Junior Girl Scout Lauren Setterlun, a 10-year old from Troop 41520 in Southgate sells Girl Scout Cookies from a booth at Fort and Grove in Wyandotte.
By SUE SUCHYTA
Sunday Times Newspapers
WYANDOTTE – Two local Junior Girl Scouts braved the cold last weekend to raise money for their troop trips and philanthropic projects.
Lauren Setterlun and Hannah VanderWalker of Southgate Troop 41520 were at the southeast corner of Fort and Grove Feb. 13
as Girl Scouts throughout southeastern Michigan launched their cookie booth sales last weekend.
Leader Nancy Setterlun, mother of two Girl Scouts, enjoys working with Brownies and Juniors in a split troop in their volunteer efforts.
“We do a lot of service projects,” she said. “We just did an animal shelter drive for Southgate and Taylor. We collected a whole lot of food for that.”
At Christmas the troop collected for Vista Maria, a Dearborn Heights facility for marginalized women and children, she said, and plans to start a Bronze Award project to support the troop there. Members also will visit the Penrickton Center for Blind Children.
Local Girl Scouts have been taking cookie orders since December. Booth sales officially began last weekend and will run through mid-March for the Southeastern Michigan Girl Scout Council.
Samantha Pancoast, an eighth-grader at Lincoln Park Middle School and a Cadette Girl Scout in Troop 43157, and Alyssa Hilton, a junior at Lincoln Park High School and a Senior Girl Scout in Troop 43985, also bundled up warmly Feb. 13 for an outdoor cookie booth at the northwest corner of Southfield Road and Fort Street in Lincoln Park.
Last year their cookies sales helped fund a trip to Chicago. They currently are saving for a trip to the U.S. Virgin Islands in two years.
Alyssa sold over 800 boxes last year; her goal is 900 this year.
Samantha, who sold 600 boxes last year, is trying to sell 2010 boxes to earn a council-sponsored “mystery trip.” Last year’s secret destination was Cedar Point.
Leader Joette Pancoast urges everyone to support the cookie sale, citing the positive impact Scouting has had on her daughter.
“She’s a lot more focused, more driven,” said Pancoast. “This has given her a reason to set a goal.”
“I think it’s connected us a little bit more,” said Wendy Geer, Alyssa Hilton’s mom, who helps with the troop. “We get to do things together that we wouldn’t normally do, like go camping and go to different activities.”
Cookies cost $3.50 a box, and available in eight flavors: Thin Mints, Lemon Chalet Cremes, Samoas, Thank U Berry Munch, Dulce de Leche, Trefoils, Tagalongs, and Do-Si-Dos. For more information contact the Girl Scouts of Southeastern Michigan at 1-800-482-6734.