Most people buying Girl Scout Cookies do not know that selling Girl Scout Cookies online is a violation of Girl Scout policies and can result in serious actions against the seller by the United States Girl Scouts. As a mother, and leader I am disgusted everytime I log onto the internet and find people breaking the rules...this violates everything Girl Scouting stands for. In addition, if a person is in such a desperate situation to sell their cookies online that they would break the rules why is it necessary to sell for a personal profit? Currently the average price for a box of cookies is $3.50 when boxes are being sold for $5.00 a box someone, somewhere is turning a profit. There is a loophole around the Girl Scout Cookies online sales however, and that is selling cookies you already purchased. But how fair is it for a person who is NOT a Girl Scout or GS Parent to buy a case of cookies, store it, and then sell during our off time for profit because we have such a popular and high demand product? The people that are being hurt by this practice are little girls, and since Brownie Scouts are responsible for most of the cookie sales in the United States you are robbing 6 - 9 year old little girls. What makes what these sellers do any better than stealing their cash box at the cookie booth outside the local grocer? In addition to placing girls at an unfair advantage who are trying hard to sell cookies (which by the way does not yield a large profit for us, I wish our markup was 1.50 a box!) our product is no longer exclusive and special, and again the rules are being broken. If you are a parent selling on the internet or selling outside season a bunch of cookies you bought during the season, shame on you, what are you teaching your Girl Scout...you may as well take her out of the organization because you are contradicting what we stand for. If you are a leader who decided to bend the rules, even if it is an effort to better the financial situation of your girls, shame on you, I expect that if you ever get caught you will be harshly dealt with and though the offense seems minor you should be dealt with. And if you are a person who just innocently wishes to purchase a box/case of Girl Scout cookies, then call your local council and they will find you cookies (usually year round) and feel better about yourself that you helped the people intended to be helped. If not, you may as well just go steal the red kettle at Christmas time.

Remember*** Girl Scout Cookie Season is just around the corner...and so is your local council.