Cookie Program Troop Manual

Transcription

1 Cookie Program 2018 Troop Manual 1

2 $5 a box Trefoils Traditional shortbread cookies that are delightfully simple and satisfying Do-si-dos Crunchy oatmeal sandwich cookies with creamy peanut butter filling Samoas Crisp cookies coated in caramel, sprinkled with toasted coconut and striped with dark chocolaty coating Thin Mints Crisp wafers covered in chocolaty coating made with natural oil of peppermint TM Crunchy graham sandwich cookies with creamy chocolate and marshmallowy filling Tagalongs Crispy cookies layered with peanut butter and covered with a chocolaty coating 2 Savannah Smiles Crisp, zesty lemon wedge cookies dusted with powdered sugar Product formulations can change at any time. We encourage you to check the ingredient statement information on the ingredients contained in the product in that package. For more details check with Little Brownie Bakers. Toffee-tastic TM Rich, buttery cookies with sweet, crunchy toffee bits The GIRL SCOUTS name and mark, and all associated trademarks and logotypes, including GIRL SCOUT COOKIES, THIN MINTS, TREFOILS, GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE, GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PROGRAM, GIRL SCOUT S MORES and the Trefoil Design are owned by Girl Scouts of the USA. Little Brownie RSPO Did you know that our cookies have... NO High-Fructose Corn Syrup NO Partially Hydrogenated Oils (PHOs) NO Artificial Flavors in Toffee-tastics Girl Scout S'mores and Do-si-dos are made with Natural Flavors Zero Grams Trans Fat per Serving 100% Real Cocoa Hearty Whole Grain Oats in Do-si-dos Thin Mints are Vegan Toffee-tastics are Gluten-Free RSPO Certified (Mass Balance) Palm Oil NO HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP

3 Table of Contents Girl Scout Cookies 2 Table of Contents 3 Introduction to Volunteers 3 The Cookie Program 4 Cookie Team 5 Calendar 6 How the Cookie Crumbles 6 Training & Resources 7 Troop Proceeds & Girl Rewards 8 Girl Scout Safety Guidelines 9 How to Sell 10 Digital Cookie Program 11 ebudde Quick Tip Guide 12 Order Cards 14 Goal Getter 15 Booth Sales 16 Banking 18 Initial Delivery 20 Cupboards 21 Donation Programs 22 5forFive! 23 Close Out 24 Notes 25 Introduction to Volunteers: The Girl Scout Cookie Program With Girl Scout Cookies and your guidance, she can do amazing things! Thank you for volunteering to serve as a Troop Cookie Manager. Your efforts are extremely important to the success of the Cookie Program! Our council offers this program to increase opportunities for girls. Not only does it help girls develop five key business and leadership skills, but revenues generated from this program also create funds for girl led troop activities and projects, services and events for girls, to maintain camps, and develop quality training for adults. Without you, this would not be possible. We appreciate YOU! Plus, with your guidance and the power of Girl Scout Cookies, girls can make positive changes in the world around them. A girl can speak for those less fortunate, foster changes where they re needed and have a true impact close to home, or even on the other side of the world. Visit com, where we are showcasing amazing stories from across the country. When they see how other girls are making a big difference with Girl Scout Cookies, volunteers and girls dream bigger. And customers are inspired to help! This Cookie Season, encourage girls to set high goals and use some cookie money to make the world a better place. They will grow in ways you never dreamed possible. 3

4 The Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls develop five key business and leadership skills that last a lifetime: The Girl Scout Cookie Activity Pin: All girls who participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Program are eligible to earn the annual Cookie Activity Pin, which recognizes the 5 skills learned and practiced during the sale. Girls can collect a different colored pin every year to recognize growth in these 5 skill areas. Visit our Cookie page at for more details on badge, patch and pins associated with the Cookie Program. 1 Goal Setting as she sets cookie sales goals individually and with her team, creates a plan to reach them, and develops Cooperation and Team Building skills all along the way. 2 Decision-Making as she helps decide how her team will spend their cookie money, furthering her Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills that will help her throughout life. 3 Money Management as she takes cookie orders, handles customer s money and gains valuable and Practical Life Skills around financial literacy. 4 People Skills as she learns how to talk, listen and work with all kinds of people while selling cookies. These experiences help her develop Healthy Relationship and Conflict Resolution skills she uses throughout her life. 5 Business Ethics as she is honest and responsible at every step of the cookie sale. Her business ethics here reinforce the Positive Values she is developing as a Girl Scout. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the country and generates immeasurable benefits for girls and our community. Through Girl Scout Cookies, girls are doing amazing things and becoming girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place! 4

5 The Girl Scout Cookie Team A successful Girl Scout Cookie Program depends on dedicated volunteers like you. Understanding everyone s role on the team ensures a smooth running program. Service Unit Cookie Manager (SUCM) Receives materials from Little Brownie Bakers, and assembles and distributes packets to each Troop Cookie Manager. Coordinates and facilitates a Service Unit-wide Troop Cookie Training and Cookie Rally. Coordinates Service Unit delivery and distribution of cookies to troops. Reviews and submits the Initial Cookie Order and girl rewards order for the entire Service Unit. Reviews data in ebudde for the entire Service Unit and submits final girl rewards order. Receives girl rewards from Little Brownie Bakers and distributes to troops. Supports the Troop Cookie Managers as needed. Troop Leader (TL) Recommended that Troop Leaders attend Cookie Training. Helps to support the Troop Cookie Manager with all aspects of the Cookie Program including: hosting a family cookie training, planning and scheduling for Booth Sales, material pick up and distribution, cookie storage, money collection, and more. Works with troop to set goals and plan cookie learning activities. Receives and distributes Cookie Dough and girl rewards. Troop Cookie Manager (TCM) Attends Cookie Program Training. Works with Troop Leader to schedule, plan and lead the family meeting. Manages all aspects of the Cookie Program including: family trainings, use of ebudde and other sales tools, scheduling for booth sales, pick-up and delivery of inventory, and collecting and depositing money into the troop bank account. Follows all Council, GSUSA, and Little Brownie Guidelines for the Digital Cookie Program. Follows all timelines and deadlines to ensure successful completion of cookie related tasks. Fills out end-of-sale paperwork as needed. Membership Team Helps to support and answer questions throughout the sale for cookie volunteers and families. Supports product pick-up and distribution at cupboards. Manages volunteer approval, girl registration, and troop banking set-up. Council Product Team Manages all training curriculum, material creation, volunteer resources, tools, and guidelines for the Cookie Program. Supports Council staff, Service Units, Troops and families throughout the Cookie Program. Manages and tracks all stages of the sale: from training volunteers and setting up ebudde to securing booth partners and reward distribution. Other Council Staff Creates and develops marketing and communication plans to support troops and girls while selling. Helps with Cupboard cookie distribution. Ensures financial integrity is upheld and enforced. 5

