LUSELAND — There is no way you can feel crummy when Girl Guide cookies are involved. The tradition of cookie sales continues with the Luseland Girl Guides program as they say it is a batch made in heaven.
Girl Guide cookie sales have been part of their program for more than five decades, with the Canada-wide Girl Guide cookie program being in action for more than 90 years. It’s part of their friend-chip goals and helps earn the club some extra dough.
The first Girl Guide cookies were sold in Regina in 1927. Did you know during the Gulf War, every Canada soldier received a box of CGC upon arrival in Saudi Arabia? In 1992, Canadian astronaut Roberta Bondar, once a Girl Guide herself, jugged Girl Guide cookies while she was in space.
The experience of selling cookies helps girls build their confidence and develop skills in goal setting, teamwork, entrepreneurship and community engagement, the organization says.
For the 2023 town-wide blitz in Luseland, leader Jean Halliday says there were 25 girls out in groups selling these popular treats.
“We buddy up a guide with a Spark or Brownie participant.”
The club was thrilled to have sold 50 cases of cookies, which totals 600 boxes of cookies in their latest campaign, a complete sellout. Each box of cookies sold garners 20 per cent back to the local club.
“We sell cookies partly as a fund raiser but also as it is just a part of spring traditions in Luseland,” Halliday says.
“People look forward to seeing the girls out and about selling cookies.”
In other fundraisers, the club takes care of the community bottle depot in town which means sorting them and taking them to Sarcan.
“It is an excellent project,” says Halliday,” as not only is it a great fundraiser, but we are also teaching the girls good work ethic and good recycling practises.”
June 23, the girls’ club will enjoy a pool event. Members and their families are invited to Legion Park where they will enjoy a pizza supper together followed by a swim. Pool rental fees are covered by the Saskatchewan Girl Guides Association as a thank you for their commitment for the year.
Halliday says their annual spring banquet was held May 24 with 115 people attending. Girls were awarded their badges and moved up to the next level.
“Our theme this year was ‘We Stepped Up.’ We began the year thinking about ways we can make a difference in our community and the world and hence, we ended the year talking about ways we stepped up to make a difference,” says Halliday.
“There were 14 Sparks with nine girls moving up to Brownies, five Brownies with two moving up to Guides, 12 Guides with four girls moving up to Pathfinders and six Pathfinders with four moving up to Rangers.”
The girls had made stepping stones and they were used to decorate the banquet tables, reflecting the theme. A short celebratory campfire followed the year-end event.
You can find more details, and history, on the Girl Guides program and their cookie tradition on their website www.girlguides.ca
