They’ve been taking orders and making sales; Saturday afternoon, the young businesswomen had a chance to let their hair down.

The Wilderness Road Girl Scout Council sponsored a cookie carnival for area girls scouts at Central Christian Church.

Che-hona Miller, membership center director for the Keno Valley cluster of the Wilderness Road Council, said the carnival was a chance to “get the girls excited about the cookies sales and give them information about the cookies, too.”

Inside the church gymnasium were game booths and craft tables. There were also information tables in case a young lady wasn’t a Girl Scout yet but wanted to be.

“This is to introduce some of the girls to scouts, see what it’s all about. The girls get so excited,” membership specialist Virgie Crouch said as she arranged Girl Scout cookies in trays. Crouch is an old hand at scouting: she was a Girl Scout herself and later became a troop leader. Now she is a paid advocate for a program she loves.

“Taylia Rowe, from Morehead, Ky., has been in scouting a couple of months and finds the chance to succeed in business the draw for joining the scouting program.

“I wanted to sell cookies,” Taylia said. Scouting is a family thing: Her mom, Angela Rowe, is a scout leader.

The Huffman family of Ironton, parents Scott and Helen, sister Laura and Girl Scout Rebecca made their way around the room to the games. Has it been a lot of work, taking up those orders for cookies?

“They sell themselves,” Helen Huffman said.

Brooke Cook, of Ashland, Ky., and her mother, Kathy, waited outside the crafts room for a chance to get in. This is Brooke’s first year in scouting but she already has a favorite among those cookies.

“The thin mint,” Brooke replied. Brooke’s troop had made a goal of selling 250 boxes but Brooke managed to do more than that all by herself: selling 253 boxes.

Her mother said she is pleased her daughter’s determination and pleased with what scouting has to offer.

“I like the fact they have get-togethers and plan things,” Kathy Cook said. “And I like the fact they have a common goal.”