6 Cookie Calendar Checklist of Important Dates Distribute Cookie Materials January 1-12 Cookie Rallies January 1-12 Initial order taking Order Cards January 12 January 28 Cookie Booth Scheduler opens Round 1 January 21, 7PM Cookie Booth Scheduler opens Round 2 January 24, 7PM Cookie Booth Scheduler opens Round 3 January 27, 7PM Goal Getter Order Cards KEEP SELLING! January 29 - February 22 Troop Initial Cookie Order due in ebudde January 31 FIRST Electronic Withdrawal from Troop Bank Account February 19 Initial Order delivery dates February Cookie Cupboards open for additional cookie pick-up By February 22 National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend February Cookie Booth Sales Begin February 23 SECOND Electronic Withdrawal from Troop Bank Account March 5 Cookie sale ends last day for Cookie Booth Sales March 18 Payments due from families March 19 Final Deposits in Troop Bank Account March 22 Troop Girl Rewards order due in ebudde March 23 FINAL Electronic Withdrawal from Troop Bank Account March 26 Troop Leaders receive Rewards and Cookie Dough Late April How the Cookie Crumbles Girl Scout Cookies are $5.00 per box and the proceeds from each box are broken down below by percentage: Cookie Breakdown Troop Proceeds 13.5% Service Unit Proceeds 0.5% Girl Rewards 5% Cost of Cookies 22% Sales Tax 6% Girl Scout Programs 48% Administration 5% 6

7 Training and Resources In-Person Troop Cookie Manager Training Council led Cookie Trainings will be held in early December for both Service Unit Cookie Managers and Troop Cookie Managers. Troop Cookie Managers and Troop Leaders are invited to attend. Please contact for specific dates and times in your area. Service Unit led Cookie Trainings will be held at different times and locations. Troop Cookie Managers and/ or Troop Leaders please contact your Service Unit Cookie Manager for specific dates and times your training will be held. Topics include: Program Marketing Technology Cookies Silver Sage Council Procedures ebudde Learning Modules Online Resources ebudde - Online Logistics Center Council Website Little Brownie Bakers Girl Scouts of the USA ebudde.littlebrownie.com Troop Family Cookie Meeting Resources 2018 Troop Cookie Manual (this manual) Each Troop will receive one paper copy of the 2018 Troop Cookie Manual and additional copies may be downloaded and printed from the Girl Scouts of Silver Sage Cookie page: Parent Meeting Agenda - Each troop can use the standard agenda to base their cookie meeting on. Troops are free to expand on the agenda as needed but please do not omit important details. Service Unit Cookie Manager - If you have any questions about procedures and guidelines, please contact your Service Unit Cookie Manager for a more detailed explanation. Membership Team - If you have urgent questions or need assistance, please contact the Membership Team 9AM to 5PM, Monday through Friday at or by at membershipsupport@girlscouts-ssc.org Family Guide - Each Family will receive a guide on the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the Cookie Program. Please familiarize yourself with the guide, specifically, some dates are slightly different for parents deadline versus troop deadlines (this enables troops to get Order Cards, money and other documents before their deadline). 7

8 Troop Proceeds and Girl Rewards that inspire success! Troop and Service Unit Proceeds Troop Proceeds: (based on girls that sell at least one box in a troop) Troops earn 60 cents for ALL boxes sold, when the troop averages boxes/girl. Troops earn 65 cents for ALL boxes sold, when the troop averages boxes/girl. Troops earn 70 cents for ALL boxes sold, when the troop averages boxes/girl. Troops earn 75 cents for ALL boxes sold, when the troop averages 400+ boxes/girl. Service Unit Proceeds: Service Units can earn 2 cents per package sold. Girl Rewards and Cookie Dough Not only does the troop earn funds but each individual girl can also set goals and earn many great rewards, most importantly, Cookie Dough, or cookie credit. Cookie Dough is Girl Scouts of Silver Sage s primary way to recognize the hard work that Girl Scouts and their families put into the Cookie Program. Cookie Dough is used just like cash for Girl Scout programs - so treat it that way! Once earned it can be used for: Girl annual membership dues Council and Service Unit sponsored activities Council camp sessions GSUSA Destinations and Getaways Cadette/Senior/Ambassador Troop Travel Merchandise from the Council Store But that s not all... In addition to Cookie Dough, girls will earn amazing items and colorful patches based on the number of boxes she sells during the stated time period. See below for all our 2018 Rewards and Cookie Dough schedule! 8

