Girl s Guide to Cookies

Transcription

1 Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians Girl s Guide to Cookies Cookies 2016

2 It s Girl Scout Cookie Time! Welcome to the 2016 Cookie Program! We are so excited that you are participating in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Fun, friendship, excitement, learning, stories, cookies they re all part of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and they re all Worth Sharing! This guide is a tool for you and your family. Girls (and adults) must adhere to the requirements, guidelines and policies outlined in this guide and other resources available at our website, cookie calendar Activity Date Cookie Rookie and Cookie-ology Events Saturday: Jan 9, 2016 Cookies & More Teen Webinar Tuesday: Jan 12, 2016 Order Taking Begins Friday: Jan 15, 2016 Initial Orders Due to Troops Monday: Feb 1, 2016 Cookie Delivery Feb 15-25, 2016 National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend Feb 26-28, 2016 Cookie Booths Begin Friday: Feb 26, 2016 Digital Cookie Girl In-Person Delivery Ends Sunday: March 13, 2016 All Cookie Sales End & Last Day for Booths Sunday: March 20, 2016 Rewards Arrive May 1-15, 2016 Need help? Just ask us, your Product Team! info@girlscoutcsa.org or

3 2016 cookie program The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world where girls learn 5 key skills to use for a lifetime: 1. Goal setting as you set cookie sales goals, as a team and for yourself. 2. Decision making as you decide how your team will spend the cookie money and make plans to reach your goals. 3. Money management as you make a budget, take orders and handle money. 4. People skills as you learn to talk and listen to all kinds of people. 5. Business ethics as you are honest and responsible every step of the way. It s Worth Sharing! Council-sponsored product sales are an integral part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience. No university has produced more female business owners than the Cookie Program! 100% of all proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program benefit girls in our local council. Troops and service unit proceeds help support the things girls want to do; and council proceeds make programing possible, including events, maintenance of our camps, technology and print resources, and staff support for our volunteers! For more info on how the Cookie Program supports girls, go to what s inside Excitement Worth Sharing 4 We have so many things to be excited about from National Cookie Weekend to Cookie Rookie to the Bling Your Booth Challenge! The Business of Cookies 6 Did you know the Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the world? It s true! And you are now a part of the fun. Digital Cookie Take your sale into the 21st century. The 5 Skills Through the Cookie Program, you will have the chance to develop these 5 skills! Goal setting 8 Decision making 9 Money management 10 People skills 11 Business ethics 12 Safety 12 Stay safe by following these guidelines. It s a Wrap! 13 End your sale in style. Your Cookie Resources 13 Just for Parents 14

4 excitement worth sharing! We have so much to be excited about! Digital Cookie 2.0 It s back and better than ever! We re revolutionizing the cookie program. Again! Completely upgraded from the 1.0 Pilot Program, Digital Cookie is going to be awesome. Girls can play games, collect orders online from customers and earn digital cookie badges! Look for your welcome in January. Digital Cookie Mobile App NEW! Introducing the Digital Cookie Mobile App. Girls who create a Digital Cookie site will have access to this app to collect cookie orders (shipped or delivered) on the go! Girl Program Events Register today at Cookies & More Teen Webinar Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts are invited to attend the Cookies & More webinar on Tuesday, January 12 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Watch from the convenience of your home or with a group at your favorite coffee house. We will be discussing what is new for the 2016 Cookie Program and will also preview the amazing new events for the 2016 membership year that are designed especially for teens. And we are giving away a Kindle Fire - all you have to do to qualify, is to attend this webinar and your name will automatically be added to the drawing. Cookie Rookie Patch Program On January 9, we re hosting a workshop designed for Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors who are first time sellers new to owning their own cookie business! Girls will watch a Cookie Rookie training video, taste cookies, and complete fun activities to earn their Cookie Rookie patch and learn how this year s cookie season is definitely Worth Sharing! Cookie-ology Teen Workshop Welcome to Cookie-ology Lab where you ll discover amazing new talents about yourself, create new cookie concepts, and play as a team to bring your product to market - virtually! On January 9, this leadership workshop is designed for Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador girls who are already experienced cookie business owners. Cookie Rallies Attending a Cookie Rally is an awesome way to be introduced to the 5 Skills, set your goals for the cookie sale and have some fun! Your service unit team (or troop) will host a Cookie Rally and each girl that attends will receive this Cookie Rally Patch. Check with your troop volunteer for more info! 4

