THE DAISES WERE EVERYWHERE!

By

Gerry Niskern

The other day, as I parked in front of my favorite coffee place, I saw them; the “Dreaded Girl Scout Cookies!”

Every February the Girl Scouts invade the neighborhood. I believe the little tricksters are there for only one reason, to sabotage my New Year’s diet.

I’m always torn, especially,  when the little kids, the Daises, approach me. Well, of course, I want to support the girls and besides I’d  heard that the Thin Mints are even better this year.

I asked for a box of Thin Mints and handed the lass a ten dollar bill. She gave me the carton of treats and just stood there with an angelic smile. I waited for my change, but she just kept smiling at me. “Oh, okay,” I said. “I’ll take another box.” I don’t know which badge she was earning, but I’d give her a special one for high pressure salesmanship.

You see, I have a special spot in my heart for the Girls. When I was in the fifth grade at Jackson School, a Girl Scout troop was formed; called troop # Eleven. Yes! We were the llth troop in the whole Phoenix area. Our leaders name was Miss Curlee, a second grade teacher. I’m sure the poor lady got the short straw, but lucky for us, she was young and pretty. All the other teachers looked to be over 100 to this fifth grader. Our dues were 2 cents per week.

My main Christmas present that year was a Girl Scout uniform. They cost a whopping three dollars.  And since I was lucky enough to have one first, I got to represent our troop in the annual Rodeo Parade that year. We all stood on a wagon trying to keep our balance on a very bumpy ride down Central Avenue.

I enjoyed all the scouting experiences, but the thing that I was most excited about and truthfully I’ll admit now, my main reason for joining was that I was going to get to sell cookies door to door. They were plain vanilla, with the Girl Scout emblem on the top.

When I took my boxes home and my mother heard the price, (25 cents), she said, “Absolutely not! I wouldn’t think of letting you ask the neighbors to buy a box of cookies for 25 cents when they can buy the same for ten cents at the grocery store”

In those days, that was that. CASE CLOSED!

Sure you can find less expensive cookies, but that’s not the point, is it? Why not support the organization that develops girls of courage, confidence and character worldwide? The Girl Scouts don’t ask for donations. They get out and hustle.

The girls promise “to help other people at all time:, and THAT YOU WILL LOVE THEIR COOKIES!