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Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council

2018 Family Guide2018 Family Guide2018 Family Guide2018 Family Guide

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Table of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of ContentsTable of Contents

Welcome .................................................................... 2

Important Dates and Checklist ............................. 3

Why Participate ........................................................ 4

Top 5 Ways to Support Girls.................................. 5

Safety Rules .............................................................. 6

Cookie Basics .........................................................7-8

Using Social Media ................................................... 9

Girl Rewards and Promotions .......................... 10-11

Meet the Cookies ................................................... 12

Three ways to Sell .................................................. 13

Online Marketing .................................................... 14

ABC Smart Cookies .......................................... 15-16

Welcome to the largest, girl-led business in the world—Girl Scout Cookies!

Are you ready for an amazing experience with your Girl Scout? The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a hands-on leadership and entrepreneurial opportunity. Millions of girls learn how to run a business each year by actually running a business! Many successful business women and community leaders say they got their start selling Girl Scout Cookies. That’s pretty impressive! Your guidance and support is critical! With your help, your Girl Scout can “Stand Up, Stand Out” in the world. How can you help? By staying informed. Talk with your troop cookie manager and attend the family meeting so you’ll know what’s going on.

There’s More to Girl Scout Cookies Than What’s in the Box.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is a symbol of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and an eagerly awaited event by millions of Girl Scout Cookie lovers and Girl Scout supporters. It also helps girls earn funds for Girl Scout activities. When a Girl Scout participates in

the Cookie Program, she’s building a lifetime of skills and con>dence. She’s learning goal setting, decision making, money

management, people skills, and business ethics.

and Welcome

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Important DatesImportant DatesImportant DatesImportant Dates

December 2017

Attend Family Meeting

Pick up sales materials from

TCM

19 Smart Cookies Login

information sent

January 2018

3 Girl/Adult webinar

6 Cookie Program opens

21 Initial order closes

February 2018

10 Cookie deliveries start

17 Cookie deliveries end

21 Cupboards open

23 Cookie booths open

March 2018

9-11 Walkabout weekend

25 Cookie Program closes

26 Final cookie money

due to TCM

April /May/June 2018

Celebrate with troop!

� Accompany your Girl Scout as she sells cookies

� Ensure your Girl Scout does not enter a customer’s

home or give out her full name.

� Ensure your Girl Scout collects all money when

cookies are delivered.

� Ensure your Girl Scout wears Girl Scout

identi>cation while selling cookies.

� Assist your Girl Scout with setting a Girl Scout

Cookie goal.

� Ensure your Girl Scout tells customers how the

troop plans to use their proceeds.

� Encourage your Girl Scout to tell customers about

supporting the First Responders of Hurricane

Harvey by purchasing Virtual Cookie Share cookies.

� Ensure your Girl Scout does not charge any more

or less than the Council price for a package of

cookies, $4 per package for all varieties with the

exception of Gluten Free Trios which are $5.

� Ensure accepted checks are payable to GSSJC and

includes the customer’s name and phone number.

Maximum amount of check to accept is $120.00

per customer.

� Ensure all deadlines set forth by Council and troop

are met.

� Ensure cookie booth commitments to troop are

kept.

� Ensure set up of cookie booth locations have prior

approval from the Council.

� Ensure each cookie booth has a minimum of 2 girls

and 2 adults and a maximum of 4 girls and 2

adults. One of the adults must be a friends and

family registered member and the other adult

must be the caregiver for one of the girls present.

Note: A girl whose family has an outstanding debt to

Council may participate in cookie booths and online

direct sales only.

and Checklist November 2017

Register Girl Scout

Girl Scout Family Cookie Checklist

� Ensure your Girl Scout is currently registered for the

2017-2018 membership year.

� Submit a signed Parent Responsibility and

Permission Slip form to troop cookie manager.

� Ensure your Girl Scout does not sell or take orders

prior to the >rst day of the Cookie Program, January 6,

2018.

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Why participate Why participate Why participate Why participate In the Girl Scout Cookie Program?