5 excitement worth sharing! #BlingYourBooth Contest How about earning $250 for your troop? GSUSA will select 25 winners in a Facebook contest when you Bling Your Booth! Ideas to Bling Your Booth Pick an original theme, like tropical, girl power, or glitz & glam - it s up to you! Use cool color combinations. Create fun posters with your cookie goals and lots of awesome pictures! Dress up and use colored lights to invite customers to a cookie party. Have fun with it! Add anything that makes your booth stand out from the crowd. To Enter: 1. Take a photo of your troop in action at the booth. 2. Upload it to the Girl Scouts of the USA Facebook page. 3. Submit your entry before April Then get all your friends to vote for your booth from April 24-30! See full contest rules at National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend February 26-28: Get ready for a serious cookie celebration! Girls can purchase a National GS Cookie Weekend Patch at our council Girl Scout Shop and join the fun. Look for more information as the weekend approaches. Operation: APPRECIATION In 2015, our Girl Scout troops donated over 16,000 boxes of cookies to our U.S. Armed Forces. How many more boxes we can donate this year? Did you know? Girls that participate in Operation: APPRECIATION sell more boxes total when compared to girls that don t. Challenge your friends to see who can donate the most boxes. Earn this patch for donating 12+ boxes to Operation: APPRECIATION! VIP Experience We have a brand new VIP Experience for girls who sell 650 or more boxes. Troops can earn tickets to the experience too, if your troop reaches a 240 final per girl average. This year, we are partnering with the Tennessee Smokies, Chattanooga Lookouts and Johnson City Cardinals to offer girls and troops a one-of-a-kind experience at the stadium on us! We want every girl to earn this reward and join us at the ballpark for a VIP Experience for just Girl Scouts. Check out the dates and details at 5

6 the business of cookies Girls have lots of ways to sell cookies! Initial or Pre-orders On January 15, you can ask neighbors, friends and family members to place orders for cookies. Write their orders on your paper order card, then turn in your order card to your troop volunteer by February 1. Digital Cookie 2.0 The Digital Cookie Program has been updated for 2016! On January 15, you can create a customized websites and send s to people you know, asking them to buy cookies. Customers place online orders and have the option for the cookies to be shipped directly to their homes. Or customers can choose In-Person Delivery - at no additional cost - and arrange for pickup with you (with parent approval, of course). The In-Person Delivery option will go away after March 13, but customers can still have cookies shipped to them until March 20. Goal Getter After you turn in your order card for the Initial Order, you can reach your goals using a Goal Getter Order Card. You can pick up these cookies when your initial order arrives! Goal Getter orders are collected from February 1 until February 26. Cookie Booth Sales Troops sell cookies directly to customers at cookie booths in high-traffic areas such as groceries, malls or at sporting events. Booth times and locations are organized by service units or troops. Booth sales are held from February 26 until March 20 and are a great way to increase your sales. But Girl Scouts also lend a helping hand... Or is it cookie? Operation: APPRECIATION Operation: APPRECIATION is a council sponsored, virtual cookie Gift of Caring program. Through this program, cookies are donated to members of the U.S. Armed Forces. Customers who want to support the Girl Scouts and the U.S. Armed Forces can buy boxes but don t have to take them home. Digital Cookie customers can donate to Operation: APPRECIATION online! Then the council will send these cookies directly to recipients. Donate 12+ boxes to earn your patch. Or donate 100+ boxes as a troop, and each girl in your troop earns a GSCSA Worth Sharing hat! Troop Gift of Caring Troops may also choose their own organization to donate cookies to, like a senior center or food pantry. Talk to your troop to see which donation program you are doing. 6

