Take a look at the origin story of the the Girl Scout Cookie Program—from what started as a small localized fundraiser in the early 1900’s to a culturally iconic institution of American culture today.
For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts and our supporters have helped ensure the success of the iconic annual cookie sale and fundraiser—and Girl Scouts who have participated in the Girl Scout Cookie Program, developed valuable life skills, and made their communities a better place every step of the way. Want to read more about our Girl Scout Cookie history? Continue reading from contributor and historian Karen Schillings
The 2021-2022 Girl Scout Cookie Program is currently in full swing.Our faithful customers across the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana Council (GSGCNWI) are anxiously awaiting these annual sweet treats.However, did you ever think about how this yearly tradition got started?Well, as one of the Council historians who oversees the GSGCNWI cookie collection, I’ll do my best to give you an overview of how a local troop fund raiser ended up becoming an $800 million per year nationwide girl-led business.
It all started in 1917 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. The cookies were personally baked by the Mistletoe Troop and sold in their school cafeteria as aservice project. The profits were used to send gifts to doughboys fighting in World War I.A statue of a Girl Scout stands at the entrance to the Three Rivers Museum in Muskogee tocommemorate this historical event.
As Girl Scout troops across the countrycontemplated ways to raise funds, the bake sale concept became more prevalent.In July, 1922, The American Girl magazine published a recipe that was being used by troops in Chicago—a simple sugar cookie. The troops sold their cookies for $.25 to $.30 per dozen.Later that decade, the bake sale model was turned into a door-to-door campaign with the girls packaging the cookies in wax paper bags.
Tiled Gallery: (left image) Original Girl Scout sugar cookie recipe publishedthe July, 1922 edition of The American Girl. (right image) This verse was printed on cards anddistributed to potential customers.
So, how did the Girl Scout cookie sale go from the girls’ kitchens to having commercial bakers? It all started in 1934, when the Greater Philadelphia Council contacted the Keebler–Weyl Company, requesting their assistance. The company agreed to bake and package vanilla Girl Scout Cookies in the trefoil shape. Thus, the first council-wide sale of commercially baked cookies was initiated.Other nearby councils were impressed with the success of the Greater Philadelphia council and requested to be included in the bakery orders.Hence, Keebler-Weyl was the first commercial company to bake the cookies and became the official baker of Girl Scout Cookies.
Because the cookie sale was becoming so profitable for Girl Scouts, it went national in 1936. Girl Scouts of USA (GSUSA) began licensing commercial bakers in all parts of the country to make sure that Girl Scout cookies could be found in every corner of the U.S.And by the way, those trefoil shortbread cookies developed by Keebler-Weyl are still sold by Girl Scouts.However,now they are under the Little Brownie Bakers moniker, which is a division of Keebler.
Tiled Gallery: (left image) Keebler Weyl Baking Company in the 1930’s. (right image) Early shortbread cookie box, from the 1930’s.
By 1937 more than 125 Girl Scout councils were holding cookie sales. The licensing of bakers continued to grow, and at one time there were 29 bakers.Burry became the largest supplier in the nation during the 1960’s.In 1980 it became Burry-Lu and was later purchased by ABC Bakers of Richmond,Virginia in 1989. Today, there are only two official licensed bakeries, Little Brownie Bakers and ABC Bakers. Both companies make the five standardcookies offered yearly, although each company has its own names for these cookies.The exception is the classic Thin Mints, the name used by both companies for this cookie.
Little Brownie Bakers calls their cookies Trefoils, Samoas, Tagalongs, and Do-si-does.
Whereas ABC Bakers uses the names Shortbread, Carmel Delights, Peanut Butter Patties, and Peanut Butter Sandwich.
Both companies are also making the new cookie, Adventurefuls, for the 2021-22 cookie season.
As you can see, the Girl Scout cookie program has come a long way from the its start over 100 years ago, and during that time, it has become one of our organization’s (and nation’s) most treasured traditions.
Support Girl Scouts During the Girl Scout Cookie Program
When you buy Girl Scout cookies, you aren’t just enjoying a delicious treat, you’re helpingGirl Scouts gain the skills and confidenceto change the world—one box of cookies at a time.