What are your hopes for your Girl Scout? Certainly,

you want her to make good decisions, know how to

manage money, and how to set and reach goals, like

attending college. The Girl Scout Cookie Program

helps her succeed today and prepares her for

future success. There’s a good reason it’s a

beloved family tradition.

1. Goal Setting: Girls set cookie sales goals

individually and with their team, create a plan to

reach them, and develop cooperation and team-

building skills all along the way!

2. Decision Making: Girls help decide how the

team will spend their cookie money, furthering

their critical-thinking and problem-solving skills.

3. Money Management: Girls take cookie

orders, handle customers’ money and gain

practical life skills in >nancial literacy.

4. People Skills: Girls learn how to talk to, how to

listen to and work with all kinds of people while

selling cookies. These experiences help them

develop healthy relationships and conEict-

resolution skills they can use throughout their

lives.

5. Business Ethics: Girls are honest and

responsible at every step of the Cookie Program.

Their business ethics here reinforce the positive

values they are developing as a Girl Scout.

To learn more about the Girl Scout Leadership

Experience, visit www.girlscouts.org/gsle.

For more information on the Girl Scout Cookie

Program, visit www.girlscouts.org/cookies.

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Support girlsSupport girlsSupport girlsSupport girls

Top 5 Ways Families Can

Help her sell online

Assist her with setting up her ABC Smart Cookies account. This site enables girls to:

• Set up their own personalized sales pages.

• Send e-cards to customers to place their order online, pay with a credit card, and have the cookies shipped directly to their address or another destination.

• Send e-cards to ask customers to place online orders for her to deliver.

• Set goals

• Track her progress.

Encourage goal-setting

Goal-setting is an important life skill. She’ll go far if she knows how to set a high goal and reach it.

• Ask about her troop’s goals and help her set personal goals.

• Help her complete the order card section that explains her troop’s goal.

• Encourage her to share her goal with customers. Customers want to help girls succeed.

• Guide her to set practical and useful goals about what she wants to learn and earn.

Support her sales

She needs you to be on her side as she develops the

con>dence to ask people for orders.

• Ask her questions and help her practice her

sales message.

• If your employer is supportive of your Girl Scout,

to contact your co-workers, work with her on

ways she can be involved with asking them to

purchase Girl Scout Cookies.

• Go with her to sell and deliver cookies.

• Help her network with family and friends, but let

her do the “ask” so she can learn important

business skills. Share email addresses of family

and friends she can contact asking for their

support in purchasing cookie orders online to be

girl-delivered or direct shipped.

• Help her to sort cookie orders for her customers

and write “thank you” notes to attach to their

orders.

Volunteer

Her troop needs help. Here are some ways you can

help:

• Organize cookie booths.

• Chaperone at cookie booths.

• Volunteer to help at cookie delivery day.

• Manage cookie inventory picking up cookies.

Practice safety

Help your Girl Scout understand the Girl Scout

safety rules, found on page 6 of this guide.

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Safety RulesSafety RulesSafety RulesSafety Rules

Girl Scout

8. Protect privacy. Girls’ names, addresses or email addresses should never be given out to customers. Use a group contact number. Protect customer privacy by securing the order card. Only use the customer contact Information for the Cookie Program.

9. Be safe on the road. Always follow safe pedestrian practices, especially when crossing at intersections or walking along roadways. Be aware of traf>c when loading or unloading vehicles.

10. Be Net wise. Take the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge before going online and follow the speci>c guidelines and dates related to marketing online.

Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge can be found using this link:

http://www.girlscouts.org/en/help/help/internet-safety-pledge.html

Safety First!

As your Girl Scout begins the Cookie Program always follow the safety guidelines listed below. Remember, be a role model by using business ethics and safety rules. Review these guidelines with your Girl Scout before the Cookie Program begins.

1. Show you’re a Girl Scout. Wear a Girl Scout uniform, membership pin or a cookie t-shirt.

2. Always use the buddy system. It’s not just one of the rules, it’s more fun.

3. Be streetwise. Become familiar with the areas and neighborhoods where she will be selling Girl Scout Cookies.

4. Partner with an adult. Girl Scout Daisies., Brownies, and Juniors must be accompanied by an adult when selling door-to-door. Girl Scout Cadette, Senior and Ambassador can sell with a buddy, but adults must still supervise.

