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University of Scranton economics major senior Danielle Dembia teaches Girl Scouts about economics during Saturday’s Girl Scout Cookie College hosted by Split Rock Resort in Lake Harmony. Girls attended Cookie College classes in money management, people skills, goal-setting, marketing and business ethics. They also learned to make a business plan.
Pete G. Wilcox/The Times Leader
LAKE HARMONY – Having trouble saying no to that Girl Scout selling cookies?
Don’t feel bad. She could be a CEO, a Cookie Entrepreneur Officer, and she learned her marketing skills at Cookie College.
On Saturday, more than 200 Girl Scouts from Northeastern Pennsylvania gathered at Split Rock Resort to learn business skills that will make them better cookie sellers.
Girls attended Cookie College classes in money management, people skills, goal-setting, marketing and business ethics. They also learned to make a business plan.
Suzanne Moore, regional director for the North and Northeast Pennsylvania Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania, explained the rationale for the event.
“We wanted to run a ‘Cookie College’ event to teach girls good business skills,” she said. “Cookie sales are not just a fundraiser.”
She said that selling cookies prepares girls for a future career in the business world.
“It’s really anything – social marketing, setting goals or how to run an effective sale.”
Many girls go into a cookie sale with a goal. Perhaps it’s summer camp or a trip with her troop. Moore said this year, girls will be even more motivated as Girl Scouting will celebrate its 100th anniversary in March. There will be many special anniversary events, including a big one in Washington, D.C.
Girl Scouts will even be selling a new anniversary cookie called “Savannah Smile.” It’s a crescent-shaped crisp cookie with a hint of lemon flavor.
Megan Rusonis, 12, who attends school at Lake-Lehman, explained why she came to Cookie College.
“We’re coming to learn about cookies. If we sell enough cookies we can go to Washington, D.C.”
Kara Martin, 12, of Sweet Valley is also a student at Lake-Lehman. And she also wants to go to the 100th anniversary celebration.
“I’ve been in Girl Scouts for seven years. We’re here to reach our troop goal of 250 boxes per girl.”
She said Samoas are her favorite Girl Scout cookie. Tagalongs are the favorite cookie of Kaleigh Shission, 12, a Wyoming Area School District student. When asked what she had learned in Cookie College, she said, “I learned how to be nice to the customers and how to sell cookies.”
And the worst part of selling cookies?
“If there are rude customers, it’s hard to be nice to them.”
Shission, too, has big plans. “My goal is to sell as many cookies as I can so we can go on a troop trip this spring.”
Moore said that her organization partnered with The University of Scranton Students in Free Enterprise club to provide business training. She also quoted the Girl Scouts of America mission statement: “Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.”
She said that cookie sales fit with this.
“In everything we do, we try to instill those characteristics in a girl.”
And what if you have a hankering for those Thin Mints but can’t find a highly-trained Girl Scout to provide them? No worries. Girl Scout cookies have gone high tech. You can go online to www.findcookiesnow.org to find a local cookie booth or even download an app for your iPhone or Android phone at www.gshpa.org.