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Girl Scouting Through the Years

Tara Sharp — Mon, 30 Jan 2012 12:15:27 PST

When I think Girl Scouts, I can't help but crave Girl Scout Cookies. But for many women who grew up as a Girl Scout, Girl Guide, or Brownie, the organization's name brings back fond childhood memories. Scouting began in 1907 in Britain, with Girlguiding in the UK founded soon after that, and the Girl Scouts of the USA launching in 1912. There have been some famous women involved in Girl Scouts, including former Brownie Kate Middleton, who chose The Scout Association as one of her charities, and who's covering the latest issue of Scouting Magazine. See how the youth movement has evolved over the years and some of the celebrity connections now!

Scouts Honor: Girl Scouts Evolve With Modern Badges

LilSugar — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 08:33:17 PDT

The Girl Scouts are about a lot more than cookies these days. Just in time for the organization's 100-year anniversary next year, Girl Scouts badges received a major, modern makeover, their first overhaul since 1987. Where girls once received a badge for fashion, fitness and makeup, they now have the option of earning a Science of Style badge, where aspiring designers and fashionistas learn about the nanotechnology in fabrics and the chemistry behind sunscreen formulations.

In addition to classics like cooking and and first aid, Girl Scouts can now adorn their sashes with badges they've earned by exploring digital filmmaking, locavore awareness, financial literacy, public policy, and website design. There's even a Science of Happiness badge (pictured), designed to "teach girls how to find happiness in their own lives," according to researcher Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, who helped the Scouts design the very new-wave-sounding topic.

For the first time, proactive tots aren't limited to the choices that the Scouting powers that be think young girls will respond to: there are now Make Your Own badges, which encourage girls to design their own insignia, according to their own personal interests. Welcome to the new generation of Girl Scouts.

Photo courtesy of Girl Scouts of the USA

The 9 Deadly Sins of Reality TV Women

Tara Sharp — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:40:19 PDT

As grown women we find entertainment and redeeming qualities in our favorite guilty-pleasure reality TV shows, but many of them aren't meant for a prepubescent audience - and for good reason. New research from the Girl Scouts says that reality TV is making girls meaner and vainer, with a higher percentage of the girls who watch reality TV saying that gossip is normal between girls and that a girl's value is based on her looks. More of the reality-TV-watching girls, ages 11-17, also said they have to compete for a guy's attention and that they are happier when dating someone. On the positive side, they ranked higher for believing in themselves as leaders. So they are mean girls with confidence? We decided to look into some of the not-so-great qualities that the women of reality TV shows promote, whether they recognize it or not, and then ask you which has the most negative effect on young girls. Tune in now!

What's Your Favorite Kind of Girl Scout Cookie?

Katie Sweeney — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 13:30:36 PDT

Apparently, today is National Girl Scout Cookie Day, and I figure there's no time like the present to get something off my chest. I don't like Girl Scout cookies. There, I said it! They're just processed packaged cookies, and I've never really seen the appeal. That being said, if I had to pick a favorite, I would go with Thin Mints. I've always wanted to try making them from scratch. How about you? What's your preferred Girl Scout cookie? Samoas? Tagalongs? Do-Si-Dos?

Source: Flickr User amylovesyah

Girl Scout Cookies Slim Down For 2011

Susannah Chen — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 10:10:02 PST

With declining sales, counterfeit currency issues, and a slew of knockoffs, Girl Scout cookies have taken a hit in recent years. So in hopes of cutting costs and generating more revenue, an increasing number of Girl Scout councils across the country are trimming their offerings.

The top five cookie varieties compose 77 percent of Girl Scout cookie sales; the test program, known as the Super Six pilot, will take advantage of that, with a pared-down lineup of peanut butter Do-Si-Dos, shortbread Trefoils, caramel coconut Samoas, citrusy Lemon Chalet Cremes, patty-like Tagalongs, and, of course, Thin Mints. What it won't include? Dulce de Leche, Thank U Berry Munch, All Abouts, or the Thanks-A-Lot fudge-dipped shortbread cookie, a new goodie proffered by licensed supplier ABC Bakers. Councils partaking in the trial hope the move will streamline sales, speed up delivery, and ultimately increase profits.

Also, for the first time ever, individual scouts will also be allowed to advertise online. I'm betting a box of Thin Mints that the new program will do well. After all, who buys those other novelty flavors? Do you agree, or are you bummed that there'll be less to choose from?

Source: Flickr User Stephen Cummings

Will Wal-Mart's New Cookies Hurt the Girl Scouts?

YumSugar — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 10:30:00 PDT

Over the years, world's biggest retailer Wal-Mart has been the source of heated scrutiny for many organizations, from labor unions to environmental groups. The grocery giant's latest purported victim? The Girl Scouts.

According to Ad Age, the corporation, which has focused on expanding its Great Value private label, handed out test versions of its cookies at Chicago's recent BlogHer conference. One Ohio mommy blogger - and former Girl Scout cookie mom - took immediate notice of the cookies' resemblance to Girl Scout varieties.

"Wal-Mart has copied the Girl Scouts' two best selling cookie types, Thin Mints and Tagalongs," wrote C.V. Harquail on her blog, Authentic Organizations. "There goes the Girl Scout cookies' special allure, and there go the profits that fund the Girl Scouts' programs."

The issue, which has already garnered a reasonable amount of attention, once again raises the question of the corporation's concern for its community. Do you think the new cookies will cannibalize sales of Girl Scout cookies? Is Wal-Mart responsible for considering the impact of its sales on its surroundings - or is it up to the Girl Scouts to evolve with the times?

Source: Flickr User zaui

Teen Scouts Learn to Fight Terrorists and Illegal Immigrants

TresSugar — Thu, 14 May 2009 11:30:00 PDT

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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Girl Scouts Deal With Declining Sales, Counterfeit Cash

partysugar — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 10:15:53 PST

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

Facing Increased Costs, Girl Scouts Downsize Cookie Boxes

YumSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:00:08 PST

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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Girl Scout Cookies: On Their Way Out?

YumSugar — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 09:42:57 PST

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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