COOKIE PROGRAM FAMILY GUIDE Winter 2016 February 7 - March 20 Cookie Program

Transcription

1 COOKIE PROGRAM FAMILY GUIDE Winter 2016 February 7 - March 20 Cookie Program Contact Us Website: Phone: (800) Fax: (559) Headquarters: 1377 W. Shaw Ave. Fresno, CA Regional Office: 1831 Brundage Lane Bakersfield, CA Regional Office: 230 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA Troop Cookie Chair: Phone Number: Girl Scout Families, Thank you for your support of the 2016 Girl Scout Cookie Program! Each year, millions of girls learn how to run a business...by actually running a business! Many successful business women and community leaders say they got their start selling Girl Scout Cookies. In the Cookie Program, girls earn patches and other great recognitions by selling the world-famous Girl Scout Cookies. Our Cookie line offers something for everyone, and can be purchased in person or online. Our customers can also donate to our military overseas through our Troop 2 Troop program. In our Council in 2015, over 5,000 packages of Girl Scout Cookies were sent overseas, a great taste of home for our military. Along the way, our Girl Scouts will earn funds for their Troop as they learn the five key business skills. Here s how to help your Girl Scout get the most from the Cookie Program: Goal Setting - Encourage your Girl Scout to set practical goals about what she wants to learn and earn. Business Ethics - Model the Girl Scout Promise and Law by being respectful and considerate at all times. People Skills - Coach her. Ask questions and help her practice her sales message. Decision Making - Brainstorm ideas on where to sell, when to sell, how to market the sale, and what to do with earnings. Money Management - Let her lead when making a sale, taking & prepping orders, and handling money. Your Troop Cookie Chair is your main point of contact for the 2016 Cookie Program. Any questions or issues should be directed to your Troop Cookie Chair. Please record their contact information in the space provided to the left. GSCCS Cookie Program 1

2 Troop Proceeds - Based on Per Girl Average (PGA) Troops who participate in the 2015 Fall Product Program will earn proceeds as follows: PGA $0.75 per package PGA $0.80 per package PGA $0.90 per package 350+ PGA $1.00 per package Troops who did not participate in the 2015 Fall Product Program will earn proceeds as follows: PGA $0.70 per package PGA $0.75 per package PGA $0.85 per package 350+ PGA $0.95 per package Older Girl troops (all Cadette, Senior, and/ or Ambassador age level) can opt out of earning recognition items to earn additional troop funds, but every girl in the troop must agree to it. Each girl and her parent/ guardian must sign the Troop s Proceeds in Lieu of Recognitions Agreement. With this option, girls will not earn any recognition prizes, but will receive all patches earned. The Troop will earn an additional $0.10 per package of cookies sold. Proceeds can be lost if the Troop is found doing any of the following: Selling or boothing early Not following boothing guidelines Selling Cookies for any amount other than what is listed on the order card ($5.00 per package) Engaging in any misconduct unbecoming to Girl Scouts A special THANK YOU to our volunteer Product Program Task Groups, who planned our Cookie Program s Recognitions, Troop Proceeds, and Boothing. If you want to get involved in planning the 2017 Girl Scout Cookie Musts Submit a signed Parent Permission Slip to the Troop Cookie Chair before selling any cookies. Set a Girl Scout Cookie goal Wear Girl Scout identification while selling cookies. Be a currently registered Girl Scout member for the year. Collect all money when cookies are sold or delivered. Tell customers how the Troop plans to use their proceeds. Encourage customers to support the military by donating to Troop 2 Troop Cookies. Adhere to all deadlines set forth by the Council and the Troop. Obtain a signed receipt each time cookies or money changes hands between the Troop and Girl Scout. Keep all receipts as this protects you in case of discrepancy. Only accept checks payable to GSCCS that include the customer s name and phone number. Maintain boothing commitments to your Troop. Ensure safety at all times. Do not sell or take orders prior to the first day of the Cookie Program, February 7, Do not sell cookies without an adult chaperone. Do not sell on unsecured internet sites: Craig s List, Ebay, Facebook groups, community forums, etc. Promoting through Social Media (Facebook, Twitter, Google+, etc.) must only be done through the Girl Scout s personal profile or that of her parent/guardian. Do not sell cookies inside a store, restaurant