Girl Scouts taking cookie orders through Jan. 26

Sunday will mark the last day Wrangellites can place their orders for thin mints, samoas and tagalongs.

St. Philip's Episcopal Church Girl Scout Troop 4156 has been selling the scouting organization's trademark cookies all this month. The troop's membership has set a cookie sales goal of 240 for each member. Some scouts, like Aaliyah Messmer, 11, and Jing O'Brien, 12, have neared or shattered that goal. Aaliyah counted 512 orders Friday and Jing counted 220. Others, like Madison Blackburn, 12, and Laura Helgeson, 11, still have a way to go before hitting that number.

Cookie funds are vital for the troop's year-round community projects and activities, said troop leader Diane O'Brien. She mentioned flower boxes for the Wrangell Medical Center's long term care facility among the projects they would work on.

The troop plans to "build cat houses," said Sophie O'Brien, 10. "They're where cats sleep, kind of like dog houses."

Aaliyah attributes her success at cookie-related commerce to relatives.

"I have a big family," she said.

The troop's second-most prolific baked goods dealer said she was successful in part because of some motherly intervention and shoe leather.

"Well, since my mom's the Girl Scout leader, she makes me go out at like 7 o'clock at night and knock on the doors," Jing joked.

"We're not really hard sellers," the eldest O'Brien interjected.

The troop also plans to use part of the cookie proceeds to fund a trip to Petersburg to meet up with troops there, and to run a joint campout and education session about amphibians with the Forest Service, the eldest O'Brien said.

People still interested in placing cookie orders may contact the scouts around town or via Facebook, or call 874-2769.