5. Plan Ahead. Always have a plan to safeguard the money. Avoid walking around with large amounts of cash. Avoid keeping it at your home. place of work or in your vehicle. Turn in money collected to the troop cookie manager frequent-ly and always get a receipt for your records.

6. Do Not Enter a home or vehicle of a person, whether you know them or not without a parent/guardian. Never approach a car or vehicle without a parent/guardian.

7. Sell in the daytime. Sell only during daylight hours, if at all possible.

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Cookie BasicsCookie BasicsCookie BasicsCookie Basics

Who Can Participate?

A Girl Scout Daisy through Ambassador who has

a signed Parent Permission and Responsibility form

can participate. The only exception is girls whose

parent or guardian has a debt to the Council, either

through the Fall Product Program, Cookie Program

or an NSF check. They may participate in cookie

booths or in Smart Cookies Direct order taking only.

Those girls may also participate in program

activities related to the Cookie Program.

Who Provides Our Cookies?

San Jacinto Council contracts with ABC Bakers, a

GSUSA licensed cookie baker.

How Much Are the Cookies?

The price of the eight varieties of Girl Scout Cookies

in San Jacinto Council are $4 per package. Gluten

Free Trios are $5 per package and available via

Smart Cookies Direct or in select cupboards. Each

Council sets their own price for cookies.

What Does the Cookie Program Support?

The Cookie Program supports not only the activities

that your Girl Scout does with her troop, but also

supports the Council. All cookie proceeds stay

within the local Girl Scout organization and are used

to support girls locally! Girls decide how troop

proceeds are spent.

57% Funds girl programs, camps and services

locally

24% Cost of cookies

16% Troop, community and region proceeds

1% Girl Rewards

2% other costs of the sale

How Much Are Troop Proceeds?

Girl Scout Daisy through Ambassador troops can

earn $0.60 per package sold and money collected.

Cadette through Ambassador troops can choose the

Older Girl Option. This option allows the troop to earn

$0.68 per package, but girls will not earn reward

items or cookie dough.

It is important to remember that troop proceeds

belong to the Girl Scout troop or group and are not an

individual member of the troop. Decisions about

spending the troop proceeds need to reEect the

wishes and interests of all the girls.

When Do Girls Collect Payment?

Girls will collect payment only when the cookies are

delivered. Do not leave cookies with customers

without receiving payment. Do not take money for

cookies before delivery except for Cookie Share

Cookies. (pg. 10)

Are Cookie Purchases Tax Deductible?

Yes and No. Cookies purchased for personal or group

consumption are not tax deductible. However,

cookies purchased for either Virtual Cookie Share or

traditional Cookie Share, when the customer does

not receive the cookies or bene>ts directly by paying

for the cookies, are tax deductible. (Consult your

personal tax advisor.) Your troop cookie manager

can provide a tax receipt if needed.

What If a Customer Is Not Satis1ed With The

Cookies?

Customers can contact our baker at 1-800-221-1002

or by email at abcbakers@interbake.com. This

information can be found on each package of

cookies.

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Can I Take Orders at My Workplace?

Remember this is a girl program and girls should be

the ones to sell cookies. Contact your place of

employment to see if your Girl Scout can attend a

meeting or go from of>ce to of>ce. If that is not

possible, have her create a poster to display in a

designated area like a snack bar or lunchroom. She

should personally deliver the cookies or write thank

you notes for when the cookies are delivered.

CEO (formerly known as 1000+ Club)

The CEO (Cookie Entrepreneur Of>cers) is an elite

group of girls who know all about goal-setting and

follow through! Girls who sell 1000 or more

packages of cookies throughout the Cookie Program

qualify for this special group. The Girl Experience

Department holds regularly scheduled meetings.

These girls may be invited to attend cookie related

media events or have special guests at their

meetings.

Cookies cannot be returned to the

troop and you are 1nancially

responsible for the payment of all

cookies ordered or picked up on your

request.

