Did You Know...

Girl Scout facts

* All of the proceeds from a local Girl Scout council's cookie activities remains in the area where the cookies are sold.

* Each of the nation's 317 Girl Scout Councils conducts its own cookie sale after selecting one of the three baking companies licensed by Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. Each council sets its own sale dates, negotiates prices and sets its own retail price.

* At the bakeries, the Girl Scout cookie are produced by American labor union members from American-grown agricultural products and wrapped in American-made packaging materials.

* Girl Scout cookies had their beginnings in the kitchens and ovens of members, with mothers volunteering as technical advisers. The sale of cookies as a way to finance troop activities began as early as 1917, five years after Juliette Low started Girl Scouting in the United States.

* Girl Scout cookies were sold annually by local councils around the country until World War II, when sugar, flour, and butter shortages led Girl Scouts to begin selling Girl Scout calendars to raise money for their activities.

* In 1978, the number of bakeries was streamlined to four to ensure lower prices and uniform quality, packaging and distribution. The national organization, Girl Scouts of the USA, began supplying licensed bakers with a standard cookie package layout and pictures. For the first time in history, all Girl Scout cookie boxes featured the same designs and depicted scenes of Girl Scouts in action, including hiking and canoeing.