or business. Cookies and/or order cards cannot be displayed for sale at anything other than a Walkabout, Booth or Lemonade Stand. Walkabout - A mobile cookie sale done by an individual or in a group with adult supervision. Can be done in residential areas and on public (non-commercial) property where soliciting is allowed during the Cookie Program dates. Girls and cookies must remain mobile throughout. Booth - A Troop sponsored pop-up sale (table or booth) in front of a business, on a street corner or in any public space. Must be secured with the business and property managers and can only occur during the Cookie Program Boothing period. Lemonade Stand - A personal cookie stand set up on their own private property where the girl currently resides. Must be within our Council jurisdiction (Fresno, Kern, Kings, Madera and Tulare counties) and occur during our Cookie Program dates. Do not enter a customer s home or give out your full name. Do not return or cancel orders for cookies. Parent/guardian is responsible for full payment on all cookies checked out to their Girl Scout. Do not set up a booth location without prior approval from your Troop Cookie Chair. Do not booth without a minimum of two Girl Scouts and two unrelated adults. Do not charge any more or less than the Council price for a package of Cookies, $5.00. Note: A girl is not permitted to participate in the Cookie Program if the family has any outstanding Council and/or Troop debt. GSCCS Cookie Program 2

3 Cookie Program Our Girl Scout Council uses a Direct Sale model, which means cookies are in hand at the start of the sale. Girls sell cookies directly to consumers and collect the money on the spot. This includes Walkabout, Lemonade Stand, and Booth Sales (see Girl Scout Cookie Musts, page 2). How Direct Sales Effect Initial Orders There will be no preordering period for girls to collect orders. Troops will place their initial orders on January 15, Troops will have cookies in their possession when selling starts on February 7, Tips on knowing how much to order on Initial Orders Each troop will be given a suggested Initial Order based on their sales from last year. Troops can use their Per Girl Average (PGA) from the previous year s sale and multiply by the number of girls expected to sell this season. Sample orders for each age level are available for Troops. Troop Cookie Chairs can discuss with parents in the troop to gauge what the troop feels comfortable ordering. Tips for Selling Door-to-Door Sales Encourage girls to canvass their communities with friends and adults, leaving no doorbell unrung! Sell door-to-door with cookies in hand. One week after cookies are delivered, load up a wagon with cookies, make signs, and you are ready for a neighborhood walkabout. Telephone Sales Girls can review order cards from previous years and contact these customers again. Try a text-a-thon Girls may want to text their friends and family to let them know it s cookie time and to ask for orders. Workplace Sales Girls can contact business owners or managers to request permission to sell cookies at a workplace. Girls can either make a quick sales pitch at a staff meeting or makes sales calls around the office. Bundling Customers buy more when girls suggest multiple packages. Help girls increase sales by bundling 3-5 boxes together. Encourage multiple sales and promote cookie bundles as gifts when girls tie up three packages with decorative ribbon and top it off with a handmade gift card or recipe. Troop 2 Troop - the 10th Flavor Through Troop 2 Troop, customers can support Girl Scouting, our veterans and active duty military members at home and overseas. All packages sold through Operation Gratitude count towards girl recognition items. Staying Safe A parent, guardian, or other adult must know each girl s whereabouts when she is participating in the Cookie Program, including if and when she is utilizing any online activity relating to the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Adults must accompany Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies, and Juniors when they are selling, taking orders or delivering cookies.girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors who participate in door-to-door sales must be supervised by an adult who is aware of how, when, and where the girls are selling products, on call when girls are selling and able to contact girls in a timely manner. Girls should always use the buddy system. A first-aid kit should always be available at any Walkabout, Lemonade Stand, or Booth. Girls and adults should be familiar with the neighborhoods where they sell and should only participate in door-to-door sales during