What s the Fall Product Program all about?

Transcription

1 Family Guide

2 Welcome! What s the Fall Product Program all about? The Fall Product Program is a council-sponsored program that allows Girl Scouts to learn new skills while earning money for their troops. All of the proceeds from the Fall Product Program remain in our local council. Troops and service units earn proceeds and bonuses to support their troops. Proceeds also help make council programming possible, including camp maintenance, financial assistance, events, and girl programs Fall Product Program Theme Soar Above! Create your avatar and Go Beyond! Join the fun Fall Product Program and earn a patch featuring your name and Me2 avatar. You can even choose from four different destination backgrounds! Grow with the Fall Product Program! Your Fall Product Program Contacts Need Help? Troop fall product manager: Service unit product manager: 2

3 Table of Contents Important Dates 4 5 Skills for Girls 5 Family Support 6 Fall Product Basic Information 7 Girl Rewards 8 Order Taking 9-11 Getting Started 12 Online Storefront Placing the Order Parent Agreement Form Financial Guidelines 19 Resources and Quick Links Online Program: Forms, Guides, and Resources: fall-product-program.html 3

4 Important Dates Check with your troop fall product manager September 28 Fall Product order taking begins. October 14 Order card and Girl Delivered order taking ends. Parents must enter all order card orders into the Online Storefront. October 14 October 31 Direct Shipped products and magazine sales still available through the Online Storefront. November 1 Girl Rewards selection due. Mid November: Pick up products from troop fall product manager. Late November: Girls deliver nut/candy orders to customers and collect money due. End of November: All money due to troop fall product manager. Some deadlines are specific to your troop; ask your troop s fall product manager for any deadlines not listed above. 4

5 5 Skills for girls Did you know Girl Scouts gain five skills by participating in the Fall Product Program? Business Ethics Girls learn the importance of honesty and responsibility by following product guidelines and by saying the Girl Scout Promise and Law. They put these values into practice during the program. Decision Making The program teaches Girl Scouts to be smart decision makers. By working as a troop, they decide how to best reach their goals. People Skills Girls learn it s okay to try new things because Girl Scouts is a safe place! The program gives her troop the opportunity to interact with different types of people. She ll work with a team and learn to talk and listen to her customers. Goal Setting Goal setting is a vital part of the program and the entire Girl Scout experience. She ll set her own goals and talk with her troop about goals they want to set together. 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. Money Management Younger Girl Scouts learn to count money and make change, while older Girl Scouts learn to build a budget. All girls learn to prioritize what they should save, spend, and share. How Much Do Troops Earn? Proceeds belong to the troop, not individual girls, and proceeds are earned based on the number of items sold. Troops retain $1 for every order card and online Girl Delivered item sold, and 15% of the proceeds from all magazines and online Direct Shipped items. These add up fast! 5

6 Family Support Through the Fall Product Program, Girl Scouts earn money that their troops can use to participate in Girl Scout activities such as earning badges, camping, taking trips, and more! Your family s support of her participation in this skill-building activity ensures she enjoys the experience and financial rewards. Thank you for supporting your Girl Scout and Girl Scouts of the Southern Appalachians! Just for Parents and Guardians: Thank you for your dedication to helping her have a meaningful Fall Product Program experience! As a parent, we ask you to: Register your Girl Scout. Check with your troop volunteer or experience manager to make sure your Girl Scout is registered for the membership year. Agree to the requirements. A Parent Agreement form must be completed by parents or guardians and turned in to the troop product manager. This form acknowledges your responsibility for products and money. You must complete a form to receive the order card and sales materials needed for your Girl Scout to participate. You can find this form in the back of this Guide. Adhere to the deadlines. Order card orders must be entered in the Online Storefront or turned in to your troop s volunteer. All money due for the products ordered and received must be paid by the troop s deadline. Protect the products and money your Girl Scout is earning for her troop. Don t take money from a customer until your girl delivers the product. Once you sign for the products received, you assume responsibility for the product itself and its value. It is the parent s responsibility to collect payment from customers, and funds are due in full to the troop volunteer by the troop s deadline. Help your Girl Scout throughout the program. Guide her to set practical goals, listen to her practice her sales pitch, and help her set up her personalized online storefront. 6