9 Girl Scout Safety 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 Street Wise 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 who are Cadettes and older must be supervised by an adult and should 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, and 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 directed by your Girl Scout council 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 Use the phone and to sell when it s dark outside. Save door-to-door sales for daylight hours. Protect Privacy Girls names, addresses, or 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. Girls should never take credit card numbers. 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 GSUSA Internet Safety Pledge before going online and follow the specific guidelines related to marketing online. Remember, Girl Scouts now have a safe place to sell cookies online through Digital Order Card. Selling Girl Scout Cookies any other place on the web is still prohibited. 9

10 How to Sell Girl Scout Cookies Order Cards -January 12 to January 28 Girl Scouts will start the sale with their Order Cards, or Initial Order Sale, and use them to sell to friends, family, and anybody who likes to pre-order their favorite Girl Scout Cookies. When girls sell using their Order Cards, they simply take the customers contact information - name, address and phone number - and the amounts and varieties they would like to purchase on the Order Card. We also ask that girls collect money up-front when possible to help save time when delivering items. NEVER DELIVER ITEMS WITHOUT PAYMENT FIRST! Girl Scouts who sell 250+ boxes during the Initial Order can earn this Sports Pack: Goal Getter Card -January 29 to February 22 Once Girl Scouts turn in their Order Card for the Initial Order, they can continue selling using their Goal Getter Card - to help them reach their GOALS! Girls that can sell an additional 30+ boxes during this time will earn the 2018 Goal Getter Diva Patch. Walk-A-Bout - From when cookies are available to March 18 Cookies will be delivered in the last week of February. Once Girl Scout Cookies have arrived, girls should make every effort to deliver all Initial Order boxes to customers first, but they can also continue selling by canvassing their neighborhoods with extra boxes. Booth Sales - February 23 to March 18 Girl Scouts have two ways they can participate in a Booth Sale (selling directly to customers in a public area): as a Troop Booth Sale, or as a Mom and Me Booth Sale! Troop Booth Sales are scheduled with the troop and give girls an opportunity to work together and sell as a team. Mom and Me Booth Sales are booth sales that allow girls to continue selling as an individual girl. Please see page 16 and 17 for more details on Booth Sales. Digital Order Card - January 6 to March 18 GSUSA and Little Brownie Baker have teamed up to provide a safe and fun way to sell Girl Scout Cookies online through the Digital Cookie Program! Girls will be invited to join the Digital Cookie Program through an sent to their primary guardian. Once a girl is signed up she will be able to set goals, work on her financial literacy badges, customize her own Online Store, and begin selling anywhere in the United States! 10

11 Digital Cookie Program DIGITAL ORDER CARD OVERVIEW GSUSA and Little Brownie Baker have teamed up to bring us the online platform Digital Order Card, which works just like it sounds by allowing customers to place their orders digitally. Girls can customize their own online cookie store, set goals, play fun games, work on badges, and, of course, invite customers to order our delicious cookies and support herself, her troop, and Girl Scouts of Silver Sage. ebudde INTEGRATION The Digital Cookie Program works with ebudde to record sales data. Each sale online will be automatically recorded under the correct girl, and make a deposit in ebudde on behalf of the girl and troop. Troop Cookie Managers do need to both physically, and in ebudde, distribute cookies to girls when a customer requests Girl Delivery; a deposit still shows the cookies have been paid. DELIVERY OPTIONS Customers are given three options for delivery when they buy online: Shipping or Girl Delivery or they can donate to the Cookies and Milk from the Heart program. Shipping has an extra fee associated with the option but can reach across the United States to hit Grandparents and other distant friends and family. GSUSA is working to reduce the shipping fees but fees may still seem high in a world of Amazon Prime free shipping. Once a customer has placed an order for shipping, it will be boxed and shipped directly to the customer through a national shipping company like UPS or FedEx. Girl Delivery allows a customer to save money and get face-to-face interaction with the Girl Scout they are supporting but still order and pay for their cookies online. Parents will have the final say in whether or not their daughter can/will deliver to any individual customer. QUICK TIPS ABOUT ONLINE SALES Parents will be invited to join via (must have an listed in our council data management system). Girls and guardians must sign the Online Pledge and turn in to the troop before participating. All varieties will be available online. Girls can sell or market to anyone in the United States through the online system but traditional sales - Order Cards, Booth Sales, etc... - are still restricted to the council geographic boundaries. Sharing an individual girl s Online Store URL through social media sites like Facebook is allowed as long as it is shared with friends (people you actually know) and not publicly or on Buy, Sell, Trade sites. Twitter and other public social media sites are prohibited. 11

12 ebudde QUICK TIPS ebudde Quick Tip Guide ebudde is a cookie volunteer s best friend. Here s where you ll order cookies, track deliveries and more. You will receive ebudde training that will help you use it to its full potential. Here are some quick reference facts. USER LOGIN 1. Go to: 2. Enter your address and temporary password. Click LOGIN 3. Change your password and enter contact information. Click SUBMIT NOTE: Passwords are reset each season - so returning users will also follow the steps above. The system works through tabs at the top of the page. CONTACTS TAB Review information and edit as necessary SETTING TAB 1. Add additional roles for your troop by adding volunteers addresses to a role 2. Enter troop goal in packages 3. Enter girl level of troop i.e. daisy, brownie, junior, multi, etc Silver Sage does requires adding troop banking information 5. Click UPDATE to accept all changes GIRLS TAB A council wide import of troop girls is done at the beginning of each cookie season; additional girls in the troop (girls who register after the initial import) are entered by Troop Cookie Managers and Troop Leaders from their rosters. 1. Enter names of girls 2. Enter GSUSA ID (or generate a unique code), and grade 3. Enter goal in packages 5. Click UPDATE to accept all changes INITIAL ORDER TAB 1. Click each girl s name; go to bottom of screen, click squares to begin entry 2. TAB to enter your girls total cookie order in boxes by variety 3. Press a. ENTER (on keyboard) or OK button b. Repeat for each girl BOOTH Click BOOTH, bottom of screen, click squares to begin entry. TAB to enter in boxes and variety number of cookies for booth sales. ENTER (on keyboard) or OK button c. SAVE the page Review the totals at the bottom, if correct click SUBMIT order. You cannot change order after it has been submitted. Contact your Service Unit Cookie Manager or the Membership Team at your council to make changes d. Print copy for your records 12