daylight hours. Girls should not share their full name, phone number, or address with customers. Use a group contact number or address overseen by an adult for customers to request information or place another order. A plan to safeguard money during door-to-door cookie delivery should be made in advance. Girl Scout Daisies should not handle money. Girls should not carry large sums of money when selling cookies. Adults must be present at all times during a cookie booth sale; however, adults should NOT be the only individuals at the booth. Girls should not give out information beyond their troop number and their goals for the Cookie Program. Girls should not hold or carry large sums of cash. Adults should be aware of the location of the cash box at all times. Girls must stay at the cookie booth location during the sale. They should not enter parking lots or other area locations. Girls should dress for the weather and wear Girl Scout identification at all booth sales. GSCCS Cookie Program 3

4 Recognitions When working towards recognitions - every package counts! Girls earn an early recognition based on their total packages sold during the Walkabout period (February 7th-18th) and their main recognitions based on their total packages sold during the entire Cookie Program (February 7th-March 20th. Recognition items are cumulative. For example, girls who sell 400 packages of cookies earn all rewards up to, and including the 400+ level T-shirt. All girls entered into the Snap+ system are eligible to earn recognitions. Recognitions will be picked up by your Troop Cookie Chair, tentatively May 16th-20th, who will contact you to schedule a pick up time. Cookie Dollars Cookie Dollars are earned by all girls and can be used for only the following purposes: GSCCS Girl program fees, GSCCS Council shop purchases of Girl items, GSCCS Girl training fees, girl membership fees, GSCCS Travel Group sponsored trips, approved Girl Scout Destinations, and Cam El-O-Win Girl fees. Cookie Dollars cannot be used for Girl Scout fundraising events, the purchase of Girl Scout Cookies or Fall Product items, Adult training fees, Adult items, Adult Membership fees, or Girl Scout collectibles. Cookie Dollars are available mid May 2016, and expire April 30, All Participating Girl Scouts are eligible to earn Cookie Program patches that go on the back of their uniform. See the Girl Recognition flyer for details. Girls have three options for recognitions: (see the Girl Recognition flyer for details) Option A: Girls earn patches, prizes, and basic Cookie Dollars ($5 for each 50 packages, starting at 100 packages) Traditional Recognition Line Option B: Girls earn patches, some prizes, and basic Cookie Dollars ($5 for each 50 packages, starting at 100 packages) Girls earn extra Cookie Dollars in lieu of specified prizes Option C: Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Troops only. Girls earn patches, a few prizes, and basic Cookie Dollars ($5 for each 50 packages, starting at 100 packages) Troop earns an additional $0.10 per package Troops choosing Option C must choose this as a group. Only troops consisting of only Cadette, Senior, and/or Ambassador girls are eligible to choose Option C. Each girl and parent must sign an In Lieu of Agreement and submit to Council by February 5, All other Troops, each girl will have the option to choose A or B. The Troop Cookie Chair will enter this choice in Snap+. Event & Trip Recognitions Girls who choose Option A or B are eligible to earn the 500 Club (500+ packages), Cali Girl ( 750+ packages) and SSSSH Girl (1000+ packages) Recognitions. Dates for these events are trips are listed in the calendar of this guide. Additional information will be sent to qualifying girls after the Cookie Program s conclusion. Parent Delinquencies Any family owing money at the end of the Cookie Program is delinquent. Troop Cookie Chairs must submit a Delinquent Account report to Council by March 21, 2016 for all delinquent families. Delinquent families will not receive any recognitions until their bill is paid in full. This includes all prizes, events, trips, and Cookie Dollars. TCC s are responsible for returning all recognition items to Council. GSCCS Cookie Program 4

