Chuck Grassley: “I have a member of my staff who as a Girl Scout loved Girl Scout cookies so much she went into debt selling herself…”

“I have a member of my staff who as a Girl Scout loved Girl Scout cookies so much she went into debt selling herself cookies. She said she had every variety of cookie in her possession, for her own consumption, hidden from her little brother and the family dog. Her parents had to give her a low-interest loan so she could pay off her obligation. I don't recommend her financial habits, but I definitely recommend Girl Scout cookies, and most of all, for girls to become Girl Scouts. The organization just celebrated its 90th anniversary, and it shows no signs of going out of style. There are 3.7 million Girl Scouts nationwide--2.7 million girl members and 915,000 adult members. My state of Iowa has 53,000 members. I see why scouting has such broad appeal. The Girl Scouts offer community service, field trips, camping, science awareness, sporting and fitness development, health education and many more activities to girls ages 5 to 17. These programs teach girls not only about the world around them, but also about themselves. They learn leadership skills, self-confidence, respect for others, companionship and responsibility. They also learn egalitarianism. Girl Scouting is open to all girls of the eligible age. A girl just has to have the will to participate and enjoy. Given the competitiveness of so many extracurricular activities for kids, it's refreshing to have an outlet for girls to interact as equals.”