7 digital cookie Meet Digital Cookie! The Digital Cookie Program is the online platform where customers order cookies online and girls learn 21st century skills while playing games and earning digital badges! Getting Started Parents will receive a welcome inviting them to create a Digital Cookie account on January 15. The will be unique to their Girl Scout and parents may receive multiple s if there is more than one Girl Scout in the family. If the Girl Scout is 12 or younger: Parents will use the account to create a Digital Cookie site together. If the Girl Scout is 13 or older: Parents must use their address to sign their Girl Scout up for her own account, using a different address. The Girl Scout will then receive an with a temporary link to Digital Cookie. Use the temporary link to create a password and log in, read and accept the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge, set up your Digital Cookie site and submit it for parent approval. Then the parent will receive an prompting them to review and approve your Digital Cookie site. Once your site is approved, you are ready to send s to customers and collect orders online! Digital Cookie: In-Person Delivery After a customer places an order for In-Person Delivery, your parent will receive an , asking them to log in and approve or deny the order. If you know and are comfortable delivering cookies to the customer, Your parent can approve the order. Parents have 10 days to approve the order before it is automatically denied. Once approved, don t forget to tell your troop volunteer about the order so you can get the boxes you need to deliver. Then contact your customer and set up a time to deliver their cookies. Since Digital Cookie customers will purchase cookies online with their credit cards, you don t collect any money for these orders! If you don t want to deliver cookies to that customer, just deny the order and the customer s order will revert to a second delivery method as selected by the customer. Digital Cookie: Donations Digital Cookie customers can also donate cookies to Operation: APPRECIATION! Any donated cookies will be sent to the U.S. Armed Forces and those cookies will count toward your Operation: APPRECIATION goals. Digital Cookie: Direct Shipping Customers who choose to have cookies shipped will be asked to pay shipping and handling fees based on the number of boxes ordered. There is also a 4 box minimum required for Digital Cookie orders. Customers will be alerted to the fees when they place their order and can choose one of the other delivery methods if they prefer. Shipping times vary, but most customers can expect cookies in a matter of days! Digital Cookie: Fees Customers who choose In-Person Delivery or to Donate cookies will not be charged any fees at all! Handling fees are automatically covered by the council, so join Digital Cookie to help increase your sales. Only Direct Shipped customers will be asked to pay fees based on their ship to address and the number of boxes ordered. 7

8 goal setting Goal Setting is one of the 5 Skills and an important part of the Cookie Program. Before you start planning your sale, you need to set goals so you know where you re headed! Set a Personal Goal Even though you are selling cookies with your troop, you get to set your own personal goal for the sale. Here are a few things to think about when you set your personal sales goal: Decide which rewards you would like to earn and set your goal based on how many boxes you need to sell to receive that item. Do you want to go to camp this summer? Or how about take a trip to Europe? Earning Cookie Dough can help! Check out the reward levels that can help you earn Program Credits. Are you getting ready to work on your bronze, silver or gold award? Participating in the cookie sale can help you and your troop earn funds to make those projects come to life. Set a Troop Goal Talk to your troop. You re probably already planning your next adventure, so set your goal together to make sure your dreams for this next Girl Scout year come true. You should consider how much your troop can earn from each box sold there are even bonuses for reaching a target PGA (per girl average)! Talk to your troop volunteers too; they can help you figure out how many boxes you need to sell as a group. Girl Scout Official Cookie Badges & Girl Scout Cookie Pin Find out how to earn these badges by getting The Girl s Guide to Girl Scouting and checking out the Financial Literacy and Cookie Business badges for your level. Did you know you can also earn badges through the Digital Cookie Program? Each Girl Scout level has new badges you can work on throughout the sale - just check off your list as you meet the requirements and you ll be on your way to earning them all! Each cookie season, Girl Scouts can earn a new Cookie Activity Pin, available in our Girl Scout Council Shop. Order early! Cookie Dough This year, Cookie Dough will be awarded in $25.00 increments and you will have more time to redeem it. Cookie Dough can be redeemed as program credits in our council shops, for council sponsored programs and a variety of Girl Scout activities. Some exclusions apply, see restrictions and expiration dates on the credits for details. Check your order card for how much you could earn! 8

