Althoff help kicks off Girl Scout cookie sale

State Sen. Pamela J. Althoff, a Republican from Crystal Lake, will serve as the Honorary Girl Scout Cookie Chair for Girl Scouts -- Sybaquay Council this year.

Launched in 1917 in Muskogee, Okla., the Girl Scout cookie sale has become an event that America looks forward to each year.

Order taking for this year's sale begins Saturday and will run until the end of the month.

Since its inception, the Girl Scout Cookie Program has grown into a leading business and economic literacy activity run by and for girls. By giving girls the opportunity to discover their own skills, connect through teamwork, and take action, the Girl Scout Cookie Program has helped make Girl Scouting the nation's leading leadership development experience for girls.

"The Girl Scout organization is the world's premier leadership organization dedicated solely to girls -- all girls, regardless of their ethnicity or background," Althoff said. "All through Girl Scouts, young women learn valuable leadership and entrepreneurial skills while building character and skills for their future successes."

Girls participate in carefully developed age-appropriate cookie activities that help develop skills they can apply throughout their lives. Even the youngest Girl Scouts gain self-confidence and poise by learning how to greet customers and offer cookies for purchase. As girls progress, they learn how to set goals as they work together with other girls to determine how their troop's proceeds will be used.

Finally, emphasis is placed on getting to know their product -- ingredients, calories -- goal setting and exploring innovative and creative marketing tools and strategies.

Here in Sybaquay Council, girls will be out in force taking orders for cookies Jan. 5-26.

All varieties of America's favorite cookies are now "trans-fat free," including Sybaquay's Thin Mints, Peanut Butter Sandwich, Shortbread, Caramel de Lites, Peanut Butter Patties, Thanks-a-Lots, Lemonades, and the new cookie -- Cinna-Spins.

Cost is $3.50 a box. For details, or if you aren't approached by a Girl Scout during the sale, call Sybaquay Council at (847) 741-5521, visit the Web site at www.gs-sybaquay.org or e-mail cookies4you@gs-sybaquay.org.

Girl Scouts Sybaquay Council serves more than 10,000 girls from more than 50 communities throughout McHenry County, and parts of Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Lake, LaSalle and Kane counties. Girl Scouts of the USA is the pre-eminent leadership development program for girls, with a membership of more than 4 million girl and adult members.