Order Up! BC’s Girl Scout Cookie Season Arrives

By Katie McFadden

It’s that time of year again! Girl Scout cookie season is here, and Broad Channel’s new Troop 04434 is ready to take your order.

Like many things during Covid, local Girl Scout troops fell to the wayside, but last year, a group of Broad Channel moms realized the need for that outlet that allows young girls to blossom. In September, at the beginning of the school year, Troop 04434 officially formed, and with 37 girls from Broad Channel to Rockaway to Howard Beach joining, the need for the group was clear.

Since launching, the kindergarten to fifth grade girls of the Daisies, Brownies and Juniors that form Troop 04434, have experienced a plethora of fun, educational activities. “A lot of troops do arts and crafts and things like that but our main goal is to expose the girls to a variety of things to get them well rounded,” Jessica Seagriff, a troop leader for the Daisies said. For instance, they learned the value of recycling and raising money when they collected cans to help pay for their patches. They also had a lesson on mindfulness and healthy eating during a yoga class with Brenda Kittle. A nurse even came to teach the girls about first aid, how to build their own first aid kits, how to wrap wounds and what to do in case of an emergency.

And there’s plenty more ahead. The girls will have a meeting with Sanitation and in the spring, they’ll take a trip to the Jamaica Bay Wildlife Refuge to observe wildlife and will get a lesson about pollinators through Lisena Garden Center. They may even take a trip to a senior center to serve up brunch for seniors.

But that’s not all Troop 04434 is serving. In true Girl Scout fashion, the tradition of selling cookies continues and they’re now taking orders. On Friday, March 3, the girls got to taste test some of the products, for quality assurance, of course, and inside knowledge to the cookies they’ll be selling this season. “They had a great time. They made posters and got to try the different cookies. Thin Mints and Trefoils , the original Girl Scout cookie, were two of the  favorites. They were all sugared up and excited,” Seagriff said.

Selling Girl Scout cookies does more than give young girls a sense of entrepreneurship. It’s also the main fundraiser that allows them to continue to do the same great activities they’ve been able to experience this year. “This is run strictly through volunteer work,” Seagriff said. “Selling cookies makes money for the troop so that we have more opportunities and resources to do more for and with the girls.”

Since the money raised is for the benefit of the group, Troop 04434 is not focusing so much on competition among its members, but what they can accomplish as a whole. “Any cookie sale is beneficial. We’ve been sharing the whole troop’s website on local social media pages, this way all the girls get a share in it and it’s not just specific to one kid,” Seagriff said.

That order link can be accessed by scanning the QR code here. Each box of cookies is $5 and from March 20 through 27, free shipping is available. Also, be on the lookout, as the troop will be at selling booths all around Rockaway, Broad Channel and Howard Beach through April and early May, including outside of supermarkets, where folks can directly buy cookies on site.

Seagriff says so far, the girls are off to a great start. “They really are crushing it. They’re doing so good with sales,” Seagriff said.  After all, it’s not too difficult to market Thin Mints and Samoas. Don’t wait, help support Troop 04434 and place your orders today, so these girls can continue to have even more meaningful experiences.

For more information about Troop 04434, email: bcgirlscouts04434@gmail.com