2021 GSME Cookie Program TROOP TOOLKIT - Girl Scouts of ...

2021 GSME
Cookie Program
 TROOP TOOLKIT
When a girl participates in the cookie program,
she is exposed to unique experiences and learns
essential life skills, her confidence soars, and
the leader in her begins to step up in powerful,
everyday ways. Learn how you can support her
success with this helpful guide!

Troop#:

Troop Goal:

Service Unit:

Have questions?
Contact your Service Unit Cookie Supervisor!
SERVICE UNIT COOKIE SUPERVISOR:

Name:

Email:

Phone:

Dear Leaders,
Gear up for the 2021 Cookie Program! Smart Cookies
is back again to make ordering, delivering, and girls
experience better than ever! Smart Cookies allows you
to track your troop goals, send messages to the girls and
families in your troop, and on the dashboard you will be
able to see all the important details about your troop sales!
Here are ways to make this program a success:

 � Attend Cookie training, read all emails, and stay
 organized

 � Encourage girls to sell online and door-to-door
 � Make delivery easy by asking for help from the
 parents!

 LEADER LETTER
 � Depositing all monies within 48 hours of receiving
 � Track goals and reach higher!
 � Sending email reminders to girls/families about
 meeting their goals

 � Communicating with your co-leader and sharing
 the responsibilities

 � Be available and on time
 � Sign up for lotteries and booths to educate the
 girls on how to run a business and work together
 as a group!

When a girl participates in the cookie program, she is
exposed to unique experiences and learns essential life
skills, her confidence soars, and the leader in her begins
to step up in powerful, everyday ways. Learn how you can
support her success with this helpful guide!

There is plenty of support along the way – check in with
your leaders, Service Unit Product Supervisor, and/or the
product team at GSME.

 The Product Team

New This Year

 HELPFUL REPORTS TO RUN IN SMART COOKIES
 With improved Contactless & Cashless Transaction

 NEW THIS YEAR | VIRTUAL COOKIE BOOTHS
 Features In addition to the standard online payment
 feature for Direct Ship orders, girls will now be able
 accept credit card prepayments via e-cards for the
 Girl Delivery option. Caregivers will need to approve the
 Girl Delivery order in Smart Cookies
 When a customer chooses the Girl Delivery option, they place
 their order online and pay in advance. The girl or troop will set up a
 contactless delivery plan with the help of a caregiver.
 ☙ Girls can use order cards to collect cookie orders, and then report
 them to the troop cookie volunteer.

 Virtual Cookie Booths
 Girl Scouts and troops can host virtual cookie booths this year in
 two different ways:
 ☙ Troops can hold live, virtual booth sales and share individual
 girl store links for customers to order via Direct Ship
 ☙ Troops can hold virtual cookie booths using the troop link
 in Smart Cookies. The troop will collect payment via Smart
 Cookies, and set up a contactless delivery method with
 customers. If the troop enters their booth into Smart Cookies,
 the booth will display in the Cookie Finder

Helpful Reports
to run in
Smart Cookies
Troop Balance Summary Report: to review
all financial transactions generated, and
balance owed to GSME
Girl Cookie Totals Summary Report: to see
if package allocation to girls is up-to-date
so they can track their progress toward
their goals.
Mobile and Ecard Summary Report: to
check girls’ online sales progress including
online orders that require girl delivery

Troop Cookie Product Manager Checklist:

 CHECKLIST | SECRETS TO A SUCCESSFUL SALE
�
 � Review Training material.
 � Review contact info on large troop envelope.
 � Familiarize yourself with the Product Sales Team.
 � Review Troop Cookie Program Toolkit.
 � Pull the following from the troop envelope and prepare
 or each girl:
 ☙ Girl order card (1 per registered girl)
 ☙ Money envelope (1 per registered girl)
 ☙ ABC Flyer

 � Log into Smart Cookies www.abcsmartcookies.com to verify your address and contact
 information.

 � Verify all of your girls have been loaded into Smart Cookies. Reach out to parents
 of any girls not yet registered to encourage reregistration. Contact your Service Unit Supervisor if a
 registered girl is not listed.

 � Set a Troop Goal
 � Meet with parents and girls in your troop to train and distribute materials, and/or
 attend a Cookie Rally.

 � Remind families to log into Smart Cookies and reach out to those who have not.
 � Be a coach, check in and help out! Have the girls set goals? Provide support.
 � Encourage girls to personalize their online store with a picture, video and message,
 and to send emails to family and friends.

 � Collect all girl order cards.
 � Review Troop info in Smart Cookies. Enter the troop’s order in Smart Cookies. If a girl
 does not have any orders, reach out and check in, don’t assume she did not sell!

 � Receive cookies from the Product Supervisor. Verify all inventory before you sign for
 them! Sort girl orders using the Girl Initial Order report in Smart Cookies. This report also serves
 as a receipt. Schedule girl pickups and have a parent sign the form at the bottom.

