ALLENTOWN, Pa. — Girl Scout cookie season is almost upon us as Lehigh Valley scout troops picked up hundreds of boxes of trefoils, thin mints and other cookies from Dorney Park Saturday.
Three truck trailers were packed full of cookie boxes for troop representatives in the region to pick up at the area's largest distribution site. Some filled cars with dozens of boxes of different flavors to be sold by the troops' scouts.
- Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania distributed thousands of boxes of Girl Scout cookies Saturday to troops in the Lehigh Valley
- Dozens of troops arrived at the area's largest distribution site at Dorney Park before selling begins on January 19
- Cookie sales are a key source of funds for Girl Scout troop activities
Naomi Pratt, product program manager for the Girls Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania says about 60 troops picked up approximately 6,000 boxes from the location, part of a distribution across the region of about 185,000 cases before the girls start knocking on doors, setting up stands and making calls for the youth program's key fundraiser.
"It opens up a whole world for them," Pratt said. "Troops use the funds from cookies for their troop activities. The girls can also earn what we call cookie dough credits, which they can use to towards camp if they want to go to camp, or any troop trips that they do, too. We have girls that go all over the world and use their cookie money. So it funds our programs. It funds community service projects. It funds camping."
Pratt says there are tiered profit systems for troops, which changes depending on goals, activities and the number of sales made by the troop.
A new cookie is on the way this year as well but requires a special order. The Raspberry Rally will have to be ordered online and looks similar with thin mints. It is a thin, crispy cookie infused with raspberry flavor and dipped in a chocolaty coating.
This is a big year for the scouts, who are getting back into full swing after two years impacted by COVID-19.
"We were still running a slightly reduced capacity [over last year]," Pratt said. "This summer we should be completely, fully open and camps are already filling up."
Pratt says supply chain issues hit cookie production last year everywhere: from bakers sourcing materials to make the cookies, to changes in packaging because of issues getting cardboard. And ongoing transportation problems have meant changes to the way they order.
"This year, we actually made this strategic decision to order 100% of our goal cookies upfront, so that we don't have transportation issues this year," she said. "Last year, it really impacted the season."
Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania CEO Kim Fraites-Dow says ordering upfront means this is the biggest upfront order the council has ever made.
"The last three years of the cookie season has been unprecedented," Fraites-Dow saidWhat we are seeing though, is the girls who are engaged, are really engaged, they're participating in lots of programs. "I think it's almost 20,000 cases more than our biggest initial order year ever."
Fraites-Dow says that while membership of girl scout programs in the council is not back to what it was three years ago, it has been growing back significantly year after year
"What we are seeing though, is the girls who are engaged, are really engaged," Fraites-Dow said. "They're participating in lots of programs."
"It really builds their confidence, and I see them grow and come out of their shells over the cookie season, which is always awesome to see as a leader."Julie Schaffer, leader of troop 61128
Julie Schaffer, leader of troop 61128, said the coronavirus had made a huge impact on what they were able to do for their relatively new troop of about five years. That included postponing their first troop weekend because of the pandemic.
"This past year, we were able to go camping for the first time," Schaffer said. "So this is really important to fund those trips and others."
Schaffer says her troop picked up 215 cases, which she thinks will be a great start, but she acknowledged that it is hard to guess what they'll need for the season. She said money raised by the troop through the sales will support trips to local sites, such as the DaVinci Science Center. They will also set aside some money for a local charity cause.
"It's nice to see the girls all putting in the effort and learning new skills," said Schaffer on the selling process. "It really builds their confidence, and I see them grow and come out of their shells over the cookie season, which is always awesome to see as a leader."
For those who don't know a local girl scout to buy cookies from, Girl Scouts of Eastern Pennsylvania representatives said there will be pop-up cookie booths throughout the area and cookies will also be available to order online here beginning Jan. 19.
