Northampton Borough Girl Scout Troops 8133, 871 and 81133 collected 16 cases of Girl Scout Cookies - that’s 192 boxes! - for members of the U.S. Army. The cookies were donated by community members during the troops’ booth sales.

Sgt. Catherine Davalos, of the Pennsylvania Army National Guard, was on hand to pick up the cookies March 30 at Zion Lutheran Church, 1904 Main St., Northampton, to be distributed to military service members.

Davalos fielded questions from the Scouts present. She thanked the Scouts for their efforts with the cookie donation and praised them for being Girl Scouts.

Brownie Shiloh Bing asked Davalos how long she has been in the National Guard. Davalos replied she has served five years.

Scout leader Kathi Nemeth and Brownie leader Jessica Bing were delighted and proud of their Scouts for the work they did with the donation of cookies to the military.

Bing experienced a second important event because March 30 was her birthday. Her three Scout daughters gave her a big hug after all sang the birthday song.

Girl Scouts live by the ideals of the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

“On my honor, I will try to serve my God (or what is in accordance with their own spiritual beliefs) and my country, to help people at all times, and live by the Girl Scout Law.”

The Girl Scout Law is, “I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong and responsible for what I say and do, and respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place and be a sister to every Girl Scout.”

A meeting in 1911 with Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Boy Scouts, inspired Juliette Gordon Low to establish Girl Scouts in the following year. In that time of cultural change, but before women had the right to vote, Girl Scouts emphasized inclusiveness, the outdoors, self-reliance and service.

Famous Girl Scouts include Mariah Carey, Taylor Swift, Celine Dion, Hillary Clinton, Nancy Reagan, Queen Elizabeth II, Venus Williams, Lucille Ball, Dionne Warwick and Barbara Walters.

Although it is believed Girl Scouts began selling cookies as early as 1917, the first Girl Scout Cookie baked for sale was, arguably, in 1922. It was the sugar cookie. The most popular Girl Scout Cookies today are Thin Mints.

To join the Girl Scouts, visit girlscouts.org or mygs.girlscouts.org to learn where the nearest Girl Scout troop is.