2008 Shore Service Unit Girl Scout Cookie Sale Information

**SALE BEGINS JANUARY 18th, 2008**

FIRST:  Please let me know who your contacts are from your troop

by January 14^th email to shop@sandscripts.com or fax to 732.528.1914 the following information:

TROOP NUMBER:_________________________________________________________

LEADER’S NAME(S):______________________________________________________

COOKIE PARENT NAME:__________________________________________________

PHONE NUMBER:_________________________________________________________

EMAIL:___________________________________________________________________

ATTENDING JANUARY 17^th COOKIE TRAINING:    YES    or     NO

(if “NO” – advise of which Council Training you have completed_________________________________)

MY COOKIE PARENT IS A REGISTERED ADULT SCOUT:    YES    or     NO

(if “NO” - anyone handling money must be registered – print out the form at http://www.girlscoutsjs.org/images/Adult_Registration.pdf  & submit a check for $10 to GSJS before the sale begins)

SECOND:  Cookie Training

Make sure you have your complete Cookie Sale Packet and your troop Cookie Parent must attend Cookie Training.  Our Service Unit’s Cookie Training will be January 17^th, 2008 promptly at 7:30pm (and will last approx 20-30 minutes), Curtis House, 644 Union Lane, Brielle.  If you can not make the Service Unit’s Cookie Training be sure to attend one of Council’s cookie trainings.  See the Council Website or the times/dates listed in the cookie packet materials.

I have the packets from the following troops: 770, 795, 984, 1104, 1223, 1305, 1473, 1517, 1731, 1769 and have materials for any troops registered after 12-09-07 – your packet can be picked up with advance arrangement at my home or finally at our January 17^th Leader’s Meeting.

There are over 40 Troops in the Shore Service Unit selling cookies more than ever since Daisy Troops now sell.  Please make sure all Leaders and Cookie Parents read the below and the materials in your packet, as well as, attend cookie training to insure that your Troop is well prepared for this sale.  A wonderful experience for the girls with a smooth running, very successful sale is our goal – with your cooperation and good communication – we can achieve that goal.  Thank you.

THIRD:  Understand this year’s Cookie Program. 

This year’s program is different as Scouts are encouraged to keep selling cookies throughout the entire cookie selling period.  The orders taken by the girls from family, friends and door-to-door selling are submitted with the standard order form pooled together with your booth sales and are considered your troop’s initial order.  You need to properly fill out, check over and then hand in the following:  the top TWO copies (Council-white and Service Unit-yellow) of the T-1 Form (YOU KEEP THE PINK COPY) AND the top three copies (Council, District and Service Unit) of the T-2a Form (YOU KEEP THE BOTTOM COPY) AND the top TWO copies (Council-white and Service Unit-yellow) of the Cookie Sale Troop Incentive Order Form (YOU KEEP THE PINK COPY) to Suzanne Shea on or before Feb 8^th.  NOTE: These papers that need to be handed in are different than listed in your yellow book.

The girls can keep selling!  Additional orders collected by the girls after they hand in their original order card can be entered on their “Goal Getter Order Card”, there is one for each girl in your packet.  If you do not have enough cookies to fulfill these orders from your round up to cases boxes and initial booth sale stock – then use the “Cookie Sale Depot” located at Council.  There will be cookies there to fulfill your orders.  Be sure you keep accurate track of additional cases purchased directly from Council.  Be sure you also split all of the cookies that your troop ordered among the girls participating in booth sales, all cookies purchased by your troop throughout the entire sale can be divided amongst the girls toward their incentives.  You need to submit this additional information to me by April 2^nd when you hand in your Deposit Slip and any added incentives to be ordered.  The purpose of this is since incentives will not be ordered until the beginning of April, all girls are encouraged and are able to keep selling.  Those additional boxes and cases sold will count to their final totals when ordering incentives.  It will be more paperwork for you, but hopefully the Scouts will reach higher levels and receive more incentives.  Good luck!

FOURTH:  Check your counts! 

Any girls who are registered but are no longer active should be removed out of your troop to be an "Independent Scout".  Make sure that the girls registered in your troop are the active girls only!  If you do not - the inactive girls will count against your troop average sale per girl.  These numbers will be used to figure your troop cookie bonuses, so it is very important to take care of this prior to the sale. Contact Susan Bielicki shoreregistrar@yahoo.com by January 10^th, 2008 to move any girls to “Independent”.  The listing of registered girls by troop for the Shore Service Unit as of January 4th, 2008 is now posted at:  http://www.shoreserviceunit.org/shore_registered_list_01-04-08.doc  That is the total I will use when entering your orders and calculating your troop average.  Check and there will be no surprises as to what Council believes is your “Registered Girl Scout Count”.

