Cookie time!

Girl Scout cookies pre-sale has begun with new cookie in the line-up

• blounttoday.com
• By Lance Coleman
• Posted January 19, 2010 at 11:11 a.m.

The Girl Scouts are coming. They are fanning out across Blount County armed with Girl Scout cookie order forms. Don’t try to resist them…it will be futile, especially with the newest cookie on their list - ThankUBerryMunch, a treat that combines white fudge with cranberries.

Sarah Shepherd is heading up the effort for Blount County this year. She said that on average about two-thirds of sales are wrapped up during the two-week pre-selling period.

“We are doing the door-to-door order taking right now,” Shepherd said. “This is the time when girls call family and friends and go to their parents’ workplace taking orders on their order cards.”

About 65 of 67 troops are selling cookies in Blount County. “That’s just shy of 100 percent of our troops, so there are probably between 600 girls selling cookies,” she said.

For folks who don’t know a Girl Scout and want to order, Shepherd said they can email her at www.girlscoutcookies.org, leave a name, email address and phone number and someone will be in touch to take their order.

The cookies are scheduled to arrive for delivery on Feb. 22, the last week of February, Shepherd said.

“Starting Feb. 26, we’ll have booths set up for three weeks all over town,” said Shepherd, “from Wal-Mart, Kroger, Food City and Food Lion, Shoneys and Chik-fil-A. We usually have about 30 locations.” Sales begin Feb. 26 and end on March 14.

Shepherd said something that hasn’t changed this year is the annual sale is the price of the cookies - $3.50 per box. “This is at least our third year at that price. I don’t know how many things are this good that haven’t gone up in price,” she said. “We also have a new cookie this year, it’s called ThankUberrymunch. It’s made with cranberries and white fudge chips.”

Girl Scout Cookies are made in Louisville, Ky., by Little Brownie Bakers. “They’ve been baking our cookies for years,” she said. “I sold cookies when I was little in the 1970s.”

Shepherd said Girl Scouts have been selling cookies for more than 80 years. “In the beginning, the girls would bake the cookies themselves and put them in wax bags and sell them,” she said.

Selling Girl Scout cookies is good for the troop members in many ways, Shepherd said. “Yes, it does earn money for their troops so they can do activities and community service projects, but it also helps them learn how to go up to people and present themselves properly,” she said. “If for no other reason, they’re so easy to sell, it gives them self confidence.”

Shepherd said the girls learn early business skills like planning and managing their time. “We’re not teaching them to be the next CEO, but it is a beginning step because they’re learning skills like counting out change and setting goals,” she said. “They learn how powerful that can be, because they really do see what they’re striving for, whether it is a little incentive they get or just the concept of reaching their goal.”

Something else Shepherd said folks should remember is Girl Scout cookies can be purchased for charities.

“We have The Gift of Caring Program, where people can purchase cookies to donate to charitable organizations and each troop can pick their own charity,” she said. “As a service unit, we used Hugs for Our Soldiers and sold 1,000 boxes last year to send to soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq. With the 278th being deployed, we’ll be sending cookies to some of our own guys.”

Heritage Middle School students support troops overseas

By Matthew Stewart
matts@thedailytimes.com
Originally published: November 23. 2009 3:01AM
Last modified: November 22. 2009 4:56PM

Army officials also allowed three soldiers to visit the school while students were making packages. Sgt. Johnny Simmons, Sgt. Jay Knight and Spc. Joalice Andino-Valles of the U.S. Army's 3rd Infantry Division, 3rd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment stationed at Fort Benning, Ga. visited with students and talked about the importance of their packages.

The three soldiers, who left Fort Benning at 1:30 a.m. to speak with students, were enthusiastic about being able to visit students.

"Most troops don't receive letters and treats from their family and friends," Andino-Valles said. She later thanked students for participating in the program. "You guys write heartfelt stuff; and it's real special seeing you do it. I always thought kids sat down with their parents to write them. It's just nice to know you take time during school to do it."

Troops from the 1st Battalion, 15th Infantry Regiment -- which is also known as the "Dragon" or "Can Do" Battalion -- were deployed to Iraq for the fourth time last month.

Troops refer to their deployments by the mission name and number; and the U.S. military is currently in Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) 7, Knight said. Simmons has served in OIF 1, 3 and 5. Andino-Valles has served in OIF 3 and 5. Knight served in OIF 5.

Simmons, Knight and Andino-Valles are currently performing rear detachment duties at Fort Benning. Simmons is recovering from a shoulder injury; Andino-Valles recently delivered her second child, Ian; and Knight will soon be attending Officer Candidate School in Colorado Springs, Colo.

Hugs for Our Soldiers is a volunteer-based nonprofit organization that has been supporting U.S. troops since 2003. Many local organizations, businesses, churches and private individuals are helping this year, Orcutt said.

Carpenters Middle School students have made 200 care packages, she said. Alcoa Middle School students have made 325 packages, Orcutt said.

Local Girl Scouts have made 300 packages, she said. This Is Lisa Thomas Salon, 332 Sanderson St., Suite 3, Alcoa, and its clients have made 100 care packages, Orcutt said.

The American Legion Post, Tellico Village Retired Military Club and Rarity Bay Women's Club have also donated money, she said.

Our soldiers at war deserve hugs and so much more

There was one quote, words not spoken by a student, that were chilling. The comment was meant to underline the soldiers' appreciation, and it did -- perhaps more than the soldiers knew.

"Most troops don't receive letters and treats from their family and friends."

That revelation, coming from Spc. Joalice Andino-Valles, was telling and sobering.

Our troops at war, including members of the National Guard and Reserves, serve because they volunteered. They stood up when called to fight for their country when others chose comfort and safety.

To hear that most of our troops don't routinely learn of how they are appreciated on the home front is disheartening.

Could it be that because that we are so isolated from the impact -- there is no draft, the tax bill will be paid for by future generations -- that we find these wars to be mere conflicts of inconvenience?

Could it be that we have allowed talking heads -- screaming heads at times -- to diminish the sacrifice of sweat and blood into talking points stuffed between commercials? Who can hear the sound of a heartbeat through the noise of ego gratification?

Or, could it be that a simple gesture of human gratitude is worth more to isolated troops stationed in a harsh, faraway land than all the words spoken in marbled halls in search of a sound bite suitable for the next election cycle?

In the face of relentless, self-serving pontification, is a single act of kindness pointless?

Thank goodness for simple concern. Thank goodness for unconditional appreciation. Thank goodness for youth.

If it takes our young people to remind us of what we have and why it is important -- so be it.

Issue 9.60 | Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009

Editor, the Forum:

Tears came to my eyes recently when a close relative shared with me that when he was overseas in the Army that he only received two letters - EVER - over a period of three years from his family, and he came from a good home. I just could not understand how a young man in the service could not get mail (letters, packages, something) from moms, dads and siblings. I asked him why, and he just shrugged and said, "Out of sight, out of mind."

It seems that there are many of our young people out there right now serving in the Iraq war that do not get very much mail and we have a way to brighten their days. There is a non-profit organization called "Hugs for Our Soldiers" (www.hugsforoursoldiers.org) where we can adopt a soldier. We can do this as an individual, a family or a group. We are matched up with a soldier who has also signed up with this organization and asked to be adopted. We send cards or notes (hopefully at least every two weeks) and a package of goodies about once a month.

How neat to have this opportunity! My husband and I just signed up and recently received the information on our "adopted soldier." His home town is Athens, Ga. and maybe one day, we'll even get to meet him. But for now, we're just excited to be able to write to him and send him some "care packages."