5 IRS Guidelines GSUSA has provided Councils with guidance on Girl Rewards* and Troop Proceeds. This guidance follows a clarification from the Department of the Treasury, IRS Directive 6-27 Subject: Booster Club Dues and Non-Exempt Activity**, issued on June 27, If appropriate practices are not followed, actions could be considered a Private Benefit to the participant by the IRS and could also result in the organization (Girl Scouts of Central California South) paying Unrelated Business Income Tax or losing its taxexempt status altogether. We must be mindful of the following information when dealing with product program practices: Cashing out troop proceeds Proceeds received by a troop/group are non-transferrable. Girls who leave the troop or leave Girl Scouting are not entitled to proceeds earned while in the group when they leave. Proceeds are not to be tracked for individual girls in any pathway either by council or troop/group. (Also refer to Volunteer Essentials, page 66, under Product Sales: Financial Literacy and the Girl Scout Leadership Experience, Knowing Where Proceeds Go, paragraph 2: The income from product sales does not become the property of individual girl members ). Funding the cost of family members who are not required chaperones is not allowed. Girls may not be reimbursed for experiences travel event rewards should be Girl Scout hosted and funded. Providing recognitions in the form of gift cards to external establishments (e.g., Starbucks, Target, etc.) is not allowed. Credits to girls or troops that include a cash-out or cash benefit are not allowed. Program credits cannot be used for external establishments (e.g., Target, Wal-Mart, etc.) Please protect the tax-exempt status of our Council by ensuring that you comply with this IRS directive. How the IRS Guidelines affect the SSSSH Trip, Cali Girl Event and 500 Club Event Council will host a SSSSH Trip, Cali Girl Event and three options for the 500 Club Event. Girls who qualify for the 500 Club Event will select one option to attend. If a girl cannot attend a Council hosted date for any and all events or trips, she will not receive a ticket for another day. Adults wishing to attend can apply to be a chaperone but are not guaranteed to be with their daughter s group. Chaperones will be selected on specific criteria. Information on all events and trips will be released in Spring Adults will have the option to follow the bus on the SSSSH Trip and pay their own way, if they desire. GSCCS Cookie Program Girl Scout Cookies - Now Online! COCOdirect is an interactive way for girls to reach their customers online. COCOdirect will let girls take orders from their Smart Phone app and have cookies delivered straight from ABC bakers to their customers. COCOdirect can be used in two ways: Using COCOmobile - ABC s proprietary girl ordering app Using COCOmobile Online Marketing - Girls can send an ecard to friends and family that includes a secure link to COCOdirect. The COCOdirect Experience via the App Register for COCOdirect via Abcsmartcookies.com to get username and password Download the free COCOmobile Login to COCOmobile using COCO username and password Open the COCOdirect order screen by clicking COCO Direct icon in the main menu of COCOmobile Place Customer s order Quantities of 1/2 dozen, dozen, and 8-pack varieties Customer ship to name, address, phone number, address, credit card information Customer bill to name, address, phone number, address, credit card information Customers have expediting option Review the order with the customer, telling them the amount due Submit order Order summary will be ed to customer Weekly sales data report sent via The COCOdirect Experience via COCO Online Register for COCOdirect via abcsmartcookies.com to get username and password Login to COCO using username and password Select Online Marketing Click on Send an E-Card Choose the COCOdirect E-Card Choose the contact name(s) Add a message Preview the card Hit send Friends & family receive an with a link to COCOdirect, allowing them to place an order and pay with a credit card Online payment for cookies is only accepted through COCOdirect and COCOmobile. Amazon, Craigslist, ebay, Facebook Groups, etc. are not accepted forms of payment for the Girl Scout Cookie Program. 5

6 Boothing All Boothing Details, Guidelines, and Procedures were set by our Boothing Task Group of volunteers. DETAILS Bakersfield will run a Citywide lottery conducted by the Lottery Committee. Details will be sent out to all troops in the area. Fresno will not hold any lottery. All boothing locations must be set by the Troop and submitted to Council for approval via Snap+. Outlying Service Units can continue to hold their own lotteries. No boothing locations can be secured prior to January 1, Certificates of Insurance if requested by the boothing location, please location name and address to dpoulson@girlscoutsccs.org. Please allow hours for processing. GUIDELINES Every booth must have two registered and background checked adults, who are unrelated to one another. If registered and background checked adults are not available, the booth must