13 ebudde Quick Tip Guide DELIVERY TAB 1. Review, and enter delivery information 2. SUBMIT information REWARDS TAB 1. Click FILL OUT next to Initial Rewards Order 2. Review girl orders 3. Review total rewards earned 4. Click SUBMIT to submit your order BOOTH SALES TAB Council Sites 1. Click the Council Sales button 2. Find booth sales you would like to sign up for, click date and time 3. Click time slot and click SUBMIT button Troop Requests 1. Click the My Sales button 2. Click add a location 3. Fill in location site information, date and time range 4. Click UPDATE. Request will be pending until approved or denied by the Service Unit Team REMEMBER: Please keep Booth Scheduler in ebudde up to date with your group s times and dates. This data powers both the Cookie Finder App from GSUSA and the Cookie Locator App from Little Brownie Girl Orders Tab 1. Update girl orders to include all additional packages sold and payments made 2. Click Save to save your information Transactions Tab 1. Enter troop-to-troop transactions (Troops may transfer cookies from one troop to another if needed) -or- 2. Enter pending order to the cupboards 3. Click Save to save your information REWARDS TAB 1. Click FILL OUT next to Final Rewards Order 2. Enter or review total rewards earned 3. Click SUBMIT to submit your order DEPOSIT TAB 1. Please check the deposits tab a week after each electronic withdrawal from your troop bank account to be sure the transfer was successfully recorded. SALES REPORT TAB 1. Review final package numbers 2. Review your receipts 13

14 Council Procedures: Order Card and Initial Order Sales Girl Scouts of Silver Sage has many ways to sell Girl Scout Cookies. Over the next several pages each section will describe how to manage a different area of the Cookie Program. ORDER CARDS AND INITIAL ORDER GUIDELINES During our Initial Order time period from January 12 through January 28, 2018 girls will use their order cards to record customer purchases. Below is the process in which to correctly navigate this part of the sale: In order to create equal sales opportunity for girls we ask that no sales are made prior to the start of the sale dates. There is no specific start time in which girls can begin selling on January 12, Girls record customer information and orders on their Order Card throughout the selling period. We highly recommend that girls collect money at the time of order taking. This allows girls to drop-off product without requiring a customer to be home. If a customer does not feel comfortable paying upfront, simply take the order and collect on delivery. NEVER give product until payment has been made. At the end of the Initial Order, girls should add up their totals by variety and overall totals of boxes sold and turn their Order Card, along with all money collected, into their Troop Cookie Manager (TCM). Once the TCM has all their girl s Order Cards collected, they will input all the totals by variety into ebudde under the Initial Order Tab. The TCM should keep Order Cards in a safe place and return to each girl when product is distributed. Please see page 12 for more details on entering your Initial Order. After all Order Cards have been entered, Troops can then order extra if they choose for Goal Getter, Booth and door to-door direct sales. Troops may also pick up more product from their local Cookie Cupboards after the Initial Order process is complete. Please see page 23 for more on Cookie Cupboards. After all orders have been placed the TCM will submit their Initial Order to the Service Unit Cookie Manager. Troop Initial Orders are due Wednesday January 31, 2018, three days after the end of Order Card sales. Please note that once an Initial Order is submitted troops cannot change their order. All troop Initial Orders will be rounded up by variety to the next case and delivered in FULL cases 12 boxes per case, so be prepared for a few extras. For example: Placed Order 11 Thin Mints; Total Ordered and Delivered 12 Thin Mints (one case); Extras - 1 Thin Mint. TROOPS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL BOXES DELIVERED. Once the Initial Order has been submitted the TCM will also need to submit an Initial Rewards Order for any girls in their troop that reached the 250+ boxes sold at the time of the Initial Order. Please see page 13 for more details. 14

15 Council Procedures: Goal Getter Sales and Walk-A-Bouts GOAL GETTER CARD GUIDELINES After the Initial Order and before Booth Sales begin may feel like just a waiting period... but nothing could be further from the truth. Girls are not only allowed to continue selling but are encouraged to continue taking orders on their Goal Getter Cards. And girls can earn the Goal Getter Diva Patch for selling 30+ boxes from January 29 - February 22! Troop Cookie Managers can enter sales into ebudde under the Goal Getter column on the Girl Orders Tab. At this point most troops have collected each girl s Order Cards, so girls need a new way to keep track of any order that comes in after the Initial Order has been placed. This is where the Goal Getter Card comes into play: Simply use the Goal Getter Card like a traditional Order Card from January 29 - February 22. Use our council provided Goal Getter Calculator in Excel to add all the girls boxes together (ebudde does not calculate by variety after the initial order, only total boxes sold by category). Then add a Transaction in ebudde to your local cupboard to fill the Goal Getter orders, or use troop inventory. WALK-A-BOUT GUIDELINES Walk-A-Bouts can be done as a troop or as an individual girl once your troop has cookies on-hand. Loading up a wagon with cases of Girl Scout Cookies, and hitting the streets to sell directly to neighbors is a fun and easy way to sell a few more boxes - for girls trying to hit their goals! Here are a few tips: Try bundling the cookies and add a decorative bow or ribbon. Selling in bundles can increase your sales. Set a goal, make a plan, and leave no doorbell un-rung! Sell with friends, or even better, schedule the whole troop to canvas an entire neighborhood or two. Ask a local business if your troop can come through and ask employees if they would like to purchase some delicious Girl Scout Cookies! 15

