2016-2017 TCM’s Guide to a Successful Cookie Program

4806 Seton Drive Baltimore, MD 21215 410.358.9711 or 800.492.2521 www.gscm.org Email: [email protected]

Table of Contents

Why Sell ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Safety First ................................................................................................................................. 5 CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS .................................................................................................... 6 Cookie Timeline ......................................................................................................................... 8 Terms & Definitions .................................................................................................................. 11 Cookie Sale Basics .................................................................................................................. 15 Initial Orders, Great Cookie Dash, Electronic Forms ............................................................... 21 COCO and Booth Sales ........................................................................................................... 22 Cookies from the Heart – GSCM’s Virtual Cookie Share Program ......................................... 26 Cookie Cupboards and Seller’s Tips ......................................................................................... 28 SNAP ....................................................................................................................................... 30 Troop Cookie Manager Checklist ............................................................................................. 40

Who’s Who? Service Unit #: ______________________ Troop #: _______________ Troop Cookie Manager: (this is you!)

Service Unit Cookie Manager(s):

Service Unit Booth Sale Coordinator(s):

GSCM Director of Product Sales: Terry Mercer, email: [email protected] Follow us: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/gscentralmd Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gscentralmd Blog: http://blog.gscm.org Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/gscm/sets/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/user/GirlScoutsCentralMD

Why Sell GIVE GIRLS THE LEADERSHIP ADVANTAGE Serious fun = Serious skills Participating in Girl Scout Cookie Program activities provides girls of all ages with a leadership experience that helps them build skills they will use today and tomorrow. The Cookie Sale has allowed Girl Scouts to fund their own activities for 100 years. That purpose is no different today. As the largest girl-led business in the country, the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a unique opportunity for girls to lead the change in their own lives and their communities. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a girl-led experience, where girls set their Cookie Sale goals and work as a team to decide how troop proceeds should be used—whether to fund take action projects, assist others in the community, attend summer camp, or travel to destinations near and far. All cookie sale proceeds are put to use right in the local community. Through participation, girls develop The 5 Essential Skills that last a lifetime: • Goal setting • Decision making • Money management • People skills • Business ethics Many of today’s successful women got their leadership start by selling cookies. In fact over 60 percent of women leaders in the United States were once Girl Scouts! News anchor Katie Couric, labor leader, Linda Chavez-Thompson, and Mrs. Fields® Cookies founder Debbi Fields are but a few on the long list of amazing women who were part of this longstanding tradition. Why It Matters Ninety percent of women in the United States will be responsible for their own finances at some point in their lives, yet 78 percent are not prepared for that responsibility. Households headed by single women make up the fastest-growing poverty group in the country, and recent research among college students showed that females were significantly less financially literate than males. Financial literacy is a critical skill that impacts the quality of your Girl Scout’s future. Girl Scout Cookie Program activities are designed to help your Girl Scout move toward a financially independent future.

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Safety First BE SURE GIRLS UNDERSTAND AND FOLLOW THESE SAFETY RULES: 1. SHOW YOU’RE A GIRL SCOUT—Wear the Girl Scout membership pin and/or Girl Scout clothing to identify yourself as a Girl Scout. 2. BUDDY UP—Always use the buddy system. It’s not just safe, it’s more fun. 3. BE STREETWISE—Become familiar with the areas and neighborhoods where you will be selling Girl Scout Cookies. 4. PARTNER WITH ADULTS—Adults must accompany Girl Scout Daisies and Brownies. Girls in grades 4-12 must be supervised by an adult when selling door-to-door and must never sell alone. A registered adult should be present at a cookie booth in any public place at all times. 5. PLAN AHEAD—Always have a plan for safeguarding money—avoid walking around with large amounts of it or keeping it at home or school. Booth Sale money boxes should never be left unattended. Use an apron instead of a box to keep monies close. Give proceeds to supervising adults who should deposit it as directed by GScM as soon as possible. 6. DO NOT ENTER—Never enter the home or vehicle of a person when you are selling or making deliveries. Avoid going into alleys. 7. PROTECT PRIVACY—Girls’ names, phone numbers, addresses, or email 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 cookie sale. 8. 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 cookies and passengers from vehicles. 9. BE NET WISE—Take the GSUSA Internet Safety Pledge before going online and follow the specific guidelines related to marketing online http://www.girlscouts.org/help/internet_safety_pledge.asp. Girl Scouts cannot collect money online. Adults act as coaches who help girls develop leadership skills by using these three processes: • Girl-led: Girls play an active part in figuring out the what, where, when, how, and why of their activities. They lead the planning and decision-making as much as possible. • Learning by doing: Girls engage in continuous cycles of action and reflection that result in deeper understanding of concepts and mastery of practical skills. • Cooperative learning: Girls work together toward shared goals in an atmosphere of respect and collaboration that encourages the sharing of skills, knowledge, and learning. To see a video about these 3 processes click: http://forgirls.girlscouts.org/3-processes-for-girl-scout-volunteers/#/girls5_9/volunteer-guides/3-processes-for-girl-scoutvolunteers As always, safety is our primary concern when girls are doing any activity, including using the Internet. Girls and their parents cannot make financial transactions online with Girl Scout product; however, girls can market product and ask for customer preferences, following up with the customer in person if he or she indicates they want to purchase the product. An electronic copy of the Safety Activity Checkpoints can be found at: http://gscm.org

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CHECKLIST FOR SUCCESS Use this list to track important tasks and conquer the Girl Scout Cookie Sale one step at a time! PLANNING AND PREPARATION ___ Troop Cookie Managers receive cookie training and sales materials from the Service Unit Cookie Manager ___ Confirm girls are registered and cookie sale permission slips have been signed ___ Review Girl Scout Cookie Program and Safety Materials ___ Hold a family cookie sale information meeting to inform parents of troop plans ___ Recruit additional adults for cookie activities ___ Collect returned Cookie Volunteer Interest Forms ___ Facilitate girl training and goal setting ___ Schedule and/or register for booth sales MAKING IT HAPPEN…ENSURE ALL DEADLINE DATES ARE MET ___ First day of selling 9/9/16 ___ Initial order due from girls 10/3/16 ___ Distribute cookies 10/20-26/16 ___ Booth sales begin 10/21/16 ___ Money due from girls (date set by troop) ___ Money due to council (see scheduled ACH sweep dates) ___ Recognition orders due 12/5/16 ___ Final payment due to council 12/7/16 CELEBRATING SUCCESS ___ Distribute recognitions earned by girls ___ Evaluate the sale with the girls ___ Plan your service project(s) and/or event(s) utilizing cookie proceeds ___ Celebrate!

Approximately how many cookies does it take for the ADVENTURE of your DREAMS? Calculations are shown at $0.50 proceeds per box sold.