9 decision making Girl Rewards You can earn a bunch of prizes by selling cookies - but it does mean you might have some tough decisions to make - like which item is worth working for and how will you reach enough customers! To make it a bit easier to decide, all items are cumulative up to 999 boxes which means if you reach the 850 box level, you get those items PLUS all the items for all the levels from 12 boxes up. Some levels offer an apparel size, so tell your troop volunteer your size. If a selection is not made, the default size of Youth Large will be ordered. Meet Daisy Bell, our 2016 Cookie Mascot! Rewards are earned for boxes sold through Initial (pre-orders), Final and Digital orders and every single box sold (on your order card, goal getter card, at cookie booths, through a donation program or an order from the Digital Cookie Program) will count toward the final, total number of boxes you sold. Here are some highlights, but check out your order card for a full list of rewards Boxes 400+ Boxes 850+ Boxes 1,000+ Boxes T-shirt and $25.00 in Cookie Dough. Room Makeover: A rug and neck pillow! ibbeautiful Subscription box! Build your own Converse shoes! Girl Patch Program You can also earn patches for achieving their goals so earn them all! Plus, don t forget about the Cookie Rally, National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend, Operation: APPRECIATION and Cookie Rookie/Cookie-ology Patches. Earn a bar patch to show how many hundreds of boxes you sold. Become a Super Seller when you reach the 252+ box level. Earn the 2016 Bar patch for selling 2,000+ boxes. Show you are tech-saavy with this Cookie Techie Patch for sending 12 s in the Digital Cookie Program! Participate in a booth sale and sell at least one box to earn your booth sale patch. 9

10 money management Talk with your troop about the best way to manage your money. What would you like to do and how will you balance your wants with your needs (like new uniforms) for the coming year. Decide how much you want to earn together through troop proceeds. Earning Funds for Your Troop Some questions to ask: How many cookies do we need to sell to earn enough money to reach our goals? What can we do with our cookie money to help others? What can we do with our cookie money for fun? How much will we need to save so that we can all be Girl Scouts together next year? Think about memberships, uniforms, and books Final PGA Troop Proceeds Troops will earn proceeds for every box sold. The amount of proceeds increases the higher your troop s final PGA, or per girl average, so set a goal together! Per Girl Average = Final PGA $0.60 per box total boxes sold / number of girls Final PGA $0.65 per box in troop participating in the sale Final PGA 228+ $0.70 per box Initial Order PGA Troop Bonus Troops can also earn a bonus on the initial order. The bonus will be added to the proceeds earned for the troop s Final PGA. Initial Order PGA 228+ $0.05 bonus per box Opt Out Proceeds Junior (and up) troops can choose to opt out of the girl rewards and earn extra funds. Multi-level and Daisy/Brownie troops are not eligible for this program. To participate, each girl in the troop who wishes to sell cookies must sign the Opt Out Form agreeing to forgo all rewards at each level, for Initial, Final and Digital rewards. Forms must be signed and returned to council by February 1. Final PGA Final PGA 228+ $0.65 per box $0.70 per box Money Management also means leaning how to protect the money you earn until it is time to turn the funds in to the troop volunteer, making change for customers at a cookie booth, and being honest and fair about the money you are earning for your Girl Scout adventures. 10

11 people skills Here are some selling tips from real Girl Scouts to help you learn to talk to and listen to your customers. The number one reason people don t buy cookies is because they were never asked! So be brave, and say How many boxes would you like to purchase today? Door-to-Door Sales Canvass your neighborhood and community with a buddy or adult, leaving no doorbell un-rung! Take orders door-to-door at the beginning of the cookie sale with your order card. After cookies are delivered, load up a wagon with cookies, make signs, and you are ready for a neighborhood walkabout. 5 for $20 Customers love getting a bundle of their favorite cookies, so why not offer them 5 boxes for $20? It s easy to remember and customers will walk away with 5 delicious boxes of cookies. Offer this deal to all your customers! Digital Cookie & Social Media Customers buy more cookies when you sell online. With Digital Cookie, you can send cookie customers to your website to order and pay for their cookies online. Social networking sites, like Facebook and Twitter, are great places for teens to ask for cookie orders. Be sure girls follow the GSUSA safety guidelines for online marketing. Phone/Text Sales It s fast and easy to sell Girl Scout Cookies by phone. Review your order cards from past years and contact those customers again. Once cookies have been delivered, call customers, thank them and ask if they need additional cookies. Try a text-a-thon. Text your friends and family to let them know it s cookie time! Gift of Caring Ask customers to donate cookies to the armed forces through Operation: APPRECIATION. Promote the option with posters, the box wrap and a special box (or wagon) for donated cookies. Or consider having a donation drive just for your Gift of Caring program. Customers want to help out our communities just like Girl Scouts do! Give Away Bite-Sized Samples Let customers have a taste so they can try something different they may even find a new favorite. Share Your Goals They love to hear how you are making a difference and what you hope to do with the money you earn, so make posters, banners or t-shirts to get the word out. Say THANK YOU Send a thank you card or to customers when they purchase cookies from you. You never know how might become a customer for life! 11

