By Gretta Goorno — Correspondent
Concordians can credit Daniel Chester French for the Minute Man statue, Louisa May Alcott for “Little Women,” and quite possibly 10-year-old Sienna Nash for that box of Thin Mints in the pantry.
In her second year as a Scout, Sienna sold 501 boxes of cookies, becoming part of a select group of Eastern Massachusetts Girl Scouts — and the only Concord Scout — to join the “500 Club” for the 2023-24 season.
Sienna was well aware of the challenge ahead when she set out on her cookie journey this fall. Her grandmother quickly warned her that selling more than 500 boxes of cookies was ambitious.
The scout’s busy schedule only complicated the task. On top of being a Junior scout and attending fourth grade at the Carroll School, Sienna plays soccer for both the FC Stars and the Concord-Carlisle travel team.
But Sienna was determined. She had her eyes on the prize. “I was trying to earn the Canobie Lake pass,” she said.
Scouting out sales
Capitalizing on every free moment, Sienna would hike around in her green Scout uniform, taking orders and often recruiting helpers.
“I went with my friends and my sister [around] town,” she explained. “I sold [boxes] to [my] sister’s team, and I would go around asking the parents if they wanted any.” She also organized an online cookie shop, allowing out-of-state friends and family to indulge from afar.
In addition to her personal sales, Sienna and her troop set up cookie booths outside Crosby’s Marketplace.
After all her hard work, Sienna reported the good news to her grandma.
Sweet success
Though Sienna couldn’t go to Canobie the weekend when prizes were awarded, she planned to celebrate her birthday and “500 Club” admittance in adventurous fashion this month. She was excited for “the swings that go around in a circle and the roller coaster that goes up and down.”
The funds Troop 70536 raised this year went back into bonding events to help the girls further their self-sufficiency and leadership skills. Sienna and her fellow Juniors went ice skating, tackled ropes courses, and solved mysteries on a sleep-away adventure.
Her favorite activity, by far, was the cooking class: Her troop learned how to make chicken parmesan, gnocchi, and bread.
As a bonus, since the class was the last activity of the year, Sienna got to hear her name called as the top seller. When describing the awards, however, she proved herself a team player, excitedly explaining how she could cheer on scouts “who got the second-most and who got the third-most” sales.
Sienna hopes to be a baker when she grows up. Cakes are her favorite, but Sienna is eager to try new confections, too.
“I made blueberry muffins last night,” she said.
What’s next? Sienna has an idea for a new best-selling cookie flavor: mint-Oreo.
