Scouts discuss cookie options during a pop-up booth event in Kingsville. Proceeds help fund troop travel, badges and community service projects. Photo by Claudia Perez Rivas
By Claudia Perez Rivas | Kingsville Independent News
KINGSVILLE — Cookie season has returned to Kingsville, and local Girl Scouts are greeting the community with their annual assortment of Thin Mints, Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Trefoils and other well-known favorites stacked across their booth tables.
On Monday, Jan. 19, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, a troop set up a booth on the corner across from O’Reilly Auto Parts on King Street. The location wasn’t on the parade route, but the holiday meant more families were out in the area.
“We wanted today because people are out and about with the parade,” Troop 9212 Leader Margie Carrales said.
Carrales has been involved for nine years. Her daughter started as a Daisy, and when the troop’s founding leader moved out of state, Carrales stepped in.
“We kind of all moved up together,” she said.
The troop draws girls from throughout the region, including Kingsville ISD, Santa Gertrudis ISD, Ricardo ISD, Bishop Consolidated ISD and Riviera ISD. One Scout travels from Corpus Christi to participate.
Booths will continue at the King Street corner on weekends throughout January before the girls begin council-organized booths at major retailers such as Walmart in February.
Beyond the Booth
Girl Scout cookie sales are widely recognized, but leaders say the program offers opportunities well beyond the treats on the table.
“Within the cookie program, the girls learn entrepreneurship, money management and decision-making,” said Jessica DeLeon, marketing specialist for the Girl Scouts of Greater South Texas. “They’re also building friendships and a sisterhood while learning badges and life skills.”
Cookie proceeds stay with the troop and are voted on by members. Funds help pay for activities, community projects and travel. In recent years, two local Scouts used their earnings to participate in a Girl Scouts trip to Europe. The council is planning future opportunities abroad, including a trip to Japan.
Carrales said the program gives girls access to a wide range of activities, including outdoor skills and STEM programming.
“People think all we do is cookies, and it’s not,” she said. “Whatever they’re interested in, they learn.”
Awards and Community Service
Girl Scouts’ highest honor is the Gold Award, a capstone achievement earned by older Scouts who complete a significant project with lasting community impact. Troop members also pursue Bronze and Silver Awards, which introduce girls to planning and carrying out service projects in their communities.
Local Scouts have completed projects such as free libraries, improvements to dog parks and a retirement fire pit for American flags at a city park.
A Long Tradition of Girls in Service
Girl Scouts was founded in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low in Savannah, Georgia, with a mission to build girls of courage, confidence and character. The Greater South Texas council, which includes Kingsville, has operated for roughly 20 years and serves communities from Corpus Christi to Victoria, Laredo and the Rio Grande Valley.
For some of the youngest Scouts, the appeal is simple.
“I love it because you’re having fun and learning important skills,” said Kira Vasquez, 8.
Another Scout, Angelina Carrales, said she enjoys “the trips we go on and the activities we do.”
How to Join
New members are accepted year-round. Families can find a local troop or start a new one by visiting gsgst.org and using the council’s join-by-ZIP-code feature.
Why It Matters Here
For parents and leaders, the program provides a local space for girls to learn, experiment and build confidence alongside peers from different schools and backgrounds. “It really is amazing how versatile Girl Scouts is,” DeLeon said. “Through the skills they’re learning, they start to figure out who they are at a young age.”