girl scouts

When I was a Girl Scout, we spent most of our time working on badges, preparing for camping trips, or selling delicious cookies. Well you can forget all that. Today's girls (and boys) involved in the Explorers program, an affiliate of the Boy Scouts of America, learn how to combat terrorists, illegal immigrants, and border violence. Since 9/11, Homeland Security has worked closely with the program, with the hope of creating more agents.

Cathy Noriego, a 16-year-old participant, told the New York Times that the guns attracted her to the program. During exercises, the group uses compressed-air guns that fire plastic bullets — but they also fire the real stuff at the range. Cathy said of the guns, "I like the sound they make. It gets me excited."

I feel uneasy about training kids as young as 14 to become armed border patrolmen and women or anti-terrorist vigilantes. The potential for extreme nationalism — brought on by teaching children that non-Americans are a threat — also worries me.

Do you think the Explorers program offers valuable life lessons about leadership and discipline, or does the program perpetuate a culture of violence?

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Despite attempts to maintain high profits through downsizing cookie boxes, the Girl Scouts of America are not immune to the poor economy. MSNBC reports a dramatic decline in cookie sales with some troops selling 35 percent less cookies than they did last year. Although the institution lowered its cookie-selling goal in anticipation of the recession, Girl Scouts is nowhere near its goal.

Not only are the Girl Scouts having a hard time getting people to purchase cookies, it's also being plagued by counterfeit currency. Fake $20 bills were use to buy cookies from several troops in the Bremerton, WA, area. No suspects have been named, but many troops now employ a special pen that detects fake bills.

While I'm not shocked by the decline in sales, I was surprised to hear about the fake money. I don't understand how anyone could cheat young girls who are raising money for a good cause. How do you feel about the matter? Has the recession changed your Girl Scout cookie purchasing habits?

The Official Girl Scout Cookies Flickr Group

It's always seemed a little too effortless to finish off a box of Girl Scout cookies, but if they are a little easier to dust off this year, it's not just in your head. To offset the cost increases of cookie ingredients, Girl Scouts of the USA made the decision to shrink its cookie boxes by a centimeter, package fewer cookies into boxes of Thin Mints, Do-si-dos, and Tagalongs, and reduce the size of its Lemon Chalet Crèmes. According to the organization, the cost of flour rose by 30 percent, assorted cooking oils by 40 percent, and cocoa by at least 20 percent. The company felt this was the best method of dealing with increasing raw material prices. Alternatively, Girl Scouts could have used cheaper ingredients, or raised cookie prices from their current price of $3.50 per box.

This doesn't come as a surprise to me, since last year producers began rolling out shrunken products in reaction to the price of food on the rise. I'm secretly a bit excited — for once, the downsized box may be enough for me to stop short of a stomachache.

How do you feel about this news? Does it affect your decision to buy the cookies?

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Every year girls of many ages partake in a time-honored tradition: Girl Scout cookie sales. But this year, the joy that Girl Scout cookie season brings may be, well, a little bittersweet.

In the last half a decade, the Girl Scouts of the USA has faced membership decline, and the organization has brought in a consulting team for an image overhaul. The conclusion? Focus less on selling cookies.

Membership in the Girl Scouts fell by 250,000 in the last five years, according to a Time report, and cookie sales have been down as well. In a struggle to retain importance, the organization will shift its focus to areas such as technology and community service.

So if you see a cookie-buying opportunity, jump on it, for fear of fewer chances down the line. Personally, I will be creating a stash of Thin Mints and Caramel DeLites to last me through the year. Do you plan to stock up now? Are the Girl Scouts are making a wise move?

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If you've seen Little Miss Sunshine, you'll understand my obsession with the positively charming Abigail Breslin.

The extraordinarily talented actress has mad acting skills that are sure to take her far in Tinseltown. More importantly, she seems to have a good head on her small shoulders.

A breath of fresh air from other young actresses, Abigail wore what any typical 11–year–old (soon to be 12) girl would on a Wednesday afternoon – a red polka–dot dress over a graphic tee paired with some comfy cute flip flops.

Even as she was inducted into The Girl Scouts of the USA as an honorary member, she couldn't be swayed to lap on make–up or sport an overdone dress.

To see why this sweetheart continues to win my affection, read more

Today March 12, is YumSugar's birthday, so I want to ask everyone to wish her a warm, welcoming, wonderful Happy Birthday! On today's date 113 years ago, a certain Mr. Joseph A. Biedenham bottled the first bottle ever of Coca-Cola Classic. Although Coke had been created eight years before in 1886, it was originally only served as a fountain drink. However the drink was so popular at Biedenham's Candy Store in Vicksburg Missippi that he decided to bottle it and offer the bottles for sale to his clientele. The rest of course is Coca-Cola history. Yum's not the only one with a birthday today, the Girl Scouts were founded on today's date in 1912. So go out and get some Girl Scout cookies, they're in season now!

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