be shut down. Must have a minimum of two girls boothing at all times. Must sell cookies for $5.00 only, if caught selling for more or less you will lose selling privileges. Boothing location must be approved in SNAP by Council or Lottery Committee Representative prior to boothing date and time. Service Units not included in Citywide lottery will determine how boothing is to be handled in their area lottyer or troop secured locations. Must booth away from car traffic to ensure safety of girls and adults. No boothing in front of bars, medical dispensaries, casinos. No selling cookies in street medians. Girls must be in uniform or Girl Scout/Troop shirt. All booths must be marked clearly with Girl Scout Signage (i.e. tablecloth, signs made by girls). Boothing money to be secured by adult in a secure location (i.e. apron, fanny pack, money box) Daisies are not allowed to handle money. First Aid Kit and Health Histories for girls and adults to be kept at boothing location with Adult in charge during boothing times. Checklist for Parents to verify during their shift of work is suggested. Can be laminated with dry erase pen. If troop finds anyone not following the guidelines, they are to gather information from that party: troop number, girl name and adult name. Report this information to Dacia at Council, (800) ext 118 or dpoulson@girlscoutsccs.org. Troop leader will be notified immediately by Council. Walkabout - no boothing to occur February 7 th -18 th. Guidelines of Walkabout to be signed by Troop girls and parents on Parent Permission Slip. PROCEDURES First Infraction - If a girl is caught selling early, boothing during non-boothing time frame, does not have a minimum of two girls, or two adults, she will lose the boxes she has sold during that time frame. Those boxes will be given to girls within the troop at leader s discretion. Her boothing location will be shut down immediately. If caught breaking rules, prior, during, etc. a second time, she will not be allowed to sell cookies, or booth the rest of the season. Council must notify the Troop leader immediately each time this occurs. Second Infraction - Upon the second infraction by the troop - the second time a girl in the same troop is caught doing any of the infractions listed above - breaking guidelines/rules, either illegal boothing, breaking any of the above guidelines prior/during the boothing time frame - the troop will lose five cents per box. Council must notify the Troop leader immediately if this occurs. It is the Troop Cookie Chairs/Troop Leader responsibility to ensure all rules are explained so there are no questions. Third Infraction Troop will lose all selling privileges for the current Cookie Program and forfeit all proceeds. Cost Infracion - If anyone is caught selling cookies for more than $5.00 they will lose selling privileges and those boxes will Remember - Boothing is a privilege granted to us by local businesses. This privilege, if abused even unintentionally, could cause all Girl Scouts to lose the opportunity for additional sales at these places of business. Remember, Girl Scouts and Adults at booth locations are representing GSCCS, and please be considerate of business s customers and property. You may be asked to leave if complaints arise. If conflicts arise at a booth location due to misconduct of any kind, future boothing privileges may be revoked. All girls and adults must be made aware of boothing guidelines. GSCCS Cookie Program 6

7 Dates to Know November 19th, Ongoing Troop Cookie Chair trains girls and parents/guardians Troop Cookie Chair collects signed parent permission slip for each participating girl January 23rd GIRL Expo in Fresno February 5th Troop Proceeds in Lieu of Recognitions Agreements due to Council for those troops who elect to participate only Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Troops February 7th Cookie sale begins the Walkabout period girls can begin to sell cookies door-to-door, to friends and family, and online February 19th Cookie Boothing begins March 20th Cookie Program & Boothing period ends All Girl Scout monies due to Troop Cookie Chair March 21st All Delinquent Parent Reports are due to Council May 16th-20th Estimated arrival of recognitions June 17th SSSSH Girl Trip to Natural History Museum/CA Science Center in Los Angeles, CA June 28th Ultimate Seller Adventure Day Trip to Universal Studios in Universal City, CA August 13th 500 Club at McDermont Fieldhouse in Lindsay, CA September 9th Cali Girl Overnight at Fresno Chaffee Zoo in Fresno, CA **Troop Cookie Chairs and Troop Leaders have the right to adjust deadlines, as long as Council deadlines are met. GSCCS Cookie Program 7