16 Council Procedures: Booth Sales COOKIE BOOTH GUIDELINES Booth sales, from February 23 - March 18, are one of many ways to sell Girl Scout Cookies and it allows the girls to sell as a troop rather than as individuals, although girls can still sell individually with an adult see Mom And Me Booth guidelines. There are two ways to schedule booth sales: Council Sales and My Sales. Council Sales are booths set up by Council for use by all troops. They usually include large retail and grocery outlets in our council area. The store management has given permission to the Council to schedule and manage troop booths for specific times and days during our sale. Troops are able to select from hundreds of locations and find time slots that work best for them during the Three Rounds of sign ups (be sure to see the schedule for exact times and rules for each round on page 17). My Sales are booths that were not listed as Council Sales locations and are set up by a troop for use by their troop. Any troop can request a My Sales booth by first scheduling a date and time with a business/organization, then submitting the information into the My Sales section of ebudde and finally approval by the Service Unit Booth Sale Approver. Reasons for rejection may include, but are not limited to: schedule conflict, inappropriate location, or Service Unit has requested site for Council Sales. Once your troop has decided to participate in a Booth Sale here are a few guidelines to follow: A booth MUST consist of a minimum of 2 girls and 2 adults (except Mom And Me Booths). Both adults must be approved volunteers and one must be female. All girls involved in the sale MUST be registered. We recommend having only 4 girls at a booth at any given time because too many girls can lead to too much play. However, please use your own best judgment for your troop and follow any special instructions from store management. MUST have permission slips, health histories, and first aid kit at each booth locations. Girls should be identifiable as a Girl Scout. Do NOT block entrances or exits of the establishment and only approach customers EXITING. Each troop will be responsible for providing cash for change and a container to keep it safe. Troops must also supply table, chairs, pens/pencils, calculator, tape, and any sales aids. Bring a paper copy of your booth schedule to all booths in which your troop participates. If for some reason you and another troop show up at the same place and time, please try to come to a mutual solution. Below are a few good hints to have the most successful booth experience: Be sure to display your Troop Gift of Caring or Council Cookies from the Heart information. Avoid eating, drinking, and chewing gum. Decorate your booth, display posters, troop goals, or things/pictures of troop activities. Bring lots of smiles, good manners and a polite voice. Say Please and Thank you. LEAVE THE AREA CLEANER THAN YOU FOUND IT! Take empty cases back home to recycle. Protect the cookies! Keep them out of direct sun and dampness. Count cookies and money at the beginning and end of each shift. Be sure to keep money in a safe place throughout the sale. If adult responsibility changes during the booth sale, count the product and money again and fill out a receipt. SAFETY: The troop should arrive and depart together. Girls should always be accompanied by an adult. Before booth sales begin, discuss how cookie sales made during the booth are divided up for each girl. There are many ways to split the sale, so make sure everyone understands how your troop will divide the boxes. The most traditional split is to divide the amount sold equally by the number of girls participating during one time slot (usually 3 hours). Please be considerate to the other troops setting up and taking down. Take down should begin at the scheduled end time and any sales at that point should be directed to the troop setting up. You should be prepared to assist other troops for a smooth transition. REMEMBER: Selling Girl Scout Cookies at a Booth Sale is a privilege granted to us by the local merchants. These booth sales are a fragile privilege and if abused, even unintentionally, could cause all Girl Scouts to lose the opportunity for additional sales at these places of business, permanently. Girls need to be careful and considerate of the merchant s property and customers. Any complaints and you may be asked to leave. 16

17 Council Procedures: Booth Sales Mom and Me Booth Guidelines Girls gain lots of practice working together with other girls on their team during cookie sales. We foster teamwork, as this is often the best way to get things done and achieve a variety of goals. What we ve found however, is often girls on a team do not always share the same goals. In order to give opportunities to those girls to continue to strive for their personal goals, we are allowing one mom and one daughter to host booth sales as long as they meet the following conditions: A Mom can be any adult that the parent/guardian allows the child to sell cookies with and does not need to be an approved volunteer. Adults must sign the Mom and Me Booth Sales Contract and take a short etraining course in order to participate with their Girl Scout. NO OTHER PERSONS MAY BE PRESENT AT THE MOM AND ME BOOTH SALE, INCLUDING SIBLINGS! The troop must agree that they have signed up for as many locations as desired prior to Mom and Me sign ups. The Mom and Daughter team may sign up for booth sales through their Troop Cookie Manager after the general booth sign ups have ended. This year Mom and Me sign ups start on Monday, January 29, 2018 for both Council Sales and My Sales booths. The parent/guardian is financially responsible for all cookies and money in their daughter s possession. Troop Leaders should ensure that they received a signed cookie program permission slip for every girl selling in their troop. ebudde can be used to track any cookies used in the Mom and Me Booth by adding the cookies released for the booth to the Girl Order tab under Other. There are NO RETURNS for unsold boxes. Girls may use cookies to make sales door-to-door, to friends and family, as well as at the Mom and Me Booths. All boxes sold at a Mom and Me Booth are recorded and credited to the troop. Troop proceeds go to the troop for every box sold by their girls, same as pre-season sales, Goal Getter sales, and traditional booth sales. PROCEDURES FOR BOOTH SCHEDULING Starting in January, Troop Leaders should begin planning the number of booth sales based on troop goals and girl/adult availability. Troop Leaders should collaborate with their Troop Cookie Manager to review the booth sales sites available to decide which sites they want to target once scheduling begins. Booth scheduling occurs in three rounds to give troops equal opportunity to get the most popular Council Sales booth sites. My Sales sites are not limited to this process. As a courtesy, we ask that all troops treat one another with respect and follow the Girl Scout Promise and Law when selecting booth locations. If issues arise the Council Product Manager reserves the right to remove troops from booth locations and time slots and notify all parties involved of the decision. ROUND 1 opens on Sunday January 21 at 7 PM. Each troop can pick two council sites at different businesses. ROUND 2 opens on Wednesday January 24 at 7 PM. Each troop can now pick three additional council sites at any business location and any time slot. As you enter round two, you may now schedule a total of 5 council sites. ROUND 3 opens on Saturday January 27 at 7 PM. You are now free to schedule as many council sites as you wish. Tips for NEW Troops and Volunteers: First weekend sales have a higher sales-per-hour average than the second and third weekends. Look for locations with high foot traffic and high visibility. Make sure that if you have back-to-back booths at different locations you have enough time for the drive. Always remove booths that your troop cannot fill as early as you can. This gives other troops the chance to sign up and make plans to fill the time slot. This also ensures that the Cookie Finder App does not send customers to an empty booth. 17

