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GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PROGRAM

1st Year ExperienceVolunteer training

Welcome!

1st YEAR EXPERIENCE TRAINING

• How the Cookie Program Works

• What YOUR Role Is

• What to Expect During Cookie Season

• What You Will Do Next

• Q&A

Today’s Training

We will answer as many of your questions as possible today.

TEXT

608.620.4062or

EMAIL

egans@gsbadgerland.org

Use Subject Line: Cookie Question

Ask YourCookie Questions

We’ll Try to Answer All Your Questions Today

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We will answer as many of your questions as possible today.

Troop Cookie Coordinator• Attend Trainings provided

• Work with Troop leadership and girls to determine

cookie sale plans

• Collect and retain parent permission slips

• Use abcsmartcookies.com website for all things cookies

• Work with Troop Treasurer to insure Troop bank

account has appropriate funds for cookie payments

TCC = Troop Cookie Coordinator

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Cookie VocabularyVolunteer RolesProduct Sales Manager or PSM: The person in your community who works with all the Troops to get them their paperwork, cookies, and rewards. They receive your INITIAL cookies for you to pick up the week of February 4.

Cookie Cupboard Manager: The person in your community who has extra cookies on hand for you to pick up throughout the sale when you place a PLANNED ORDER. Sometimes this is the same person as the PSM.

Troop Cookie Coordinator: This is YOU. The go to cookie expert in a Troop. You work with parents and girls to insure the troop is meeting deadlines and being successful.

“The cookie sale was so much fun for my girls…and me, too!”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Troop Leader

“Effort pays off!” What a Badgerland Girl Scout said she learned during the Cookie Program.

It’s a Cookie PROGRAM

Girl Scouts participating in the Cookie Program learn

5 Essential Skills

GOAL

SETTING

MONEY

MANAGEMENT

BUSINESS

ETHICS

PEOPLE

SKILLS

DECISION

MAKING

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Did You Know?

“I learned how to work as a team at our cookie booth.” ~ Badgerland Girl Scout

The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business in the WORLD.

The Cookies• $4 per box except

Gluten Free: $5

• Cookies may not be discounted. No exceptions.

• Our baker: ABC

Nine cookie choices including gluten free.

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Cookie Program Theme

“I learned manners and always to say thank you.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

• Nellie the Narwhal

• Inspire, Imagine, Innovate

• Fearless go-getter, willing

to take risks, and stand

out in a crowd to guide

the way!

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Cookie Profits

Cost of 1 Cookie Box

(What we pay the baker)

$1.05

Girl & Troop Rewards $0.21

Troop Earnings* $0.63-0.75

Girl & Volunteer Services $1.99-$2.12

Total $4 per box

Badgerland’s Best Sellers: Thin Mints | Caramel deLites | PB Patties

After paying the baker, 100% of the money raised by Badgerland troops through the Girl Scout Cookie Program stays local.

Troop Per-Girl Selling

Average of Boxes Sold

2019 Girl Scout

Troop Profits

1 – 203 boxes $0.63 per box

204 – 299 boxes $0.69 per box

300+ boxes $0.75 per box

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Troop Cookie Profits

“We donated some of our profits from cookie sales and it felt great.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Ways to Sell

“My daughter came out of her shell talking to people at booth sales.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Parent

• Order Taking

- Take orders then deliver cookies later and

collect payment at delivery

• Troop Booth Sales

- Cookie Booths at Local Businesses

• Digitally

- Girls send e-card invites.

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COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Ways to Sell Digitally

“Lemonades will take over the world because they’re so great!”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

Digital Cookie also called Smart Cookies Direct Ship

Send 2 different eCards through Smart Cookies account:

1) Invite customers to shop her digital store to order and

pay for cookies and shipping online.

2) Invite customers to make a ‘promise’ order – they

complete a cookie order form but don’t pay online.

Instead she delivers their cookies and collects payment.

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Direct Ship Updates

NEW Gift Box Feature

1515

New Gift Box for Smart Cookies Direct Ship

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OnlineSupport

Customizable!• End consumers now have the

ability to create a custom gift box of Girl Scout Cookies for the cookie lover in their lives

• Consumers have the ability to hand select which varieties of cookies they wish to include in the gift box

• Consumers are also able to craft a personal note to the gift box recipient

• Perfect for birthdays, care packages, Valentine’s Day or just because!

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Girl Delivery Credit Card Payment

NEW Feature & Optional

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Credit Card Payments for Girl Delivered Orders

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Fee Breakdown

Although there are fees associated with using credit cards, the increased sales, increased consumer convenience and happier customers make it well worth it!

12 cents per transaction + 2% total sales – Badgerland Council is absorbing ALL FEES

Example: Average girl delivery sale of 6 packages

6 pkgs at $4 per package = $24 gross sales

$24 X 2% = $0.48 + $0.12 cents = $0.60 total that Council will absorb

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Cookies and the Internet

“Stay positive and never give up.”~ Top Seller Advice

• For girls 13 and older, it’s okay for her (with your

permission) to promote her sale on personal

social networking sites including Facebook and

Twitter.