12 business ethics Selling cookies may sound like a lot of work, but it s important to focus on the 5 skills you can learn and the values of the Girl Scout Promise and Law. Girl Scouts must always act in a way that reflects a commitment to these values. It is important for girls and adults to agree to the following while selling cookies: Girl Scout Promise On my honor, I will try: To serve God and my country, To help people at all times, And to live by the Girl Scout law. Girl Scout Law I will do my best to be honest and fair, friendly and helpful, considerate and caring, courageous and strong, and responsible for what I say and do, and to respect myself and others, respect authority, use resources wisely, make the world a better place, and be a sister to every Girl Scout. During the cookie sale, girls should pledge On my honor, I will follow these rules I will show that I am a Girl Scout. I will dress appropriately for the weather. I will always smile and be polite. I will stand quietly (unless I am speaking with a customer). I will tell customers about my goals. I will stay out of the store s walkway. I will follow any rules the store requires. I will always say, Thank you! During the cookie sale, adults should pledge On my honor, I will follow these rules I will dress for success in attire that identifies I am with Girl Scouts. I will stand quietly and let my Girl Scout talk to the customers. I will let my Girl Scout tell customers about her goals. I will help ensure the safety of the girls and the money collected. I will follow any rules the store requires. I will always say, Thank you! safety It s also important to stay safe while you are selling cookies, so follow these guidelines: Show you re a Girl Scout: wear the Girl Scout membership pin and/or Girl Scout clothing to identify yourself as a Girl Scout. Buddy up: always use the buddy system. It s not just safe, it s more fun. Be streetwise: become familiar with the areas and neighborhoods where you will be selling Girl Scout Cookies. Partner with adults: adults must accompany Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors when they are taking orders, selling or delivering product. Girls grades 6-12 must be supervised by an adult when selling door-to-door and must never sell alone. Adults should be present at a cookie booth in any public place at all times. Plan ahead: always have a plan for safeguarding money. Avoid walking around with large amounts of it or keeping it at home or school. Give proceeds to supervising adults who should deposit it as soon as possible. Do not enter: never enter the home or vehicle of a person when you are selling or making deliveries. Avoid selling to people in vehicles or going into alleys. Sell in the daytime: sell only during daylight hours, unless accompanied by an adult. Protect privacy: girls names, addresses and addresses should never be given out to customers. Use a group contact number or address overseen by an adult for customers to request information, reorder or give comments. Protect customer privacy by not sharing their information except for the product sale. Be safe on the road: always follow safe pedestrian practices, especially when crossing at intersections or walking along roadways. Be aware of traffic when unloading product and passengers from vehicles. Be net wise: take the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge before going online and follow the specific guidelines related to marketing online. 12

