Our Lady
Comforter of the Afflicted School
Accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges

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WALTHAM Steve McNamara is a proud graduate of "Cookie University."

The stay-at-home dad with four children, two of whom made the Girl Scouts 500 club last year, says after taking classes, he and other Scout parents have learned how to enter sales into a computer and track winnings.

"I'm the cookie dad for both girls groups (Troop 1835 and Troop 1814). I set up booth sales," McNamara said. "I do all the computer data and I pick up all the cookies at the Cookie Cupboard," a warehouse.

Making the 500 Club is the pinnacle of cookie selling success for local Girl Scouts. Top sales guarantee Scouts entry into the premiere ice cream social event in May at the Patriots' Trail Council Girl Scout facility.

Cookie sales have already started and last year's top sellers have until March 16 to keep the title. Last year, the sisters sold 536 boxes of cookies a piece, tying for the two highest sellers in Waltham.

Jessica McNamara, 8, and Kate McNamara, 10, of Waltham have sold more than 100 boxes so far.

The girls have three booth sales set up for this weekend, including two Masses and a bingo game at Our Lady Comforter of the Afflicted Parish.

Booth sales involve Scouts and parents setting up spots to sell cookies in places such as malls and churches.

"Sometimes they buy and sometimes they don't," Jessica said simply about her selling technique.

Her sister Kate added, "we just go out (selling cookies) as much as we can."

Fueling those young cookie-selling machines is the Cookie Cupboard, a warehouse within the Patriots' Trail Girl Scout facility at 265 Beaver St.

Cupboard manager Elaine Holmes said her first delivery of cookies for this season contained close to 50,000 boxes. Most of the cookies for the entire Patriots' Trail Council, which covers 65 cities and towns in eastern Massachusetts, are picked up in Waltham.

"An average day about 10,000 boxes go out to people," she said. "I have 22 orders going out tomorrow of about 7,000 boxes and 24 orders going out on Friday which is about 6,000 boxes."

Stacked in the warehouse are thousands of brown cardboard boxes holding the colorful packages of Caramel DeLites, Shortbread, Thin Mints and Peanut Butter Patties.

Both girls say that Thin Mints are their most popular sellers.

Kate has been selling cookies for Troop 1834 for five years and Jessica has been selling cookies for Troop 1814 for two years. Both girls attend the Our Lady's School.

Yesterday, Scout parents were busy returning cookies to the warehouse that they did not sell at recent booth sales.

Weekends are their busiest days at the Cupboard.

The Patriots' Trail Council is one of the largest organizations in Greater Boston dedicated to girls, with nearly 10,500 volunteers serving about 23,000 girls, ages 5 through 18.

For more information, visit www.ptgirlscouts.org.

Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com.