2011 Cookie Program Troop Training

Troop Cookie Coordinator• Responsibilities

– Receive and distribute materials, products & recognitions to girls and parents

– Train girls and parents about safety and procedures– Use SNAP to track cookies in and out of troop– Use SNAP to track cookies checked out to each girl– Deposit $.35 per box sold to the troop bank account and the

rest to the council– Data enter deposits made to the council account in SNAP– Turn in Final Cookie Report and required documentation to SU

Cookie Manager

• Establish a schedule!

FORMSGirl Items (Paper materials, one per girl):• Coin Envelope • Girl Order Card• Parent Permission Form (3 carbon copy)Troop Items on CD:• 2011 Troop Cookie Manual – Instruction book and policy guide for the sale• Product Sales Collection Form – For use when a parent owes a debt• Booth Sale Success Resources – For use at booth sales• Booth Report Form – a report to track success at each booth for future planning• Cookie Videos – For use to help train girls and parents• Girl Training Resources – Age appropriate learning activities to guide your troop• Girl Scout Dough Information Sheet – How to use Girl Scout Dough• Girl Scout Dough Activity Form – Form for reimbursement of Girl Scout Dough• Special Option Use Form – Form for Special Option Use of Girl Scout DoughTroop Items on Paper:• The Cookie Volunteer Toolkit – A One-of-a-kind volunteer newspaper full of useful

information. Complete with window poster, cookie flyer, goal chart and training games.

• Receipt Book – Use these to record cookie exchanges to/from girls and parents and payments they make

Important Info• Cookie Sale start Wednesday, 1/19/11• Girls/parents may not even take orders before

1/19/11• Booth Sales start Saturday, 1/22/11• Make sure girls are registered for 2011 and have parent permission forms on file before

participating• http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=cookie_resources• www.abcsmartcookies.com • www.abcsnap.com

2011 Cookie Program

Mascot – “Sage” the owl

The CookiesThin Mints ShortbreadPeanut Butter Sandwich Lemonades

Caramel deLites Thanks-A-LotPeanut Butter Patties new this year Shout Outs!

Shout Outs!New Cookie With a Big Voice

• Girl Scouting gives girls the courage, confidence and character to speak up for lasting change and make the world a better place!

• Girl Scouting promotes healthy lifestyles including a well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise.

• Our new cookie is sensibly sweet! Zero trans fat grams per serving No hydrogenated oils No artificial colors No artificial preservatives No high fructose corn syrup

Project “Out-of-the-Box”

New eco-friendly packaging helps make the world a

better place.

– Pilot project to showcase sustainability efforts and how Girl Scouts are making the world a better place

– Will save 150 tons of paperboard - and countless trees!– Estimated equivalent of 35,000 gallons of gasoline saved

(source: EPA Waste Reduction Model)– Smaller case = more cookies on truck and estimated savings of

2,600 gallons of diesel fuel– Positive story to build excitement and support for cookie sales

and Girl Scouting (ABC and GSUSA to provide press releases)

The Benefits

• Mentors for Daisy Troops– SUCM will match troops

• Friends and Family Only Recommended

• Up to two booths per Daisy – Max one hour per booth per girl

– Max two Daisies per booth

• Encourage Manageable Goals• Extra Resources

– Smart Cookies in the Daisy Flower Garden-online

Girl Scout Daisies!

Before the Sale Troop Coordinator

• Set up Snap– Enter complete contact info for troop– Enter girls (first and last name, as they registered)

• Train girls and parents– Training materials for every girl age level at

http://www.abcsmartcookies.com and on the Troop CD– Training outline on page 7 of the Troop Cookie Manual

• Give girls/parents permission forms and guidance on what to order

• Be sure girls/parents know that they cannot take orders or start selling until January 19, 2011

Initial Order

• snap: On-line ordering system (user guide online)

• Parent Permission Forms– Girls will turn in to troop– Troop uses each girl’s goals, as indicated on Parent

Permission Form, to place an initial order on snap• Be sure this goal is reasonable; the troop can always get more

cookies. Sometimes it may be necessary to order fewer than the girl has set as her goal. As she sells her initial allotment, the troop can give her more cookies from the troop cupboard.

– Troop will turn 2 carbon copies of each girl’s form to the SUCM on or by Dec 3 (initial order deadline)

• Initial Orders are due in snap 12/03/2010

Initial Order Delivery and Distribution

• SUCM will contact you with a delivery date and time

• Check and Count!• Be sure you sign a receipt, and

receive a copy of the receipt for your records! Keep all receipts!