London/Pax Lodge $915 or 1,830 boxes Cruise to Bahamas $763 or 1,526 boxes Girl Scout Resident Camp $300 or 600 boxes White Water Rafting $55 or 110 boxes GS 411 Port Discovery overnight $38 or 76 boxes

Tree House Camping (two nights) $35 or 70 boxes Snow Tubing $21 or 42 boxes GS 411 Regatta Boat Race $18 or 36 boxes GS 411 Magical Fairy Festival $12 or 24 boxes Chesapeake Children’s Museum $8 or 16 boxes

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Didn’t you know? It’s not just selling Girl Scout Cookies…It’s a financial literacy and a lifelong skill building program! Parents and family can help Create Cookie Success You can make this year’s Cookie Program a success and help your Girl Scout develop the 5 Skills she’ll learn from selling cookies. Here’s how: Support Your Girl Scout q Go to the troop’s family cookie information meeting. q Sign and return all permission slips. q Provide transportation for order taking and delivery. q Help your Girl Scout network with family and friends, but let her do the “ask” so she can learn important business skills. q Help her arrange to take orders at your place of work, place of worship, or other places where people might purchase Girl Scout Cookies. q Attend your troop cookie meeting to become the group cookie coordinator (or help the group cookie coordinator when another adult is needed). q Offer to be a supervising Booth Sale adult— there are lots of opportunities to lend a hand. q Share your business expertise and help link the Girl Scout Cookie Program with the wider business world. q Follow your troop guidelines on how to handle cookie proceeds and follow troop deadlines. q Never do things for your Girl Scout that she can do for herself! 7

Cookie Timeline

August 2016 August 13

In-Person Training for Experienced SU Cookie Managers and SU Booth Sale Coordinators (You have held this position for 2 or more years) SU Cookie Manager Training: 9:00 am - 11:30 am Booth Sale Coordinator Training: 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm GSCM Urban Program & STEM Center 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 RSVP to Terry Mercer at [email protected]

August 20

In-Person Training for NEW SU Cookie Managers and SU Booth Sale Coordinators (You have held this position for less than 2 years) SU Cookie Manager Training: 9:00 am – 12:00 pm Booth Sale Coordinator Training: 1:00 pm -3:00 pm GSCM Urban Program & STEM Center 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 RSVP to Terry Mercer at [email protected]

August 29

Make-up Training for SU Cookie Managers and SU Booth Sale Coordinators 6:30 pm-9:30 pm GSCM Urban Program & STEM Center 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 RSVP to Terry Mercer at [email protected]

September 2016 September 9

Girls/Troops will begin taking Initial Orders

September 12

Troop Level Snap User Training 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm GSCM Urban Program & STEM Center 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 RSVP to Terry Mercer at [email protected]

September 14

Troop Level Snap User Training 7:00 pm- 9:00 pm GSCM Urban Program & STEM Center 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215 RSVP to Terry Mercer at [email protected]

September 18

Attend the 2016-2017 Cookie Kick-off and earn the patch! Purchase tickets online at www.gscm.org 1:00 pm -5:00 pm GSCM 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore , MD 21215

September 30

Deadline for troops to Opt Out of girl recognitions in the Snap system. Deadline to verify the 8 Troop’s contact and banking information listed in the SNAP system.

October 2016 October 3

Cupboard Manager Training 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm GSCM Urban Program & STEM Center 4806 Seton Drive, Baltimore, MD, 21215 RSVP to Terry Mercer at [email protected]

October 3

Due: Initial Troop Cookie/Early Recognition orders are both due in SNAP. Orders must be entered into the SNAP system by 5:00 pm or the troop forfeits all early recognition items

October 5

Due: Service Unit Cookie Managers MUST review and submit the SU initial order to Council no later than 9:00am

October 5

Due: Booth Sale Coordinators MUST enter Booth Sale troop assignments into Snap

October 20-26

DEPOT DELIVERIES - The Cookies are here! Service Unit Depot Deliveries – CONTACT your SU Cookie Manager for your specific Service Unit Depot details. Direct Sales Begin / Snap Booth Sale sign-ups Open

October 28

Cupboards open (see Cupboard Roster for locations and times) Early recognition items are sent to SU Cookie Managers to distribute to troops

Council- Wide – The Great Cookie Dash! Troops are encouraged to participate in The Great Cookie Dash. It’s a race to sell your troops initial order including Cookie Share. Troops who sell their initial order and replace them with a cupboard pick-up before November 7, 2016, will receive a GS Cookie Cart. Girls in the troop who are selling on 11/7/16 will also receive a customized Great Cookie Dash patch!

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November 2016 November 7

Manic Monday with WJZ TV Meet at 6:15am in front of Jimmy’s Restaurant located at 801 S Broadway, Baltimore, MD 21231

November 8

ACH Withdrawal #1 - 50% owed to GSCM for all boxes

ordered on troop’s initial order boxes including Trios and Cookie Share. November 18

ACH Withdrawal #2 - 50% of balance due to GSCM as of November 14, 2016. Troop box count cut-off date for this ACH will be November 14, 2016.

November 28

ACH Withdrawal #3 - 50% of balance due to GSCM as of November 23, 2016. Troop box count cut-off date for this ACH will be November 23, 2016.

December 2016 December 5

Cookie Sale Ends Due: Troop FINAL main girl recognitions order due in SNAP Orders must be entered into the SNAP system by 9:00pm or the troop forfeits all recognition items including patches

December 7

Due: Service Unit Cookie Managers MUST review and submit the SU initial order to Council no later than 9:00am

December 7

ACH Withdrawal #4 - All remaining cookie balances due to GSCM

January 2017

Girl Main recognition items are sent to the SU Cookie Manager for distribution to troops

February 17, 2017 through March 31, 2017 Me2 Magazine Sale Visit www.gscm.org for more Me2 Magazine Sale details in January/February 2017!

March 2017

Time to Celebrate! Will you be there? Girls who qualify for the celebration events listed below will receive a detailed invitation directly from GSCM. If your troop opted out, girls still earn and attend these celebration events based on their individual sales performance. 2017 Goal Getters Cookie Jam (girl sells 200 or more boxes) 500+ Super Sellers Club Celebration (girl sells 500 or more boxes) 1000+ Cook-E Officer Club Luncheon (girl sells 1,000 or more boxes) 10

Terms & Definitions ABC Bakers The current contracted provider of Girl Scout Cookies to Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. ABCSMARTCOOKIES.COM The bakery website with cookie selling resources for girls, parents and adult cookie volunteers. Tips, ideas and cookie recipes can all be found here. NEW ACH FORM (T-3) An “Automatic Clearing House” form filled out by troop leaders to authorize Council to withdraw funds for product payment from the troop’s bank account. This form outlines the dates and amounts to be withdrawn in a calendar sale. Troops understand that they may not order or receive Girl Scout Cookies until the ACH Debit Authorization form, T-3, is received by the Council. ACH SWEEP The term used for the automatic deduction of product sales payments from the troop bank account to Council for product sold. See the Cookie Sale Timeline for withdrawal dates and amount details ADVENTURE BUCKS A Cookie Sale individual girl incentive, based on the range of cookie boxes sold which are earned by girls for selling cookies. This incentive can be used for any redeemable adventures outlined in the Councils recognition program. Adventure Bucks may not be traded for cash or transferred to another girl. Girls in “opt out” troops do not qualify for Adventure Bucks incentives as the troop decided to forfeit all girl incentive items for more troop proceeds per box sold. Adventure Bucks are redeemed through a Survey Monkey Link provided to qualified girls at the end of the sale. BOOTH LOTTERY A lottery process used to sign up for cookie booths within your Service Unit geographic area. This can be done in person at meetings held at the Service Unit. It can also be done via an on-line process. Whether in-person or on-line, troops choose available cookie booth times and locations. BOOTH SALE COORDINATOR The appointed Service Unit Booth Sale Manager responsible for soliciting, coordinating, distribution, monitoring and evaluating the Troop Booth Sales in the assigned geographic area. BOUNDARY LINES (SU) For Cookie Sale purposes only, the GSCM Product Sales Committee derives the boundary lines based on Service Unit defined school districts. Booths are restricted by SU Boundaries. See your SUs Booth Sale Coordinator for details on your SU Boundaries. Troops should respect SU Boundaries and ask permission to set up booths in any other SU Boundaries. This should be done prior to contacting the business location. COCO The online version of the girl order card which allows girls to email friends and family for promised orders and a girl can place a customer’s order via cell phone or tablet.