7 Basic Information The council will place all product orders in mid-october and on October 14, customers will only have access to place online orders with direct shipping. Your troop fall product manager won t be able to place additional orders after October 19. Guidelines The Fall Product Program is a friends and family sale, meaning girls can sell in person or door-to-door. Girls can contact neighbors, family members, faith-based communities, parents co-workers, or anyone else each of you know. By signing the Parent Agreement form, the parent/ guardian accepts financial responsibility for the products ordered. See pages Troop proceeds are used for troop activities and don t belong to individual girls. Who may participate? Girls who: Are registered Girl Scout members for the membership year Submit a signed Parent Agreement form to the troop product manager Meet with their troop product manager, along with a parent/guardian, to receive sales materials 7

8 Girl Rewards Patches and Recognitions Girls earn patches and rewards for sending s through the online storefront, and by selling nuts, candy, and magazines. This year, the patches can be combined on her uniform to form an airplane pulling a banner! The avatar wardrobe now includes an G.I.R.L. T-shirt and moose slippers! Rewards Highlights See the Fall Product Order Card for a full list of rewards and requirements. Go Beyond Banner = 2 Mags Moose patch = 12+ s Airplane = 15 nuts/ candy Hanging Travel Bag and Super Seller Mags patch 5 magazines Camper Doodle Book, Pompom Pen, & Goal Getter patch 35 nuts/candy/ mags Small Moose plush 45 nuts/candy/ mags 5 donations Super Seller Nuts patch AND 2 pairs fuzzy socks OR Sticker Book OR $10 Candy Cash 55 nuts/candy/ mags Mermaid Zipper Pouch AND Pompom Kit OR $15 Candy Cash 65 nuts/candy/mags Duffle Bag AND Luggage Tag 85 nuts/candy/mags Large moose plush with aviator scarf OR Beach Towel OR $25 Candy Cash 100 nuts/ candy/mags Girls who participate in both the Fall Product and Cookie Programs have the opportunity to earn a Fall and Cookie Crossover personalized patch featuring the girl s Me2 avatar! To earn this patch, girls must meet the following requirements: Message Marquee OR Personalized Pillow OR $30 Candy Cash 125 nuts/candy/mags Create your Me2 avatar and send 12 s through the online webstore in the Fall Cookie criteria will be outlined in the 2019 Cookie Guide 8

9 Order Taking Order Card Items Taking Orders in Person Girls use order cards to take orders. Contact your troop fall product manager for additional cards. You can print and hand out business cards and flyers from the website that include your girl s unique store code. In her online store, customers can purchase new magazine subscriptions, renew existing magazine subscriptions, and purchase nut and candy items. Girls collect payment for nuts and candy at time of product delivery. Don t collect payment when taking orders. The only exception is when accepting money for donations. All orders placed online, even those orders placed for Girl Delivery, will take payment online. This means girls will not collect payments for any online orders. Know the 15 varieties of nuts and candies on the order card and their selling prices. Only the items on the order card can be ordered outside of the online system. Don t take in person orders for items not listed on the order card. Know about the additional items that are offered online in her personalized storefront. Tell customers how the troop will benefit from the sale and how they plan to use the proceeds. Let the customer write his/her information on the order card to ensure accuracy. Be pleasant, courteous, and say thank you! Peanut Butter Monkey 5.1 oz gift box $7.00 Whole Cashews 8 oz $9.00 Pecan Supremes 8 oz holiday tin $10.00 Dulce Daisies 5.1 oz gift box $7.00 Chocolate Covered Raisins 10.5 oz $7.00 Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Caramels Double Dipped Chocolate Peanuts Chocolate Covered Almonds 10 oz $ oz $ oz $8.00 Mint Trefoils 6 oz Girl Scout tin $10.00 Fruit Slices 10.5 oz $6.00 Spicy Cajun Mix 7 oz $7.00 Peppermint Bark 10 oz holiday tin $10.00 Sea Salt and Pepper Cashews Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Almonds 8.25 oz $ oz $9.00 English Butter Toffee 5 oz gift box $7.00 Care to Share donation N/A $6.00 9