18 Council Procedures: Banking Guidelines NEW MONEY MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES As with any product sale, there will be lots of money changing hands from customer to girl; from girl to parents; from parents to troop leaders; from troop leaders to Troop Bank Accounts and then electronically withdrawn by ACH into the Council Cookie Account and we want to give troops the best tools and tips to manage the process from beginning to end. Please contact the Membership Team (MT) at or if you have any questions. Recording every transaction is key to proper money management. Please see below for complete banking and documentation process: Girl Responsibilities When a customer pays for product purchased and we highly recommend taking money up-front during the Initial Order sale the girl will indicate this by marking the CHECK WHEN PAID box on her Order Card. After ensuring the correct amount, the girl should put the cash or check into her provided Money Envelope and discuss with her parents the safest place to store money until she turns it into her Troop Cookie Manager. Before turning money over, count the total to make sure all money matches the recorded amounts. Troop Cookie Managers (TCM) Responsibilities When girls turn in money to the troop, both parties should count the amount being turned in. After the amount is agreed upon, a provided Money and/or Product Receipt should be filled out and signed by the troop representative and parent. The white copy goes with the parent and the yellow stays with the troop records. After money is collected from girls the TCM must: Keep physical receipts in a safe place until all final reporting for the year is complete and all money issues are resolved. Record amount turned in by each girl under the Girl Order Tab in ebudde. Total all money received using either a ten key adding machine or spreadsheet computer software like Excel each check with its number should be listed separately and added to the total cash received. Each check received will need to be stamped with the your Troop Bank Account Endorsement Stamp (Order your New troop stamp, or $7.50 replacement stamp from the cookie webpage). Make deposits into your Troop Bank account as often as needed, DO NOT HOLD ONTO MONEY. Tellers should always count the cash being deposited but will most likely NOT add each check and verify the correct amount. For added safety, please ask the teller to verify each check listed on the deposit slip is present in the deposit. Once money is deposited, there will be three electronic withdrawals from Troop Bank Accounts. Hold on to all deposit receipts and if possible make copies of all materials before making deposits. Again, store until all final reporting for the year is complete and all money issues are resolved. 18 Please see page 19 for more details on the electronic transfers schedule, amounts to be withdrawn and how to set up your Troop Bank Account to receive deposits from customers.

19 Council Procedures: Banking Guidelines Our council uses an Automated Clearing House, or ACH, style of banking for our product sales. This means troops deposit directly into their own Troop Bank Account and the Council will electronically transfer funds from one account to the other. FINDING THE RIGHT BANK The first thing troops should do to prepare for this change is to evaluate your relationship with your current financial institutions, not all banks are equal. Each troop is responsible for finding the bank that best fits their financial needs. SETTING UP CHECK RECOVERY Although the overall percentage of bounced checks is very low within the Cookie Program, each troop should set up a check recovery system before the start of cookie sales to help mitigate risk if it happens. This is the fastest, most efficient, and cost effective method of having funds returned to a troop in the case that a check is returned with Non-Sufficient Funds, or NSF. Each troop may use any reputable vendor, or choose to act as their own collections agent, for check recovery but we recommend ChequeStar by NorthStar. They are very familiar with the needs of the Girl Scout Troops across the United States and have NO FEES for using their service. 100% of the face value of a check can be returned to the troop once collected. They have an 85% return rate over the past several years and were closer to 90% in 2014 (the last year we were able to monitor). ELECTRONIC WITHDRAWAL (ACH) SCHEDULE There will be three electronic transfers from Troop Bank Accounts to the Council Cookie Account. Please see below for the dates and amounts to be withdrawn. Monday, February 19, 2018 for 25% of girls Initial Order (Boxes sold by girls only, no Troop Booth or Extras ordered). Monday, March 5, 2018 for an additional 50% of girls Initial Order (For a total of 75% of Initial Order amounts). Monday, March 26, 2018 for ALL remaining balance owed to council. Please see example below: TROOP 999 Boxes Sold Initial Order (Girl Orders) 2000 Initial Order (Troop Extras) 1500 Cupboard Orders 500 Others - Donations/transfers 25 Total 4025 Boxes Price/ ACH Pull Initial Order % ACH Sold Box Amount Monday, February 19, st ACH 2,000 $ % $ 2, Monday, March 6, nd ACH 2,000 $ % $ 5, Booth/Goal Getter/ Remaining Initial Order Total 75% $ 7, Booth & Goal Getter 2,025 $ % $ 10, Remaining Initial Order Balance 2,000 $ % $ 2, Troop Proceeds 4,025 $ (0.65) 100% $ (2,616.25) Friday, March 24, 2018 Final ACH $ 10, Total ACH withdrawn from Troop Bank Account $ 17,