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COOKIE BOOTH A cookie booth is a group of girls and adults that set up a stationary table, usually in front of a business, to sell product. We recommend a minimum of two adults and two girls. All Troop Cookie Booths should be coordinated with the Service Unit Booth Sale Coordinator or Service Unit Manager. Permission to set-up a Troop Cookie Booth in another Service Unit MUST be coordinated with that other Service Unit prior to establishing the Cookie Booth location. COOKIE CUPBOARDS Cookie Cupboards are managed by volunteers and are set up throughout Council as cookie storage locations where you can pick up additional cookies after sales have begun. See also Planned Order COUNCIL The regional Girl Scout Charter for a geographic region responsible for the operations of the business and the management of volunteers. CUPBOARDS See Cookie Cupboards CUPBOARD ROSTER A listing of all managers, locations, dates and hours of operations for all GSCM cupboards. DEPOT and DEPOT DAY Depot is the place where your Service Unit has established the initial order cookie delivery will take place. All arrangements are made by the Service Unit Cookie Managers. Depot Day is the day troops come to the centralized location to pick-up their initial orders. DIRECT SALE When cookie product is delivered to Troops and Booth Sales are conducted. FORM #s All forms have form numbers in the upper right-hand corner. The letter included in the form number indicates which group uses the form. A form beginning with (T) is a Troop form, a form beginning with (G) is a girl form, a form beginning with (SU or N/S) is a Service Unit level form and forms beginning with (BS) are Booth Sale Forms. FUN What girls experience when selling cookies while practicing leadership roles and the 5 Skills.

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G-1 PARENT PERMISSION FORM A form completed by each parent or guardian allowing their girl to participate in the sale. This form also provides legal documentation of financial responsibility for all cookies obtained for the girl. GSCM Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Council INCENTIVES See Recognitions INITIAL ORDER The first order for product placed by a troop. Cookie Initial orders are based on expected sales and placed prior to the beginning of the sale. JULIETTE Juliette’s is a program designated for individually registered girls above the Daisy Girl Scout age level without a troop designation. MEGA DROP A Region/District-wide distribution of the initial order of product to all troops. OPT OUT Is when a troop decides to forfeit girl recognition items for additional troop proceeds per box sold by the troop. Girls in opt out troops still receive appropriate patches and the celebration events at individual sales levels. PLANNED ORDERS A planned order is an order placed with a specific Cookie Cupboard for pick-up of more cases of cookies after initial order. PROMISED ORDERS Orders received via COCO emails. RECOGNITIONS Recognition items are earned by girls for achieving sale volume levels. Levels and items are outlined on the girl cookie order card insert. Troops decide if the girls want incentive items or additional proceeds per box. All incentives are cumulative. Troops failing to enter a recognition order forfeit the items for all girls in the troop. REWARDS See recognitions OUT of JURISDICTION Booth Sale Applies to Booth Sale Locations located outside of GSCM’s council area. (i.e., Nations Capitol and the Chesapeake Bay). Out of Jurisdiction Booth Sales must be approved by Girl Scouts of Central Maryland Director of Product Sales. PRODUCT SALES COMMITTEE (PSC) A team of volunteers appointed to evaluate, recommend and assist the GSCM Product Sales Director in planning and coordinating the annual Cookie Sale.

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SERVICE UNIT (SU) The geographic service area assigned by the Membership and Recruitment Department based on school districting. Service Units are comprised of several Troops. SERVICE UNIT MANAGER (SUM) A volunteer who manages the SU and the troop volunteers therein. SERVICE UNIT COOKIE MANAGER (SU COOKIE MANAGER) A volunteer who manages the Cookie Sale coordination for all troops within a SU. SERVICE UNIT BOOTH SALE COORDINATOR (SU BSC) A volunteer who secures, coordinates and disseminates the booth locations to all troops within a SU. SMARTCOOKIE U A central website resource location with bakery and Council specific cookie information. SNAP A bakery provided computer program used by Troop and SU volunteers as well as the Council to order, track and reconcile the cookie sale including girl sales and recognition items. T-1 TROOP COOKIE MANAGER PASSPORT The T-1 Troop Cookie Manager Cookie Passport is MANDATORY for cookie pick-ups. The Troop Cookie Manager must have the T-1 with him/her at Troop Cookie Training and to pick up the Troop’s initial order as well as any subsequent orders from Cookie Cupboards. No Service Unit Signed T-1 = No cookies! There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. The Troop Cookie Manager Passport must be filled out and then signed by the Service Unit Cookie Manager at training and on depot day. Late forming troops can have the Service Unit Cookie Manager sign the T-1 prior to going to a Cupboard. T-6 DOCUMENTATION OF UNPAID MONIES A form used by a troop to document when parents have not completed the financial responsibilities they agreed to for the product checked out to them. TOP SELLERS A Troop and individual Girl Scout that has sold the most products during the Cookie Sale in City/County geographic areas of the Council are called top sellers. TROOP COOKIE MANAGER (TCM) The adult troop member responsible for coordinating the Cookie Sale on behalf of the troop. This person is also financially responsible for all cookies received by the troop. NEW Position Description and Booth Etiquette forms are completed online. TROOP TRANSFERS T-4 / CC-2 Troops may transfer cookies between themselves by using the cookie transfer form and entering the transaction in Snap. This is the same form Cupboards use to transfer cases to troops. T-12 The form required at the cookie depot and cupboards giving authorization for cookie pick-up to someone other than the appointed Troop Cookie Manager. 14

Cookie Sale Basics

Who Can Sell? - All Girl Scouts registered for the FY’17 Membership Year (October 1, 2016 - September 30, 2017) within Girl Scouts of Central Maryland and who have a signed Family Adult Permission Form (G-1) on file with the Troop. Cookie Box Selling Price - All regular 8 varieties of cookies sell for $4.00 per box. Gluten Free Trios sell for $5.00 Troops are not permitted to set prices higher or lower. Financial Responsibility The Troop Cookie Manager (TCM) is responsible for all cookies received by the Troop. All money must be paid by December 7, 2016. All delinquent accounts must be reported to GSCM; the appropriate paperwork (T-6) must be signed and submitted in order to avoid collection procedures. Interest and fees apply to all accounts turned over to collections. No Troop or individual may pursue legal matters on behalf of GSCM. Can Juliette’s participate in the Cookie Sale? YES! Juliette’s can participate in the Cookie Sale in one of two ways: 1> Affiliation with a Troop– orders are turned into Troop Cookie Manager and Troop proceeds would remain with the Troop for that Troop to decide how the money is spent. Troop should try to allow Juliette’s opportunities to participate in Program Activities. 2> Through Area Juliette Coordinators – Contact the Area Juliette Coordinator assigned to your county and receive instructions on the sale process, deadline dates and awards options. In either case, Juliette’s are eligible to earn the same cookie incentives as any Girl Scout participating in the Cookie Sale. Juliette’s of Cadette/Senior grade level must decide whether to “opt out” of awards. This will affect assignment of the Troop or Group. Per Volunteer Essentials, money cannot be designated to any individual girl. All Juliette Cookie Sale profit must be designated by the Troop or Area Juliette Coordinator to a Program Activity or GSCM Retail Store purchase.

