The annual Guiderama spring tea and bake sale will be held at the Knox Hall from 2-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 12.

Guides district commissioner Jill Thorn-Lee said Wednesday the tea will be the public's first chance in Weyburn to try out the new Girl Guide cookies.

As of this spring, Girl Guide cookies have a new baker. "The great-tasting cookies have been made even better," says Thorn-Lee. "The chocolate ones are a chocolate-lover's dream and the new vanilla is a taste sensation."

The cookies will also be sold door-to-door on Friday, May 2. The mint cookies are sold in the fall.

Thorn-Lee said Guiderama will have its regular attractions this year. "The children really enjoy the games, like the bean toss, and the fish pond. We'll have tattoos, removable, of course, this year, too." All kind of goodies will be for sale, as well as crafts featuring items made by the girls themselves.

All age groups, from kindergarten to Grade 1 Sparks, to the Brownies, Guides, Pathfinders, Cadets and Junior Leaders will serve the tea and goodies and work at their craft tables, as well as help in the kitchen. "The grandparents especially enjoy being served by the girls," said Thorn-Lee.

Older members of the troop, the Pathfinders, Cadets, and Junior Leaders will have their own cookbooks for sale at the event. They are raising money for a trip to Prince Edward Island this summer, where they will stay in local Girl Guide camps.

Funds raised through Guiderama will be used by the Parents' Association to help subsidize camp fees, purchase camping equipment, and pay for the cost of training the Guiders.

Girl Guide cookies have been sold since 1927, when the very first batch was made and sold by girls and their moms to raise money for guiding activities. Since 1927, the cookies have been made by various commercial bakers in many different varieties. In the 1930s, they were rich in fruit and spices and after the Second World War they were maple cream.

The sale of cookies raises about $14 million annually for Girl Guides of Canada. In 2001, 4.8 million boxes were sold to 2.4 million households and six million Canadians. They generated $9 million in profit for Girl Guides.