Profits to your troop.  Cookies are $3.50/box – you want your troop to average 106 boxes sold per registered active girl to gain maximum credit of $.75 per box sold.  That is the best case scenario.  Never forget that this is a fundraiser and maximizing profits is your goal!  By extending the length of time for girls to sell, more boxes can be sold = higher profits for your troop.  Profit structure is different this year – TAKE NOTE!  “Bonus” money will not be rebated back in June – instead you take your Troop’s entire profit right off the top at time of deposit.

FIFTH:  Troop Goal Setting and Planning. 

There are so many activities and patch programs that your cookie sale kick-off meeting can be a badge earning activity!  You can use the materials provided in the cookie packet, as well as the actual cookie activity BOOKS online available for you to download and print out at http://www.littlebrowniebakers.com to help you plan a successful goal setting and goal achieving program with your troop.  Remember a Scout selling her goal, is not just selling a box of cookies, instead – she is selling an opportunity for her customers to help her achieve a goal.  Use the Cookie Q deck for meeting activity suggestions – it is a great addition to our helpful materials this year.  Be sure your Scouts also earn a cookie Try-it/Badge and this year’s cookie pin.  Be sure to also review safety guidelines with your troop! 

NEW!  The Cookie Club:  use this new program by Little Brownie Bakers to do online activities with your girls!  Have the girls join the Cookie Club!  Make sure permission slip instructions are followed prior to participation. A Cookie Club flyer will be distributed at training and is also available to download and print from http://www.shoreserviceunit.org/product_sales.htm 

Remember, Wider-op credits for Teen Scouts.  The expanded program includes a two year goal for trips – be sure you are aware of the program so you can plan!  This flyer is also posted at  http://www.shoreserviceunit.org/product_sales.htm  Any girl can choose Council “Cookie Credits” instead of the prize incentives.  Girls on alternative incentive programs still receive qualifying patches.  Please note – incentive order deadlines are later than the initial order as the girls additional “Goal Getter” and booth sales will count toward the girl’s earned incentives.  Incentives will not be ordered and delivered until APRIL.  Day, time and location for pick-up will be announced in April.

Decide on an organization to support for your troop’s Gifts of Caring program.  The Gifts of Caring (GOC) program has many helpful purposes.  The first white column on the order form is where these orders need to be entered.  Have your girls write “Gifts of Caring” or the organization they are collecting for on the top of the column.  Remind your girls to ask each customer if they wish to purchase cookies that will be donated directly to the organization you choose.  This program allows customers who do not want cookies or who want to support the other organization you choose to be able to purchase cookies for them.  This can be in addition to their own order or a stand alone purchase.  Girl Scout Council has partnered with the FoodBank this year who will be more than happy through Council to accept your donations.  If choosing the FoodBank this year – your troop must take delivery of the cookies then you have to get them back to Council as the FoodBank wants them in one lump delivery.  Thank you notes/receipts pre-printed with the FoodBank’s information are included in the troop cookie information yellow booklet.  Girls who sell 5 Gifts of Caring cookie boxes receive a special patch, so be sure to distribute any bulk donations appropriately amongst your Scouts. 

SIXTH:  Distribution of materials. 

Schedule your troop’s cookie training!   Have an educational meeting with the girls then invite the parents at the end of the meeting to educate them about your troop goals and sales objectives. A well organized sale with easy information for the girls / parents will be a successful sale. Make a TROOP BUSINESS PLAN! As part of your troop business plan be sure that you set troop and individual sales goals!  Have the girls sell their goal along with the cookies!  Customers then become an active participant in helping the Girl Scout achieve her goal and the box of cookies almost becomes secondary.  Customers love to contribute to the success of the troop’s overall goal.   NOTE: There is no harm in talking up cookie sales over the holidays and before January 18^th, but you are ON SCOUTS HONOR NOT TO "Officially" SELL until January 18th.  Council takes this very seriously!  Please do not be an offender of this rule.

Your Troop Packet includes:

FOR EACH GIRL

-         Girl Cookie Sale Order Form. Incentives of what the girls can work toward are pre-printed on the order form.  Also listed - goal progress tracking, safety rules, cookie nutritional information, games and detachable pocket order form for girls looking for a smaller order form to carry with them.

-         Girl Money Envelope.   NOTE: money to be collected upon cookie delivery with the exception of people only purchasing GOC who pay upon order.

-         Goldenrod Parent Guide, have the girls or you fill out the information on the cover and be sure to supplement with your own letter highlighting important notes from your troop cookie training!

-         Pink Cookie Sale Permission Slip.  Be sure to collect a signed permission slip per registered girl before you hand them their cookie order form.