 � Check with your Cookie Supervisor to find out when and where to pick up patches.

Secrets to a Successful Sale
Did you know that girls who attend a Cookie Rally or Cookie Kick Off event sell more
cookies? If your Service Unit is hosting one this year, make a point to attend. Not only
will girls have lots of fun, they will get some great tips and learn all the details our Cookie
Program! Check with your Service Unit Supervisor for the date, location and time.

Important Dates
 January 29-31, 2021 Cookie Rally weekend
 (girls can start selling if they attend a Rally)

 TRAINING THE GIRLS AND PARENTS
 February 1, 2021 Online and Order Card sale begins
 February 28, 2021 Initial Order taking ends
 March 1, 2021 Girls can continue to collect orders
 March 3, 2021 Last day troop cookie managers can enter/edit orders in
 Smart Cookies
 March 4, 2021 Last day Supervisors can enter/edit troop orders in
 Smart Cookies

 IMPORTANT DATES
 March 18, 2021 Automatic Electronic Withdrawal (ACH) from troop accounts
 March 19-27, 2021 Cookie deliveries to service units
 (Check with your Cookie Supervisor for your date)
 April 1 – 30, 2021 Cookie booth/Direct sales

 Good news! 1st ACH withdrawal will be just for the Initial Orders.
 April 30, 2021 Cookie Program ends
 May 1, 2021 Parent Collection forms due to GSME
 May 5, 2021 Final ACH withdrawal and troop proceeds deposit
 May 26, 2021 Last day to turn in NSF checks for reimbursement to GSME

Training the girls and parents
☙ Why should troops participate in the Cookie Program?

 → Great program for the girls. Teaches the 5 Skills:

 ✭ It is one of the 3 requirements for the Free Camp Challenge.
 → Troops benefit - It is the biggest money earning activity for troops. On average,
 troops earn over $700.00 in proceeds from this program.
 ✭ It’s important for Troops to participate in BOTH GSME sponsored Product
 Programs, especially if they are planning to do additional money earning
 activities.
 → Funds council - sponsored programming: 100 percent of the profits stay in our
 area to support local Girl Scouts.

COOKIE DELIVERY AND PORCH DROP-OFFS DURING COVID-19
How does the
 Cookie Program Work?

 HOW DOES THE COOKIE PROGRAM WORK?
3 ways to sell cookies
☙ Order Taking: Girls canvas neighborhoods and reach out to friends and family with order
 cards in hand. During this phase, orders are entered into Smart Cookies by March 3rd and
 delivery and payment collection happens in April.
☙ Booth Sales: At booth sales, girls work together at local retailers to achieve troop sales
 goals. Starting April 1st, troops who have placed orders in smart cookies for upcoming
 booth sales can pick up cookies from the local cupboard and set up tables outside local
 retail locations such as restaurants, grocery stores and hardware stores to sell directly
 to customers. Packages sold during booth sales count toward your troop’s goal! Two
 registered adults and 3 registered girls must be present at all times. Refer to The Volunteer
 Essentials for specific requirements on the adult to girl ratio and adult training needed for
 this activity.
 Drive-thru Cookie Booth: Troops can opt to hold Drive–thru booths instead of traditional
 cookie booths. A separate informational flyer will be provided on how to do this.
☙ Online Sales: Encourage your girls to set up their very own Smart Cookie Website. This new
 tool will allow girls to personalize their page, set goals, and send emails to friends and family
 to increase sales through online orders. Customers are invited to shop from your girl’s very
 own website and cookies will ship directly to them.

 Cookie Delivery and Porch
 Drop-offs During COVID-19
 DO:
 ☙ Contact your customer ahead of time to confirm delivery time.
 ☙ Wear a mask during delivery. This is required.
 ☙ Practice “no contact” deliveries or maintain social distancing of at least 6 feet.
 ☙ If cookies haven’t already been paid for, try to collect payment over the phone ahead
 of time.
 ☙ Have an adult make the delivery on behalf of the girl.
 ☙ Have your girl write a handwritten thank you note to the customer to deliver
 alongside the cookies.
 ☙ Bring gloves, hand sanitizer or sanitizing wipes for before and after delivery.

 DON’T
 ☙ Leave cookies on a doorstep without confirming someone is home. Council will not
 be covering the cost of cookies that are stolen or vandalized from drop-offs.
 ☙ Enter a customer’s home.
 ☙ Shake hands or physically come in contact with the customer.
 ☙ Leave boxes out in plain sight. Place them inside a paper bag or leave cookies in an
 inconspicuous place.
 ☙ Deliver if you feel uncomfortable.

Best Tips and Practices

 BEST TIPS & PRACTICES AT LEADER TRAINING
 at Leader Training
☙ Be sure to familiarize yourself with the Smart Cookies platform. You are the expert-be sure
 you can navigate it with confidence!

