They're here! Now, through the end of March 2012, you'll be able to purchase everybody's favorite treat: Girl Scout Cookies. Girls throughout our council, which includes Rhode Island; Pawcatuck, CT; and southeastern MA, will be selling 8 varieties for four dollars a box.

How Can I Buy Girl Scout Cookies?

Some girls will be taking orders and delivering a few weeks later, some girls will be able to fulfill your order right away. It all depends on what approach the troop has opted to take. Also, starting late in January, you'll start to see “booth sales” at area grocery stores, and other public locations. As troops plan these booth sales, their information is loaded into our "booth sales indicator".

Click here and you'll be able to find a booth sale near you. Please note that — occasionally — a booth sale will be listed but, due to unforeseen circumstances like a sick Girl Scout troop leader, the sale doesn't take place!

There's another way to navigate your way to Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties near you...Get the Official Girl Scouts of the USA Cookie Finder app for your iPhone or iPod Touch. It's free! Click here for more information and to download the app. You'll be able to:

• Find cookies by zip code to find them in areas other than your current location.
• Sort the listings by date or radius, or view them all on a map.
• Tell your friends: Post a cookie sale location to Twitter or Facebook, or send your friends an email.
• Vote for your favorite: Tell us—and the world!—about your favorite Girl Scout cookie. Cast your vote on the app and share it on Facebook and Twitter.

What kind of Cookies are you Selling?

There are two different cookie bakers licensed to produce Girl Scout Cookies and, depending on which baker your local Girl Scout council uses. Here at Girl Scouts of Rhode Island, we've partnered with ABC Cookie Bakers to offer you the following varieties:

• Caramel deLites
• Shout Outs!
• Peanut Butter Patties
• Shortbread
• Thin Mints
• Peanut Butter Sandwiches
• Thanks-A-Lot
• Lemonades

Visit www.abcsmartcookies.com for nutritional information and other frequently asked questions about our cookies.

How Much Do the Cookies Cost?

Each local Girl Scout council sets its own price per box. Currently, girls from Girl Scouts of Rhode Island sell Girl Scout Cookies for four dollars a box. Most councils in the US sell Girl Scout cookies at this price, but some have slightly lower prices and some have slightly higher prices.

Can I Buy Cookies Online?

No. Through the Girl Scout Cookie Program, girls develop five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics. Therefore cookies are only available from a Girl Scout; they are not available online or at the council office or store. Sorry! Girls are, however, allowed to “market” the Cookie Sale online to friends and family if they are at least 14 years old.

What Can a Cookie Do?

Purchase Girl Scout Cookies and you'll do a whole lot of good. All of the proceeds support Girl Scouting in the local community. For starters, troops in our council can opt to donate a portion of their Cookie Sale proceeds to a local charity. This year's charity is the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Research Foundation, whose mission is to raise breast cancer awareness, increase breast health education, enhance the quality of life for breast cancer patients and their families, and generate funding for local breast health programs.

The sale also provides money to the troops, so that they can participate in trips and activities planned by the girls, allowing them to work together as a team toward a common goal. Girls can also earn “cookie credits” (20 cents per box), with which they can defray the cost of attending Girl Scout summer camp.

Some of the proceeds help the council recruit and train volunteer adults to work with girls; provide financial assistance for girls who need it; improve our camp and activity sites; and keep event and camp fees low.

Aw! I Just Started My Diet!

No problem, the girls would still appreciate your financial support. Before the Cookie Sale begins, each troop picks one or more charitable organizations in their community – this is the troop's “Cookie Share” partner. If a customer wants to purchase a box of cookies, but does not actually want to eat the box of cookies, the troop will make sure the box of cookies goes to their "Cookie Share" partner, whether it is a nursing home, shelter, food bank, or soldiers overseas.

What, No Savannah Smiles?!

The new Savannah Smiles Girl Scout Cookie has gotten a lot of press coverage and you may be wondering why we don't offer this cookie here at GSRI. Here's why: There are two official Girl Scout Cookie bakers – ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Bakers. Each company is required to offer the 5 "classic" cookies: Thin Mints, Shortbreads, Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Carmel deLites and Peanut Butter Patties. Additionally, the bakers can produce up to 3 flavors of their choice.

Each council makes its own decision about which baker to select. We picked ABC Bakers for their outstanding service, pricing and quality. In addition to the five "classic flavors", ABC Bakers produces yummy Lemonades, Thanks-a-Lot and Shout Outs! So that's what we offer, too! For this 100^th anniversary year, a special commemorative logo has been included on the Shortbread package. Shortbreads were the original Girl Scout cookie. So, enjoy, and remember that variety is the spice of life!