It’s Girl Scout cookie time in East Tennessee. When you see the girls in front of the store, please be nice. You don’t have to buy the cookies, just don’t be rude and hateful. You would not believe the awful things that people will say to Girl Scouts trying to sell cookies. You’re on a diet and have no need for the cookies? Most troops are also collecting boxes of cookies for community organizations. Our troop is collecting cookies for STAR. Our troop is older girls and this usually elicits some negative comments from people who think scouting is only for cute little Brownies. Teens who are active in organized activities are healthier, happier and safer. Scouts is a place where it doesn’t matter if you are a goth, jock or prep. It is a safe place for girls to be friends and have fun. The cost of the cookies is the main complaint the girls hear. No, they are not a bargain. They are a fundraiser. That money pays for council staff, the camp’s maintenance and scout activities. Last year our troop used their cookie profits to spend a day in Chattanooga. It was fun, educational and something that some of the girls would never have done if it weren’t for Girl Scouts and the cookie sale. This year we want to earn enough to go white water rafting. The next time a Girl Scout asks you if you want to buy some cookies, ask her what her troop is going to do with their profits.