10 Order Taking Completing the Order Card Make sure your troop number and first name are on the order card. Don t forget to add your goal! Let the customer write their information on the form. Girls collect payment for nuts and candy ordered on the order card at time of product delivery, with the exception of money for donations donations should be paid for at the time of the order. Let the customer know when you ll be delivering their order. Say thank you even if the customer doesn t buy anything. Leave a business card with your unique webstore code in case the customer wants to order additional items or magazines from your online storefront. Workplace Sales Girls can contact business owners they know to request the opportunity to sell nuts and candy to employees. Telephone Sales Girls can reach out via phone or text to friends and family who do not have online access. 10

11 Order Taking Online Sales Friends and family can order magazines, nuts, and candy online when a Girl Scout sends them an invitation to her personalized online storefront! Note: Magazines are only available online. They re sent directly to the customer and do not have extra shipping charges. Online nut and candy purchases have two delivery options. Shipped: Items are sent directly to customers for an extra shipping/handling fee. Girl Delivered: Items are delivered by the girl. This option is only available for the 15 items on the order card. There are no shipping/handling charges. Customers pay for all online orders at the time order is placed, including Girl Delivered orders. Girls won t collect money for any orders placed online. Send s early so customers have enough time to place their order. Girl Delivered orders must be placed by October 14 and Shipped orders must be placed by October 31. Social Media Networking Share your Girl Scout s online storefront on social media sites! Even though this is a friends and family program, it can be shared on restricted personal social media to friends and family only, not in public posts. Last year, 27% of online sales came from social media, and Facebook was the most-used site. Need help? Care to Share: Customers can purchase items for donation to the Care to Share program. Donated items are distributed to troops for donation to the charity of your choice. No shipping/ handling charges apply. 11

12 Getting Started The Girl s Online Storefront The personalized online storefront is fun and easy for girls and their parents to use. To start, go to: You ll need to know your troop number. If you aren t sure about the troop number, contact your troop administrator before setting up your Girl Scout s storefront. The troop number will allow your Girl Scout s troop to get credit for all her sales. Note: The site can toggle between English and Spanish on both the set up and the shopping pages. Been Here Before? Parents who registered their Girl Scout last year will receive an from the system reminding them they can log in. Forgot your password? No problem! There s a password reset button. Click Login and follow the instructions on the site. First Time Seller? Click Register and follow the directions to create a new account. 12

13 Online Storefront 1 Step One Get started by watching the helpful account set-up video. Then: Select your troop number from the drop-down menu OR Check I don t know/see my troop or group number box Step Two Choose girl s name from the dropdown menu. Girls names may not be edited. Nicknames or initials can be entered in the Girl Scout s Nickname field. If the troop number is not known, enter the girl s first and last name you used when registering her as a Girl Scout. Step Three Answer the questions about her goals and what Girl Scouting means to her. This populates the girl s story, which is shown to customers when they visit her storefront. 5 Step Four Let the Fun Begin! Now she s ready to create her Me2 avatar. Step Four She can choose to make the avatar look just like her. Choose skin tone, hair style and color, eye shape and color, and more! Once she s finished, she can save it as a photo and use it however she wishes. The avatar will become part of her online store. Verify her name and troop number are correct. If you didn t have your troop number, you ll see Troop not selected. If you re good with the information, click Proceed. If not, Go Back. Virtual Rewards When she completes her avatar, she ll earn her first virtual reward! Be sure she checks out her Me2 s room to find out how to earn more virtual rewards. New Me2 Assets! If she participated last year, she ll be excited to see all the Me2 upgrades! There are new wardrobe options, including moose slippers and a G.I.R.L. t-shirt! 13

