For anyone with a dire craving for Thin Mints or Peanut Butter Patties, fret not! The Girl Scouts are back again and setting up booths across Dartmouth. On Saturday, Jan. 27, Troop 77339 set up its first ever booth outside the North Dartmouth Lowe’s. 

Troop leader Leanna Rousseau was 10 years old when she joined the Girl Scouts, and she continued with the scouts through high school. Today, Rousseau has two daughters in the Girl Scouts, which she said teaches girls important life skills. 

“I definitely wanted my girls to be in Girl Scouts after the great experience I had,” she said. “It’s a great way for women to get together and celebrate womanhood.”

For the next few weeks, the Girl Scouts will be setting up booths in front of local major retailers. Troop 77339 plans to set up a booth from 8 a.m. to noon on Feb. 3 at Walmart. The cookies to be sold include an assortment of interesting flavors ranging from French toast to lemonade. The gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are hot sellers, Rousseau said. 

Troop 77339 plans on using some of its cookie money to buy new uniforms and sashes and to take a summer camping trip, possibly to the Cape. 

Girl Scout Dilia Rodrigues’ favorite cookies are the Caramel deLites, and the biggest lesson she’s learned in Girl Scouts is “to be a sister to every Girl Scout and to help each other out.” 

Why should more girls join the Girl Scouts? For Rodrigues, it’s simple math.  

“The more girls, the bigger the group, and the bigger the group, the more cookies we sell,” Rodrigues, 8, said. 

Kendra Harrington’s daughter Vienna Buck joined the Girl Scouts a month ago. Growing up in Dartmouth, Harrington was with the Girl Scouts for seven years, during which  she learned important skills like cooking, sewing, starting campfires and camping, she said. She and her daughter spend their time exploring the trails and woodlands throughout Dartmouth's countryside. 

“We do a lot of hikes around here, and there’s so many beautiful spots to explore,” Harrington said. 

Beyond building an appreciation for the outdoors, Harrington said the Girl Scouts help girls to develop their confidence and problem solving skills. Speaking of outdoor activities like kayaking and hiking, Harrington said: “That stuff just keeps the body moving, keeps the mind going.”