SLICE 2013 - 16 of 31 Cookie Booth Lessons

My oldest became a Girl Scout in 2001 and every year since we buy lots of Girl Scout cookies.  When she started selling Girl Scout cookies I stopped buying them from students in my room.  I've been a Girl Scout leader since 2002 in come capacity and sometimes I help with two troops as I do now.  I go camping, I stay after teaching to help run meetings, I plan field trips and volunteer time to go with the girls to events but I have never helped girls at a cookie booth.  Usually other parents step up or we don't do one.  However, as the girls have gotten older, (my seventh grade girls) they prefer to sell at a booth rather than go door to door and ask friends.   We are a small troop and the girls wanted to do 3 cookie booths.  My mom who organizes cookies does so much work that I don't want to do so I thought I would help her out and help work a cookie booth.  

I don't think I will ever turn down a cookie booth group again in my life!  People were so kind today.  Of course, those who were interested and bought cookies.  The ones who had already bought a bunch and shared their Girl Scout support with us.  Even those who didn't want cookies were kind to say no thank you.    The girls worked hard.  They used their manners, they talked to strangers, they waited and were happy to have sales, they made change and learned a purpose for mental math, they discovered business can be slow and fast paced.  They were working together to be part of something they enjoy and have funds for future adventures.  I think the joy each sale brought them made their efforts worthwhile.  That little feeling of success is something all Girl Scouts should feel.  So what did I do today when I left my shift, bought a box of cookies.  My mistake was sending my daughter A to the car for money and she returned with $10.50 which equaled 3 boxes of cookies.  I couldn't say no, she was using her mental math!