By Carol Mowdy Bond
Contributing Writer
Girl Scout Troop 294 is still rockin’ and rollin’ despite COVID-19. The multi-level troop of 16 Brownies, Juniors, and Cadettes lost most of its 2020 together time due to the pandemic.
But they’ve remained a cohesive troop anyway. In fact, they’re now selling their iconic Girl Scout cookies! Is your mouth watering yet?
These 2nd, 4th, 5th, and 6th graders have something new for cookie season. Cue the drum roll! This season they are introducing the crunchy Girl Scout S’Mores graham sandwich cookies with creamy chocolate and marshmallow filling! And the girls are just as excited about selling the all-time faves including a gluten free cookie: crisp wafer and vegan Thin Mints made with 100% real cocoa, and covered in chocolaty coating made with natural oil of peppermint; crispy Lemon-Ups, baked with inspiring messages to lift spirits; crisp caramel sprinkled Samoas with toasted coconut and striped with dark chocolaty coating; crispy 100% real cocoa Tagalongs layered with real peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating; delicate tasting shortbread Trefoils; crunchy oatmeal Do-Si-Dos oatmeal sandwich cookies with creamy peanut butter filling; GLUTEN FREE rich, butter, Toffee-Tastic cookies with sweet, crunchy toffee bits, and no artificial flavors.
Melissa Konz, leader for the Surrey Hills-centered troop, said, “Cookie season is upon us and always takes over for the next few months. Not many businesses are allowing booths, and those that do have restrictions. My girls’ parents are not comfortable doing booth sales, and I support that! It is not a requirement to participate in cookie sales, and we have had a few opt out this year. Everyone has to do what they are comfortable with, and what is safe for them if they have health concerns.”
The girls, who attend Surrey Hills Elementary School and Redstone Intermediate School, will take your order now, with the deadline to order March 25. And they’ll deliver your cookies fairly quickly after you order. To learn how to place your cookie order, email konzmelissa@gmail.com.
Konz said, “Most of our 2020 activities were cancelled. We typically do an annual troop overnight. Cookie season was significantly interrupted last year, and will be again this year. We haven’t been able to have any in-person meetings. Initially they were suspended by council, but now locations are not allowing them, and we are too large to have them in a house.” The girls have worked on a few Girl Scout badges through Zoom meetings. And they’re working on others independently.
“COVID-19 has made a significant impact on troop activity for the past year,” Konz said.
“But, I’m confident we will be able to get more creative when it warms up, and we can be together outside!”
Residents at the Surrey Hills Estates senior apartments were looking forward to the troop taking part in their December 2020 Christmas party. The girls planned to purchase and wrap gifts, and help with the party. But COVID-19 hit some of the residents, and the party events were cancelled. Nevertheless, the girls purchased and wrapped gifts that were delivered to the complex. Konz said that buying and wrapping the gifts was a valuable experience for the girls. “It was a lesson in budgeting and community outreach. Each girl was given a budget of $25 to shop for their senior. The girls were in charge of getting the gifts. I would have loved to have a big shopping trip, but that just wasn’t feasible with COVID-19. I asked the moms to really let the girls decide, and be in charge of wrapping and delivering the gifts to the designated drop off. They all loved it!”
Konz also said the girls were able to participate in a “virtual camp out. I gathered all of the supplies to make microwave s’mores, and to make a light-up flower using a button battery, wire, a clothespin, tape, and coffee filters. Then we had a set Zoom meeting time to make the craft together, sing Girl Scout songs, and let them talk. They lasted much longer than I did, and they talked and giggled for hours!”
Because parents are already spending so many work and other hours on Zoom, they need a break from it. “They need time away from their computers,” Konz said. “We are encouraging badge work, and when the weather is nicer we will be doing more outdoor group activities.”
Girl Scout grade levels are: Daisies for K through 1st grade; Brownies for 2nd through 3rd grades ; Juniors for 4th through 5th grades; Cadettes for 6th through 8th grades; Seniors for 9th through 10th grades; Ambassadors for 11th through 12th grades.
Troop 294 is full at the moment. But if you are interested in finding a Girl Scout troop in the western Oklahoma area, go online to www.gswest.org to sign up, and you will be matched with any troop in the area that has availability. There are several other troops in the Surrey Hills area.