Visit www.gscm.org/cookies for all Cookie Sale Resources Ø There are 12 boxes to a case. Ø Cookies are not returnable but can be transferred amongst troops. Ø The Council will distribute cookies to troops in full cases ONLY. The Snap system will automatically round up your troop’s initial order to full cases. Ø Troops facilitate box to box transfers between themselves and with the support of the Service Unit Cookie Team. Ø Troops who met the Membership Early Bird Incentive requirements to receive the $0.05 per box bonus are reported to Product Sales prior to the start of the sale. The SNAP system will automatically add the bonus to troops who earned the Membership Early Bird Incentive. Ø Troop profit levels are based on troop sales VOLUME. See the troop proceeds chart for details.

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Troop Proceeds Chart At no time does money raised from a Girl Scout money earning activity belong to an individual girl. With Girl Rewards T ro op VO LU ME

T ro op Earns

G irl Sco ut J uni or/C adet te/Seni or/ Amb ass ado r O NL Y N o G irl Rew ard s O pti on T ro op Earns

1 to 1,920 boxes 1,921 to 3,480 boxes 3,481 or more boxes

$0.50

$0.55

with Early Bird $0.55

with Early Bird $0.60

$0.60

$0.65

with Early Bird $0.65

with Early Bird $0.70

$0.70

$0.75

with Early Bird $0.75

with Early Bird $0.80

Opt Out option: For Girl Scout Junior, Girl Scout Cadette, Girl Scout Senior and Girl Scout Ambassador grade level troops ONLY. Girls in these grade levels may choose to “opt-out” of the individual girl rewards for more profit per box. This is a girl directed troop decision as it affects all girls within the troop. Girls in troops opting out are still eligible for patches. Troops MUST select the “opt out” box on the troop information page in the SNAP system by September 30, 2016. This option will be locked on October 1, 2016 with no further changes allowed. Initial Order Depot / Delivery Day Delivery time is an exciting week– nearly 1.5 million packages of cookies are distributed throughout the Council. Managing the smooth loading and packing of cookies is practically an art form! Following the guidelines below will help troops and volunteers have a positive experience and get the sale started smoothly! o Bring the troop’s T-1 and T-12 if needed. o Arrive at the date, time and location assigned by your Service Unit Cookie Manager. o Leave children at home. Small children should be left at home due to safety concerns. There will be lots of moving vehicles at the site. o Count and recount cases of cookies before you sign the delivery receipts. Once you have signed for the cookies, they are your responsibility. o Offer to assist the Service Unit Delivery team. Extra hands will make the day go smoothly for everyone! o Below is an estimate of how many cases of cookies should fit into the vehicle(s). These amounts assume the car will be empty, except for the driver. Make sure you bring enough vehicles to pick-up your entire initial order in one trip. o Girl Scout Cookies are not returnable. Troops can transfer cookies to other troops to help provide variety and

reduce over stock.

AR TYPE # OF CASES

Compact Car 35 Hatchback Car 30 Mid-size sedan 35 Standard Car 45 Sports Utility Vehicle 80

Station Wagon 70-75 Mini-van (seats in) 100 Pick-up truck (full bed) 100 Cargo van (seats in) 150-200

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Printable and downloadable forms are available at http://www.gscm.org/cookies Troop Form # Description Quantity provided and where to find more… T-1 TCM Cookie Passport One per troop must be authorized Mandatory use to obtain cookies and signed by the SU Cookie Manager T-2 Troop Excel Worksheet and Parent Signature One per troop for financial payments and receipt NEW T-3

GSCM ACH Authorization form Mandatory submission prior to selling

NEW - Completed online by Troop Leader. Triggers sending the T-10 to TCM

T-4/CC-2 T-6

Troop Cookie Transfer and Cupboard combo receipt Delinquent Account Form

NEW T-10 & Booth Etiquette T-11

Troop Cookie Manager Position Description – Mandatory submission prior to selling Single Money Receipts

T-12

Cookie Depot/Cupboard Identification Cards

Troop Cookie Manager Guide to Success M-4

2016-2017 This is the TCM's Guide to a Successful Cookie Program and Sale Booked Money Receipts

Three per troop. Cupboards have additional blank copies Download from GSCM website as needed NEW - Completed online by Troop Cookie Manager. Download from GSCM website as needed Download from GSCM website as needed. Cupboards have additional blank copies. One per troop. Also available online.

Troop Sample Cookies Cookie Share Receipt Template B/S -4

NEW – Girl Scout S’mores

One box per troop

Used as a customer receipt for donated cookies. Customizable An optional worksheet to track Booth Sale Activity and sales

Download from GSCM website as needed Download from GSCM website as needed

Girl Form #

Description

One book each troop

G-1

Family Adult Permission Form

G-2

Girl Order Card and Recognition insert

Quantity provided and where to find more… One per girl. Can also be found on the website. One per girl

G-3

Girl Money Envelope

One per girl

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Gluten Free TRIOS …Yes, your Troop can participate! Chocolate chips nestled in a gluten-free peanut butter oatmeal cookie. YUM! Millions of Americans have problems eating food with gluten – so ABC Bakers has created a delicious cookie just for them! Made with real chocolate chips, real peanut butter and certified gluten free whole grain oats, we are proud to continue selling TRIOS for the 2016-2017 Cookie Season. • Troops will pre-order cases of Trios through their initial order process. These sales will count towards the Troop’s final box sales figure. • These sales will count towards girl sales totals or recognition items. • Tracking of the Trios sales and payments to Council will be recorded in Snap and processed by the Director of Product Sales at Council. • Trios will sell for $5.00 each package while all other 8 cookie varieties sell for $4.00 each. This is due to the higher bakery production cost for this specialty product. • Trios will be distributed with troop’s initial order only. As with all other Girl Scout Cookies, they are NOT returnable. • Increased troop proceeds on Trios- Troops will retain $0.70 per package and pay GSCM $4.30 per package for the Trios. Trios are included in the ACH withdrawals. Accept Credit Cards? Yes, again! The Troop Leadership sets up the account for the troop with Intuit, SAGE, Square or any other credit card acceptance provider to accept credit cards for cookie sales. The Troop agrees to pay all transaction fees and is fully responsible for the use and management of the account. How parents support the program for their Girl Scout When a Girl Scout has her family's support, there's nothing she can't do. Here are a few tips for family members to help your Girl Scout have her best Cookie Sale yet. Build Her Confidence - Start by attending cookie training together. Talk with her about the 5 Skills and her goals for the season. Help her make a list of contacts. Then listen to her sales pitch and provide constructive feedback. You can even try a little role-play at your own front door—just remember to let her do the selling! Get Involved - Moral support is a great place to start, but there are lots of other ways to help out! Go with her to sell and deliver cookies. Scout locations for a booth sale and ask friends or colleagues to help supervise it. Or ask your troop leader about volunteering for meetings. Keep In Touch - Time flies when you’re having fun, so be sure to check in with your Girl Scout from time to time! Talk about her progress and discuss additional ways that you might help, like providing rides when she needs them, or safeguarding her cookie money. Get to Know COCO! COCO is a fun and safe online organizational tool that can help your Girl Scout with planning, goalsetting, and marketing. There’s even a mobile app for girls on the go! Put Safety First - Cookie Season is a lot of fun, but safety should always be a priority! Read these basic safety rules and discuss them with your Girl Scout. Show off - Proclaim your Girl Scout Pride online! Check out Girl Scout Shouts—a collection of shareable art and badges that are perfect for social media.

