By Mary Vitek, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council
For many people, Girl Scouting is synonymous with cookies and camping. Although the annual Cookie Program and great outdoors are mainstays of the Girl Scout experience, members of troops in Galveston County and in other communities within Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council are actively learning valuable leadership and life skills, developing their character, and engaging in meaningful service projects that benefit humans, animals, and the environment.
Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council was established 100 years ago and is headquartered in Houston. Supporting nearly 40,000 girls, this council is one of the largest in the United States. Galveston County is home to approximately 2,000 Girl Scouts. More girls and adult volunteers are always welcome and encouraged to join!
Readers of The Post Newspaper will have the opportunity to purchase Girl Scout Cookies outside of supermarkets and other retail establishments and from “the Girl Scout next door” now through March 31. New on the Girl Scout Cookie scene this year is the tasty brownie inspired Adventurefuls flavor. This new cookie is topped with caramel flavored crème with a hint of sea salt and is drizzled with chocolate. Traditional favorites are also back! Shortbread cookies, Caramel deLites, and Peanut Butter Sandwiches are in high demand! For vegans, choices include the all-time favorite Thin Mints, Lemonades and Peanut Butter Patties.
One of the foundations of Girl Scouts is an appreciation for nature and exposure to the great outdoors. Parents and guardians can begin to register the girl in their life for summer overnight camps and day camps that offer art and nature crafts, sailing, horseback riding, canoeing, archery, hiking, an adventure park with a ropes course and zip lines, and other fun activities at one of three resident camp programs located in Seabrook and Conroe, Texas.
With support from Sullivan Brothers Builders, our council will soon open the new Galveston Bay House on Galveston Island this summer. The Galveston Bay House will accommodate 30 girls at a time for chaperoned recreational and environmental activities, both weekdays and weekends when girls are out of school.
Here is why our Cookie Program is about so much more than cookies and camping:
- It’s about our girls and supporting their leadership journey.
- It’s about providing our troops with funds to pay for activities or service projects that make our world a better place.
- And for our council, it’s about ensuring Girl Scouting continues to thrive in our community. Proceeds from Girl Scout Cookie sales help maintain our camps and keep fees low and attainable for all members.
Those of you who purchase our cookies make Girl Scouting a reality for all girls regardless of their ability to pay by providing financial assistance and supporting our community outreach program. Our community outreach programs bring the Girl Scout experience to girls in underserved populations in schools, homeless shelters, and detention centers. In fact, we offer financial support for girls who cannot pay the $25 annual membership dues, buy uniforms, fund troop activities, or cover camp registration fees.
More than anything, Girl Scouting builds courage, confidence, character, and other admirable traits that have a positive, lasting impact. Thank you now and always for supporting young girls and teens who are fulfilling the Girl Scout Promise and who will become the next generation of business and community leaders in Galveston County and throughout the world.
About the Author
As chief executive officer for Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, Mary Vitek is responsible for one of the largest Girl Scout councils in the nation, which serves almost 40,000 girls and more than 18,000 adults across 26 counties in Southeast Texas. She has been employed with the council since 1994, overseeing Finance and Fund Development functions before being named CEO in 1998.
