Attending our council’s cookie training took me back to the days of co-leading my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. I’m sure many of you will get a laugh out of these famous last words I uttered throughout the years: “I won’t ever serve as troop cookie manager—I already do a lot as co-leader.”
Then, the girls’ senior year of high school rolled around, and our troop found ourselves without a Troop Cookie Manager (TCM). It was their last year to participate in this iconic program, and I wasn’t going to deny them the opportunity. So, I ate my words (pun intended) and trained as the TCM. And, as it turned out, it was easier than directing traffic at our service unit’s cookie pick-up day, which I’d done for several years.
I only had three girls selling, but the majority of you, especially the Service Unit Cookie Managers (SUCMs), are managing so much more! I still remember the woman who was serving as SUCM in the latter years of my daughter’s girl experience, and she handled the job with so much patience, empathy and grace. When your world of cookies is crumbling (again, pun intended), she was the calming presence you wanted by your side.
To all of our TCMs and SUCMs, thank you for stepping up and saying yes. By doing so, you’re offering Girl Scouts the opportunity to learn five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. You’re also driving forward our mission to build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
I still vividly remember going door-to-door selling Girl Scout Cookies in my neighborhood as a Girl Scout Brownie. In a recent interview for my alma mater’s alumni magazine, I was asked whether I thought my experience selling cookies as a girl gave me the courage and confidence to go door-to-door when I was campaigning for student government president in college. My answer was a resounding yes.
Once again, thank you. You never know where a Girl Scout will go with the skills she grows selling cookies, but you will know you helped her get there. This Gold Award Girl Scout went from a Brownie to student government president to CEO, and I didn’t do it alone.
If I see you at Cookie Delivery Day or one of our cookie cupboards, I’ll look forward to thanking you in person!
Sincerely,
Elaine Loyack
Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont CEO
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