Girl Scout Cookies

Inexplicably, our local Girl Scout council had the girls selling cookies over Christmas and into January. The girls could begin selling the Monday before Christmas, and will wrap up in two weeks.

What a really, really bad idea. Here we have the primary fundraiser for the troop's activities and the girls are supposed to ring doorbells and call friends and family right in the midst of the Christmas holiday.

"Merry Christmas! How about some Thin Mints?"

"Happy Holidays! Wouldn't Girl Scout Cookies make great teacher gifts?"

"I know you're starting that New Year's diet, but two cookies count just one point!"

Just not right.

So we didn't. 

I'm surprised more parents didn't object to this selling window. I thought all Girl Scouts sold cookies at the same time, all around the country, then learned that selling periods are spread out and assigned by the national council. Perhaps theirs is a nonsecular strategy, ignoring religious observations and therefore treating them all equally. So be it. As a faithful family, we couldn't conceive of selling during Christmas.  I expect other families have made the same choice during Jewish, Muslim, and other holy days, and certainly respect that. I suppose it just struck home because we have a new selling period and it conflicts with Christmas.

But isn't that always the way it is? Something isn't a problem until it's a problem for you?

Indeed.