• Receive Council Deposit slips from your Service Unit Cookie Manager

• Distribute to parents• Check and count!• Be sure you complete a receipt

every time you distribute cookies to a girl/parent. You both should sign the receipt, and each receive a copy. Keep all receipts for your records!

Goals!Girls that set goals learn

valuable life lessons and are motivated to sell more

cookies.

ABC has a page on their website to help girls set, track and achieve their goals. It can be found in the CookiEZone at

www.abcsmartcookies.com

Plus – every girl that is registered on the My Goals Page in CookiEZone will be entered to win a fabulous

prize bag from the Girl Scouts of Central Texas!

To get to the CookiEZone goals page, go to Abcsmartcookies.com and click on the Girls Icon at the top. This will take you to CookiEZone. Once you have reached CookiEZone, you can select the age level of your troop.

Once you have selected the age level of your troop, you will be asked to create a log in or log

in. ABC does not save e-mail addresses from the girls who join CookiEZone. Each girl will use

their first name and CookiEZone ID to log in.

After girls have logged in, they can click on My Goals and then click Set Goals to set goals and personalize their goal chart. The girls will then receive a goal chart that will help

them keep track of their goals. Girls should log

on to CookiEZone

throughout the sale to update

their goal charts by

clicking Update My Progress.

When girls have reached their

goals, they can print a

certificate!

During the Sale Troop Coordinator

• Track cookies in and out of troop– Track in Snap– Use receipts to document all transactions

• Deposit $.35 cents per box sold to the troop bank account and remainder to the Council account using the Council Deposit slips you received from your SUCM.– Ask bank to VALIDATE all deposits (stamp the slips or provide a

receipt to verify the funds were deposited)– Enter Council deposits into snap

• Pick up extra cookies as needed– Schedule pick up with SU Cookie Manager– Turn in deposits on dates directed

• Support girls and parents as needed• Stay in touch with SU Cookie Manager

Transfers

• Troop to Girl or Girl to Troop– May transfer in boxes– Use receipts and document in Snap

• Troop to Troop– Full Cases only– Service Unit Manager must be aware of the

transfer– Use receipts– Service Unit will enter into SNAP

During the Sale: The Girls• Door to door anywhere in CTX council!• Booths ONLY in your Service Unit• Minimum of 2 adults and 2 girls per booth!• Safety always! Buddy system always!• No checks for more than $100 and do not

accept cash bills larger than a $20.00• Checks payable to GSCTX• Deposit all checks to council!

During the Sale: Girls and Online Product Promotion

• 411 on Online Marketing– on GSCTX Web-site

• Internet Safety Pledge (online only)

• Girl Friendly Web Safety Site:– http://lmk.girlscouts.org/ – www.abcsmartcookies.com

Online Promotion Basic Do’s and Dont’s

• Girls MAY market cookies and collect orders…– Using a parent’s e-mail, a group e-mail, or e-mail masking software provided by the

bakery (www.abcsmartcookies.com)– IF they are 13 or older, girls may use social networking sites to collect

orders (their own site or their parent’s site)

• Girls may NOT– Use the internet to market cookies without parental permission– Violate terms of use of any website– Exchange money online (no PayPal, E-Bay, etc)– Give personal contact information to customers that are not family– Use the internet to collect orders from outside of their own zip code,

unless the customers are family/personally known– Use their parent’s social networking site to market cookies if they are

under the age of 13

Complete, updated rules online at http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=cookie_resources

Cookie Caravans!Believe it or not, there are towns out there without Girl Scouts. That means they don’t have anyone to sell them Girl Scout Cookies! This year, we are trying to change that! The Cookie Caravan Program is a new program that sets your troop up with a booth sale in a town without Girl Scouts! Interested?

Contact Products@gsctx.org by December 3rd to

sign up!

Troop Bonus

Each troop is eligible to earn a Troop Bonus ranging from $1.08 per case to $2.40 per case. This bonus is paid to troops who fulfill all of the necessary requirements, which are:

• Troop Coordinator attended training.• Turned in and completed all forms and reports on time. • Deposited the “amount due to council” from the Final Report into the

council account, and provided proof of deposits totaling this amount with their Final Report.