13 it s a wrap! Congrats! You have completed the Cookie Program. You have learned some new skills, made some new friends and hopefully, gained some cookie customers for life. Now it s time to celebrate! Initial Order Rewards Initial Order Rewards will arrive in mid-february along with your initial cookie order. Final Order & Digital Cookie Rewards In May, your troop will receive the final shipment of rewards! Volunteers have until June 30 to distribute the rewards to girls. If you do not pick-up or receive the items you have earned by June 30, contact the council Product Team (info@girlscoutcsa.org) and arrange a time to pick up items from the council. Any items not picked up by December 1, 2016 will be donated a local charity. your cookie resources Use these resources to rock your cookie sale! Council Website Visit our site to find resources, forms, guides and other helpful information. Digital Cookie digitalcookie.girlscouts.org Girl Scouts can set up their personalized websites, take credit card payments and ship cookies directly to customers. Click the link in your registration , then use your and the password you create to log in. Little Brownie Bakers Find girl activities, marketing ideas and clip art to help girls prepare for the sale. Girl Scouts of the USA Locate info on GS Cookie Program and national cookie badges and pins. Give these links to customers looking for cookies! Cookie Locator CookieLocator.LittleBrownie.com Help friends locate the closest cookie booth online. Girl Scouts of the USA Locate info on GS Cookie Program and learn more about how cookies support girls! Go mobile with these awesome Apps for your smartphone or tablet! NEW: Digital Cookie Mobile App Download this app after you create a Digital Cookie account and make sales on the go! Customers can place Shipped or In-Person Delivered orders right on your phone. Cookie Locator App Tell customers to download this app to find cookie booths nearby! 13

14 for parents Thank you for being a part of the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program! For your Girl Scout to participate, we need your help. Participation in the Cookie Program is optional, but girls and adults who do choose to participate must agree to adhere to the policies and guidelines of the Cookie Program. Expectations and Responsibilities Each parent must sign a Parent Agreement form. By signing, you are also agreeing to the following: My scout has my permission to participate in the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program. My scout is a registered member of the Girl Scouts of the USA for the 2016 membership year. I must help my scout through the sale Penalties will apply to my scout if she takes orders prior to the sale start date (Jan 15, 2016). I will enter and verify my orders in the Digital Cookie Program and/or confirm ordered products with my troop volunteer. Money will be collected upon delivery of products and not before. The entire amount due for the products received will be paid by the date provided by the Troop Product Sales Manager. Products cannot be returned to the Troop Product Sales Manager, or any other representative of Girl Scout Council of the Southern Appalachians. I accept financial responsibility for all products and money received. Getting Started Here s what we need to get you started: Register your Girl Scout for the 2016 membership year. Check in with your troop volunteer for specifics about the cookie sale. Sign a Parent Agreement Form and turn it in to the troop volunteer. Pick up your sale materials from your troop volunteer (materials include this guide, an order card, a goal getter card and a money envelope). Review this guide with your Girl Scout to get excited and ready for the Cookie Program! During the Cookie Sale Get Involved: Attend a cookie rally, go to your troop cookie meeting and take your Girl Scout to the council girl events! Coach your Girl Scout: Here are some simple ways you can encourage your Girl Scout throughout the cookie sale. 1. Listen to her sales pitch. 2. Review all the cookie materials together and visit the Little Brownie website for fun facts about cookies. 3. Attend the Girl Events and a Cookie Rally. 4. Log on to Digital Cookie to create a website, play games and earn badges. 5. Ask her questions - maybe even pretend to be a customer. 6. Guide her to set practical goals about what she plans to learn and earn this season. 7. Be a role model for business ethics and the Girl Scout safety guidelines. 8. Have fun with her! Set Up Your Digital Cookie Site: When your arrives in January, set up a Digital Cookie site with your Girl Scout and keep up with her online orders - approve (or deny) any In-Person Orders. Turn In Your Orders: Check with your troop volunteer for dates and deadlines for orders, and be sure to turn over all orders to your volunteers by February 1 (at the latest) so your Girl Scout will get her orders. Pick Up Your Cookies & Deliver to Customers: In February, the cookies arrive. Your troop volunteer will let you know when to come get your order. Then help your Girl Scout deliver the cookies and collect payment from customers. Celebrate: Rewards will arrive in May, so collect your items from your troop volunteer and celebrate your hard work! 14

