Girl Scouts kick off booth sales

NEW ORLEANS — National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend is Friday through Sunday, and marks the first weekend of Girl Scout cookie booth sales in southeast Louisiana.
“Girl Scouts have begun delivering to customers who pre-ordered cookies, and will be out en masse at booth sales this weekend,” said Alisha Moore, Girl Scouts Louisiana East council vice president of sales.
There’s even a newly enhanced official “Cookie Finder” app to help customers find booth sales near them using smart phones. In addition to new tablet versions, the app’s latest features for 2015 include cookie sale searches using selectable start dates, driving directions to nearby booths, an Instagram option for sharing, links to Girl Scout Cookie recipes, and the ability for users to vote on a favorite Girl Scout Cookie.
According to Moore, the 2015 cookie weekend will mark the 98th year of Girl Scouts selling cookies and will celebrate girls across the country who use their cookie revenue to fund projects that impact communities. It will also celebrate the essential “5 Skills” each “cookie boss” learns through the cookie program: Goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.
Girl Scouts are also making the purchase process even easier, with credit card readers at booth sales..
“Girl Scouts are really embracing technology as an effective way to market and sell Girl Scout cookies,” said Moore. “This year we will have more troops than ever using credit card readers with their smart phones.”
Troops are also participating in a Bling Your Booth contest, to entice customers to buy from them, as well as have fun with the sale and earn a free weekend at camp.
Girl Scout Cookies are $4 a box, except for the gluten-free Toffee-tastics cookie, which at $5 a box, is available in limited quantities.
The Cookie Program ends March 15. For more information, customers may go online to www.girlscoutcookies.org or the council’s own website at www.gsle.org.
All proceeds remain locally to support troops’ activities, special events and field trips, community service projects, and to help the council maintain camp properties, train and recruit volunteers, and provide the Girl Scout Leadership Experience.