-         “Goal Getter Order Card”.  It’s all about Sales Goals this year.  If a Scout did not achieve her individual goal or if your troop has not reached your troop goal – encourage your Scouts to keep selling!  Sales do not close when the initial orders are due – girls can keep selling throughout the entire selling season which is through the end of March.  Each girl needs to keep track of additional sales on her “Goal Getter Order Card”.  Use these secondary orders to help absorb the boxes that your troop is required to purchase to round up to case quantity.  Girls receive incentive credit for all of these secondary sales so be sure to keep very good track!  Additional cookies to fulfill these orders, as well as booth sale stock can be obtained via the Cookie Depot at Council.  Also – to meet your troop goals – on your initial order, order extra cases for your booth sale and use as stock to fulfill orders girls receive on their “Goal Getter Order Card”.  If you choose, girls can be selling additional cookies when delivering their orders.

TROOP / LEADER INFORMATION FOR TROOP COOKIE TRAINING

-         Yellow Volunteer’s Guide Booklet – Troop Guide – additional things you need to know about the Cookie Sale including responsibilities, dates, how to fill out the forms, recognitions, booth sales, gifts of caring, etc.  If you need further clarification - contact Suzanne Shea.

Please note – the due date of February 8^th in the yellow book does not list that you need to also hand in the T-1 Form and Incentive Order Form.  YOU MUST HAND IN ALL THREE FORMS!

-         Deck of Cookie Q Cards – cookie sale activities to do with your troop!

-         T-2A order form – to be handed in FEB 8^th – this is the Troop Order Form and Report, page 1, 2 and 3 to be submitted to Suzanne Shea upon cookie order – this is the amount of even cases to be ordered (12 boxes per case).  Please carefully review and double check your totals.  Page 4 is your receipt.

-         T-1 Troop Worksheet – to be handed in FEB 8^th – this is the tally sheet per girl, orders are entered by GIRL into the Little Brownie Bakers ordering system - page 3 is your receipt.

-         Troop Incentive Report form.  **Orders are manually entered per girl so totals from T-1 MUST MATCH totals per girl on your incentive form at time of initial order.  Remember to add in the booth sale credits amongst your girls either now or keep a record to adjust when we add to the incentives at the end of the sale.  Pages 1 & 2 ALSO DUE FEB 8th, page 3 is your receipt.

-         Remember, all cookie orders must be entered and submitted for even cases only. There is an “additional order column” on the T-1 form and the T-2A form for ‘booth or additional sales’ – be sure to ADD this to your total troop order.  If your troop has set a sales goal which you did not meet, why not use this opportunity to order additional cases now? Girls can offer these cookies for immediate delivery to new and existing customers when delivering their initial orders. Once they are sold and delivered, roll these sales totals into each girl’s total on the incentive form and add to their incentive count! 

      Rounding up to full cases may be a hardship on your troop treasury if you have limited plans for booth   

      and additional secondary sales.  If it winds up that you need one or two boxes, instead of ordering a full

      case, ask around to fellow leaders and see if you can trade or purchase boxes from other troops.  If you  

      can’t work it out with other troops in your town, Council will assist with requests for one or two boxes

      to pick-up if necessary.  That sincerely helps lighten the drain of purchasing 11 unneeded boxes that has

      the potential to eat away the girl’s profit.  You will need to do this on your own – DO NOT reflect on

      your orders handed in.  You need to short order your total so that any of these extra boxes are NOT in   

      your totals, there is no way for me to keep track of that without affecting your total due. I don’t see this.

-         Booth Sale Site Selection Form– Suzanne Shea will also be the contact person for Booth Sales.  To make sure multiple troops do not have the same location at the same time, submit this form.  Will contact you if there is a conflict. Council will provide final approval via postcard or email.  You can begin site approval now.  For Cookie Booth Sales you can either add the cookies you would like to sell to your original order form (remember you can not return cookies ordered) or utilize the “Booth Sale Cookie Depot” at Council, which is described on the booth sale sheet and yellow booklet.  Cookie Costumes can be borrowed thru Council, they are a fun way for the girls to draw attention to your sale..

-         Poster with cookie descriptions.  Display at your cookie sale kick-off and at your booth sales!  Quiz the girls about cookie knowledge!

-         Back of booklet - papers can be used as thank you notes/receipts for “Gifts of Caring” purchases.  Also can be attached to front of cookie order form to list the “Gifts of Caring” organization that your troop may have chosen to support. **Great way to absorb costs of rounding up boxes to make even cases.