15 for parents Digital Cookie 2.0 We are so pleased to offer Digital Cookie to our Girl Scouts. Each parent will receive a welcome with a unique link to your Girl Scout s website by January 15. If you do not receive your , please verify that your Girl Scout has been registered for the 2016 membership year and that we have your correct address on file at council. Digital Cookie: In-Person Delivered Orders Customers will have the option on Digital Cookie to request that the Girl Scout deliver an order to them in person. We realize that this may pose a safety concern for some parents. So parents must approve or deny an order in the Digital Cookie system when In-Person Delivery is selected. If you approve the order, you must work with the customer to arrange delivery. Notify your troop volunteer when a In-Person Delivered order is approved, so that you can verify that the number and variety of cookies ordered is available to be picked up from the troop. Please note that the troop must have ample time to get the requested cookies for you and may not have all varieties available. It is so important that volunteers and parents work together to fulfil these orders. If you forget to approve an order after 10 days, the order will automatically be denied and revert to the customer s second delivery method. If you deny the order, the cookie sale is not lost! The customer will be asked to select a second delivery method in the event you choose not to approve the order. Need Digital Cookie help? We have tip-sheets on our website, Safety Girls, volunteers and parents have a responsibility to stay safe while selling cookies. Review the safety guidelines for appropriate behavior while selling cookies. Special care should be taken to stay safe at cookie booths: stay INFORMED Cookie booths must be approved prior to the booth sale. Check with your volunteer to make sure the booth is approved stay VISIBLE Set up your cookie booth in an open area. Girls should be dressed appropriately for the weather, and still be able to show that they are Girl Scouts. Ask your girls to make a sign, or have a table cloth, to let customers know the girls are selling cookies! stay SAFE Make sure you have adequate space at the booth for a table, cookies, and girls - but still keep a safe distance from cars. The booth should not block a store entrance or exit and any store-specific requests should be honored. Each location reserves the right to ask Girl Scouts to leave at any time. Keep cash safe by keeping the cash box against a wall, behind a barrier of cookie boxes or in the safety of an adult volunteer. Girls can receive cash from buyers and make change, but should hand the money to the adult for safekeeping. stay SUPERVISED At least one Girl Scout and 2 unrelated adult GSCSA volunteers must be present at all times at each cookie booth. Never leave girls alone at a cookie booth. stay ACCOUNTABLE If you are ever concerned that a Girl Scout is in immediate danger, call 911. If you witness a situation that makes you uncomfortable or feel that a volunteer is not taking the safety of Girl Scouts seriously, call or council. We are committed to ensuring the safety of our girls and will handle the issue immediately or with a private follow-up as needed. 15

16 for parents Finance Tips Parents are responsible for the careful management of all monies collected and products received. Girls work hard and it is our job to protect the money they earn. Tip # 1 All parents must sign a Parent Agreement before the cookie sale starts. This form acknowledges the responsibilities that you have to keep your Girl Scout s money safe. If the form is not signed, the girl will not be allowed to participate in the sale. Tip # 2 Every time cookies are transferred from the troop to a parent, you will be asked to sign a receipt. It s a good idea to count the number of items twice before signing the ticket. Once you sign, you assume responsibility for the product itself and for its value. Cookies cannot be returned to the council or to the troop. Tip # 3 Money should be collected from customers only when cookies are delivered. Each troop will decide whether or not they will accept personal checks from customers. It is important to verify that the correct amount of money is received from each customer, and to protect this money until it can be given to the volunteer. Digital Cookie customers will pay with a credit card at the time the order is placed. No payment should be collected from these customers. Tip # 4 Respect the deadlines set by your troop for payment. It is your responsibility to collect the money from customers before the deadlines and pay for all the cookies you have received. Debt Collections If a parent fails to pay for cookies they have received by the deadline set by the troop, volunteers are required to notify the council. Troops may not cover the debts of parents who fail to pay. There are consequences for parents, girls, or troops that do not pay on time. If council is notified that you have not paid in full by the deadline set, we will provide you with instructions on how to resolve the issue. If those instructions are not followed, the amount owed will be considered a debt to the council. Failure to account for money and products received will be considered misappropriation of funds and may result in civil and/or criminal prosecution for the amount owed plus attorney fees and court costs. In addition, failure to turn over monies owed may result in removal from any and all volunteer positions with GSCSA and you will be ineligible to serve in a future volunteer role. Girl Scout families with outstanding council debts may not receive their Girl Scout rewards or be permitted to participate in future Girl Scout Product Sale Programs. Parents must pay their debt in full before December 1, 2016 to be eligible to receive their Girl Scout s rewards for the 2016 Cookie Program. And we are here to help! info@girlscoutcsa.org or

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