Here's
The Deal
Written by Shannon Braden
My
son got Girl Scout cookies for Christmas... Six boxes
of them: three Thin Mints (his very favorite) and three
Samoas – the only other kind he cares anything about
at all. And, mind you, these did not come from the depths
of someone’s freezer in late December
2009;
they were freshly purchased after Thanksgiving from an
honest-to-goodness Girl Scout.
Just
leave it to a resourceful girlfriend (not so very long
ago a Girl Scout herself!) to realize something that would
never even have occurred to me: “It’s Cookie
Time somewhere!”
So
sue me if it was obvious to YOU that Girl Scout cookies
are made and distributed year-round, and not just in those
few weeks of the year when the little girl takes your
order and then – finally – delivers your cookies.
Seriously, I thought Girl Scout cookies were like birthdays…
they just come around once a year… and nothing at
all like Christmas… when I’d still be hoping
to shed the pounds gained in the spring; weight added
as the sole result of too many Trefoils and Do-Si-Dos
I had eaten back in March!
It’s
not the thought that the cookie factory operates year-round
that I’m so pumped up about. It’s the fact
that now I know that it does! Now I don’t have to
worry about all those bakers and tasters and boxer-uppers
falling into the ranks of the unemployed each year, when
cookie season closes! Now I know that when cookie season
ends in Texas, it begins anew in Tennessee or Kansas (or
someplace), and – somewhere out there – there’s
a Girl Scout who will find a UPS man or a FedEx guy that
can – and will – deliver you a box (or eight)
of cookies. …Anytime. …Anywhere.
The
Girl Scout cookie program is directed by parent-leaders
and is made successful by the enthusiasm and dedication
of volunteers. LOTS of volunteers! It involves more than
just a gaggle of girls; my bet is that it is the world’s
youngest, and, in all likelihood, largest, national sales
force.
Well…….
While the Girl Scouts have a gaggle of girls, Galveston
Island has a plethora of pirates. Seriously… High
School Boyfriend and I belong! We are not organized. We
are not registered. We do not sell cookies. We have no
dues, no roll call, few rules and limited expectations…
but we do volunteer…
Unofficially
calling ourselves The Galveston Island Pirates, we represent
an aspect of local history that is not frequently touted
as a claim to fame in these parts. For instance, although
the purported homestead of the infamous pirate/privateer
Jean Lafitte bears a historical marker, it stands in ruins
behind a fenced enclosure on Harborside. I know of no
local publication that highlights the story of his role
in island history and no tourist attraction that glamorizes
the pirate’s life. (He was, after all, known for
plundering, pillaging, smuggling and spying!)
Nonetheless,
when The Galveston Island Pirates turn out in full regalia,
everyone takes notice. As we turn a corner along the parade
route, we can see the wide-eyed children and hear their
awe-filled single-word response……“Pirates.”
Their
tone, at once, belies their enthusiasm, masks their fear,
and beckons our attention – which they get. Some
of us hand out (chocolate or gum) gold pieces and “pearls
from the Black Sea,” or show a map where “X
marks the spot” to buried treasure. Another pirate
drags a board on a rope. It still amazes me that his doing
so baffles the locals and tourists alike… for it
should go without saying that the scoundrel has been ordered
to “walk the plank.”
“How
much for the child?” shouts another, and most parents
(if you ask me) seem all too eager to close the deal.
Then the Captain belts out a song and the fleet chimes
a hearty “YoHo! YoHo!” in response and we
march on, mugging for the cameras and entertaining ourselves
as well as others.
One
never knows when The Galveston Island Pirates will make
an appearance – or how many will come in character
to add a little extra whimsy to the Mardi Gras, Fourth
of July or Dickens on the Strand parades. We just might
turn out on an otherwise ordinary day on the Strand. When
we do, we follow just three simple guidelines: Dress up.
Show up. Play it up. …And we do all three each year
at the Special People’s Ball.
Much
like the Girl Scout cookie program, the Special People’s
Ball depends on the enthusiasm and dedication of volunteers.
The event is sponsored by Moody Gardens and Hope Therapy
to bring the excitement of Mardi Gras to people with special
needs, their immediate family members and caregivers.
Thousands attend the free event, thanks to the generosity
of those who plan and organize, serve the food, provide
the entertainment and see to the well-being of those in
their care.
The
pirates usually find themselves out-dressed, out-numbered
and, by the end of the day, played out. They give hugs;
lots of hugs. They give out their gold pieces and pearls.
(But they go home with so much more!)
Here’s
the deal: Galveston’s true treasure is her volunteers…
and its “volunteer time” somewhere!
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