• Girl Scout Cookies may not be advertised or sold

on online auction or sales sites.

Cookie Order Card

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COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING“I learned safe ways to handle cash.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

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Key Websites

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abcsmartcookies.com

• Secure site

• Personalized based on user

• Order Management

• Girl Experience

• Training• Marketing

abcbakers.com

• Public site

• General Cookie Program Info

• Recipes

• Cookie Nutritional Information• FAQ’s

• Link to Smart Cookies Login

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Meet with Troop Leadership

“I learned that Girl Scouts do great things with their cookie profits.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

Hold the meeting before January 5!This is when Smart Cookies training will be held.

Things To Discuss At Your Meeting:

• Who’s doing what:

• Who is helping with sale: collecting money, placing orders in

Smart cookies, picking up cookies, etc.

• Who is speaking with Parents/Girls regarding cookie program

• Who is Goal setting with girls

• Who is discussing Budgeting – how the money earned will help

future events

• Gluten Free cookies – will your troop order these?

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Troop Family Meeting

“I learned that Girl Scouts do great things with their cookie profits.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

Hold the meeting before January 14!

That’s when your Troop Initial Cookie Order is due.

4 Things To Do At Your Meeting:

• Collect signed permission slips from each family.

• Make sure each Girl Scout has selected her reward choices!

• Set the Troop Goal (How much money do you want to earn?

Are you trying to earn the Troop Reward?)

• Distribute the Cookie Family Guide so each family has the

information they need throughout the Sale.

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COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Troop Family Meeting Agenda

“At a booth sale, someone donated to our troop because of my manners.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

o COLLECT signed parent permission formso REVIEW safety guidelineso SET Goalso DISCUSS 5 skillso REINFORCE no sales before February 9o COOKIE SHARE– who will your troop

supporto GLUTEN FREE – how many cases to order?o PICK UP cookie dates and timeso MONEY collection dates, times, guidelineso BOOTH saleso ASK for volunteer help

• All Girl Scouts can sell with parental permission.

• Permission Forms are in your Troop Packet.

• Permission forms must be signed and in yourpossession before you give girls any cookies.

• The troop keeps the permission forms unlessa parent does not turn in all their cookiemoney.• In that event, provide the form to Badgerland.

The Permission Form

“I learned to always say thank you and write thank you notes.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

Badgerland2019

Rewards

“My girl learned all about work ethic during cookie season.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Parent

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Girl Rewards: 36-407 Boxes

“This program is so effective as a tool for developing goal setting skills.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Parent

• Traditional Rewards

Awesome goodies or Badgerland Bucks

OR

• Philanthropy Option

She chooses among 3 non-profits and we

make a donation in her name. And she

earns the 2019 Philanthropy Patch.

Girl Rewards: 408+ boxes

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING“Taking the girls to the Kalahari through the Troop Reward is our tradition.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Troop Leader

• Girls selling 408+ boxes earn Adventure Points.

• Girls choose rewards from many options and can mix and match points.

• For example, if she earns 2 Adventure Points, she can either get one item from the 2 point list or two items from the 1 point list.

Girl Rewards: 408+ boxes

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAININGBadgerland Girl Scouts donated $7295 through the Philanthropy Option~ 2017 Badgerland Girl Scout Cookie Program

Details on all the Adventure Pointtrips are on the cookie page at gsbadgerland.org

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Troop RewardsTroops with a 204 boxes per girl selling

average (PGSA) earn a Narwhal T-shirt.

Troops with a 252 boxes PGSA earn one of the

following:

• Kalahari Resort (your choice of dates)

May 19 | June 2 |June 9

• Milwaukee Zoo, Milwaukee

Anytime by September 30

Who goes free?

Each girl who sold and enough registered,

background checked adults to meet Safety Ratio.

484 Badgerland troops earned the Troop Reward in 2018!

Estimating the Initial Cookie Order

“When people said ‘no’, she learned to handle it graciously.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Parent

Ordering the correct amount is not an exact science since every booth is different.

•Your initial order should cover 1-2 of the booths you are planning to do by February 28.

•Top Sellers are Thin Mints, Caramel deLites and Peanut Butter Patties.

•Any cookies remaining from your February booths will be used to fill your girls order taking card orders.

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Ordering Gluten Free

“I learned if you want the reward you have to do the work.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

• Orders are not guaranteed but we do have limited supplies.

• Order by the CASE: There are 12 pouches in 1 case.

• Email us for the order link:info@gsbadgerland.org | subject line: Gluten Free Link

• Deadline to order is January 14

• Your troop will be notified by January 31 of the number of cases you will receive when your initial order is delivered the week of February 4.

• Gluten Free cookies may NOT be returned

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COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Cookie Share

“Deciding where to donate our Cookie Share cookies was my favorite part.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

Milk & Cookie Donation Optionfor

Dane & La Crosse County Food Pantry locations

If your cause is a Dane County Food Pantry, the Dane County Dairy Council will donate a gallon of milk for every box of Cookie Share cookies donated by Badgerland Troops – up to 2000 boxes.