Communication

Communication is critical between you and the troop

cookie manager (TCM) throughout the Cookie

Program You should be providing the TCM with a

weekly update on how many cookies you still have

and if you need additional cookies for customers.

Your TCM can pick up additional cookies from a

Cookie Cupboard after February 21. If you are having

dif>culty delivering cookies ordered by customers

or you have too many cookies in inventory, talk with

your troop cookie manager. She/he may be able to

help you if you let her/him know early in the season.

Another girl in the troop may be able to sell the

cookies you have. Your troop cookie manager can

then adjust how many each girl sold so that rewards

earned are accurate.

Goal—Setting

Success comes from hav-

ing goals. When a girl sets a

goal, she is more likely to

achieve it. Setting goals can help her have the best

Cookie Program ever!

Some girls will set their goal based on the reward

package or cookie dough level they want to earn.

You can help her set learning goals in addition to

package goals. Perhaps she would like to become

more comfortable talking to customers at a cookie

booth. She could practice her technique on family

members.

Talk with your troop cookie manager to >nd out what

the troop’s goal is and how your Girl Scouts’ goal will

help support the troop goal. Each year, the Council

sets a goal. This year’s goal is 185 packages per girl

selling.

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Using Social MediaUsing Social MediaUsing Social MediaUsing Social Media to promote your Cookie Program

Dos and Don’t

“Can Do” for all Girl Scouts:

• Use Smart Cookies email tools to Inform

friends, family, and former customers within

Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council Zip codes

when they are selling cookies.

• Manage an online database of customers on

the Smart Cookies site. They can also create

their own database, as long as the privacy of

customers is respected.

“Cannot do” for Girl Scouts and their

parents/guardians:

• Girls cannot exchange money online for

cookies sold.

• Girls cannot accept commitments for

cookie sales from outside Girl Scouts of San

Jacinto Council’s zip codes, unless from

friends or family members.

• Girls cannot market on parent’s social net-

working site if they are under age 13. Parents

can, of course, state on their social

networking site “My daughter is selling Girl

Scout Cookies. Contact me if you are

interested” and act as the conduit for

interested friends and family.

• Girls and parents/guardians cannot advertise

cookies for sale on e-Bay, Craigslist or public

Buy and Sell sites.

Twitter – Send out “sweet” tweets on behalf

of your Girl Scout.

Here are a few suggestions:

• Help [insert troop#] lead the change in the world’s

largest girl-led business. Get your Girl Scout

Cookies!

• Please buy my daughter’s Girl Scout Cookies

before I eat them all!!

• Support a future business mogul. Buy some Girl

Scout Cookies! Our troop’s booth sale is [insert link

for details]

• Girl Scouts learn how to manage money, set goals

and make decisions. And you get to eat cookies

• Troop#____ is having a booth sale at ___________

on ________! Make some room in your trunk!

Can I Use Email or Social Network Sites?

Girls ages 13 and older can use social networking sites

such as Facebook as long as they have parental

permission and adult supervision to market their

sales. Parents of Girl Scouts under age 13 may use

their social networking sites for marketing their Girl

Scout’s sale. Each girl will have her own unique link to

her Smart Cookies site that can be shared directly on

Facebook or email making it easier for family and

friends through social sites.

Under no circumstances can girls or their parents/

guardians take money over the internet through PayPal

or other online payment sites or take orders through

sites such as eBay, Craigslist or public Buy and Sell

sites.

Online marketing and online order taking are available

through Smart Cookies, the baker’s secure website at

www.abcsmartcookies.com. Read the section on

Online Marketing for more information.

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Girl Rewards Girl Rewards Girl Rewards Girl Rewards and Promotions

The “Walkabout” weekend will be March 9-11, 2018.

Get those wagons out, dust them off, get them

decorated and hit the neighborhood. Add more fun

and include a buddy.

A Girl Scout(s) or Girl Scout troop walks the

neighborhood selling cookies door-to-door in a

residential area with adult supervision, visiting cookie

customers you may have missed in January or who

might need a restock on their favorites.

