Be on the lookout for Girl Scout Cookie booths

The wait is over. Starting Feb. 25, Girl Scout cookies will be available at booth locations across South Carolina.

Girl Scouts will be setting up booth sales outside local businesses to offer buyers the opportunity to enjoy their favorite cookies through the month of March before they’re gone until next year. To find a booth location near you, please visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.

New to booth sale season this year is the arrival of the cookie mobile, a van manned by Girl Scout staff to help girls sell cookies as part of Girl Scout outreach programs. These programs are designed to bring the Girl Scout experience to girls who may not otherwise have had the opportunity to see what Girl Scouts has to offer.  The cookie mobile will be in these areas on the following dates:

Feb. 29, 4-6 p.m.

Timmonsville Boys and Girls Club,

620 Brockington St. Timmonsville

March 1 and 15, 2-4 p.m.

Lester Elementary School

3501 East Palmetto St. Florence

March 6   3:30-5:30 p.m.

Delmae Elementary School

1211 South Cashua Dr. Florence

March 26  4-6 p.m.

Greeleyville Elementary School

7 Varner Ave. Greeleyville

March 12   3:30-5:30 p.m.

McLaurin Elementary School

1400 McMillan Lane Florence

March 9 and 16   4-6 p.m.

Timrod Elementary School

1901 E. Old Marion Hwy Florence

March 7 and 8   4-6 p.m.

Boys and Girls Club of Florence

310 N. Roughfork St. Florence

March 14   3:30-6:30 p.m.

Wallace-Gregg Elementary School

515 Francis Marion Road,   Florence

March 15, 2-6 p.m.

Midland Elementary School

3011 Nichols Hwy. Galivants Ferry, SC

March 2, 3-6 p.m.

Boys and Girls Club – Horry

3101 Oak St. Myrtle Beach

March 2, 4-6 p.m.

Rick and Susan Goings Boys and Girls Club

51 Lewis Rd., Hemingway

During the booth sales, troops will also be accepting cookie donations to ship overseas to soldiers on active duty. Even if you don’t want to eat a box of cookies, you can donate one to members of the armed services. All cookies for the troops are shipped after the sale ends with the help of Blue Star Mothers, an organization consisting of moms of soldiers on active duty.

Included in the sale will be Thin Mints, Shout Outs, Thanks-A-Lots, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Peanut Butter Patty, Shortbread and Lemonades. While much has been said about the “new Girl Scout cookie,” Savannah Smiles, please note that this cookie is not for sale by Girl Scouts in South Carolina.

Currently, two commercial bakers are licensed by the national Girl Scout organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, to produce Girl Scout Cookies: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina works in partnership with ABC Bakers, which does not offer the Savannah Smiles lemon cookie.

The two cookie bakers each must make the three basic Girl Scout cookies – Thin Mints, Shortbreads or Trefoils and Peanut Butter Sandwich or Do-Si-Dos; the other five cookies are up to the baker’s discretion. ABC opted to go with a different lemon cookie – Lemonades -- a shortbread cookie with lemon icing. This cookie is popular among ABC Bakers’ customers. They will release a new cookie in 2013.

The cookie program is designed to help girls become business savvy and learn economic literacy skills, while participating in a fun activity. The girls take active roles in all parts of the program, and proceeds from cookie sales benefit girls in your community.

Girl Scouts is the world’s preeminent organization dedicated solely to girls – all girls, everywhere – where in an accepting and nurturing environment, girls build character and skills for success in the real world.  In partnership with committed adults, girls develop qualities that will serve them all their lives, like strong values, social conscience and conviction about their own potential and self-worth. Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina provides programs and services to more than 7,000 girls and 3,000 adults across 21 counties.  For more information on Girl Scouts of Eastern South Carolina, call (843) 552-9910 or visit www.girlscoutsesc.org.