La Crosse County Dairy Council will donate a ½ gallon of milk for every box donated to a La Crosse County Food Pantry.

• Customers can buy cookies to benefit a cause instead of for themselves.

• Customer pay for the cookies, but does not receive them.

• Cookie share cookies and money go back to the troop to donate.

• Troops decide where to donate their Cookie Share cookies.

• At the end of the sale, the troop delivers all Cookie Share cookies sold to their designated cause.

• Common Cookie Share Recipients: Food Pantries, Assisted Living Centers and Military Groups

All About Cookie Booths

“I love spending time with my mom through Girl Scouts.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout

Council Secured Booth locations

As of December 1, 2018

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Troop Secured Booths

“My daughter started out being nervous but gained so much confidence.”~ Badgerland Girl Scout parent

Cookie Returns - March 3 & 4

“I learned you have to stick with your goal or you won’t get it.”~ 2016 Badgerland Girl Scout

Return Guidelines- ½ case per girl registered allowed to be

returned – can be rounded to next full case- Only complete, unopened, undamaged,

clean (no writing on the cartons) casesmay be returned

- Gluten free cookies are not returnable

- To be eligible for returns, your troop musthave placed an initial order by January 14

Words of WisdomThe week before returns, connect with all your families to determine your troop’s cookie inventory.

Money Collection

“I met a lot of my neighbors when I sold them cookies.”~ 2017 Badgerland Girl Scout

• Girls collect cookie money when they give cookies to customers.

• Checks are made to the troop or Girl Scouts, NOT the parent.

• Best Practice: Count the money with the parent to verify it is correct and give the parent a receipt for the money you received from them.

• Deposit all funds into the troop bank account. If you receive an NSF check, fill out the Returned Check Reimbursement form.

• Be prepared to pay your troop cookie bill:February 26: 30% of balance as of February 19March 14: 40% of balance as of March 7April 3: Remaining balance as of March 27

• If parents do not have final funds turned in by March 18, complete the Delinquent Parent form online and submit by March 22.

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Essential Dates• Council Secured Booth signup begins January 8

• Initial Cookie Order by January 14 These are the cases a troop needs for your Booth Sales

• Initial Cookie Order Delivery: Week of February 3

• Cookie Sale Dates: February 9 – March 17

• Place a Planned Order, if needed: Any Sunday by 8 pm starting February 10These are orders placed in Smart Cookies for extra cases of cookies for the troop

• Troop Cookie Returns: March 3 & 4 only

• ACH Withdrawals: February 26 | March 14 | April 3

• Complete Transfers in Smart Cookies by March 18

This gives your girls credit for the boxes they sold. Must be done to place the Rewards Order

• Place Girl Reward order by March 25

• Badgerland Bucks and Adventure Point Certificates mailed to girls mid-April

• Girl Rewards available for pickup May 15 - 31

4067 Boxes! How many boxes the 2018 Badgerland Top Seller sold!

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Cookie Resources

Troop ResourcesTroop HandbookReceipt books (3 per troop)Product Sales Coordinator Agreement1 Box of Lemonades

Girl Materials (1 per girl)Family Guide – 1st Year

ExperiencePermission FormRewards FlyerCoin Envelope

“Let’s have fun – it’s Girl Scout Cookie Time!”~ 2018 Badgerland Girl Scout Cookie Team

NOTE:Your Cookie Order cards will be handed out during Initial Order pick up the week of February 4.

“My girls worked so hard and we all had a blast!”~ Badgerland Girl Scout Troop Leader

COOKIE ROOKIE TRAINING

Next Steps

Meet with Troop Leadership by January 5 Attend the Smart Cookies Training on January 5! Request Council Secured Booth sales starting on January 8 at 2pm. Hold the Troop Family cookie meeting by January 14

Collect signed Parent Permission slips and ask for volunteers. Brainstorm places where your troop would like to sell cookies and reach out

to those locations to schedule a time and date for the cookie booth. Decide if you want Gluten Free cookies to sell and request by January 14. Place your troop’s Initial Cookie Order by January 14 which will include cookies

for your February troop booth sales.

“Let’s have fun – it’s Girl Scout Cookie Time!”~ 2019 Badgerland Girl Scout Cookie Team

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CookiePaloozas

Registration - $5 (MFB) $15 (MM)

My First Business (Daisies & Brownies)

January 13, 1-4pmCentral High School, LaCrosse

January 19, 1-4pmCardinal Heights Middle School, Sun Prairie

January 20, 1-4pmCraig High School, Janesville

Mall Madness (Brownies – Ambassadors)

January 12, 1-7pmValley View Mall, LaCrosse

January 26, 1-7 pmWest Towne Mall, Madison

Thank You for Attending

Questions: info@gsbadgerland.org

or 1-800-236-2710