One of America’s oldest traditions, and some of our favorite cookies have been under a guise of unintentional mystery, and the question is: where does the money from Girl Scout cookie sales go?

It is not something the average person would think about. Even less likely is keeping a box of Thin Mints for more than a week.

“I honestly don’t know. I have never even wondered. I just assumed it went back to the troops to buy camping supplies,” junior Ryan Reilly said.

Thins Mints have not only stolen the palates of America but also rocketed the Girl Scouts of America into a level of praise only a humble baker could envy. Once a way to inspire girls and teach them how to be a good camper and human being, it has adopted a way to give back to the local community.

These cookies have been the product of a long tradition of charity in the Girl Scouts and have also allowed our local troop to give back in a very meaningful way according to local parent and avid helper Sara Gerber.

Gerber has been with her local troop for about two years. As a mom with the Girl Scouts, her job is very important considering she is responsible for all of the cookies and the sales the girls bring back.

“Working with the girls [has been the most rewarding part,] the relationships you grow through their learning of how to be a young lady and how to give back to the community,” Gerber said.

Giving back to the community through the sale of cookies has allowed this local troop to “adopt a family.” This means the local troop used their sales to buy Christmas gifts and a massive Christmas dinner from just the cookie sales.

When feats like this are possible, it is hard to find a reason not to think about becoming a member of the Girl Scouts.

These girls are given the opportunity to help their local community in a very big way. The bonds they build with the other girls are unbreakable.

Even our local community has felt the effect of these cookies in full force.  Junior Lance Lorang has been a staunch supporter of the Girl Scouts and has been helping their cookie sales one box of Samoas at a time.

“The feeling of walking out of the market with a box of cookies, any flavor really, is almost unparalleled when it comes to pure enjoyment,” Lorang said. “If there’s any way I can support my local troop, it’s through these cookies.”

When support like this is around, it would make one wonder where it all goes exactly. According to their FAQ section on their website, “all of the revenue earned from cookie activities—every penny after paying the baker—stays with the local Girl Scout council. On average, Girl Scout council net revenue is approximately 65–75 percent of the local retail price, and the amount that is shared with participating Girl Scout troops and groups, referred to as troop proceeds, is approximately 10–20 percent of the local retail price.”

This mentality is one that is strictly enforced in order to keep personal spending out of the hands of the individuals and give back to the group as a whole. This kind of charity is something that was not very known to the typical consumer, and even less so  is how much they help people in need. If the answer is not clear already, it should be now: the money does go back to the girls, but the giving back these girls offer is something a large sum of money could never do.

Connor McKinney
Staff Writer
Published March 18th, 2015