is that there are not that many Girl Scout Councils and they support HUGE areas that sometimes cover several states. That could help explain how the money starts to get pretty thinned out if a wide geographic area has to be covered.
For MN, it’s Minnesota and Wisconsin. We are in a pretty big metropolitan area though, so there is one sort of based out of St. Paul. On the MN & WI River Valleys site (LINK) these stats were posted:
All cookie proceeds benefit girls locally. Only 83 cents per package goes to the cookie baker. Last year, River Valleys Girl Scouts earned more than $2.2 million in cookie proceeds to support their programs, activities, trips, and community service projects. In addition to cookie proceeds, girls earn fun recognition items, and Cookie Credits, as well as support their community with donated cookies.
So, at least in our area, the benefits are going back into the local areas. How much the individual Girl Scout Troops see, I don’t know. Is it really 12-17% earned from each box sold? Maybe some with more direct experience with local troops can address that!
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FYI for other Cookie Monsters like me — I did find on our MN & WI River Valley Council site that the cookies are available until March 29th! If you can find a stand set up somewhere, there’s still time to feed the Girl Scout Cookie addiction!
Girl Scout Cookies will be available from local Girl Scouts starting Saturday, January 17 through March 29! There are eight delicious varieties, including the new Dulce de Leche, a Latin-inspired cookie with milk caramel chips.
The Girl Scout Cookie Program Activity is the leading grade-specific business literacy program for girls in grades K – 12. When Girl Scouts participate in this voluntary activity, they build lifelong skills through hands-on leadership development and entrepreneurial activities, including money management, customer service, team building, goal setting, financial literacy, and marketing.
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Every time I scroll by this post, my mouth waters. I am so craving a Caramel DeLite.
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Why don’t the Girl Scouts (and the manufacturers of GS Cookies) sell the cookies all year-round in the grocery stores? Wouldn’t that generate even more revenue for the organization and make the rest of us happy?
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ybonesy, that’s a really good question. It seems like it would generate tons more income for the Girl Scouts to put them out on the shelves. Maybe it has to do with earning the points and badges, not sure. Good question though. It would make us happier more days of the year to have access to a fresh Girl Scout Cookie. BTW, I’m going to eat one Samoa after lunch for dessert. Maybe you can live vicariously! 8)
BTW, they do sell some of the Minnesota State Fair corn dogs in the grocery stores here other times of the year. I don’t know where the revenues go though. To the vendors? To the MN State Fair? I guess that’s a question for a MN State Fair expert.
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We’ve done the door to door thing for many years, both with the girls and the cookies, and the boys with popcorn. And there has always been a big push for kids to be accompanied by adults. Also, it is drilled into their heads that they should never enter a person’s house while selling, even if they seem really cool and offer you cookies or hot chocolate. Politely stay outside is the cardinal rule.
We have always tagged along.
As for the year-round sales, I imagine there would be quite a bit of overhead involved in getting the cookies on store shelves. And you are right when you say that the badges, the pride in doing the work, the hands-on work of doing the selling, is the biggest part. Many girls can earn prizes based on how much they sell. They are encouraged to set goals and attain them by work and perseverance. Besides the money, that is the bottom line in all this.
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QM, Good post. I have a loong history of scouting, beginning as a Brownie in 2nd grade, on to Jr…then a gap.
Rejoined as an adult as a leader for Tracy’s and Liz’s Troops, first in Brownies then Jr.s Then I was a Troop Organizer; on to being on the Sakawea G. S. Council; eventually becoming Vice President. During the International Year of the Child, The Council President asked me to celebrate the year in some way. At that time, it was announced that Bismarck was going to be the Sister City of Regina, SK. I thought it would be fun for the Girl Guides of Regina and the Girl Scouts of Bismarck to get together.
First I had to get permission from GSUSA. They liked the idea. Then it was the same routine with Canadian Girl Guides…a positive response there. Next, was a proposal to the woman in charge of Girl Guides in Regina…fine with her; so, I contacted some troop leaders and we invited the Guides for a weekend at our camp close to the Missouri River. It has a nice cabin. It was Spring, and the girls had a great time. We were invited to bring Scouts to Regina
the next summer. I drove one station wagon full of Cadette Level Scouts, and a leader drove another. We spent 4 days in camp by a lake, and 3 days in the city. I hand delivered a message of friendship from Bismarck’s mayor to The Lord Mayor of Regina, when we toured their Government Building. We had such fun! In town, each of our girls stayed with a family of a Guide. Later, I encouraged them to be “pen pals,”which many of them did. I stayed with the Director of SK’s GGuides, and we still exchange Christmas letters.
