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Soon after Juliette Gordon Low founded
the Girl Scouts in 1912, Girl Scout
leaders and girls sold
cookies to be
self-reliant and to fund their own troop
activities. In those early days, girls
baked the original shortbread cookies at
home and held neighborhood bake sales to
raise money for troop activities. By
1934, several Girl Scout councils were
using commercial bakers to assist in
their endeavors.
During the 1940s, Girl Scouts sold
fewer cookies during World War II due to
limited supplies of flour, sugar and
butter. By 1947, a total of 29 bakers
throughout the nation were licensed to
create Girl Scout Cookies, but by 1980,
the number was streamlined to four
bakers (now three licensed bakers) to
ensure lower prices, and uniform
quality, packaging, and
distribution.
"Since they first began, the
Girl
Scout Cookie sales have focused on
helping girls to learn real skills that
help them succeed in life," said Girl
Scout historian, Mary Levey. "Many of
today's successful women credit Girl
Scout Cookie
sales with helping them
develop their business and communication
skills. |
