It’s Girl Scout Cookie Time!

Clairemont Troop 3866

America’s youngest entrepreneurs will launch their seasonal business on Sunday, Jan. 24.

Every penny of proceeds from the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program will stay here in San Diego to fund troop activities, events, camps, volunteer training and financial aid for nearly 40,000 girl and adult members.

Local cookie entrepreneurs include Clairemont Cadette Troop 3866. Last year, the 8th-graders sold 4,687 boxes — with great help from troop member Laura Lehmann (pictured in cookie costume). She was the top seller in all of Clairemont, with a total of 2,038 boxes.

“These girls love to sell cookies,” says troop leader Dianne Seriva. “This tight-knit group also enjoys helping others, learning new things and having fun. Through their cookie earnings, they support organizations like the San Diego Center for Children, the San Diego Food Bank and Wreaths Across America. They also use cookie proceeds for camping trips, art projects and to attend music and theater productions, as well as sleepovers aboard the USS Midway and field trips to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. Plus, they’ve been to Catalina Island — twice! They haven’t settled on plans for this year’s earnings, but you can be rest assured there will be a good balance of service and adventure!” The troop plans to continue in Girl Scouts through high school, Seriva adds.

Troop 3866 will also once again support Operation Thin Mint®, a local service project through which customers can donate cookies to the military. Since the program began in 2002, San Diegans have sent more than 2.5 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies, accompanied by countless notes of support to deployed U.S. military troops.

This year, fans of America’s favorite cookies will celebrate the return of a favorite variety. By popular demand, Savannah Smiles will return to the cookie line-up. These zesty lemon confections dusted with powdered sugar were last sold in San Diego in 2014.

In addition to Savannah Smiles, this year’s cookie offerings include returning favorites Thin Mints, Samoas, Do-si-dos, Trefoils, Tagalongs and Rah-Rah Raisins. Gluten-free Toffee-tastics are available again on a limited basis through a pilot program.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the world’s largest girl-led business, teaching girls important lessons about goal setting, decision-making, money management, people skills and business ethics. Many successful women say they developed these aptitudes, along with self-confidence, while selling cookies.

For the second year, Girl Scouts may choose to supplement their door-to-door and booth sales by marketing from personalized cookie web pages. When the Digital Cookie 1.0 online platform launched last year, cookie orders were shipped directly to customers. This year’s 2.0 upgrade will allow customers to opt for the girl to deliver the order. Parents must approve the web pages and each delivery request. Digital Cookie 2.0 will also provide girls with more ways to learn with new business tools and activities … and more fun with cookie-related games, quizzes, and videos.

New Girl Scouts and adult volunteers are welcome to join the cookie action, as well as participate in Girl Scouting adventures year-round. To sign up, go to sdgirlscouts.org/membership, or contact Christa Browning at cbrowning@sdgirlscouts.org or (619) 610-0706. For general information, visit the Girl Scouts San Diego website, sdgirlscouts.org.