-         Cookies: 1 box of the new “Sugar Free Chocolate Chip Cookies” (sweetener is Splenda) to share with your girls/parents at your Troop’s Cookie Training is included with your packet.  Go over the cookie types with your girls.  The Lemon Chalet (14 cookies with GS Swiss Chalet logo) cookies are new and the All Abouts have a new shape.

ONLINE TO PRINT OUT ON YOUR OWN from http://www.shoreserviceunit.org/product_sales.htm

-         Teen Trip Incentives – how to work toward Wider-Op Credits.  Contact Jenny Cody with any questions.

-         Cookie Club

-         2008 Cookie Sale Trip Campaign

-         Daisy GS Cookie Program, helpful information

-         Booklets: http://www.littlebrownie.com/theme/theme_progtogo.html

INCENTIVES were not provided this year by Council to be displayed at the Cookie Training.  The Shore Service Unit does not have a set to loan out this year as other years for your Cookie Meeting.  If you need to see any items, please contact Council.

ADDITIONAL GIRL INCENTIVE:  The Council Programs Department will hold a “top seller’s program” next January for this year’s top sellers.  Invitations will be sent out to girls selling _________ boxes in 2008.

TROOP COOKIE PARENT will receive a “thank you” gift this year.

Mark Your Calendar:

-         See the important dates listed in your yellow Book and please abide by the listed deadlines.  If special arrangements are required, please contact Suzanne Shea ahead of time! 

-         FEBRUARY 8^th, 2007 – Cookie orders are due to Suzanne Shea’s milkbox on the right side stoop by 9pm.  MONEY IS NOT COLLECTED BY SUZANNE SHEA.  DO NOT hand in payments and DO NOT hand in individual girl’s order forms.  Make sure all forms are properly filled out, checked over and then hand in the following:  the top TWO copies (Council-white and Service Unit-yellow) of the T-1 Form (YOU KEEP THE PINK COPY) AND the top three copies (Council, District and Service Unit) of the T-2a Form (YOU KEEP THE BOTTOM COPY) AND the top TWO copies (Council-white and Service Unit-yellow) of the Cookie Sale Troop Incentive Order Form (YOU KEEP THE PINK COPY).  Again – this is a change from what the yellow book lists. 

-         Initial order will be tabulated and completed immediately – no late orders accepted.

-         It is your responsibility to hold onto your copies of the T-1 Form and the Incentive Form and properly update as the girls sell more. 

-         February 28^th is the deadline to submit a properly filled out and manager signed Booth Sale Application Form to Suzanne Shea to be forwarded to Council for approval.

-         Cookie Pick Up location and time will be emailed when available.  Cookie pick up will be during the week of March 3^rd most likely in Brielle.  Volunteers are necessary to help out with the delivery.  Please contact Suzanne ASAP to sign up to help.  Husbands are more than welcome to also assist!

-         Money collection is traditionally taken at time of delivery instead of time of order.  It is beneficial since checks will be deposited into the Council account, request checks payable to “Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore” or “GSJS”.  This is good because if a check bounces, Council will pursue the funds.  You do not have any headaches or fees (depending on what bank you are in). 

-         **As I have done in the past, I will print a report from the cookie program that will list your amount due at time of your initial order.  This will be given to you along with your deposit slips at cookie delivery.  NOTE:  your troop retains all profits including bonuses at time of deposit. If you pick up cookies at the Cookie Depot, adjust as necessary to receive your final deposit total.  The Cookie Depot pick-ups/order entry is out of my control.  You are welcome to email me to let me know what you pick-up so I can help you keep track for girl’s incentives, but I have no input, billing or profit control for any cookies taken by you as a secondary order.**

-         No later than April 2nd - you need to make the final deposit for all cookies received (including all booth sales) less your applicable troop profit (determined by sales average per girl) to the Council's bank account.  Use the deposit slip of the bank most convenient to you.  Deposit slips will be distributed at cookie pickup. Be sure to mark "SHORE SERVICE UNIT" and YOUR TROOP NUMBER on the deposit slip.  You are more than welcome to make more than one deposit – just keep accurate records and make sure all deposit slips are returned to Suzanne by April 2^nd. ALSO – at this time – you hand in any additional incentive orders.

-         Your troop’s incentive order will be delivered after cookie pick up and an email will be sent when to pick them up at Suzanne Shea’s home or perhaps at our April 17^th Leader’s Meeting. 

-         Keep checking your email / open spam filters to shop@sandscripts.com - I’ll be in touch!

-         If you need more materials, please contact Suzanne.

Thank you for your hard work!   Have a great time, good luck and enjoy!! Any questions/concerns, or if you require special arrangements – please contact:

Suzanne Shea – first, please email for answers to shop@sandscripts.com