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    Growing up OC – would you like to buy…

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    Mrs Marvel

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    …some Girl Scout Cookies?  We used to go door-to-door in the neighborhood, ringing doorbells or knocking, hoping someone would place an order for the much beloved cookies produced by the Little Brownie Bakers.  This annual tradition was something I dreaded. And my mom was the troop leader at times so I had to do it.

    I hated going door-to-door, asking people to order the cookies and I especially dreaded going back and asking for the money.  I can remember doing this alone in the afternoons after school.  I wore my sash with all my badges and I’m sure every person who opened the door could tell that I did not want to be there at all.

    But I also stressed out over not selling the most cookies.  I was intimidated and competitive at the same time.  I was a frustrated child.

    That’s not our troop but you have to just admire the woman who dares to put together a horizontally striped sweater with a floral blouse!

    Can you even imagine a ten-year-old girl going door-to-door these days?  Alone?  Not on your life. 

    Here’s a really interesting and fun article from the Sussex Countian with some history of the Girl Scout Cookie and where I nicked these faboo pictures.

    I had a Brownie Beanie.  I admit it.

    13 responses to “Growing up OC – would you like to buy…”

    1. Auntie T Avatar
      Auntie T

      “That’s not our troop but you have to just admire the woman who dares to put together a horizontally striped sweater with a floral blouse!”

      LMAO!!!!

      Reply
    2. Suzanne Broughton Avatar
      Suzanne Broughton

      I had a Brownie Beanie too. I loved being a Brownie but didn’t like being a Girl Scout–too much camping related activities.
      LOVING YOUR BLOG! All the OC stuff is great.

      Reply
    3. Auntie Kat Avatar
      Auntie Kat

      I loved being a Girl Scout. Saw my old GS leader, Mrs. Higgens, at Christmas. Still have my vest and patch jacket. Cookie time was a challenge. Going to door to door asking people to buy cookies. Most everyone said yes. The first year or two I don’t think I got the patch. You had to sell something like 50 boxes and I didn’t quite make it. After that I became good at selling cookies. I can remember being hugely intimidated about going around the neighborhood and knocking on doors. I was a shy person and had to work at being relaxed and outgoing to do this but I did it. In hindsight, it was a good experience. It taught you responsibility, ownership, and salesmanship. The thing I hated selling the most was the calendars. They never sold well.

      Reply
    4. Auntie Kat Avatar
      Auntie Kat

      Did you know that cookies were maybe $1.50 a box when I started? That would have been in the early 1970’s folks. Yeah, yeah, Auntie is dating herself. Ask Gramma how much a box of cookies were in her time. So $4.00 in 2009 is not that much of a price increase over time.

      Reply
    5. MB Avatar
      MB

      California inflation strikes again. Girl Scout Cookies are only $3.50 here.

      I also wore the beanie and did the door to door thing. I am now the proud Mama of a second generation Brownie. Can you believe they STILL encourage the girls to sell door to door (with an accompanying parent of course)?!

      Considering I felt much the same about the cookie selling as you did Martha, and the fact that local temps averaged about 12 degrees during sale time, I nixed that idea right away.

      And even being the Mama instead of the actual girl scout I still got all those competetive/intimidated feelings back again.

      Reply
    6. Suzanne Broughton Avatar
      Suzanne Broughton

      Hello!
      I posted a link to this at my blog at the Orange County Register :) I love this series: http://themomblog.freedomblogging.com/2009/03/17/roots-and-wings/15199/
      Suz

      Reply
    7. Gramma Avatar
      Gramma

      Girl Scout cookies. They’ve been around for along time. In my day . . . We had vanilla and chocolate sandwich cookies. They sold for $.50. It seemed like a lot – no thin mints, no Samoas, no peanut butter, no patches for most sold. Yes we could go door to door, it was safe. I asked relatives and a few neighbors. As an adult I was the Brownie leader, the kids mothers would take the sheets to work and those folks really looked forward to getting their cookies. I did that some too. Later – much later, when I was working for Greg – I would take the sheet from the current “Brownie or Scout” in the department and encourage folks to help their kids out. I knew they could and would afford it and it increased the sales of that girl. I also bought their wrapping paper, etc. Haven’t seen a sign of a Girl Scout cookie this year. I missed them somehow. The “house” needs some Girl Scout cookies.

      Reply
    8. Gramma Avatar
      Gramma

      I didn’t like the calendars either and I didn’t really encourage the girls to sell them.

      Reply
    9. Julie @ Angry Julie Monday Avatar
      Julie @ Angry Julie Monday

      Yep. That was me. Except I did my elementary years in LA County. I loved the cookies, but hated selling them. I remember when my mom was the cookie mom. Our garage was full of cookies. I felt such pressure to have the highest sales. and yep, I had the beanie too.

      Reply
    10. Mom Avatar
      Mom

      Thanks Suz! I am working on some more but have to do some digging for photos.

      Gramma do you remember packing the yellow station wagon full of the cases of cookies and then sorting them in the living room? I think we still have some of those old boxes around being used for storage of other stuff.

      Reply
    11. Gramma Avatar
      Gramma

      Yup. Good old yellow station wagon – “The Lemon”. I totally disliked that car – too many problems, even when new. And – I might have a cookie box or two, but most are gone. Can’t keep them forever. I do have a couple of turkey boxes though which I got when Kat got turkeys from work. They have hand-holds so I keep them.

      Reply
    12. Auntie Kat Avatar
      Auntie Kat

      Gramma – I have some GS cookies in the freezer if you want them. Lemon and trefoil. I also have a turkey box but you can’t have that. If I look hard enough, I probably have pictures from GS. What am I saying! Of course I have pictures from GS. They are even in an album. Oh, and were converted to photo safe several years ago. That was before Melody and Civil War…

      Reply
    13. Chris Hubbard Avatar
      Chris Hubbard

      In 1969-1970 or so cookies sold for .50c in Illinois….and it was cold when we sold them…but I liked to do it. There were no prizes which was OK with me. I just loved Girl Scouting.
      Happy 100 Years * March 12, 2012

      Reply

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    I’m Martha

    Welcome to Notes From the Melody Maker – a site I am using to share my doll work, craft work, and various tutorials for like minded people. I make and restore china head dolls and many accessories for them, based on antique Victorian patterns and sewing techniques. I’m no professional, I just love to do it! Every once in a while I’ll do some other crafty things and share those too!

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