20 Council Procedures: Initial Delivery and Pick-Up DELIVERY AND PICK-UP GUIDELINES Once the Initial Order has been placed it takes days until cookies are ready to be distributed to troops. Service Unit Cookie Managers will help coordinate the when, where and how to pick up the Initial Order for each area. Here are some ways to get prepared for pick-up: Go to the Delivery Tab and select a time slot to pick-up; then click the Submit My Info button. After submitting, a new View Confirmation button appears; Click this to view delivery details and get an estimate of vehicles required to pick up your total cookie cases. If for some reason details are not present in the Delivery Tab or you have any questions regarding the delivery process, please contact your Service Unit Cookie Manager for information. 20 Tips for Delivery 1. ALWAYS COUNT ALL CASES before loading and only sign receipts when everyone agrees on the count. 2. KEEP YOUR VEHICLES CLEAN AND CLEAR OF UNNECESSARY CLUTTER. 3. ONLY BRING PEOPLE THAT ARE HELPING TO LOAD. Vehicle space is limited and time is limited. 4. BE ON TIME. Being too early or too late can cause delays, be ready to pick up all cookies at the designated time slot. 5. HAVE A PLAN READY TO GET GIRLS THEIR COOKIES QUICK! The faster girls get their cookies the faster they are out of your possession and in the hands of the customer. Make sure parents count all their girls boxes and sign a receipt before taking possession. Cookies by the Carload Use this guide to approximate how many cases of cookies will fit in your vehicle. The amounts assume the car will be empty except for the driver and uses all space except the driver s seat. Amounts can vary depending on make/model and whether seats are in place, adjusted flat, or removed. Safety Note: Avoid carrying cookie cases and children in the passenger area of a vehicle at the same time. Car Type Number of cases Compact auto Hatchback auto Standard auto Sport utility vehicle Station wagon Mini van (depending on whether seats are in) Pick-up truck (full bed) (Do not use in inclement weather unless bed is covered) Cargo van (no seats)

21 Council Procedures: Cupboard Usage and Pick-Up COOKIE CUPBOARD GUIDELINES Cookie Cupboards are set up to allow troops easy access to more cookies throughout the direct sale portion of our Cookie Program i.e. Booth Sales, Goal Getter Cards, and Walkabouts. Below describes how to order more and then pick up your order from a local cupboard: Under the Transaction Tab in ebudde click on ADD a transaction. Select the cupboard that works best for you or your designated Troop Cookie Pick Up users only specific roles in ebudde have authorization to e-sign for a cookie pick up: Troop Leader, Troop Cookie Managers, and Troop Cookie Pick Up Only (Pick-Up Only should only be designated when that is the ONLY role they have in ebudde). Select the amount of cookies your troop needs in CASES and/or BOXES, click Okay, and then Save. The order is now Pending until picked up and an e-signature is received. Troops may modify the amounts ordered until the order is no longer Pending. Once you arrive at the Cupboard for pick up, the Cupboard Manager will prepare the order. Both the Manager and the Pick Up Person will count the cases being picked up before loading into a vehicle. Either a password on the ebudde Cupboard Keeper App or signed Cupboard Receipt is required before the release of any product. PLEASE HAVE YOUR PASSWORD READY AT TIME OF PICK-UP! Cookie Varieties Order % Example Thin Mints 30% 5 Cases PLEASE SEE COOKIE ORDERING CHART FOR Samoas 30% 5 Cases COUNCIL WIDE SELLING PERCENTAGES Tagalongs 13% 2 Cases This chart is a good guide for determining amounts to be ordered either at a cupboard or during the initial order process. All troops have different goals and selling patterns; please use your own best judgement when placing orders. GS S mores Dos-si-dos Trefoils Savannah Smiles Toffee-tastic 8% 6% 6% 5% 2% 1 Cases 1 Cases 1 Cases 1 Cases 1/2 Cases After product is picked up, THERE ARE NO RETURNS OF UNSOLD PRODUCT. 21

22 Council Procedures: Cookie Donation Programs COOKIE DONATION GUIDELINES For various reasons, some customers do not want to buy cookies for themselves, or they have a limited need but want to give more. With both a Council-wide donation program and a Troop-level donation program, customers have more ways than ever before to give to others while supporting Girl Scouting at the same time. COOKIES FROM THE HEART (CFTH) - Council-wide Cookie Donation Program Cookies from the Heart was created to give customers and troops an opportunity to make a donation easy. Because this is a virtual donation program, troops do not collect the actual boxes to be donated but do collect the money for the donation, see below for details. Here s how it works: Troops should display Cookies from the Heart marketing materials during order taking and booth sales to promote donation of cookies to The Idaho Food Bank. Money is collected for each donated box and the troop records the sale in ebudde as a Cookies from the Heart (CFTH) box.* At this point the troop is done. The cookies are added up from all the participating troops and taken from the Main Boise Cupboard to The Idaho Food Bank. For those girls who sell 15+ boxes for the Cookies from the Heart program, they will receive this CFTH Patch: *Cookies from the Heart boxes are recorded as a sale but do not add to your Initial Order total or inventory total. Unlike Gift of Caring a troop will never need or receive boxes for Cookies from the Heart. If you have more questions about Cookies from the Heart please contact the Membership Team at or at membershipsupport@girlscouts-ssc.org GIFT OF CARING (GoC) - Troop Cookie Donation Program Gift of Caring was created as a way for troops to give back to their communities directly. Here s how it works: Troops choose an organization to donate boxes to. Then troops develop a campaign to promote their Gift of Caring while selling with both order cards and while at booth sales. Money is collected for each donated box and the troop records the sale in ebudde as a Gift of Caring box.* At the end of the season troops count the amount of purchased boxes for the Gift of Caring program and then take boxes from any remaining troop inventory** and donate boxes to the organization. Troops are responsible for any costs associated with delivery. *Gift of Caring boxes are recorded as a sale but do not add to your Initial Order total. Some troops will show they have sold more boxes than they will receive at the Initial Delivery and troop pick-up. If this is the case simply add a Transaction to your local Cookie Cupboard for addition boxes to make up the difference. If you have more questions about Gift of Caring please contact the Membership Team at or membershipsupport@girlscouts-ssc.org ** Either extra boxes that were not sold during booths or if needed add a transaction for addition boxes from your local Cookie Cupboard. Tips for Selling GoC or CFTH boxes Wrap your box of cookies with a box wrap promoting your Cookie Donation program, Templates available at the Silver Sage Cookie Page. Display a sign that informs which group you are supporting, The Idaho Food Bank or your group of choice. Create a drop box where customers can place donated cookies, and watch the donated cookies stacking up! (Boxes do not need to be the actual cookies donated just symbolic for donors and your girls). Create a Tally Poster to track the number of donated boxes, so customers can see their donations making a difference. During Door-to-Door Sales, Walkabouts or Workplace sales write on your Order Card the name of the group to receive donated cookies, and ask customers if they would like to purchase a box or two to donate. 22

