Verdin earns Girl Scout Hall of Fame status

NEW ORLEANS — Princess Verdin of Morgan City was one of the top sellers during the recent Girl Scout Cookie program. She sold 500 boxes and enters her into the Girl Scouts Louisiana East’s Cookie Hall of Fame.
If one thing is for certain, it’s this: Girl Scouts know how to sell Girl Scout Cookies, according to the Girl Scouts Louisiana East news release. Girl Scouts in the local council’s 23-parish jurisdiction sold more than 1 million boxes during this year’s cookie program, with the per girl average increasing to 153 boxes per girl.
A total of 211 girls entered Girl Scouts Louisiana East’s Cookie Hall of Fame for selling at least 500 boxes of cookies, including 17 girls who sold more than 1,000 boxes, and one “Cookie Mogul” — Girl Scout Junior Jessie Matherne of Lafitte — who sold 2,001 boxes, becoming this year’s top seller.
Many of the Girl Scout super sellers had attended the council’s Smart Cookie U event in January, where girls learned goal setting, marketing strategies, sales tips, and other financial literacy skills, which are integral part of the Cookie Program.
“Participating in the Girl Scout Cookie program is very rewarding for girls, because not only are they learning important skills, they are earning money for their troop’s activities as well as supporting Girl Scouting in southeast Louisiana,” said Alisha Moore, Girl Scouts Louisiana East vice president of sales.
Another side benefit are the cookies that are donated through the council’s Gift of Caring and iGive programs, where customers pay for cookies for troop-selected, community organizations and non-profits. More than 13,000 boxes of cookies were donated through Gift of Caring to nearly 200 local organizations like food banks, firefighters, police, and hospitals, with a significant number of cookies going to military men and women serving overseas. This year the council also distributed over 6,000 boxes to Blue Star Mothers, the Second Harvest Food Bank, and the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.
While it is the participation in the Cookie Program that provides troops their funding for troop activities, trips, and community service projects, girls also received individual recognitions such as patches, T-shirts, and basketballs with some top awards including electronics, cookie dough, a free week at resident camp, Chuck Taylor Converse, and a “Diva Destination,” for girls who sold more than 500 boxes, where they select which destination(s), i.e. museum, restaurant, or other entertainment opportunity being offered. Girls who sold more than 750 boxes are also invited to a “Cookie CEO” event – a day at Gulf Island Water Park in June.
Girl Scout’s mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts Louisiana East, serves girls in grades K-12 in the parishes of Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Mary, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge, and West Feliciana. For more information, call the council office in New Orleans at 504-733-8220, in Baton Rouge at 225-927-8946, or visit its website at www.gsle.org.