Girl Scout Karen Knipp holds cookies whilst Girl Scout Cheryl Ottney pours coffee for Mrs. Ed Reineck. The girls were members of Senior Troop 88 and were helping to kick off cookie sales. The Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA) - founded as a counterpart to the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in 1912 - strives to build character and encourage community service and citizenship in young American girls. The Girl Scout cookie sale, a yearly fundraiser that began in 1917, is perhaps the most widely known tradition of the GSUSA.