 GLUTEN FREE COOKIE ORDERING
☙ Set a troop goal and share that goal with your girls and parents
☙ Use the Cookie Program Troop Toolkit as a training resource. Encourage your families to
 go online and read and/or print their own Family Toolkit, especially if they are brand
 new to the Cookie Program. These are on our website, girlscoutsofmaine.org under
 Cookies & Nuts.
☙ Emphasize the importance this being a girl activity, not a fundraiser. Focus on key
 elements such as the 5 Skills and other important benefits for the girls.
☙ BE ENTHUSIASTIC! This is a FUN activity and everyone LOVES Girl Scout Cookies!
 Rally the troops to be excited and promote the program!

 GLUTEN FREE
 Cookie Ordering
 The Gluten Free Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookie will NOT be
 on the order card and is NOT part of the initial sale. It can be
 purchased online and will be available at cookie cupboards
 if the service unit has preordered them. Please be sure to
 stress that this is not an initial order option to your parents
 and that GSME cannot guarantee delivery if girls add them to
 the initial order.

Cookie Line up

 COOKIE LINE UP | HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLES
All cookies except the Caramel Chocolate Chip are $5 per package.
Caramel Chocolate Chip are $6 per package.

 Caramel Girl Scout
 Caramel
 Chocolate S’mores
 Delites
 Chip (GF)

 Peanut Butter Peanut Butter
 Lemonades
 Patties Sandwich

 Shortbread Thin Mint Toast Yay

 How the cookie Crumbles

 $1.09
 pays the bakery for the cookies

stays here in
 $2.93 77-
Maine to fund
various services
provided to girls
 85¢
and leaders such as
program activities, stays at the
financial help for girl level to
girls, subsidies fund troop
to reduce camp activities such
costs, training as field trips
resources and other and resources
support services for to assist
volunteers. leaders with girl
 activities.

 stays in the Service
 Unit to provide services

6¢ 7¢
 needed locally, such as a
 camporee for all troops
 pays for cost of the sale and any additional
 (girl patches, bad checks, postage, etc.) resources for leaders

Booth Sales

 BOOTH SALES | PLANNING YOUR BOOTH SALE
 It is a privilege to be trusted by our retail partners with their
 storefront space and it is of utmost importance that we take
 great care to honor all of booth sale etiquette guidelines. Let’s
 ensure that all of our interactions at booth sale locations are
 always positive and appreciative
 ☙ Always be polite and friendly and follow all instructions given
 by store management.
 ☙ Never block or impede a store’s foot traffic with your booth
 setup.
 ☙ At least three girls must always be present at booth sales.
 ☙ Girl Scouts should wear a uniform (vest, tunic, sash), to
 identify themselves as Girl Scouts at booth sales.
 ☙ Plan ahead and always safeguard money during booth sales.
 ☙ Be sure to clean up after yourselves when packing up.
 ☙ No soliciting

Planning your Booth Sale
Again this year, leaders control when, how many, and what flavors of cookies they order
for cookie booths. Simply place a Planned Order within Smart Cookie for your local
cupboard by 9 pm on the Sunday BEFORE your booth sale for cookie pick up at a time and
day you choose. This ordering system helps to guarantee the cookies you need will be
available for your sale.
If you have a last minute booth opportunity or miss the 9:00 p.m. cutoff, contact your
Cupboard Supervisor. She/he will make every effort to get you the cookies you need.

 Please be aware that the USDA Food Safety regulations prevent
 cupboards from accepting any cookies returns. Be sure to order only
 what you feel confident you can sell and have a backup plan for any
 unsold packages.

Booth sale requirements - A minimum of two registered adults must be present at
all times. One of the adults must be approved, and trained. 3 registered girls must be
present at all times as well. Check the Volunteer Essentials for the adult to girl ratio
needed for this activity.

 High School students (Seniors & Ambassadors)
 have a 1:2 ratio for booth sales – 1 registered &
 trained adult, and two girls.

Just for the Girls

 Participation patch Online Patch Cookie Share Patch
15+ packages of cookies 24 + packages 15+ cookie share
 sold direct ship packages

 Boost Bar Key Ring and 250 Boost Bar
 250+ packages of cookies
 350 Boost Bar
 350+ packages of cookies
 500 Boost Bar
 500+ packages of cookies

 PATCHES
 750 Boost Bar
 750+ packages of cookies
 1000 Boost Bar
 1000+ packages of cookies

Last Chance to Earn Your
Girl Scout Cookie Crossover Personalized Patch!
Girls who fulfilled the fall requirement will need to sell a total of 250+ packages
of cookies in the 2021 Girl Scout Cookie Program to meet the final requirement.
This personalized Me2 Avatar patch will be mailed directly to the girl from M2.
Don’t forget to add your shipping address into M2.

 Requirements
 ☙ Create your Me2 Avatar in the Fall
 ☙ Send 15+ emails in the Fall
 ☙ Sell 250+ packages of cookies