Pictured are Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest and the first delivery of 844 cases of cookies for 2019 from left to right; in the back is Sophie Landreth, Kylynn Marshall, Ella Bertolani, Jadie Apolinario, Makayla Jaurequi, and Amelia Ellis; in front is Kaylee Albers, and Rylee Reyes. (Courtesy photo)Girl Scouts of the Desert Southwest (GSDSW) Cookie Season will begin January 12, 2019. Cookies this year are Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Shortbreads, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Thanks-A-Lot, Lemonades, and S'Mores. They all sell for $4.00 a box. There is also a Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie that is Gluten free and sells for $5.00 a box. Once again this year you will be able to order cookies for our soldiers overseas. You can put a smile on their face for only $4.00 a box or send a whole case for only $48 dollars. This is a great opportunity for our girls to raise money for fun events, educational activities and community projects, but also plays a huge role in guiding our girls to discover their capabilities as future leaders of tomorrow. For more information on becoming a Girl Scout or ordering cookies please call Annette Toney Local Membership Manager at the Girl Scout office at 538-2481.

Over a century ago, girls started participating in what would evolve into the largest entrepreneurial training program for girls in the world: the Girl Scout Cookie Program®, through which girls learn the essential skills they need to become effective leaders, manage finances, and gain self-sufficiency and confidence in handling money.

The sale of cookies by Girl Scouts had humble beginnings, born as a way for troops to finance activities. The first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts occurred in 1917, when a troop in Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them in its high school cafeteria as a service project. As the Girl Scout Cookie Program developed and evolved, it not only became a vehicle for teaching five essential skills—goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics—it also enabled collaboration and integration, as early as the 1950s, among girls and troops of diverse backgrounds, as they worked together toward common goals.

Today, nearly 1 million Girl Scouts participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, generating nearly $800 million in cookie sales during the average season. All of the net revenue raised through the Girl Scout Cookie Program—100 percent of it— stays with the local GSDSW council and troops. With over 50 million households purchasing cookies every season, the irresistible treats can be found nationwide and will hold a beloved place in American history for years to come, continuing to help girls take the lead and, ultimately, change the world.