From hiking in the woods to community service, your cookie purchase helps Girl Scouts learn, grow, and thrive through adventure. Now that’s a powerful cookie! Ready to taste the adventure?
Want to be a part of this awesome program and build upon five life skills like goal setting, decision making and money-management? Join Girl Scouts today!
The first known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts occurred in 1917, when the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, baked cookies and sold them in their high school cafeteria as a service project.
Longtime fans of Girl Scout cookies may recall once-beloved cookies like Praline Royals, Cinna-Spins, and most recently, the fan favorite Thanks-A-Lot shortbreads. All of these flavors were once offered by Girl Scouts until they were discontinued, much to the chagrin of avid cookie customers.
A meeting in 1911 with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of Boy Scouts, inspired Juliette Gordon Low to establish Girl Scouts the following year. In a time of cultural change—but before women had the right to vote—Girl Scouts emphasized inclusiveness, the outdoors, self-reliance, and service.
“Prices reflect the current cost of cookies and the cost of providing high-quality Girl Scout programming and experiences in an ever-changing economic environment,” GSUSA's website says.
Currently, two commercial bakers are licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce Girl Scout Cookies ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. How many cookies are in a package of Girl Scout Cookies, and how big are they? The number and size of cookies vary by variety and by baker.
In 1951, Girl Scout Cookies came in three varieties: Sandwich, Shortbread, and Chocolate Mints (now known as Thin Mints®). With the rise of the suburbs in postwar America, girls began selling Girl Scout Cookies at tables in shopping malls.
Girl Scouts of Western Ohio, which has troops in western Ohio and southeastern Indiana, changed bakers for the 2024 season. Each baker makes their own Girl Scout Cookies, which means iconic favorites may differ in flavor and name – and new, specialty cookies are now available.
As we boogied into the 1970s, the Girl Scouts started to shake things up with new pricing strategies. Some councils tried out tiered pricing, offering deals for buying in bulk or asking a bit more for those extra-special cookie varieties. Cookies usually went for between $1 to $1.25 per box.
Everything in Girl Scouting is based on the Girl Scout Promise and Law, which includes many of the principles and values common to most faiths. So, while we're a secular organization, Girl Scouts has encouraged girls to take spiritual journeys via their faiths' religious recognitions since we were founded in 1912.
Juliette Gordon Low—also known widely by her nickname, “Daisy”—started Girl Scouts in 1912 in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia. The first troop was made up of 18 girls who all shared a sense of curiosity and a belief that they could do anything.
While many are donated to food pantries, what's happening to the rest isn't always clear. The national Girl Scouts office said councils are encouraged to donate excess inventory to a charity of their choice with a signed agreement specifically stating that cookies can't be re-sold.
The organization didn't disclose how many boxes they produced. “While Raspberry Rally was extremely popular last year, we are taking a pause this season to prioritize supplying our classic varieties,” the Girl Scouts of the USA said in a statement to CNN.
Shortbread and trefoils: They were the lowest in calories per cookie (30 and 32 calories, respectively), and lowest in saturated fat and added sugars. Thin mints: They have just 40 calories a cookie and only slightly more saturated fat and added sugars than No. 1.
GSC, also known as "Girl Scout Cookies," is an indica-dominant hybrid marijuana strain from the California breeder Jigga who crossed a sub-type of OG Kush with an intermediate strain called F1 Durban. This popular strain is known for producing euphoric effects, followed up by waves of full-body relaxation.
Each Girl Scout council contracts with one of two licensed bakers, whose recipes and ingredients may differ slightly: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. That's why some of our cookies look the same but have two different names.
The exact origins of the Girl Scout Cookies strain are somewhat shrouded in mystery, but it is believed to have originated in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. The strain is said to have emerged in the early 2010s, gaining popularity among local cannabis enthusiasts.
Brownies, originally called Rosebuds, were first organized by Lord Baden-Powell in 1914, to complete the range of age groups for girls in Scouting. They were first run as the youngest group in the Guide Association by Agnes Baden-Powell, Lord Baden-Powell's younger sister.
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