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Initial Orders, Great Cookie Dash, Electronic Forms Girl Scout programs are the means by which we achieve important leadership development outcomes for our members. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the primary building block of our Financial Literacy curriculum. Girls participating in the Cookie program learn five critical skills: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills and Business Ethics. Our objective is to teach girls financial literacy so that they: • Learn to use money wisely to reach both current and long-term goals; • Become educated consumers who can assess advertising claims and sales pitches; • Develop business skills necessary to succeed in the workplace; and • Become independent women who can support themselves and give back to their communities Building on the 5 Skills learned from the Cookie Program, we will strengthen girls’ knowledge in the following four key topic areas: • Daily Living – Basics of money management, banking, loans, assessing marketing claims, the philosophy of conscious consumption, etc. • Investing – how various investments work, the stock market, what a balanced portfolio means, balancing current needs against saving for the future; etc. • Entrepreneurship – Building a business plan, researching market & customer base, people skills, budgeting & goals, business marketing, business ethics, etc. • Philanthropy – giving back to the community, how to choose a philanthropic area, comparing charities use of donations, etc. Calculating Your Initial Cookie order: Once the TCM has collected all of the Girl Order Cards (G-2s) from the parents, the TCM needs to calculate the Troop Initial Order. Remember Troops order whole cases of cookies (12 boxes equal one case). The system will automatically round your girl’s orders into full cases. Follow these steps to determine the Troop Initial order: 1. Total each girl order form. Make sure to include the front and back of the pocket order form, if used. If the parent/guardian totaled the order form(s), review to make sure their math is correct. 2. Enter each girl’s total initial order in Snap by the box and by variety. 3. Enter the number of additional boxes of each variety needed for the first Booth Sale(s). The TCM and Troop Leader should work closely with the Service Unit Cookie Manager to determine how much to order for the Troop’s Booth Sales. See the chart on the next page for last year’s variety sold break-down. 4. Double check the troops order totals on the (T-2) against the computer generated report. 5. Submit Pre-order online on or before October 3, 2016, by 5pm. Failure to do so will result in no initial order or early recognitions for that Troop of girls. 2016-2017 NEW COOKIE! Girl Scout S’Mores

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Replace Cranberry Citrus Crisp

Submitting your Troop’s EARLY and MAIN Recognition orders: 1. Check all deadlines to order recognitions to ensure you receive the girl recognition items. 2. There must be a troop order for EARLY and MAIN Recognitions in Snap or no items will be sent. 3. A Survey Monkey Adventure Bucks Redemption link will be sent to each girl, via email, who selects Adventure Bucks. Parent/Guardians are responsible for submitting the Survey Monkey redemption form for their daughter by March 1, 2017. T-1 Troop Cookie Manager Passport The T-1 Troop Cookie Manager Cookie Passport is MANDATORY for cookie pick-ups. It is the single most important document you have. By the end of the sale, the Troop Cookie Manager will have used it to record every cookie pick-up that happened throughout the Cookie Sale. The Troop Cookie Manager must have the T-1 with him/her at Troop Cookie Training and to pick up the Troop’s initial order and any subsequent orders from Cookie Cupboards. No Service Unit Signed T-1 = No cookies! There are NO EXCEPTIONS to this rule. The Troop Cookie Manager Passport must be filled out and signed by the Service Unit Cookie Manager on depot day. Late forming troops can have the Service Unit Cookie Manager sign prior to going to a Cupboard.

T-2 Troop Worksheet As parents/guardians pick up cookies, they will sign the Troop’s T-2 worksheet indicating that they have accepted financial responsibility for those cookies. Without this parent signature, the Troop Cookie Manager is still financially responsible for those cookies.

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The Great Cookie DASH! Back by popular demand! A race for girls in troops to sell their initial order. Troops must then replace it from a Cupboard no later than November 7, 2016. 1. Each troop who replaces their initial orders by 11/7/16 will receive Great Cookie Dash Patches for all girls in the troop. This is a win-win-win proposition. Instead of delivering initial orders to customers, take those cookies and sell them at booths and through neighborhood door to door sales the first two weeks of the direct sale. 2. Then have the TCM go to a Cupboard and replace the initial order on or before 11/7/16. Use those cookies to deliver to your initial order customers. What’s The Great Cookie DASH win-win-win proposition? • WIN - The troop’s sales will double. This may move the troop to the next higher per box proceeds level. Additionally, troops will have monies in hand for the first ACH withdrawal. This should reduce the stress of collecting from parents within the first few weeks of the sale. • WIN - Each girl’s individual sales will increase based on her participation in the Cookie Dash. She may reach her goal faster and sell beyond it. She may reach her dream recognition level or earn enough for some great adventures! • WIN - The Council will be closer to reaching the Council financial goals for the year. What does it take for a newly formed troop to jump in and participate in the cookie sale after the initial order deadline? Even though the initial order deadline has passed, girls can still go door to door selling cookies and participate in cookie booths. The troop can pick up all the cookies they need at one of the many cookie cupboards. Once you and your cookie parent have registered as an adult member and completed the volunteer approval process all you need to do to start your girls on the exciting cookie journey is: Step 1: Open the Troop’s Bank Account. All troops are required to have a bank account and to submit the bank information to the Service Unit Manager or designee within 45 days after the first troop meeting. Troops are required to have a Council issued bank authorization letter to open an account. Troop Bank Account Authorization Template can be accessed using https://www.gscm.org/reporting/login.php Upon submission and approval of the required information, Council will email an authorization letter directly to the bank and copy to the initiator of the request. Please note that all bank accounts must have three unrelated signatures on the account with current Girl Scout memberships and who have cleared a Girl Scout background check within the past three years. All bank accounts must be held in the name of Girl Scouts of Central Maryland. They should be set up in the following format: “Girl Scouts of Central Maryland (GSCM), Troop/Group #_____.” The Council’s federal ID number 52-0780207 must be used when opening the troop bank account. Step 2: Troop Leader, in response to GSCM email notification, will go to https://www.gscm.org/reporting/login.php and complete the T-3 ACH and Booth Sale Etiquette Agreement forms. The troop Leader will also enter the email address for the troop’s Cookie Manager. Upon submittal, an email will be sent to the Cookie Manager’s email provided by the leader. Step 3: Troop Cookie Manager, in response to GSCM email notification, will go to https://www.gscm.org/reporting/login.php and complete the Troop Cookie Manager T-10 position description and Booth Sale Etiquette Agreement forms. Upon submittal, the Service Unit Cookie Manager will provide troop access to Snap. Step 4: Attend annual cookie training within your Service Unit. Trainings are facilitated in your neighborhood by your Service Unit Cookie Manager. Training is approximately 1.5 hours and will cover all the information and materials you need to get your girls selling cookies and much more.

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COCO and Booth Sales Sometimes we expect girls to naturally know how to sell cookies. The fact is that most girls need at least some guidance in the selling process. Did you know 90% of the general public would gladly buy Girl Scout Cookies, but nearly 35% are never asked? Coco is the faster, easier way to reach high goals! COCO is girl’s online "Cookie Command" center for her cookie business. COCO helps girls: • Use today’s technology to track personal progress. • Set a personal goal of how many packages of cookies she wants to sell this year. • Make plans for how she will reach her goals. • Check how she’s doing along the way. • Send eCards to friends and family to tell them it is cookie time and ask for their support. • Receive important messages from her troop leader. See what her friends are doing and even send them cheers to help them along. • Accept promises for cookie purchases and then deliver cookies in person.

