Lexington County, SC - 02/18/2021 Lora Tucker, CEO Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands -
Yes! It is Girl Scout Cookie time. But it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is, if I’m out and about with my Girl Scout gear on, someone will always ask, “Hey, where are the Girl Scout Cookies?” I love that people can’t wait for the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Girl Scout Cookies are iconic. What most people don’t realize is that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is about so much more than a box of tasty treats. There is a leadership adventure in every box!
More than half of female business leaders are Girl Scout alums. From Main Street to Wall Street thousands of female CEO’s, CFO’s, and small business owners shared the experience of selling cookies as Girl Scouts, learning vital skills that helped propel them to the top of their fields.
Beginning in Kindergarten, the Girl Scout Cookie Program teaches girls goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills, and business ethics.
Even if a Girl Scout doesn’t want to be the next Fortune 500 CEO we know that girls with entrepreneurial mindsets are confident in their abilities, socially conscious problem-solvers, curious learners, innovative and flexible thinkers, collaborative teammates, challenge-seekers, and risk takers who develop a growth mindset and learn from setbacks.
The outcomes are amazing, the cookies are incredible, but the experiences that girls have due to the Girl Scout Cookie Program are unparalleled. From community service, to travel, to summers at camp that will never be forgotten, the Girl Scout Cookie program provides girls those opportunities. Additionally, girls in 22 counties of Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands have used proceeds from Girl Scout Cookies to better their communities. Troops made essential product boxes for families staying at the Ronald McDonald House, purchased teddy bears for child cancer patients, donated to countless food banks, and more. Girl Scouts make the world a better place.
Girl Scouting is so much more than a program. It is my belief that there is no other girl leadership experience like Girl Scouting that has the super power to build strong girls who will grow into strong women who will lead their families, communities, states, and our world. Through Girl Scouting girls develop a strong sense of self, positive values, they seek fun challenges, learn how to develop and maintain healthy relationships and through our Bronze, Silver and Gold Award programs they learn how to identify problems in their community, build action plans, and work to solve them. That is leadership!
As a retired military officer, I would have given my life in support of our remarkable nation. Leadership is not a title. Leadership is not a position. Leadership is a mindset. Leadership is a way of being. I am the leader I am today due to my Girl Scout experience. One of the best things we can do to ensure the long-term strength of our country is to invest in girls that will grow into strong women and who will bring an invaluable perspective and lens to the world.
At Girl Scouts of South Carolina-Mountains to Midlands, we are preparing girls to empower themselves for a lifetime of leadership across 22 counties in the Upstate and Midlands! We are building-YOUR future workforce--the leaders of tomorrow, and they need YOUR support now to get them there.
Be a champion for girls! They need us now more than ever.