Have Liz tell you about her Cooking badge and “making a cake.” Still makes me smile when I remember…
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Brian, that makes a lot of sense, the pride in selling and earning badges. Sounds like you tag along with your Scouts, too, when they go door-to-door. I’m trying to remember what it was like when I was in Scouting all those years ago, I mean about parents tagging along.
I do remember my parents being there at Halloween. They must have tagged along when we went door-to-door to sell cookies, too. I guess it depends on what age. I’m glad they talk a lot about personal safety when selling these days. You can’t be too careful. Strange world we live in.
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oliverowl, the Scouting exchange between Bismarck, ND and Regina, SK sounds wonderful. What a learning experience for all involved. I bet those Girl Scouts will never forget. And you hand delivered a message of friendship from Bismarck’s mayor to The Lord Mayor of Regina! That’s so great.
The fact that the ND Girl Scouts stayed in the homes of the Canadian Guides reminds me of ybonesy’s post about her Mexican exchange student. Though we speak the same language as Canada, the cultures are very different.
I like the pen pals aspect, too, and that you stay in touch with the Director of SK’s GGuides through Christmas letters. I wonder if Liz had a Girl Scout pen pal? I’ll have to ask her.
I’ll ask her about her Cooking badge, too, and “making a cake.” I smell a good family story there! 8)
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Thin Mints from the freezer…
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Jackie, Thin Mints from the freezer are a winner. I like them that way, too. Actually, the Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mints are some of the few mint cookies I like. And frozen, even better!
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we are a kenyan troop we are looking for penpals too hopes you shall link us with other rtoop this our mailing addess
levi lijodi
scout troop
p.o.box 100996
post code 0101
nairobi,kenya
the girls are from ages 6 to 14 years
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Levi, Thanks for stopping by and for the link to Uhuru Scouts (LINK) where the national flag of Kenya is posted along with recipes for Ugali and Sukuma Wiki. And then from there, I found the link to the WAGGGS site and the Kenyan Girl Guides Association (LINK):
WAGGGS is the official umbrella organization for all national Girl Guide and Girl Scout organizations in the world. It comprises 145 Member Organizations, which are organized into five regions – Africa, Arab, Asia Pacific, Europe and Western Hemisphere.
I see at the World Association of Girl Guides & Girl Scouts (WAGGGS) history (LINK) that the Girl Guides started with Robert Baden-Powell and his sister, too, at the Crystal Palace in 1909. And Baden-Powell chose the name Girl Guides after the famous Guides corps in India. And Robert’s sister and wife got involved. And then Juliette Gordon Low met Robert Baden-Powell. Wow, how everything is connected!
I think it’s great you are looking for pen pals. I did do a little research and it seems that the Girl Scouts USA no longer has a penpal program (LINK to FAQ) but it does seem like some of the individual Councils do. After reading, it seems a bit tricky for the younger girls, but I thought I’d post a couple of links where there is contact information. Maybe you can contact a few of these regional programs and see if you can get something going.
Or maybe Brian will by chance come back to this post and know a bit about the pen pal programs since his girls are Girl Scouts. At any rate, I wish you luck with it. It seems like having a pen pal would be a great way to experience other cultures from afar.
1) Girl Scouts of Northern California Pen Pal Network (LINK) and CONTACT PAGE (LINK)
2) WAGGGS CONTACT FORM (LINK)
3) Girl Scouts of USA
Director USA Girl Scouts Overseas (CONTACT INFO & LINK)
420 Fifth Avenue
New York
NY 10018-2798,
Telephone: 00 12128528000
Fax: 00 12128528183
Email: globalgirlscouting@girlscouts.org
Website: http://www.girlscouts.org
4) Heart of Pennsylvania Pen Pal Network Guidelines (LINK)
5) New Hampshire/Vermont Girl Scout Pen Pal Network (LINK)
6) Teachers.net – 13 Girl Scouts ages 6-8 seeking pen pals (LINK) – this one looks unofficial but you could email and see. They are Girl Scouts in Kentucky looking for other countries to write with.
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[…] loved the badges they handed out in Girl Scouts for doing things like embroidering (they looked so cool on your sash) but I hated embroidering. In […]
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