History of Girl Scout Cookies

Alyssa Gin, Writer

February 27, 2024

Each and every year from January to March, Girl Scouts from all over the world sell cookies, an annual tradition that has been going on for over a hundred years.

The first Girl Scout Cookies were home baked by girl members and their mothers. The sale of these cookies started in 1917 and were sold in a high school cafeteria in Oklahoma as a service project. These sales expanded as time went on and different troops began baking their own sugar cookies. These cookies were then packaged and sold door-to-door for 25 to 35 cents a dozen.

Girl Scout Cookie sales were steadily growing until World War II, leading Girl Scouts to sell calendars as an alternative. However, after the war the cookie sales increased significantly and by 1948, 29 bakers were licensed to bake Girl Scout Cookies. Girl Scout Cookies began evolving into different types of flavors and varieties including, Sandwich, Shortbread, and Chocolate Mints and some bakers even offered additional flavors.

By the 1960s, Girl Scout membership, and cookie sales, increased dramatically with thousands of boxes being sold annually. The best sellers were Chocolate Mint, Shortbread, and Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies. As years passed, the packaging and flavors of the cookies were always updating and evolving and are now the Girl Scout Cookies we know and love today. The sale of these cookies teaches young girls the importance of leadership, accountability, and responsibility.

Source: https://www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/cookie-history.html

About the Contributor

Alyssa Gin, Writer

Coming back to The Downey Legend for the second year in a row, Alyssa Gin, 12, returns in hopes of preparing herself for college and the future. Gin has been getting ready for this moment for the past 4 years, committing to playing Varsity Girls’ Tennis and volunteering in the Assistance League of Downey. Gin has been ‘experimenting’ with the possibilities of her future, trying different courses within school and accepting new opportunities to learn. Although she believes that getting involved is important, in her free time, her favorite thing to do is going to concerts, shopping, reading, and hanging out with her friends. Gin holds her family close to her heart and values the support she constantly receives and feels from them. “What motivates me through life is my family,” said Gin. “...and also I motivate myself.”