C,C,C is for Cookie, Cookie, Cookie

February 19, 2006

There is a special day that comes ‘round only once a year. We wait, and we wait, and when finally this day arrives – oh, the reward is sweet.I’m talking about Girl Scout Cookie day – the day when cases and cases of cookies are distributed to the impatient masses that have been waiting for the satisfaction that comes only from a Thin Mint.

I had some insider information (thanks Jim) that this day was nearing and headed out to witness the cookie frenzy first hand. I was graciously invited to attend a meeting of Bluffton’s Girl Scout Troop 252, so I had a front row seat for the excitement.During my journey to cookie heaven though, I learned a thing or two. The meeting I attended was dedicated to the Troop’s preparations for Girl Scout World Thinking Day, which is an annual event for Girl Scouts only. (Seems to me a worldwide thinking day for everyone may not be a bad idea … but, I digress.)

For World Thinking Day, Girl Scouts around the world turn their efforts to learning about girl scouts in other countries. This year, Troop 252 selected Jamaica and spent a number of weeks learning about the Jamaican culture. During prior meetings, the girls prepared and sampled Jamaican dishes, made a Jamaican flag, and crafted a display board illustrating all that they have learned. I was lucky enough to be there for the real fun – tie-dying shirts! Kudos to Troop Leader Renee Polcari, who mastered the process of tie-dying and managed to get eleven shirts tie-dyed with not a drop of dye splattered on the floor or a girl scout. On Thinking Day, February 26, Girl Scout Troops from Bluffton and Hilton Head will gather together for a parade of countries followed by troop performances and finally, their favorite, visiting the other countries with their “passports”.

Watching their plans un-fold was definitely a stretch from my typical Saturday morning routine, but it was chock full of fun moments. Witnessing the transformation of eleven pre-teens – from a group of somersaulting, cart wheeling and chit-chatting girls - into a focused team with a mission was quite impressive. It seems to me, that the girl scouts of troop 252 are taking their role quite seriously and definitely adding value to our community.

And then, just as the clock struck 12, the “cookie moms” (and one cookie dad) rolled into the parking lot. Minivans were converted into delivery trucks and bursting at the seams. A caravan of parents soon followed and there in the pouring rain, dedicated volunteers unpacked and distributed 2,000 boxes of cookies to the girls of Troop 252. Ah, sweet relief.

If you missed the opportunity to place your advance order, you can still support the young ladies of Troop 252. They will be at Wal-Mart on Hilton Head today, February 19, from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. and at Kroger in Bluffton next Saturday, February 25 from 12:00 – 2:00 p.m. No thinking required!

For more details on Girl Scouting in our community, contact the Palmetto Service Branch, which serves girls in Bluffton and Hilton Head Island, at 843-842-3444.