It’s Not About the Girl Scout Cookies!
Rex Williams, a friend of mine, and his daughter and her troop sold Girl Scout Cookies last week. That’s Sydney, Rex’s daughter, in the photo. Prior to the “the big day” several of us in a social media group were talking about ways to make the experience a positive one for all the girls. As we talked what came out of the discussion was the fact that “It’s not about the cookies.” It’s about the girls.
As Rex told the Everett Herald in Washington state:
“It’s not about the cookies,” said Rex Williams, who helped his 7-year-old daughter Sydney sell Thin Mints, Samoas and other cookies at a Mill Creek-area Safeway on Saturday.
With a nod to cyclist and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong’s book title, “It’s Not About the Bike,” Williams said he sees benefits way beyond meeting financial needs of Girl Scout programs.
“It’s really about teaching young girls self-confidence,” said Williams, a 39-year-old Boeing engineer. “It’s about teaching them how to handle rejection, being polite and showing appreciation. It’s about showing girls the value of money, and respecting the generosity of those who donate their money to help a cause.”
While a lot of parents and some troops focus on the number of boxes sold, which is a reasonable thing to do, since the funds really do help the troops earn money for their various activities, the real pay off is in the difference it makes to the girls themselves. Rex nailed that critical part of cookie sales with his quote. It’s about parents and children, about spending time, teaching self-confidence, raising them to be savvy, polite, informed and confident young women. After all, isn’t that what scouting is about?
It’s not just standing around accosting strangers for a couple hours on a Saturday. It goes deeper than that. It’s about parents being with their kids, having fun, working on something together, sharing the sales and encouraging each other when business is slow. But it’s about teaching confidence - since I’m sure many parents find it hard to stand there asking people to buy cookies too!! But every year the girls do it. Some hate it. Some love it. All learn something about themselves. I hope it’s something positive. You can help make it positive and change a life for the better. Buy a box of cookies. Or several.
When those young voices pipe up and ask you to buy a box of cookies as you’re headed into or out of a grocery store or wherever this week, remember that. You’re not supporting your sugar habit, you’re making a young girl smile. You’re planting the seeds of self-esteem, of confidence, of faith that they can ask for something and get it. Don’t just hand them your money. Say something positive. Say something like, “I’m really impressed that you’re doing this and working so hard.” Or “I liked the way you smiled when you asked me to buy these cookies. You have a great attitude.” They’ll remember THAT longer than the number of boxes you bought. You’ll make a difference. You’ll change a piece of the world for the better. And you’ll walk away with some thin mints or other great cookies too.
These girls are the business leaders and politicians of tomorrow. Remember that. You’re not buying a box of cookies really. You’re buying a future. Think of it that way and I guarantee the cookies will taste even sweeter than you could imagine.