Ready? Let's get started! Simply go to www.abcsmartcookies.com, click on COCO and sign-up! Don’t forget: COCO is MOBILE! Download the app at www.abcsmartcookies.com. IMPORTANT: Remember, it's always best to work online with an adult.

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This workbook gives you tools and tips to succeed at operating a booth during the Girl Scout Cookie Sale. You’ll find reliable recommendations on planning your booth sale activities and how to work with property owners and thank them. Boost Cookie Sales People want to buy Girl Scout Cookies. But sometimes getting the cookies to customers and collecting money can be difficult. This challenge can be solved with booth sales! By setting up a cookie booth at a business or other public location, customers can get cookies in a convenient location and can get additional cookies when they want them. Girls and their parents don’t have to take orders, then make repeated visits to deliver products. You can make booth sales even more of an opportunity by arranging for girls to tour the booth sale location and learn more about that type of business and the careers it involves.

Possible Booth Sale Activities

Girl Scouts can collect and analyze data about their booth sale to learn more about sales and marketing and even aid your council in sale planning. Consider these possibilities: • Count the people who leave without making a purchase at your booth. • Track how many customers came to the location because they knew a Girl Scout Cookie booth was there. • Count the people who stopped to view items displayed in front of the store or business. • Ask customers to rate the service they received. • Track how many boxes sold in an hour and make note of the best hours for selling at this booth location. • Poll customers about why they are buying cookies. • Track which cookies sell the best. • Record the average number of boxes that people buy. • Note the demographics of your customers and analyze their buying patterns based on gender and age. • Collect emails to let customers know about next year’s sale or if cookies are available at a later date. • Pass out Girl Scout membership or alumnae information. Be sure to check out possible activities in the new Girl Scout age level Cookie and Financial Literacy badges found in the Girl’s Guide to Girl Scouting. Be sure to follow Girl & Adult Responsibilities at Booth Sales q Wear Girl Scout uniform, Girl Scout T-shirt or Girl Scout Pin for identification purposes. q Remember you represent the entire Girl Scout movement when selling cookies. q Display courteous manners at all times. q Thank customers whether or not they buy any cookies. q Think of fun sales slogans to attract customers.

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Booth Sale Checklist q Don’t forget the cookies! q Bring the signed Family Adult Permission Form (G-1) and Parent/Guardian Permission Slips (04-002) for that Booth Sale for each girl. q Be prepared for weather conditions; girls must wear appropriate clothing for the weather. q Bring table(s) for displaying and selling cookies. You may want to bring chairs for adults. q

q q q q q

Any eating or drinking at the Booth Sale should take place away from the selling area. Bring writing instruments and the optional B/S 4 to track girl’s sales. Girl Scout signs, banners (it is a great idea to display a goal chart), and tape. Cash box or apron with change and bags for customers to carry cookies away. A “Thank You” for the establishment (i.e., thank-you note, poster, a box of cookies). If possible, have contact people on stand-by to make Cookie Cupboard runs should more cookies be needed (check cupboard hours) or to make bank deposits, etc.

Booth Sale Guidelines and Etiquette In order to be consistent in our customer service and leave a positive impression on the public and business owners, we ask that your troop leadership, parents, and girls adhere to the following guidelines. Booth Sales MUST be arranged through the Service Unit Booth Sale Coordinator or Service Unit Cookie Manager. Booths can only be secured within the Service Unit’s defined boundaries. Crossing into other Service Units or Girl Scout Councils without prior permission is not allowed. • Have the booth secured through the Snap Booth scheduler. If the troop cannot attend a scheduled booth, cancel it in the Snap system so customers are not looking for a booth that is not being held and the slot can be released to other troops. • Respect the retailer’s policy regarding Booth Sale Procedures. Remember setting up on their property is a privilege. • Hang signs on your table, not on the retailer’s property. • All girls should wear their Girl Scout pin(s), their uniform, a Girl Scout T-shirt or cookie costume. • Be sure to set up far enough away from any electronic door openers so that you don’t trigger it to open. • Do not interfere with or block the flow of travel for customers in and out of the doorways. • Bring your own table, cookies, change, signage, decorations and bags. • Check-in with the store manager or customer service staff upon your arrival and remember to thank them when you leave. • Since the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a girl-led business, the girls should be doing the bulk of the cookie selling with customers and handle the exchange of monies. • Girls should share roles at the Booth allowing each girl a chance to practice all the roles at the Booth Sale. • There will not be yelling, overly loud voices, running, climbing on ledges or being disruptive to the normal business of the retailer, etc. • Use of personal electronic devices and phone should be limited to the acceptance of credit card purchases. • Eating and drinking should be done discreetly and away from customers. • Be sure to leave the area clean and remove all trash.

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Signs, Costumes and Promotional Items GSCM has signs, cookie costumes, and other promotional materials which can be checked-out. Contact Juliettes Closet before your Booth Sale to check on availability and to reserve them. You can also download promotional ideas and graphics from www.abcsmartcookies.com. Bling your Cookie Booth! Banish the dull and boring! If you want to attract lots and lots of customers, it's time to "bling" your cookie booth. Anything fun, bright, colorful, energetic and creative will bring customers running. What kind of bling is your thing? These ideas are just the beginning. Send your “Blinged out Booth” pictures to [email protected] Power up your posters! Make them fun. Make them exciting. What will you say? How about... • Girl Scout cookies are here! • Our cookie goal is… • Cookie bundles are bliss! • Donate cookies, our project is… • Make it sing! Catchy tunes will catch some attention. Play a recording or sing along with your friends. Clap, snap and make rhythmic sounds. • Color it bright! Balloons and colorful tablecloths will guarantee you’re not missed! Create savvy signage with a cookie booth overhead sign. • Set an outrageous theme! Maybe your booth will look like a fair or carnival, complete with a carnival game. Maybe you’ll create a booth that looks like it should be at Hogwarts. Maybe turn your cookies into super Hero’s and give them special super powers to fight injustices or to support Take Action projects in your community. You decide! • Dress for success! Wear cookie costumes or dress up to fit your theme. Maybe you’ll be divas for the day or cowgirls. Be sure customers can still see your Girl Scout identification. • Wrap up the fun! Imagine a display of beautifully wrapped bundles of cookies. Each bundle of three, four or five boxes topped with a pretty, fun bow. Maybe bundle and call them cute names like Chocolate Lover Pack, Peanut Butter Pack, Best Seller Pack, etc. What flair! What sales! • Show off your goal! How can you make it stand out? Customers want to see how sales are stacking up and they are more than willing to help you reach them. Just ask!