14 Online Storefront Girls Can Add a selfie. By default, your avatar s close-up photo will appear on the webstore, but girls can choose to upload a picture. Girls who add a picture see a 50% increase in sales. Upload a video. Girls may also choose to upload a video. Girls who add a video see a 108% increase in sales. You can preview your personalized patch on this page! Promote your Campaign Enter one at a time or import contacts from your . Once you re done, click Launch Your Campaign. You can add additional addresses at any time during the program. Manage your Campaign Have More Than One Girl Scout? It s easy to add another participant. Just click the link, register another girl, and create the next Girl Scout s storefront. Manage multiple girls with just one login and password. You re not done yet! There are more ways to promote your sale. Be the first to shop your store Print copies of a personalized sales flyer Send more s 14

15 Placing the orders How will I place my Girl Scout s orders? Check with your troop product manager for your order submission due date. You have two options to submit your girl s product order: Enter on the online site. Benefits: You keep the order card with reward and customer details. Turn your order card in to your troop product manager. Benefits: If you don t have computer access, your troop product manager can enter the order for you. DO NOT DO BOTH! If you input your order online and then your troop inputs your order again, you ll receive double the items you need. Items cannot be returned once they re ordered. Calculating Orders Before turning in an order card, or entering orders online, review the order card: Make sure to total each customer s order across the row to ensure you know how much is owed. Then total each column to ensure you order the correct amount of product. Enter this in the Total # of Items and Total $ Amount Sold rows at the bottom. Double check your order by adding the Total # of Items row and the Total $ Amount Sold row as well as the # of Items column and Amount Due column. These numbers should match. If any of these numbers don t match, try to correct them or contact the customer if clarification is needed before you submit the orders. 15

16 Placing the orders Inputting Orders Online On your Dashboard, click Manage Paper Orders. Enter the total number of items you need for each product. Click Update when you are ready to submit. Green text will appear above the Update button to let you know that your order has been saved. This page will remember how many of each item you have ordered. You can return up until the submission deadline and add more items if needed. For instance, if you previously entered two Fruit Slices for an order, but need to add one more, you can click Manage Paper Orders, update the total, and click Update. Product Pickup from Troop Your troop fall product manager will tell you the date/time/location to pick up your Girl Scout s nut and candy items. Allow enough time to count the ordered items with your troop fall product manager and sign a receipt showing the total number of items ordered and the amount due. It s important to verify you ve received the correct amount of product. Always get a receipt! Proper Transport and Storage Always transport in a climate-controlled vehicle, 72 degrees or lower. Don t leave product in a vehicle, as it may melt even in cold weather. Store the product in a climate-controlled environment, out of direct sunlight. You re financially responsible for all items ordered and will be asked to pay for any melted items. Deliver Products to Customers Use your order card and/or Sales Report to deliver to customers. Call ahead to make sure the customer knows the amount due, if any. Set a convenient time for delivery. Don t forget to protect the product from exposure to heat when delivering! What is the Return Policy? No products ordered can be returned to the troop, service unit, or council. MELTED PRODUCTS CANNOT BE RETURNED 16 What if an item is damaged? If the package or can is crushed, sealed but empty, unsealed, or returned by the customer, the item can be exchanged for a non-damaged item of the same variety. The damaged item should be returned to your troop fall product manager.

17 Parent Agreement Form Qualifications Girl Scout must be an active, registered member of GSUSA. Girl Scout must have a signed Parent Agreement form to participate. Responsibilities Comply with all GSCSA policies/procedures, including those outlined in the Fall Product Program Family Guide. Review and model the Code of Conduct for the GSCSA product program as outlined below. Meet all troop deadlines; as well as sale dates and deadlines. Confirm all online and additional sales with the troop product manager. Provide proper supervision and guidance for my Girl Scout while selling and delivering product. Count product with the troop product manager, and sign a receipt verifying the product received. Parent/ guardian will be responsible for the amount of product reported by the troop even if no receipt is signed. Money will be collected when delivering the product and not before. Keep track of any receipts received from the troop product manager for money turned in. Parent/guardian will be responsible for any discrepancies in money that is reported by the troop. Products cannot be returned to the troop product manager or any other representative of GSCSA. Parent/guardian accepts financial responsibility for all products and money received. 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. Code of Conduct Responsible behavior is a key expectation for girls and adults participating in the Girl Scout product program. Responsible behavior reflects trustworthiness, respect, fairness, caring, and citizenship. Participants are expected to follow all program guidelines as outlined in the Fall Product Program Family Guide and behave appropriately to ensure a high-quality learning experience and the safety of all participants. By signing the Parent Agreement form, you are agreeing to adhere to the following Code of Conduct: Remember that I am a role model, and my behavior reflects on all Girl Scouts Be polite and friendly to customers, fellow Girl Scouts, and volunteers Adhere to all sales start and end dates Adhere to the set price of all product Honestly report all sales numbers to the troop product manager Follow all social media, general safety, and online safety guidelines Will not ask another business to place orders or sell product for a girl Will ensure all money is submitted by the deadline Will model practices that demonstrate appropriate decision-making and responsibility for our girls 17

