The Slice: Years later, she’s still a smart cookie

Here are some tales from the front, passed along by a Girl Scout’s mom.

“(Tuesday’s) Slice question brought up some challenges that my daughter and I have to deal with while selling Girl Scout cookies,” wrote Leora Gendreau.

“My daughter, Maddie, has been a Girl Scout since first grade. She is now 14 years old, still involved and still selling cookies. When she was younger — “impossibly cute and poised” — it was so much easier to sell cookies. All she had to do was look at a customer with her baby blue eyes and curly blond hair and politely ask if they would like to buy some cookies. Selling cookies was all about the prizes back then with only a few hours selling at the grocery store.

“Now, it’s changed to earning money for college. Every box she sells, she receives 50 cents toward a college scholarship through the Girl Scout organization. Last year she earned $750 toward her college fund through the Girl Scouts. However, it was not easy! The two months was spent going door-to-door, talking to businesses and spending 8-10 hours every Saturday and Sunday (during booth sales) in front of the grocery store. Even though she is extremely knowledgeable about all the cookies (and always polite) she is a 14 year girl and taller than me.

“Last year we had a few customers refuse to purchase cookies because they did not believe that Maddie was a Girl Scout, even though she was wearing a Samoa cookie costume and her Girl Scout uniform. What middle school student would voluntarily wear a cookie costume? Not many, but she knows she needs something interesting to turn those people into customers.

“So even though she’s years older, much more intelligent and still has those baby blue eyes and dishwater blond, curly hair, she is still a Girl Scout trying to sell cookies. It was easier when she was younger. But through selling cookies she has learned that perseverance, salesmanship, honesty and patience are what really get a Girl Scout through the cookie season.”

Today’s Slice question: Did you ever have to sell anything as a kid?