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Merchandising Guide girls to create a merchandising plan for their booth. These promotional ideas and selling strategies can help girls get the most out of their leadership experience and meet their sales goals. Promotional Ideas

• Be creative with displays. When displaying cookies, more is better—stack ‘em high and watch ‘em fly! For items without a carton, try a pyramid stack by placing one package on top of two on top of three on top of four. • Have fun decorating the booth. Be sure to display the Girl Scout logo prominently. Use décor that visualizes your group’s goal, such as pictures of where you plan to travel or information about a social issue your group wants to address. • Display your Goal Poster prominently. Use the poster provided by your council, or have girls make one of their own. Customers love to help Girl Scouts reach their goals! • Have girls make a poster highlighting their favorite cookie. Or make one poster for each cookie and rotate them during the sale. Be sure to visit the Art Gallery on abcsmartcookies.com to find illustrations and photography to make posters pop. • Put a girl in one of the cookie costumes and have her offer samples to prospective customers as they walk into the store. Then ask them to buy on the way out! • Share cookie recipes as a little something extra when someone buys a box. You’ll find lots of yummy recipes in the Cookies section of abcsmartcookies.com. • If you’re at the end of your sale and your council has run out of some varieties, create a theme to promote the ones you have left! • Make sure your booth is listed on your council’s Booth Locator so customers looking for cookies will know where to find your booth sale. Selling Strategies: • Approach a customer one girl at a time; don’t overwhelm them with a large group of girls.

• Be sure that girls are the ones sharing information at all times. • Be sure to only approach customers on their way out of the facility. • Have girls practice their “Elevator Speech” together. • Smile and say thank you to all customers, whether they buy or not. • Be prepared to answer questions such as “What is your favorite cookie?” or “Which cookies have nuts or other allergens?” • Have an Order Card handy to reference nutritional information and ingredient lists.

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Cookies from the Heart – GSCM’s Virtual Cookie Share Program This program really helps in several ways: •

Gives customers who would rather not eat cookies a chance to support Girl Scouts

•

Benefits are doubled – Girl Scouts earn money for activities and the receiving agency gets cookies!

•

Council donation programs lessen the amount of unsold product

There are 2 Virtual Donation Options here at GSCM: Option 1: Troop Virtual Cookie Share through SNAP. Troops order cookie share cookies through Snap using the variety labeled cookie share. This can be done at the initial order or using the reorder process. Cookie Share cookies ordered by the troop must be paid for and the troop gets full proceeds and recognition credit, but the troop never physically receives the cookies. At the end of the sale (or as planned by the council) cookies are delivered to the council designated partner(s). *Troops wishing to collect their virtually donated boxes and deliver them to a particular recipient may contact the Council within two weeks of the sale ending to arrange to pick them up and deliver them. Option 2: Customers donate online at www.gscm.org/donate/cookiesfromtheheart Cookie customers can show support to these brave men and women by donating boxes of cookies to Cookies from the Heart ONLINE. Customers visit the link above and enter their donation amount, enter the girl or troop they would like credited with the donation and GSCM adds those boxes to Snap under the troop and/or girl designated by the customer. Troops will be provided with printed materials to distribute so customers can go online anytime and donate. Girls with troop virtual Cookie Share documented in Snap OR customer designated Cookies from the Heart online donations totaling 6 or more boxes will receive a Cookie Share Patch. Girls who have less than 6 boxes donated through the virtual Cookie Share will not receive a cookie share patch.

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Cookie Cupboards and Seller’s Tips Cookie Cupboards are the place to pick up additional Girl Scout cookie cases throughout the Cookie Sale. For locations, dates, and hours of operation please refer to the FY’17 Cupboard Schedule. An updated Cupboard schedule can be obtained from your Service Unit Cookie Manager. Remember, Cookie Cupboards are staffed by volunteers who manage the location and hours of operation. A planned order should be placed through SNAP to pick-up additional cookies from a cupboard. •

The Cookie Cupboard cannot return, exchange or trade cookies.

•

Defective or damaged boxes of cookies may be replaced at any Cookie Cupboard for the same variety and quantity of cookies.

•

Cookie Cupboards try to have exactly what the troops need on hand and still minimize the number of cases left over at the end of the sale. Therefore, planned orders must be placed through SNAP to help ensure inventory is where you need it when you need it.

•

Planned orders must be entered Sunday evening for the following business week pick-up.

•

Arrange for pick-up. Bring your Troop’s T-1 Troop Cookie Manager Passport

Debt Procedures GSCM depends heavily on the annual Cookie Program to fund operations throughout the year; therefore, it is imperative for all proceeds to be collected in a timely fashion to avoid impacting program and other operations. At no time does any money that a volunteer manages on behalf of troops, groups or the Council at large belong to that individual. Volunteers are custodians of these monies for the organization. Any individual owing money to GSCM will be subject to any of the following: debt forwarded to a collection agency, police investigation, or filing of a complaint within the court system to obtain judgement requiring payment of the debt. If GSCM must file a complaint within the court system the individual owing the money will be responsible for all court costs and/or collection fees. Please be aware that the above-mentioned actions could result in a negative impact on the individual’s credit record. Any volunteer who owes Girl Scouts of Central Maryland monies from the Girl Scout Cookie Program will be released and will no longer be allowed to volunteer at GSCM in any capacity. Troops who experience cookie debt issues should complete a T-6 delinquent account form and submit it to the Council with all required documentation and signatures as stated on the form. T-6 forms should be completed no later than December 7, 2016. GSCM will attempt to collect from the debtor on behalf of the troop. GSCM handles each debt situation on a case by case basis. Please contact Terry Mercer, Director of Product Sales, if you have any questions or concerns regarding the filing of T-6 forms. Once the form has been received at the Council, all collection matters should be directed to Yong Kim, Chief Financial Officer at 410.358.9711 extension 230 or email: [email protected].

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TOP SELLERS selling tips

Write an article about your cookie activity for a local school, subdivision, business, or place of worship newsletter. Offer to do a service project for a local business in exchange for hosting your troop’s booth sale. Decorate bulletin boards and store windows with posters to remind folks it is Girl Scout Cookie Season! Taste enough cookies to allow you to describe them to customers. Start with last year’s list! Contact your old customers and remind them that cookie season is here again. Set up your booths in places where groups of people will gather or walk by. Get help in a hurry if anyone tries to hassle, harass, or harm you while you’re selling cookies. Share the Girl Scout mission and your troop’s goals with your customers. Record your Cookie Sale plans, goals, and experiences in a journal and use them to prepare for next year’s Cookie Sale. Notice which cookies are selling and encourage customers to buy packages of other varieties. Ask local business owners about buying cookies in bulk to offer quality coffee-break treats for employees. Check back with your current customers before the sale ends to see if they want to re-order. Remember to remind them of your goal and how close you are to reaching it. Their additional purchase could help you reach that goal. Offer small samples of cookies at your cookie booth. Make sure to follow food handling safety guidelines. Go on a cookie walk-about in your neighborhood with your whole troop. It’s a great way to sell a lot of cookies! Bundle several packages together with themes like Happy Birthday, Congratulations, Happy Holidays, Chocolate lover’s Combo, Peanut Butter lover’s combo, traditional 5 flavors, etc. Set goals and work hard to make them happen!

Creative WAYS TO SHARE GOALS

Customers love hearing about girls’ learning and sales goals as well as how the cookie money contributes to Girl Scouting. • Encourage girls in your troop to share their goals while selling with COCOmobile – just show the customer the home page where her goals are displayed. • Girls can also share troop goals during booth sales by displaying their goal chart and how they are progressing during the sale. • Girls can share their service goals by making a poster describing their Cookie Share activity and asking customers to donate a box of cookies to the military, fire or police.