You may not hold your walkabout in shopping

centers, parks or other public areas. We want to

maintain good relationships with property managers

and stores. Setting up in a park or other public sites

are considered cookie booths and must be

coordinated through Council. This also includes

personal driveways, garage and yards.

Deadline to submit completed form and picture is

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. CST.

Cookie Share Patch Guidelines—Earn the 2018

Cookie Share Patch by selling 12 or more packages of

cookies through Virtual Cookie Share. Girls who sell

30 or more packages of cookies through Virtual

Cookie Share will earn a special First Responder

Patch. This year the Council’s Virtual Cookie Share

cookies will be donated to the First Responders who

helped during Hurricane Harvey in all of Girl Scouts

of San Jacinto’s 26 counties.

Check with your troop cookie manager for additional information associated with Virtual Cookie Share.

Early Reward—Girls who sell 168 or

more packages of cookies on their

initial order will receive this awesome

drawstring bag. Your troop cookie

manager will get this item with the

initial pick up of troop cookies. Look for it mid-

February.

Girls can choose between reward items or cookie

dough. Talk it over with your Girl Scout and let your

troop cookie manager know by mid-February.

Girls can earn individual girl rewards for participating

in the Cookie Program. For example, if a girl sells 200–

299 packages of cookies, she will receive the Mascot

Theme Patch, the 200+ Achievement Bar, the Travel

Zipper Organizers, the Tie Multi Elephant Bracelet, the

Stationery Set and the Elephant Plush. If a girl sells

300—399 packages, she receives the patch, the 300+

Achievement Bar, the Elephant Plush, the Magic

Sequin Patch, the Starry Room Light and the Elephant

Charm.

See the Girl Rewards insert in

the order card for a complete

listing of reward items.

Cookie Dough

Cookie dough is a gift card

sent directly to the Girl

Scout in early June. Cookie

dough can be used to

register for Girl Scout

activities, resident or day/

twilight camp or to purchase

items in the Girl Scout shop.

Pkgs. Amount

150 $15

200 $25

300 $35

400 $45

500 $60

650 $80

850 $100

1000 $150

1250 $175

1500 $200

2000+ $350

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Meet the Cookies!Meet the Cookies!Meet the Cookies!Meet the Cookies!

We have something for Everyone!

5 Chocolate varieties

5 cookies made with Vegan ingredients

4 Nut-Free Cookies

4 Eco-friendly Packaging

2 Peanut Butter Varieties

1 Shortbread traditional Cookie

1 Gluten Free Cookie (made with real chocolate &

peanut butter)

1 Fruit Eavored Variety

ABC purchases RSPO credits to cover

the palm oil used in the production of

our Girl Scout Cookies.

In 2010 ABC kicked off the “out of the box” initiative

for 4 packages, where we opted for cookie sleeves

instead of carboard boxes saving hundreds of tons

of cardboard and thousands of gallons of gas every

year.

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Three Ways to Sell Three Ways to Sell Three Ways to Sell Three Ways to Sell Girl Scout Cookies

Today’s girls are on the move and they will need

support with their sales efforts in a variety of ways.

How do girls sell today?

In Person

In addition to using the paper order card to collect

orders, girls can expand their customer base by using

the online marketing tools beginning January 6. Girls

can use the free app available on both the iPhone and

Android platform as a digital order card. Instead of

a paper order card, girls enter their order on their

smartphone or tablet and customers get an email

con>rmation of their order! Girl-delivery is still

necessary through ABC Smart Cookies Mobile.

Online

Girls can use the web to sell cookies. She can use

the online e-cards in ABC Smart Cookies to connect

to her customers. By sending the Smart Cookies

e-card to the customer, it allows the customer to

order online and have the packages of cookies

shipped directly to them by the girl.

Smart Cookies Direct –this is a direct to

consumer order process where the girl either sends

out an e-card through Smart Cookies or takes an

order using Smart Cookies Direct through the

mobile app. The customer orders, pays by credit

card and has the cookies direct shipped.

