Published On: Mon, Feb 18th, 2013

Girl Scouts: Selling Cookies while Teaching Life Lessons

By: Samantha Mellman

Three weeks out of the year we see our local Girl Scouts’ friendly faces selling those delectable cookies we have all come to know and cannot resist. The biggest question we may face when we meet them is, how many boxes will we buy? But the bigger question should be what are you donating to?

Nina Heckerthorne is a 1st year leader of Girl Scout Troop 20912 and she explained, “Girl scouting is really about teaching them life skills, values, and how to be strong powerful women.”

Saige Levine, a 2nd year Girl Scout, is 9 years old and most young girls do not have a sense of what world issues are, but Levine and fellow troop members shared how they want to help society and the environment.

Since joining scouts she said, “I know more about the world then I did before,” and “I have learned that there are people who don’t have food and that I can help them by asking my neighbors to donate food for them.”

Levine’s grandmother Randi Swatt volunteer’s for the troop and has been involved many years with Boy and Girl Scouts. Swatt is glad that her granddaughter will benefit from the life lessons Girl Scouts can teach.

“It gives the girls several opportunities, one it focuses on the world, the earth, how to be a good citizen, and compassion toward others,” said Swatt, “For girls who are interested like Saige and want to make the world a better place, it is hard as a working person to give her those opportunities, but the Girl Scouts give her that opportunity.”

Troop 20912 has 15 members 5 daisies and 9 brownies, in other words kindergarten to third graders.  On every box of cookies they sell are the words courage, confidence, and character virtues that all women want to achieve.

“What I try to strive for my girls every day is that anybody can become a leader, be strong, and grow from your experiences,” said Heckerthorne, “I was a Girl Scout as a child and I remember how fulfilling it was to be with a group of girls who felt like sisters.”

Madison Hernandez, 10 years old, and a 5th year scout has enjoyed the many field trips and friends she has made along the way.

“The fairy tale camp out was my favorite, we each got to take a fairy home,” said Hernandez

The funds from selling Girl Scout cookies goes to the camping and field trips that are essential parts for the girls to build friendships and learn how to help others with community service and charity.

Girl Scouts is a 100-year tradition, “Once Julia Low founder of Girl Scouts set her mind to it, she strived to make it long lasting,” said Heckerthorne.

Whenever the scouts do good deeds in the community, whether it is cleaning up a beach or visiting the elderly they earn badges. The badges become incentives for the girls to go beyond what is asked for while helping others.

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