Q: Through the years, we've seen the price of Girl Scout Cookies climb. Now the cookies sell for $4 a box. How much of the money goes to the individual troop selling the cookies and how much does the Triad area Girl Scout organization receive?
C.W.A.
A: The costs of cookies have increased in recent years because of the increased costs of ingredients such as milk and eggs, as well as transportation, said Lisa Crawford, vice president of marketing for Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont, the council that covers 40 counties in central and western North Carolina, including the Triad area.
The baker gets 93 cents for each box of cookies, no matter the variety. Nationally, two bakeries, ABC Bakers in Richmond and Little Brownie Bakers in Louisville, Ky., are licensed to produce the cookies. ABC Bakers makes the cookies that are sold by local Scouts.
That is the only part of the cost that doesn't stay in the area, Crawford said. Numbers vary slightly from one council to the next, but here are the breakdowns in our area for the rest of the money:
The individual troops receive a base amount of 57 cents for each box they sell, plus 13 cents worth of "Individual Girl Incentives," which go to the girls in the troops. Those incentives include such things such as trinkets, tote bags, stuffed toys and "Cookie Dough," which are vouchers towards items from Girl Scout shops, camp costs or membership fees.
Another option is for the girls to get 65 cents entirely in money for their troop but no "Girl Incentives." That is often done with troops where the girls are a little older and less interested in the trinkets, and may want to get extra money for some other purpose such as a group trip, Crawford said.
One to two cents a box go to the Service Units, which are sub-chapters that are broken down by county. That money is used to provide programs for girls on a smaller level than the regional chapters. The money is also used to provide training for adult volunteers.
Six cents are set aside for administrative costs council-wide.
The remainder goes to the regional council to provide additional funding for programs, pay for upkeep on council facilities and camps, offer outreach programs and provide financial assistance for girls who can't afford the membership fees.
A few Girl Scout Cookie booths opened this past weekend for a special Super Bowl promotion, selling cookies in advance of the big game, but most of the Girl Scout Cookies will arrive in the Triad this weekend, beginning on Saturday.
Eight varieties of cookies will be sold this year locally: Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Shortbread, Thanks-A-Lots, Lemonades, and Shout-Outs.
There are no new varieties being sold here, but councils that get their cookies from Little Brownie Bakers will have one new flavor this year, the lemon-flavored Savannah Smile cookies. The nearest council that will be selling that variety is in the Charlotte area.
Girl Scout Cookies will be available through March 12, Crawford said.
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