Cookie Booths—authorized booths can be set up

in front of businesses, homes and events. There

must be 2—4 girls present and 2 adults, one of

which must be a registered Girl Scout member

meeting all of the requirements of a Friends and

Family member and the other adult may be a

guardian of one of the girls present at the booth.

In Person

Online

Cookie

Booths

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What happened to COCO, COCOMobile and COCODirect? ABC has a new platform, ABC Smart Cookies, that does everything! Here’s a diagram that explains the changes for those families who are experienced with the previous platform:

New Logos Explained

New Logos

Registered Girl Scouts will receive an email December 19 with the link to login to abcsmartcookies.com

with their Girl Scout Username, password and information on how to set up their online account.

Online MarketingOnline MarketingOnline MarketingOnline Marketing What’s new?

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ABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart Cookies An Introduction

Step 3—Explore the Platform!

Once you create a pro>le on Smart cookies, you can

do any of the following:

• Set cookie sales goals in packages.

• Take cookie orders

• Place and track customer orders for hand delivery

• Track progress toward your goals

• View your rewards and achievements

• Check out the Media tab on the Girl Dashboard:

1. More digital resources and Eyers

2. Training videos

3. Clip art to aid in making posters or thank you

cards for customers

• The Be a Cookie Boss has four links providing

ideas on:

1. Cookie Rookie—steps to make a successful sale

2. Build Your Skills—Building individual goas for a

successful sale

3. Making Selling Fun—ideas and activities to

motivate and encourage girls during the cookie

sale

4. Safety—safety tips to follow when selling

cookies

• Send Smart cookies Direct Ship e-cards to your

customer, with 2 options:

1. Ship cookies directly to your customers,

without having to worry about money collection

or hand delivery

2. Offer hand delivery to your customers

• Explore Smart cookies mobile and take your

cookie business on-the-go with you.

Optional—Download the Smart Cookies App

Download the Smart Cookies Mobile app available

from the App Store or Google Play and take Smart

Cookies on-the-go!

Girls can use the new Smart Cookies site to set their

cookie goal, manage their cookie sale, track their

progress, view rewards and send Smart Cookies

Direct Ship e-cards to customers. They can also

manage their sale on-the-go with Smart Cookies

Mobile.

Step 1—Receive registration email

The parent/guardian of registered Girl Scouts will re-

ceive an email from noreply@abcsmartcookies on

December 19. It will include the link to login to

abcsmartcookies.com to set up their online account.

Tip: To help prevent this email from going to your junk

folder, make it a trusted site now.

Step 2—Create an account!

Use the information in the registration email to create

an account in Smart Cookies. The Girl Scout can now

create her pro>le. Girls should always work with an

adult to set up their account.

Tip: Save the con>rmation email since it will contain

the girl’s username and password as well as the link

to ABC Smart Cookies.

Complete any open >elds and set the girl’s user name

and password. Both an on-screen and email

con>rmation will be sent. Now the Girl Scout is ready

to set up her cookie site.

Does the Girl Scout have a nickname her friends and

family know her by? She can add her nickname to that

>eld and when she sends out ecards, it will show her

nickname .

Enter the girl’s hoodie size. This information will be

used in ordering the hoodie reward when she reaches

that reward package level.

Click “Submit” to complete the process.

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ABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart CookiesABC Smart Cookies

For Added Flavor:

Girls can send e-cards to

customers to order Girl Scout

Cookies shipped directly and

also can offer hand delivery to

nearby customers.

ABC has added 3 new

distribution centers that offer

2-day shipping to most of the

U.S (the lower 48 states)

Customers can now order

any variety of Girl Scout

Cookies in whatever quantity

they want! No more 8 pack

variety or 6 or 12 of the same

variety.

Families with more than one Girl Scout

Families with two or more Girl Scouts will need to set

up an account for each girl. Each girl must have an

unique account. The accounts can be managed using

one email address.

Technical support

If you are having technical questions for Smart

Cookies email ABC at ABCTech@interbake.com or call

1.800.853.3730.

For cookie questions please view ABC’s Frequently

Asked Questions at https://abcbakers.com/faqs

or submit an inquiry at ABCbakers.com.