Since 1912, young women have found a community focused on having fun while learning life skills and important values and enjoying outdoor activities as members of the Girl Scouts of the USA.
Founded by Juliette Gordon Low with the aim of empowering girls and fostering a sense of sisterhood, it wasn't until 1917 that they stumbled upon what would become their most famous asset: cookies.
Every year, folks clamor like crazy for their favorite sweet treats during the six to eight weeks the Girl Scouts work on earning cookie badges — and then are filled with sadness when they realize their boxes are empty too soon and they'll have to wait another long year for them to return.
But have you ever thought about what goes on behind the scenes with these scrumptious cookies? I know I was surprised by more than a few of the fascinating facts about the baked goods I've been enjoying my whole life.
Take a look to test your own cookie knowledge and let us know if we missed any other interesting tidbits.
And don't forget to SHARE these facts (and maybe your cookie stash) with your loved ones!
1. It All Started In Oklahoma
A troop in Muskogee, OK, kicked things off in 1917 by baking simple sugar cookies and selling them in their high school cafeteria.
The rest of the country started to join in after their recipe was shared in the American Girl magazine in 1922.
2. They Work With Two Bakeries
It's up to each troop to decide which bakery will provide their scrumptious treats, which can lead to some confusion when you find a different name on your favorite cookie.
For example, ABC Bakers calls their coconut cookies "Caramel deLites" while Little Brown Bakers refers to them as "Samoas." They are very similar, but the recipes differ slightly.
3. Babe Ruth Gave Them A Boost
The legendary baseball player promoted the organization's Million Cookie Drive at the 1924 World Series, giving them even more national attention.
4. Boxes Cost Less Than A Quarter In 1933
Each box was packed with 44 cookies, so shelling out a measly 23 cents was a pretty great deal.
5. They Had To Stop Selling Cookies During WWII
Due to the rationing of sugar, flour, and butter in the mid-1940s, the young ladies switched things up by selling calendars to raise funds for their projects instead.
6. Thin Mints Are The Most Popular
According to NBC News, the beloved combination of chocolate and mint flavors regularly outranks the other yummy options by selling around $175 million worth each year, a hefty amount more than Samoas, in second with an annual revenue of $133 million.
7. The Options Change Every Year
It's up to the bakeries to decide which flavors they want to produce when cookie-selling season rolls back around, but there are three staples that are required to be included every year: Thin Mints, Do-si-dos (Peanut Butter Sandwiches), and Trefoils (Shortbreads).
8. The Original "Cookie Queen" Was Recently Dethroned
From 1978 to 1990, a young girl named Elizabeth Brinton from Virginia made headlines by selling an unprecedented amount, unloading a whopping 100,000 boxes over her time as a Girl Scout with some impressive sales tactics, like telling customers the cookies were "tax free."
While that career record hasn't been topped quite yet, Katie Francis in Oklahoma City, OK, managed to break Elizabeth's previous record of 18,000 boxes sold in one season by selling 21,477 boxes over the eight-week span — she even got advice from Elizabeth!
9. Secretaries Of State Have Cookie-Selling Experience
All three women appointed to the White House position over the years — Madeleine Albright, Condoleezza Rice, and Hillary Clinton — spent time in their youth as Girl Scouts and put in the required cookie work.
10. They Have Real Scouts On The Boxes
Starting back in 1978, every single smiling face shown on the boxes has belonged to an actual Girl Scout enjoying their troop activities. The packaging was given a modern upgrade in 2012.
11. They Have Discontinued Tons Of Recipes
With a maximum of eight varieties produced from each bakery for the selling season, a lot of flavors have fallen to the wayside to make room for new ones over the years, such as Apple Cinnamons, Chocolate Chip Shortbreads, Lemon Coolers, and Juliettes (which were named after the founder).
Did we miss your favorite fact about the iconic cookies? Let us know below and be sure to SHARE with your friends!
