January Newsletter: All About Cookies!

January 2018

Welcome to the monthly publication of Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont! Be inspired, be the change, be a part of the movement for every G.I.R.L.

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Enter the Cookie Pro Contest!

You could be the next face on the Girl Scout Cookie boxes!

Do you have a girl cookie boss in your family? Then now is her chance to enter the 2018 Girl Scout Cookie Pro Contest being sponsored by Girl Scouts of the USA.

Girls who enter will unlock a limited-edition Cookie Pro 2018 patch and become eligible to win an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City for the Cookie Entrepreneur Experience of lifetime, including a photoshoot for the new Girl Scout Cookie box!

All you have to do is fill out the Cookie Pro Resume and upload a photo! Let's show the world what a barrier breakin,' challenge crushin,' lead takin' cookie entrepreneur looks like!

How the Cookie Crumbles

Where does the money go from the Girl Scout Cookie Program?

All of the proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program remain within our council's footprint. Working to provide the Girl Scout Leadership Experience to girls, this revenue benefits them through troop, service unit and council activities and programs.

The cookie program also provides girls with five key skills that they can take with them into the future. Goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics are all learned as girls go door-to-door, participate in booth sales and plan out their end-of-cookie-season goals. Plus girls can earn badges and patches as part of their experience, including the Girl Scout Cookie Pin, which is this month's Patch of the Month.

Council Shops Open Special Hours During Cookie Season

Starting Friday, January 19 and running through Saturday, February 24, our council shops will be open on Fridays from 8:30 a.m.- 5 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 a.m.- Noon in addition to our normal business hours. Come shop with us!

Top Cookie Seller Plans for Another Successful Year

For Aariena Brincefield, planning her cookie selling strategy in advance is the key to her

cookie program success year after year. And it must be working because for six years, Brincefield has been the council's top cookie seller. Last year, this go-getter sold 7,594 boxes of cookies, breaking her own record from 2016 by 794 boxes.

"Every year, I always plan ahead by mapping out where and how much I want to sell during the cookie season," said Brincefield. "I've been participating in the cookie program for 11 years and my main goal is to just keep selling non-stop!"

Brincefield says she has great support from her neighbors, church members and family, along with several businesses in the Greensboro area that continue to buy cookies from her year after year.

"My favorite part about selling cookies is meeting all the people and talking to them. It has taught me so much about using my people skills and public speaking abilities. Both will help me succeed in life," Brincefield said.

The cookie program has also given Brincefield some great experiences as a Girl Scout. Along with troop trips and activities, her cookie sales have given her the chance to attend Girl Scout camp, where she developed a love for horseback riding, as well as camping trips to the Outer Banks and the Kentucky Derby. She also recently got to travel to Costa Rica through the Girl Scout Destinations program thanks to her cookie earnings. While there, she assisted in teaching English at a local school, explored the rain forest and interacted with wildlife like manatees, sea turtles and iguanas.

"I have learned, grown as a person and am better for the opportunities and experiences that I've had because of Girl Scouts and the cookie program," said Brincefield. "I've even been able to earn scholarship money toward my education because of the cookie program. Selling Girl Scout cookies is a great way to do it all."

This year, Brincefield has a goal of 7,000+ boxes in mind. We're sure that no matter what happens, she'll put her whole heart into selling those cookies. And while she's at it, she might just enjoy a box of Thin Mints herself.

Aariena is a member of Girl Scout Ambassador Troop 12416 in Greensboro. She attends The Academy at Smith High School.