Girl Scout Cookie® History

Girl Scout cookies® are a familiar part of American culture. For more than 80 years, Girl Scouts, with the enthusiastic support of their families, have helped ensure the success of local Girl Scout cookie activities. From its earliest beginnings to its current popularity, Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts who sell cookies have fun, develop valuable life skills and "make the world a better place" by helping to support Girl Scouting in their communities. Girls are proud that their efforts provide resources for their local Girl Scout councils and for their own Girl Scout troops/groups.

Early Years | 1930s | 1940s | 1950s | 1960s | 1970s | 1980s | 1990s | Today

Early Years

Girl Scout cookies® had their earliest beginnings in the kitchens and ovens of our girl members, with mothers volunteering as technical advisers. The sale of cookies as a way to finance troop activities began as early as 1917, five years after Juliette Gordon Low started Girl Scouting in the United States. The earliest mention of a cookie sale found to date was that of the Mistletoe Troop in Muskogee, Oklahoma, which baked cookies and sold them in its high school cafeteria as a service project in December 1917.

In July 1922, The American Girl magazine, published by Girl Scout national headquarters, featured an article by Florence E. Neil, a local director in Chicago, Illinois. Miss Neil provided a Girl Scout cookie recipe that was given to the council's 2,000 Girl Scouts. She estimated the approximate cost of ingredients for six- to seven-dozen cookies to be 26 to 36 cents. The cookies, she suggested, could be sold by troops for 25 or 30 cents per dozen.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Girl Scouts in different parts of the country continued to bake their own simple sugar cookies with their mothers. These cookies were packaged in wax paper bags, sealed with a sticker, and sold door to door for 25 to 35 cents per dozen.

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1930s

In 1933, Girl Scouts of Greater Philadelphia Council baked cookies and sold them in the city's gas and electric company windows. Just 23 cents per box of 44 cookies, or six boxes for $1.24 helped girls develop their marketing and business potential and raise funds for their local Girl Scout council program. In 1934, Greater Philadelphia became the first council to sell commercially baked cookies.

In 1935, another large group, the Girl Scout Federation of Greater New York (consisting of the Manhattan, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens, and Staten Island councils) raised money through the sale of commercial cookies. Buying its own die in the shape of a trefoil, the group used the words Girl Scout Cookies on the box.

In 1936, the national Girl Scout organization began the process to license the first commercial baker to produce cookies that would be sold by girls in Girl Scout councils. Enthusiasm for Girl Scout cookies® spread nationwide. In 1937, more than 125 Girl Scout councils reported holding cookie sales.

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1940s

Girl Scout cookies® were sold annually by local councils around the country until World War II, when sugar, flour, and butter shortages led Girl Scouts to begin selling Girl Scout calendars to raise money for their activities.

Girl Scout cookie sales continued annually, with the national organization licensing local bakers to produce and package the cookies sold by girls in councils. By 1948, a total of 29 bakers throughout the nation were licensed to bake Girl Scout cookies®.

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1950s

In 1951, Girl Scout cookies® came in three varieties: Sandwich, Shortbread, and Chocolate Mints (now known as Thin Mints). With the advent of the suburbs, Girl Scout cookies® were also sold by girls at tables in shopping malls.

By 1956, Girl Scouts sold four basic types of cookies: a vanilla-based filled cookie, a chocolate-based filled one, shortbread, and a chocolate mint. Some bakers also offered an optional flavor.

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1960s

During the 1960s, when baby boomers expanded Girl Scout membership, cookie sale volume increased significantly. In 1961, 14 licensed bakers were mixing batter for thousands upon thousands of Girl Scout cookies® annually.

In 1960, licensed bakers first began wrapping Girl Scout cookie boxes in printed aluminum foil or cellophane to protect the cookies and preserve their freshness. By 1966, a number of varieties were available. Among the best sellers were Chocolate Mint, Shortbread, and Peanut Butter Sandwich cookies.

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1970s

In 1978, the number of bakeries was streamlined to four to ensure lower prices and uniform quality, packaging and distribution. The national organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, began supplying licensed bakers with a standard cookie package layout and pictures. For the first time in history, all Girl Scout cookie boxes featured the same designs and depicted scenes of Girl Scouts in action, including hiking and canoeing.

Cookies for sale included Thin Mint, Sandwich, and Shortbread cookies and four additional choices. In 1979, the new contemporary Girl Scout logo appeared on cookie boxes. Cookie packaging became more creative and began to promote the benefits of Girl Scouting.

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1980s

In 1982, the four bakers produced a maximum of seven varieties of cookies — three mandatory (Thin Mint, Sandwich, and Shortbread) and four optional ones.

Packaging continued to depict scenes of Girl Scouts in action. In 1984, some of the licensed bakers started to produce gift samplings of Girl Scout cookies® in special decorative tins.

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1990s

In the early 1990s, two licensed bakers supplied local Girl Scout councils with cookies for girls to sell. Eight varieties are now available, including low fat and sugar-free selections.

In 1998, Girl Scouts of the USA licensed three bakers to produce cookies. The national organization also introduced official age-appropriate awards for Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts for participating in cookie activities, including an annual Girl Scout Cookie Activity Pin, with requirements featured in an activity guide.

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Today — and the Future

Girl Scout cookie® boxes are bold and bright and capture the spirit of Girl Scouting. Introduced in the fall of 2000, these boxes clearly show girls having fun and growing strong. The two bakers produce a maximum of eight varieties, including three mandatory ones (Thin Mint, Peanut Butter Sandwich and Shortbread). All cookies are kosher and contain no trasfat.

For the safety and security of the girls who are selling cookies, Girl Scout cookies® are not available for purchase online.

Brownie, Junior, Cadette and Senior Girl Scouts can earn official age-appropriate awards, including the Girl Scout Cookie Activity Pin, for participating in cookie activities.

In 2006-2007 two licensed bakers will be supplying local Girl Scout councils with cookies for girls to sell.

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© 1998-2007, Girl Scouts of the United States of America. All rights reserved.

The GIRL SCOUTS name, mark and all associated trademarks and logotypes, including the Trefoil Design, are owned by GSUSA.