Girl Scouts make more than 200 ornaments for deploying soldiers

Suzane Buttery, a recruitment specialist for GSWPA and mother of five (including three Girl Scouts), will be spending the next 10 months away from her loved ones. Right after Christmas, she'll be deployed to the Middle Eastern country of Qatar to serve with the 914^th Airlift Wing of the U.S. Air Force.

To send her off, her Girl Scout family from Brookville and Brockway gave her a surprise that will help make the holiday season a little brighter for Suzane and the other deploying soldiers in her unit.

Suzane was invited to attend their Christmas party to talk about her activation and upcoming deployment. There, they presented her with 216 handmade patriotic ornaments to be given to all of the soldiers from the 914^th Airlift Wing deploying to Qatar, Kuwait and Afghanistan.

Every year, the girls decorate a tree at the Jefferson County Courthouse. Suzane’s deployment inspired them to decorate this year's tree with handmade ornaments for the soldiers, to show their appreciation for their service and to brighten their spirits before they deploy.

Well done, girls! 

We send our best wishes and heartfelt appreciation to Suzane and the rest of the brave men and women in the 914^th Airlift Wing. Thank you for your service, and safe travels!

Q&A: Girl Scout sisters talk cookies

Girl Scouts and sisters Alyssa and Alison Keefer.

Alyssa Keefer, a Cadette Girl Scout and member of the GSWPA Media Team, recently sat down with her little sister Alison to ask her about her experience in the Girl Scout Cookie Program.

Alison is a Junior Girl Scout.

Alyssa: What are some of your strategies for selling Girl Scout Cookies?

Alison: My mom and dad help me by allowing me to ask their work friends if they want to buy cookies. They also help me to visit our neighbors and family. They help on what to say when I ask my neighbors.

Alyssa: What is your favorite Girl Scout Cookie?

Alison: Thin Mints because I love the mix of flavors and there are a lot in the boxes so I can eat more!

Alyssa: What do you tell potential customers about the cookies? What do you tell them about Girl Scouting?

Alison: That it will help my Girl Scout Troop and that they will be delicious.

Alyssa: What do you plan to do with the money your troop earns?

Alison: Trips and sleepovers!

Alyssa: What is the biggest sale you ever had?

Alison: One of my mom’s coworkers buys a lot of cookies every year to give to her students as a treat. I don’t remember exactly how many boxes.

Alyssa: What do you feel you learn from the cookie program?

Alison: It teaches me about sales and money. I also learn how to talk and ask people to buy things. The booth sales help my friends and I to learn how to make change. We help our troop leaders decide how to spend the money we make from our sales.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is back January 8! 

Girl Scout Cookie season is just around the corner! Cookie order taking starts on Friday, Jan. 8, with National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend and booth sales starting on Friday, Feb. 26. For more information, visit gswpa.org/cookies.

Cookies take Girl Scouts to the moon (and back!)

Many love eating Girl Scout cookies, but few know the amazing adventures that those boxes of yummy treats provide for Girl Scouts.

Troop 51514 funded an exciting trip to the moon on a space shuttle using the proceeds they earned through the Cookie Program. 

Not the actual moon, of course, but a simulated journey at The Challenger Center at Wheeling Jesuit University in West Virginia.

"We all had different jobs in the simulation and then built and launched rockets made out of paper," said Amy Herne, co-leader of the Junior troop. "The girls had to do a budget, purchase the parts and each person on the team had a defined role, like safety manager."

The trip was made possible by the girls' participation in the annual Girl Scout Cookie Program. 

"We funded space camp 100% with cookie money," Herne said. "The girls didn’t pay a dime."

Launch your adventures with cookies starting January 8!

Girl Scout Cookie season is just around the corner! Cookie order taking starts on Friday, Jan. 8, with National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend and booth sales starting on Friday, Feb. 26.

Cookie Lineup
All the favorites will be available on this year's order card, including Do-si-dos, Rah-Rah Raisin, Samoas, Savannah Smiles, Tagalongs, Thin Mints and Trefoils. The gluten-free cookie, Toffee-tastic, will also be offered again during booth sales and by ordering through Digital Cookie. Although customers can't order these on the order card, troops can get these at Cookie Cupboards. See the full cookie lineup.

Digital Cookie
Through Digital Cookie, girls can email friends and family to purchase and pay online for cookies. (Shipping and handling fees will apply.) A number of enhancements have been made to Digital Cookie this year to make it easier to use for volunteers, girls, parents and customers. Also, girls can have some fun with their online business with new games and activities. We're also happy to report that this year there are no processing fees for Operation: Sweet Appreciation donations!

National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend - Feb 26-28
National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend celebrates the world's largest girl-led business--and happens to coincide with the kickoff of cookie booth sales in western Pennsylvania! Girl Scouts will be kicking off the weekend on Friday, Feb. 26 with a cookie blitz in Pittsburgh, Erie and Johnstown, along with booth sales throughout the weekend. Cookie customers will be able to purchase their favorite varieties on-site or donate cookies to send to our troops through Operation: Sweet Appreciation.