• Total final returns must be equal to or less than 5%. Bonuses are paid on a sliding scale based on returns. The scale is as follows:

3% or less total returns = $2.40 per caseGreater than 3% but equal to or less than 4% = $1.44 per case

Greater than 4% but equal to or less than 5% = $1.08 per caseGreater than 5% = No bonus

NOTE: Troops that earned a bonus may pick up bonus checks from their Service Unit Treasurer or Service Unit Director, when (and only if) they turn in their Troop Financial Report.

Returns• Your Service Unit’s Goal: 1% or fewer returns

– Service Units get a bonus if the whole service unit returns less than 1%

– Council gets to return 1% of cookies to bakery, penalty free

• Due to your SUCM by March 4th (final report deadline)NOTE: your SUCM will have to enter your return into snap; the final report

you submit should indicate any returns your troop has

– Return full cases only (12 boxes per case)– Cases may be mixed flavors (6 Thin Mint, 6 Lemonades)– Write troop number on cases

“Opting Out” of Prizes•Cadette/Senior/Ambassador troops only•Troops choose this option in Snap when they place the recognition order•Troops must decide unanimously!•If there is ONE Daisy/Brownie/Junior in the troop, the troop may NOT opt out•If the troop elects to opt out, they will earn .05 cents extra per box as well as GS Dough and patches•Council will include the extra nickel per box with your bonus check after the sale is over; do not withhold the additional .05 when making deposits

Final Reports• Finish all transfers/returns/deposits in snap by March

4• Place Troop Recognition Order in snap by March 4• Run “Troop Balance Summary” in snap and print three

copies: one for troop, one for service unit and one for council.

• Attach one copy of each validated council deposit slip to each copy of Troop Balance Summary

• Troop Balance Summary + Council Deposit Slips = Troop Final Report.

• Turn in two copies of final report to Service Unit Cookie Manager by March 4, 2011

Special Circumstances

• Unpaid funds (a parent hasn’t turned in money or cookies)– Complete a Product Sales Collection Form

–available online and on Troop CD– Add to final report

• Lost/Stolen Cookies or Money – File a police report– Add to final report

Recognition Program

BoxLevel

Recognitions(cumulative)

Girl ScoutDough

(notcumulative)

48+ Embroidered Bracelet None

84+ Eco-Wood Owl Necklace None

120+ Mechanical Color Pencils $10.00

180+ Fleece Owl Key Chain $15.00

240+ Owl Spiral Journal & Biodegradable pen

$25.00

325+ Digital Calculator $50.00

425+ Mini Jams Radio $75.00

540+ Messenger Bag $150.00

675+ Large Fleece Owl $200.00

825+ Fleece Blanket $275.00

1000+ Sterling Owl Charm & Bracelet

$350.00

Patch(not cumulative)

Box Level

Cookie Round 24 - 119

Theme Patch 120 – 324

Super Seller Patch 325 – 539

Smart Cookie Patch 540 - 999

1000+ Club Patch 1000+

Special Events & Opportunities

• Council Recognition Ceremonies

–Combination of Gold/Silver Award Ceremony, Volunteer Recognition Ceremony & Cookie Celebration

Girls who sell 1,000+ boxes of cookies will earn

a Day Trip for Two to:

Main Event, Austin’s Park,

Schlitterbahn, Six Flags

Fiesta Texas or

Six Flags Over Texas!

Girls that sell 2,000+ boxes of cookies will be able to Discover, Connect and Take Action as they plan their own adventure!

Operation Cookie

• Instructions for participating in manual and online

• Letter templates online: one card per box of cookies

• Cookie Packing events in Possibilities• Promotional fliers available online

Opportunity Knocking• “After Sale” for Cadettes/Seniors/Ambassadors

that are saving for destinations trips or educational troop travel only

• Participants sell returned cookies from March 14 to April 11.

• Participating troops get $1.50 per box!• More information at http://www.gsctx.org/?nd=

cookie_resources

Cookie Captains• Girls earn service and leadership

hours by mentoring & helping at cookie events

• Information can be found online• Girls that fulfill 25 service hours get

their Community Service Bars for Contributions to Girl Scouting!

• In second year of program, girls earn leadership hours and get Age Level Leadership Pins!

Support

• Contact SU Cookie Manager– e-mail– phone– Availability– Cupboard Hours

• Girl Scouts of Central Texas’ Product Sales Dept.– products@gsctx.org– (800)733-0011

Thanks!