CORPORATE Sales Corporate sales can be a great way for older girl troops to expand their cookie selling methods and sell more cookies in a short amount of time. Girls can identify large companies that might buy large quantities of cookies. Girls need a presentation outline, contact information, pricing and logistics information before making a pitch. Car Dealers (individual or an auto center): Purchase cookies and give a case to every customer who buys a car in December Service Companies (housecleaners, oil change outlets, dry cleaners, etc.): Purchase cookies and give a box to every customer during a special promotional day. What customer would not love to come home to a clean house with a box of cookies on the counter too! Corporations: Buy cookies and distribute to employees as a thank you for a special project. Or for top producing teams around the country promote sending an 8 pack sampler through COCODirect. Real Estate Agents: Purchase cookies and serve at open house events. Give a case of cookies for every house sold (or maybe make arrangements for a year’s worth of cookies). Hotels and B & B Locations: Encourage hotels to purchase cookies to serve on their concierge floor or at afternoon tea. They could also award a box to “guest of the day”. 29

SNAP

for volunteers!

The volunteer’s electronic ordering, reporting and tracking system is as easy as 1, 2, 3. This program will make your troop cookie sale data collection a SNAP! Visit www.abcsmartcookies.com and click on SNAP! Your username is your email address and the password will be provided to you at your Service Unit Cookie training.

Snap User Basics GO TO: www.abcsmartcookies.com Click on SNAP Log in with your email and the generic password provided by your SU Cookie Manager. Snap is a date driven program so sections will open and close based on GSCM due dates.

The next screen is where you choose which account you want to open. A drop down arrow to the far right will show all the positions or troops your email is associated with. Select the one you wish to work in. You can always switch accounts on the next screen.

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This is the landing page called Cookie Sheet. From this page, you navigate each section using the subcategories at the top. The icons have drop down selections which can be seen by hovering over the words.

My Troop Icon Step 1: Make sure all the troop information is correct and troops have selected a delivery station, proceeds plan, recognition plans, opt out options and verified the Troop’s bank account information. Step 2: Ensure all girls are listed from the registration upload. Ensure all girls have a T-shirt size selected in this section. Add/edit/delete girls as needed. Note: Service Unit Cookie Managers can add additional Snap users for each Troop. Step 3: The Troop can schedule a pick-up time for the Service Unit Depot once the Service Unit Cookie Manager has set those options up in Snap. 31

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The “Cookie” Icon Is where the Troop enters girl orders, enters virtual Cookie Share, enters troop initial order, enter all cookie transfers, enter planned orders to Cupboards, manage all orders and find, schedule as well as enter and select Troop Booth Sale locations.

Entering a PLANNED ORDER FOR Cupboard pick-up

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The “Rewards” Icon is where Troop’s create a recognition order and the system automatically calculates the items the girls will earn. A Troop can only “create” one order for early and one order for main. Once they are created, Troops view it and the system auto-updates based on calculation changes entered into girls sales totals. Use the “pencil” to view by the girl. Submit the order by the deadline date listed on the Cookie Program Timeline.

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Troop Cookie Managers must select if the girl gets a Booth patch or Cookie Share patch by entering zero or one in the box. The Cookie Share patch has a 6 box minimum virtual donation requirement to earn it.

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The “Reports” Icon: Is where the Troop will get all the data related to the Troop’s Cookie Sale. Simply complete the filters and generate the report. Reports can be viewed and saved in different formats: Text, Excel, PDF and HTML.

Archive reports are also available for troops who sold in prior years. Just select “Snap Archive Reports” and choose the selling year you wish to view.

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The “Finance” Icon: Is where troops can see the Council entry of ACH withdrawals and record girl payments to the troop.

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Need MORE Snap HELP…check out these URLs for additional Snap training videos on each step of the data entry process. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9EDijKj4yQ --10 Things You Didn't Know About Girl Scout Cookies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcTxc0LFsWg --How to set up your troop in ABC Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZa8hhnNM8M -- Editing your troop info in Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVlj0axsBOQ --How to Enter Your Initial Order into Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcAYzlthP9s --Ordering/Transferring Cookies in Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mZa8hhnNM8M --Entering a Transfer Order in Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw9m7DyW2Ts&list=PL_3eNVWp6ObNvctxXFPu2mBfbZuLQNq_D – how to enter a planned order in Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a61XhVVVDxA – How to enter a recognition order in Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sO5vrDCYKLM&list=PL_3eNVWp6ObNvctxXFPu2mBfbZuLQNq_D&index=20 – Securing a Booth as a Troop user in Snap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta0qD0z94Do&list=PL_3eNVWp6ObNvctxXFPu2mBfbZuLQNq_D Using the Snap booth scheduler in Snap - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2t7KtQGsic -- Top 10 Super Selling Tips - Additional video and other resources about Snap can be found at www.gscm.org

For more interesting facts visit ABC Cookies FAQ page at http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/faq For the 2016-2017 Cookie Volunteer Toolkit, additional resources and more fun ideas check out http://www.abcsmartcookies.com/tools-resources-for-cookieprogram-success The following websites are great cookie informational resources as well: Council links, forms and guides http://gscm.org GSUSA Cookie Program Resources http://girlscouts.org/cookies

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Troop Cookie Manager Checklist _____ Register as a member of Girl Scouts of the U.S.A. for FY’17, October 1, 2016, through September 30, 2017. _____ Attend the Service Unit Troop Cookie Manager training session conducted by the Service Unit Cookie Manager and submit online a completed T-10 and T-3 ACH Bank Authorization forms. Assume financial responsibility for all cookies received by the troop. _____Use training video’s posted to www.gscm.org as needed for refresh throughout the sale. _____ Read the 2016-2017 TCM Guide to Cookie Sale Success prior to conducting any cookie sale activities. _____ Provide adequate information sharing and support for all girls and parents in the troop during the cookie sale. _____ Ensure that all girls are registered for FY'17. Ensure that each girl participating in the Cookie Sale has a signed Parent/Guardian Permission Form (G-1) on file with the Troop Cookie Manager. _____ List the names of all girls in the troop on the Troop Worksheet (T2). Enter girl sales information into the online ordering and reporting system, SNAP. _____ Submit the troop initial cookie order and early recognitions order via SNAP by October 3, 2016, no later than by 5 pm. _____ Participate in your Service Unit Booth Sale Lottery and understand Service Unit boundaries. _____ Sign up for additional Council sponsored Booth Sale opportunities through SNAP. _____ Arrange with the Service Unit Cookie Manager for pickup of the Troop initial order. The Troop Cookie Manager Cookie Passport (T-1) is required to pick up cookies at the Service Unit depot and at all GSCM Cookie Cupboards. A (T-12) can be used to send someone other than the Troop Cookie Manager to pick-up cookies. _____ Distribute cookies to parent/guardian and obtain a signature on the T2 Troop Worksheet form. No one under the age of 18 may sign for cookies. _____ Handle money properly and provide parent receipts. Provide troop leader with validated troop deposit slips or obtain a receipt if cash is given directly to the leader. _____ Update SNAP with girl’s final sale totals and order main recognition no later than December 5, 2016, by 9 pm. If troop chooses to opt out, patches must still be ordered. _____ Report parent/guardian or other outstanding debts to Service Unit Cookie Manager and GSCM immediately by using a T-6 delinquent account form. _____ Turn over a copy of the Troops final cookie sale report to the Troop Leader. _____ Distribute girl awards no later than February 2017. *Report reward discrepancies to your Service Unit Cookie Manager prior to March 1, 2017. _____ Failure to complete required data or place orders for recognitions into SNAP by the deadlines established will result in forfeiture of recognitions.

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