Released 5/13/2009

Turning cookies into charity

If you’ve ever wondered how many boxes of cookies a Girl Scout troop might sell in a year, a point of reference might be the total sold by a troop of Chapin Class 1 girls: 3,875. If you’re also wondering about the point of selling all those boxes, you need only ask the troop members. They will tell you that they practiced math skills, developed a business sense and learned to keep themselves safe as traveling saleswomen — for example, by not giving out their phone numbers to unknown customers.

Lofty pursuits, to be sure, but the troop had an even higher goal as well. They raised more than $1,500 for a charity that helps children.

The troop recently presented a check to Class 3 teacher Malini Bhagat, who works with the children’s charity and has done prior projects linking the group with Chapin. The presentation check was large enough that perhaps Ms. Bhagat needed backup, which came in the form of Patricia T. Hayot, the head of school, and Sara Adler, head of Lower School. Though of course this colossal check wasn’t a real one, it represented the troop’s giant-sized generosity.