18 Parent Agreement Form By signing this Parent Agreement Form and accepting the sales materials, the parent/guardian is giving permission to participate in the Fall product program, as well as accepting the responsibility of participating in the sale. This form must be signed and given to the troop product manager before any product materials are released. I acknowledge that I understand and agree to the following: My Girl Scout has my permission to participate in the Fall product program. I must help my scout by providing proper supervision and guidance while selling and delivering product. I understand that my Girl Scout and I are expected to follow the Code of Conduct for the sale, and that consequences will apply if the Code of Conduct is broken. I accept responsibility to meet all troop deadlines, as well as sale dates and deadlines. I will enter and verify all ordered products in the online system, or confirm ordered products with my troop product manager. I agree to take time to count the product, sign a receipt, and receive a receipt with the product received. If I do not count the product or sign a receipt, I will be responsible for the amount of product reported by the troop. I understand that money will be collected when delivering the product and not before. I will be responsible for turning in the entire amount due for the products received by the date provided by the troop product manager. I agree to take time to count the money I am turning in to the troop product manager, sign a receipt, and receive a copy of the receipt. If I do not count the money in the presence of the troop product manager and sign a receipt, I will be responsible for any discrepancies in money that is reported by the troop. I also understand: Products cannot be returned to the troop product manager, or any other representative of GSCSA. I accept financial responsibility for all products and money received and that 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. If at any time I fail to turn over monies, I will be removed from all volunteer positions with GSCSA and will be ineligible to serve in a future volunteer role. My Girl Scout,, is a registered member of Girl Scout Troop # or is an Individually Registered Member of Service Unit #. I understand that participation in the product program is optional. Parent/Guardian signature: Date: Parent/Guardian name (please print): Phone: Address: City: State: Zip code: Driver s License (required): State: (required): Employer: Work phone: Girl Scout shirt size (circle one): YS YM YL AM AL AXL A2XL 18 Tear out and turn in to your troop product manager.

19 Financial Guidelines Financial Guidelines Collecting Payment Customers pay when the product is delivered. Customers should never be asked to pay for product before it s delivered, unless they re ordering online. Collect payment for Care to Share donated items at the time of the order. Girls/guardians should never be asked to pay for product when picking it up from the troop. The troop will set a date that all money is due. You must adhere to the payment deadline set by the troop or risk being turned into the council for outstanding debt. Failure to account for money and products received will be considered misappropriation of funds and may result in civil and/or criminal prosecution, and removal from volunteer positions with GSCSA. Check with your troop product manager to determine if your troop will accept checks. Checks should be written to the troop. We recommend asking to see the customer s driver s license and writing the driver s license number on the top left of the check. Don t accept checks from someone you do not know. We recommend purchasing a counterfeit detection pen to verify any bill larger than a $5. If you don t have a counterfeit detection pen, we recommend that you don t accept bills larger than $20. These pens can be bought at most office supply stores, Walmart, or Amazon. The council cannot reimburse troops for counterfeit bills or bad checks. If your troop does receive a counterfeit bill or bad check, they should report this to your local police department. When turning money in to your troop, don t forget to ask for a receipt! Always Get a Receipt! 19

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