23 Council Procedures: 5forFive! Program 5forFive! GUIDELINES The 5 for Five! Contest is designed to give girls a way to sell more boxes and give back to the customers that best support our mission: If a customer purchases 5 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies they can enter to win 5 cases (60 boxes) of Girl Scout Cookies. There are 5 total winners, one in each Girl Scouts of Silver Sage main areas. Here s how it works: Troops are provided with 5forFive! Contest Entry Pads. Each pad has 50 sheets with a unique number code printed on each sheet. When a customer purchases 5 or more boxes they are given one Entry Sheet. A customer can receive one Entry Sheet for every multiple of 5 boxes purchased: 24 boxes purchased earns 4 Entry Sheets (they would need one more box to earn a 5th Entry Sheet). Customers then go online to and follow the 5forFive! link to enter their unique code and contact information. The drawing will be held on Monday, April 2, Winners will be notified by phone and . Tips for Girls to make the most out of 5forFive! Use the 5forFive! Coupon at the point-of-sale to increase each customers purchase - not just at delivery as a reward. Use during every sales opportunity: with Order Cards, Goal Getter Cards and at Booth Sales. Use posters and flyers to promote 5forFive! at Booth Sales. Ed Glazar/Magicvalley.com Use the 5forFive! for $25 slogan. Link it to girl and troop goals, such as, When you purchase five boxes it helps me to earn my own way to camp. or When you purchase 5forFive! for Only $25 our troop uses proceeds to purchase dog food and donates it to the Idaho Humane Society. Started in Silver Sage Council, and is now a national top selling tool! 23

24 Council Procedures: Close Out CLOSE OUT GUIDELINES After the completion of the sale the TCM has a little bit more work to complete to close out the 2018 Cookie Program: Girl Order Tab Balancing, Final Reward Submission, Parent Bad Debt Reporting, and Final Deposits. Girl Order Tab Balancing To balance the Girl Order Tab, the Girl Totals and Order Totals (Total Troop Inventory = Initial Order Boxes + Total Additional Transaction Boxes) should be equal with the Difference zeroed out. If there is a positive Difference, your girls sold more boxes than the troop has in their inventory and will need to make a final Transaction to fill those orders to zero out the balance (this happens due to Troop Gift of Caring Orders that have not been filled yet or an inventory control issue). If there is a negative Difference, then there are unsold boxes left in troop inventory. The troop is responsible for unsold inventory and should still credit girls with the sales of unsold inventory in order to zero out the balance. TIP: These boxes can be used to bump girls to the next reward level or evenly split amongst the troop. Final Reward Submission After the Girl Order Tab is balanced and every girl given credit for all the boxes sold, then it s time to review and submit the Final Rewards. ebudde will automatically calculate rewards but for many levels the Troop Cookie Manager will need to select which option a girl has chosen. Tip: Have girls circle which option they want on their Order Card and make a copy when they turn it in for their Initial Order. After each girl s rewards have been reviewed, click submit and you are done. Parent Bad Debt Reporting If a girl has not turned in money for cookies she has taken possession of and the troop leaders have made at least 3 attempts to collect then it may be necessary to fill out a Parent Bad Debt Form. After a Parent Bad Debt Form and accompanying documentation is turned over to council, an attempt to collect by staff will be made. Finally, if we fail to collect, the amount will be turned over to North Star Collections. FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED ONLINE BY MAY 1, Approved troops will be reimbursed at 88% of the outstanding balance. Final Deposits Deposits should be made on a weekly basis or as often as needed to keep money on-hand low. Troop final deposits into their Troop Bank Account should be made by Monday, March 22, This will give four days for all checks to clear before the final electronic withdrawal, for the remaining balance of funds due, on Monday, March 26, All remaining funds in your Troop Bank Account should equal your troop proceeds, given that all cookies have been sold, and all money has been collected from girls in the troop. If for any reason you do not believe funds will be available by the time of the electronic transfers, please call or notify the Membership Team immediately at: or membershipsupport@girlscouts-ssc.org 24

25 Notes 25

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28 Cookie Program Quick Facts: Cookies are $5/box All varieties on the Order Card, including Toffe-tastic and S mores Collect money up-front when selling Girls can use Digital Order Card to sell online!! Cookie Program Quick Dates: Order Card Sales: January 12 - January 28 Troop Initial Order due: January 31 Goal Getter Sales: January 29 - February 22 Cookies Arrive: February Booth Sales: February 23 - March 18 Final Electronic Withdrawal: March 24 Cookie Program Quick Contacts: SU Cookie Manager: Phone: Membership Team Phone: Toll Free: cookies@girlscouts-ssc.org 28