Wednesday, August 10, 2016

New Cookie Announcement

We have some exciting news to share!

Today, National S’mores Day, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) announced, in celebration of 100 years of Girl Scouts selling cookies, the introduction of a new Girl Scout S’mores commemorative cookie. Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast will be adding the cookie to the 2017 lineup, where it will join classics—Thin Mints, Samoas, Trefoils and more. The new cookie, which will be available starting in January in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina, is a crunchy graham cracker sandwich cookie with creamy chocolate and marshmallow filling. This is the latest new cookie since the introduction of gluten-free Toffee-tastics in 2015.

“We are so excited for our girls to be able to introduce the Girl Scout S’mores cookie to their cookie customers,” Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast CEO Tracy Keller said. “S’mores has strong ties to our organization’s history, and this cookie brings a new and delicious way for consumers to support girls.”

The new cookie is made with specialty ingredients and was created with emerging consumer trends in mind. It contains no artificial flavors or colors, high fructose corn syrup or partially hydrogenated oils. Like other similar consumer products, the s’mores cookie will be priced higher than other Girl Scout Cookies, reflecting the cost of production. For the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Program, the classic varieties will be $4 per box, and both the Girl Scout S’mores cookie and the gluten-free Toffee-tastics will be $5 per box. All proceed from the cookie program support local Girl Scouts.

In addition to announcing the new cookie variety, Girl Scouts around the country are celebrating National S’mores Day online by sharing how they “s’more” on social media using #NationalSmoresDay and tagging @GirlScouts.

The tradition of making and enjoying s’mores in the outdoors was popularized by Girl Scouts as early as the 1920s. The organization was one of the first to publish the iconic recipe under the name “Some More” in a 1925 issue of Girl Scout Leader magazine, and then as “somemores” in an official 1927 Girl Scout publication. Learning outdoor cooking, including how to make s’mores, is just one component of Girl Scouts’ longstanding commitment to the outdoors, a cornerstone of the organization that plays a vital role in girls’ leadership development.

In fact, the Girl Scout Research Institute (GSRI) reported in their 2015 More than S’mores study that there is a clear connection between outdoor experiences and girls’ understanding of their leadership potential. Girls who spend time outdoors through Girl Scouts eclipse their peers in environmental stewardship, more readily seek challenges and are better problem solvers, all of which are traits needed for 21st-century leadership.

To learn more about the Girl Scout S’mores cookie, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.