Today we’re submitting a cookie story by guest blogger Patti Loveless. She writes:
My daughter, Rebecca, asked me the other day why I am still with Girl Scouts when we were talking about the upcoming cookie season. She said, “Mom, you never participated in the cookie program when you were a troop leader and I was in Girl Scouts. Why are you doing it now? Isn’t it time to step down since I’m no longer in a troop?”
I immediately replied without a thought, “No! I LOVE seeing all my girls succeed with their cookie goals, just like you. And to grow and mature into beautiful, successful and confident women.”
You see, I was a single troop leader with great parents who just didn’t want the responsibility of leading the troop with me. So, I instituted a new troop policy. I stated that I, like them, was also a full-time working parent with two kids in school, so I was fine being a single troop leader. However, all the parents had to take an active role in camping and cookie season. And it worked!
The parents stepped up. One mom was our cookie mom, the other parents taught the cookie badges and helped with booths, and even my husband helped my daughter sell her cookies.
So fast forward 15 years, and here I am as a service unit leader for over 60 girls in rural Tennessee. I am now deeply involved in all of cookie activities, including hosting a cookie cupboard in my living room. While I’m glad to see those 500 cases of cookies come each February because I know that it will save hours of driving for our local troop leaders, it’s a relief come March to see them out of my living room and the cookie smell vanish with them.
So again, I think to myself, why am I putting myself through this Girl Scout cookie mayhem? And just as quickly, I think about one of our girls who was so excited that she paid for her own encampment with her cookie money. I think about another who tried to climb to the top of the tower at Camp Tanasi to show me that she could, but instead came down in tears because she was too scared.
Then later that day, came running to me and threw herself into my arms laughing and crying. “Miss Patti,” she said, “I did it! I got to the top today. Any they let me go up two more times!” We laughed and hugged as she shone with pride and I knew that would be a memory she’ll carry for the rest of her life.
And that’s why I still continue to do it today!
Brooke Conner is social media and content coordinator for Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians.