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Cookie Manager!

Troop Cookie Coordinator (TCC)Position Description

• Purpose of Position: – To ensure the opportunity for girls to participate in the Cookie

Program• Accountability:

– Will work with and report to the Service Unit Cookie Manager• Responsibilities:

– Attend Cookie Training hosted by the Service Unit– Utilize the policies, procedures, and resources provided in council

publications.– Maintain proper records and turn them over to Troop Leader after

sale is over. The Troop Leader should retain these records for 1 year.– Provide accurate, proper, and timely reporting – Provide complete and accurate accounting of all cookies– Provide for the prompt distribution of materials

Important Dates

The Cookie LineupThin Mints®

Samoas®

Tagalongs®

Trefoils®

Do-si-dos® Savannah Smiles™

Why ?

• Nearly all cookie customers say their favorite is one of these six• Reduces the potential for leftover packages of varieties that appeal

to limited audiences• Easier to manage…for girls, for you, for us!• Research shows that the five core varieties (Thin Mints®, Samoas®,

Tagalongs®, Trefoils®, and Do-si-dos®) appeal to more than 80% of customers

• Each cookie variety should reach new customers who wouldn’t otherwise make a purchase

• Research shows that the additional varieties provide only a minimal increase and create a disproportionate amount of:– Additional expense– Complexity– Effort

New GSUSA Cookie Case Designs

• New GSUSA Case Designs for 2013-2014• Standardized for both Bakers to provide a consistent consumer

experience

Resources

Online volunteer cookie training! We’ll add new learning pieces based on upcoming due dates and needs.

https://ebudde.LittleBrownie.com Run the entire Cookie Program - from placing orders to figuring out rewards. eBudde is your command center for managing the cookie sale.

Additional Resources

Helping customers find Girl Scout Cookies near them!

www.LittleBrownie.com Find activities, marketing ideas and clip art to help girls prepare for and learn from the Girl Scout Cookie Program.

www.gsctx.org

www.girlscouts.org

Materials

• Troop– Receipt books– Helping Heroes Box Wrap (1 per troop)– Operation Cookie Box Wrap (1 per troop)– Savannah Smiles (1 box per troop)

• Girl– Parent Permission Form (you’ll receive these later)– Money Envelope– Order Card

The Basics• Direct Sale – Cookies in hand; no pre-orders

• Initial Order – Due by midnight December 6

• Sale Begins – Wednesday, January 15

• Booth Sales Begin – Saturday, January 18

• Cookie Sale Ends – Friday, February 21

• 1 Box = $4.00

• 12 Boxes = 1 Case

• Troops get cookies in whole cases only

• Girls get cookies from the troop in any increment

• Troop earns $.40 per box sold in troop profit

Safety Guidelines• Observe the buddy system at all times.

• Safe Cookie Booth locations! NO locations along freeway access roads, major thoroughfares, mall parking lots and other high-traffic areas

• Girls may not approach a vehicle to offer cookies for sale!

• Girls may not go door-to-door in a residential apartment complex unless they are accompanied by an adult and have the specific permission of the property manager.

• Participating adults, dealing with cookies and money collections, must be registered. This includes delivery.

• Participating adults dealing with Girl Scouts other than their own must be registered and have a Criminal Background Check on file at Council.

Safety Guidelines +Daisies

• Mentors for Daisy Troops – assigned a mentor Cookie Captain or mentor troop– Mentors are Cadettes, Seniors or Ambassadors.

• Door-to-Door Selling: – Friends, family or the neighborhood only – Use the “buddy system” – (Cookie Captains would make a great

buddy)

Basic Program Procedures• Follow all rules

– Safety Checkpoints -Volunteer Essentials -GSCTX SU Cookie Manual – Troop Cookie Manual

• Girls must be registered members.

• Girls must have a current Parent/Guardian Permission Form on file

• Girls sell cookies – not adults. This is a GIRL LED program.

• Girls may not sell or take orders before January 15, 2014

• Girls may sell door to door in any neighborhood within GSCTX.

• Girls may not conduct booth sales outside of their designated SU.– exception of approval by the Product Program Manager, or for Council Booths

• Cookies are sold for $4 per box. This price is for our council, and cookies may not be sold at any other price by GSCTX members.

• Do not violate any policy of Girl Scouts of the USA, Girl Scouts of Central Texas, nor any federal, state or local ordinance/law when selling Girl Scout Cookies.

Basic Program Procedures + DaisiesGirl Scout Daisies may participate in the Girl Scout Cookie Sale! They may not, however, participate in additional money-earning activities, as per revised Volunteer Essentials Chapter 7.

Booth Sales• Booths ONLY set up by Council or SU Booth/Cookie Manager.

• Private booths NOT allowed. – If a business has a booth to offer it must be shared with the whole SU

• Booths set up within an organization (social club, church, etc.), must be offered to all girls that are a member of that organization.

• Girls should wear Girl Scout Membership pin

• 2 to 4 girls at booths are allowed

• 2 adults present at all times. Adults responsible for money and must be registered Girl Scouts.

• Only cookies sold at booths. (i.e. hot chocolate, sodas, water, etc.)

• No donation jars. (except in special circumstances approved and announced by council)

• Girls operate cookie booths. Booth staffed only by adult volunteers is not acceptable.

• Take trash and empty boxes when you leave. Do not use the trash receptacles at the booth site.

• Handle any problems that arise at booths in a dignified, courteous manner. – Demonstrate the Girl Scout Promise and Law in action. – Rude behavior can only jeopardize the relationship with the merchant sponsor. – If the problem cannot be resolved, the SUCM should be contacted.

Booth Sales + Daisies

• Girl Scout Daisies may participate in two (2) booth sales during the Cookie Sale – Dependent on SU booth availability

• Girl Scout Daisies must partner with their Cookie Captain or mentor troop for their booth sale

• There should be no more than two (2) Girl Scout Daisies at a Cookie Booth

• Girl Scout Daisies’ time at a booth should be between 30 minutes and one (1) hour; no more than one (1) hour per Daisy, per booth

• Service Units will not distribute booths to Girl Scout Daisy Troops.

Training Girls & Parents

• Set a date for the parent/guardian and girl training, and invite all parents/guardians and girls to attend.

• Prepare a handout that outlines the procedures and dates that best fit your schedule. For example:– When is the Parent/Guardian Permission Form and order due?– When will order cards and cookies be passed out?– What hours can they call you? What hours can they not call you? – When and to whom should they turn in money?– When does the sale start and end?– Who should checks be made payable to? – Can all checks be accepted? (NO! Review the Troop Banking Procedures)– Share the link for www.littlebrownie.com!

• Prepare fun activities for the meeting. Check out the Little Brownie website, www.littlebrownie.com, for activity ideas.

• Make sure to include the following in your training:– Girl Safety– Goal Setting – Plan to set goals at the individual girl level and the troop level– Share information about special programs like Cookies Rock, Cookie Kick-offs Cookie Captains, Helping

Heroes, Operation Cookie, and Gift of Caring.– Cost of cookies and how to make change– Etiquette, booth rules, and procedures– Information about the eight varieties of cookies – make sure girls know their cookies!

• Have fun!

Online Product Marketing:Reader’s Digest Version

• Girls MAY market cookies and collect orders…– Using a parent’s e-mail, a group e-mail, or e-mail masking software provided by the

bakery (www.littlebrownie.com)– IF they are 13 or older, girls may use social networking sites to collect

orders (their own site or their parent’s site)

• Girls may NOT– Use the internet to market cookies without parental permission– Violate terms of use of any website– Exchange money online (no PayPal, E-Bay, etc)– Give personal contact information to customers that are not family– Use the internet to collect orders from outside of their own zip code,

unless the customers are family/personally known– Use their parent’s social networking site to market cookies if they are

under the age of 13

Girl Rewards to Inspire Success

Girls may use their Girl Scout Dough towards personal goals such as: Annual membership dues GSUSA Destinations (travel) Council sponsored activities Merchandise from the Council Store Council resident camp Service Unit events

Dough earned in the 2014 Cookie Program will be mailed to troop leaders March 31. Girl Scout Dough from the 2014 Cookie Program will expire on December 13, 2014.

Additional Reward Information

• Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador “Opt Out” Option– Cadette/Senior/Ambassador Troops only– If one Daisy/Brownie/Junior is in the troop, the troop cannot opt out!– Every girl in the troop must agree!– Girls will not earn prizes or Girl Scout Dough!!– Girls will earn patches as outlined in the Girl Reward Plan– Troop can earn an extra $.10 per box!!– Troop must select this option in eBudde

• Day Trip for Two - Girls who sell 1,000+ boxes of cookies can choose to get 2 FREE passes to one of these amusement parks. Girls that choose Main Event will receive two $25 gift cards.

NEW! Reward Information

• NEW! Gift of Caring Reward - Every girl who sells 15+ boxes for Operation Cookie or Helping Heroes will receive the “Gift of Caring Patch.”

• NEW! 1,000+ Incentive - Girls who reach the 1,000+ box level now have an option to choose 1 Week of GSCTX Summer Camp for FREE! – Girls will still receive their 1,000+ patch, sterling charm and bracelet

(1st time 1,000+seller). – Girls that select this option will not receive the Day Trip for Two

tickets or $300 GS Dough. – We recommend that girls reserve their place for camp by registering

and paying the deposit amount in December. If a girl selects this reward, her deposit fee will be refunded.

NEW! Initial Order Reward

• Troops with an Initial Order of 150+ per girl average will receive a custom Girl Scouts of Central Texas t-shirt for each girl participating in the Cookie Program

• Each troop that receives this reward can also elect for 1 Troop adult to receive the shirt for FREE!

• Shirts for additional troop adults can be ordered and paid for by the troop with the first ACH on January 31, 2014. Additional shirts will be $8 each. Troops will place the order for the Initial Reward Order by December 6th.

Troop Profits and Bonuses

• Troop Profits - Troops earn $0.40 per package sold.

• Troop Bonus - Each troop is eligible to earn a Troop Bonus of $3.00 per case. This bonus is paid to troops who fulfill ALL of the necessary requirements, which are:– Troop Coordinator attended training.– Council proceeds were successfully paid via ACH as outlined in 2013-

2014 Troop Banking Procedures– Troops must have ZERO returns– Turn in Troop Financial Report to SU Treasurer by May 1 to be turned

in to Council by May 15, 2014.• NOTE: Troops that do not fulfill all requirements or meet all deadlines will

NOT earn a bonus

Operation Cookie

• Option for customers to purchase packages of cookies for military personnel

• Troops/Girl Scouts wishing to participate in Operation Cookie should do the following:– Prepare posters and signs for display at booth sales to let customers

know they can buy cookies that will be donated to the military.– NEW! Use the Operation Cookie box wrap!– Collect the monetary donations. No need to set the boxes aside.

• The TCC will enter boxes sold for Operation Cookie in eBudde for each girl. – These are “virtual” cookie sales. Boxes entered will be in addition to

varieties ordered and will count toward the girl’s total boxes sold. • All Operation Cookie donations will be sent to F7 Group at the end

of the sale. The troop never has to handle these cookies.

Helping Heroes

• Girls choose a group/hero to receive donated cookies – nonprofit organizations - uniformed personnel - military – blood banks - Veteran’s hospitals - area hospitals– Veteran’s hospitals - local food banks - a hero special to the girls in the troop

• Be sure to ask the organization if they can accept donated cookies• Prepare posters, signs, and collection boxes for display at booth

sales• NEW! Use the Helping Heroes box wrap!

• Place the cookies in the container designated for the charity/hero • Once the sale is over, the troop plans and executes the delivery of

the cookies to their charity of choice. • The TCC will enter all boxes sold for Helping Heroes in eBudde for

each girl. – Boxes entered under the Helping Heroes heading in eBudde will NOT

add to the total boxes sold by the troop or girl. This number simply represents out of all boxes sold, what boxes were donated to the troop’s Helping Heroes organization.

Before the Sale Summary

• Set up eBudde– Enter complete contact info for troop– Enter girls (first and last name, as they registered)

• Train girls and parents

• Give girls/parents permission forms and guidance on what to order

• Be sure girls/parents know that they cannot take orders or start selling until January 15, 2014

Placing an Initial Order• Due by noon on December 6, 2013 in eBudde.

– Troops must enter Cookie Order– Troops that qualify must also submit the Initial Reward Order in

eBudde

• Turn in 2 copies of each girl’s Permission Form to your SUCM. Below are the steps involved in preparing and submitting an Initial Order for the Cookie Sale:– Each girl must be registered. – Each girl must have turned in a signed Parent/Guardian

Permission Form.– Enter girl’s names into eBudde by registered name – first name,

then last name (no nicknames or initials).– Enter each girl’s order individually

• If you cannot enter your order online, contact your SUCM.

• That’s it!

The Cookies Are Here!

Getting Your Cookies

• Your SUCM will give direction on how the Initial Order is received.

– This varies greatly throughout council

• When you pick up your cookies - count them, sign the receipt, and keep a copy of that receipt for your records.

• Schedule a date and time for each girl and parent/guardian in your troop to pick up their cookies.

Distribution of Cookies• Have the cookies sorted and counted by girl prior to your

parent/guardian pick up time.

• Prepare a receipt for each parent/guardian. Be specific on the receipt

• Make sure there are two (2) copies of the receipt (one for you and one for them).

• When the parent/guardian arrives have them count the boxes/cases (count with them).

• Both of you should sign the receipt.

• Give them a copy and keep the other for your records.

• Only adults can sign for cookies. Girls cannot sign cookie receipts.

Adding Girls Late

• Girls may be added late to the Cookie Sale. To add a girl late, do the following:– The girl must be registered before she can participate– Give the proper materials to the girl and parent, and

explain the rules and procedures of the sale.– Obtain a signed Parent Permission Form from the

parents– If the troop has additional cookies available, give the

girl/parent a supply of cookies. If not, the girl/parents must wait until the troop receives an additional supply of cookies.

Getting Additional Cookies

• Place an order! (Pending Order in eBudde)

• Your SUCM will give direction on when you should place orders

• Your SUCM will give direction on when and where you pick up your additional cookies

• When receiving cookies - count them, sign the receipt, and keep a copy of that receipt for your records.

Transfers + eBudde

• Troop to Girl or Girl to Troop– May transfer in boxes– Use receipts and document in eBudde

• Troop to Troop– Full Cases only– Service Unit Manager must be aware of the transfer– Use receipts– Service Unit will enter into eBudde

Responsibilities During the Cookie Sale

• Order, pick up, distribute, and keep accurate records and receipts of all cookies in and out of the troop.

• Track and data enter troop cookies in eBudde. Support girls/parents as they receive additional cookies and turn in payments

• Handle any issues that arise during the sale and direct any unresolved issues to the Service Unit Cookie Manager

Returns

• If troops are returning cookies to the SU Cupboard, they must be turned in to the SUCM and entered into eBudde as FINAL RETURNS (in the reference line) by no later than February 28, 2014.

• Troops that return cookies to the Service Unit will not be eligible to receive a cookie bonus.

Final Girl Reward Order

• Each troop should create and save a Girl Reward Order on or by February 28, 2014.

• Each troop may order 1 Volunteer Patch at this time for the Troop Cookie Coordinator.

• • If a girl sells 1,000 boxes or more there are selections that must be

made in eBudde!!!

Final Reports

• Troop Final Reports are due to the SUCM by February 28, 2014. • All deposits, additional cases, transfers and returns must be

entered into eBudde by Friday, February 28, 2014.

• Due to SUCM by February 28, 2014:– 2 Signed Parent Permission Forms for each girl that participated– Secret Shopper Certificates (if applicable)

Troop Cookie Coordinator Responsibility Agreement

• Due to council December 13, 2014

• Troop Cookie Coordinator acknowledges that they:– Will be held accountable for the cookies they check out from the SU– Are responsible for all money they handle during the sale– Take their responsibility more seriously

Girl Money Handling

• All participating girls must be registered and have a Parent Permission Form turned in.

• Payment is collected when girls deliver cookies and is not to be accepted prior to receipt of product. – For Operation Cookie, Gift of Caring, or Helping Heroes payment can be

accepted immediately.

• Cookie program funds should be collected from girls and safeguarded by parents/guardians immediately.

• Cookie program funds should be submitted for deposit to the Troop Treasurer, in their original form (e.g. cash and checks from customers), promptly and frequently.

• Troops should receipt every transaction (e.g. cookies given to girls, money received from girls) for clarity and reconciliation.

Troop Money Handling

• Troop will deposit all Product Program funds into their individual troop bank accounts “promptly and frequently”.

• All troops complete an ACH Debit Authorization Form and turn in to council by December 6, 2013.– This form must be submitted once by each troop for each program year.

• All troops will submit the Returned Item Release Form to the troop bank. The bank will forward the completed form to Global Check Recovery, the GSCTX check recovery company.– This form only needs to be submitted to the bank one time for each bank

account. If this form was submitted last year, it does not need to be completed again.

• Amount to be withdrawn based on the product recorded in eBudde.

• Troops must notify us of ANY changes to their bank information.

Debt Procedures – Parent/Guardian

• Troop Coordinator should document the situation.• Complete a Product Sales Collection Form• Troop will be responsible for the amount owed by that parent or guardian until

the Product Sales Collection Form is accurately completed and submitted to Council.

• The following documents must be attached: (Be sure to keep copies for the troop records!)

• Signed Parent/Guardian Permission Form• Receipts of products checked out• Receipts of products turned in (if applicable)• Receipts of proceeds turned in (if applicable)• NOTE: Receipts must be signed by the parent/guardian.

• Council will contact the parent/guardian and try to collect the debt.

• If a Girl Scout has a parent/guardian that owes a debt to council (including NSF’s), that girl is not eligible to participate in future Product Programs or council events, until the debt is paid in full.

• If a parent/guardian pays their debt to the Troop after the Product Sale Collection Form is completed and turned in, the troop must notify us

Consequences of a Troop Debt

• Troops that have a Product Sales Collection Form turned in on them (that owe a debt to council):

– Are not eligible to receive a troop cookie bonus

– Are not be eligible to participate in future Product Sales Programs

– Are not eligible to participate in council events, programs or training

Product Sales Collection Form & Discrepancy Report Form

• Product Sales Collection Form used to report– A parent/guardian that owes money/products– A troop that owes money/products

• Discrepancy Report Form used to report– Counterfeit money– Lost/stolen products/money– NSF checks and fees to be waived by council– Request to lower ACH amount to be debited

Accepting Checks

• Girls should only accept pre-printed checks with issuer’s name and address. (No temporary checks!)

• It is required that girls record the telephone number and driver’s license number of the issuer on the face of the check. Council cautions against accepting out-of-state checks.

• Checks cannot be written for less than $14 or more than $100.

Returned Checks

• Should a check not be honored (i.e. non-sufficient funds, account closed, etc.), GSCTX will absorb the liability and credit the troop the amount of the check, plus bank charges up to $30 as long as all appropriate procedures were/are followed.

• If a troop receives notice of a returned check:– To be credited, the troop must send the bank notification (should include

check information and information about fee charged by bank) and a Discrepancy Report Form to the GSCTX Product Program Department within 7 days of the return date for collection.

– **Note: (All troops are encouraged to talk to their bank about waiving fees for NSF checks)

• Upon verification, we will process a credit to the troop account in the amount of the returned check plus any additional fees not waived by the bank up to $30. This amount will not be deducted from the troop account through ACH debit.

Credit Card Program

• We’re expanding the program and allowing new users to sign up!

• Users with SAGE, need to switch to the new program. We will cancel our account with SAGE on December 16, 2013.

• We will have 2 windows to sign up for new Credit Card Swiper accounts with Phone Swipe. (the same vendor from 2013) You MUST sign up during this window to have all fees paid by GSCTX.– September 30 – October 25– December 5 – January 5

• If you sign up at any other time with Phone Swipe, your troop will be responsible for all fees.

Lost/Stolen Cookies or Money

• A police report must be filed!

• Contact us at Products@gsctx.org, and provide full details of the situation.

• Complete a Discrepancy Report Form, describing what happened.

• Attach the police report to the Discrepancy Report Form.

• Turn these forms into council immediately.

• In some instances, when a police report is filed, a troop/parent/guardian can still be held liable for the debt if there is evidence that the troop/parent/guardian was negligent with products and/or proceeds.

Counterfeit Money

• Troops should take precautions against receiving counterfeit $. Some of those precautions may include:– Do not accept bills that are over $20.– Use "counterfeit money detector markers" – Examine for watermarks and other unique indentifying marks

• If you are notified when trying to make a deposit at the bank that you have $ that is counterfeit:– ask for a signed document from the bank teller determining that the

bill(s) was counterfeit– attach document to a completed Discrepancy Report Form and turn

in to council

ACH Schedule and Critical Dates

• Troop money must be available in the troop bank account (checks cleared) by:– Friday, January 31, 2014 for 50% of the initial order, less troop proceeds – Friday, February 14, 2014 for 50% of the initial order, less troop proceeds– Friday, March 14, 2014 for the remaining balance due council

• If the troop does not have the cleared funds to pay the council portion for the amounts indicated, the troop must submit a Discrepancy Report Form or Product Sales Collection Form and a detailed explanation to Products@gsctx.org by:

– Monday, January 27, 2014– Monday, February 10, 2014– Monday, March 3, 2014

• Additional ACH debits will occur to accommodate missed troops, troops with collection issues, and ACH returns.

• ACH debits will continue until all amounts due to Council have been collected.

Service Unit Debt Procedures

• If a Troop owes a debt, the SU will be asked to complete a Product Sales Collection Form.

• The following documents must be attached : (Be sure to keep copies for the service unit records!)– Receipts of products checked out– Receipts of products turned in (if applicable)

• NOTE: All Receipts must be signed by the Troop Coordinator. Receipts that do not have a Troop Coordinator signature cannot be collected on and will not be considered as proper documentation of debt.

• If the Troop can make payment after the Product Sale Collection Form is completed and turned in, the troop should contact Products@gsctx.org.

Evaluations

• The Service Unit Evaluation is a required part of your final report and will be completed online.

• All evaluations will be available through a link on the Girl Scouts of Central Texas Council website, www.gsctx.org.

• A notice with the link will be sent out on the Central Texas Cookies Yahoo Group.

• We also encourage Troops to complete an evaluation. A link will be provided for Troop Cookie Coordinators to complete the evaluation when the sale is over.

Opportunity Knocking

• Cadette/Senior/Ambassador “Clean-up” Sale• Troops/girls earn $1.75 per box sold• Will only happen if the need arises

• ELIGIBILITY: Troops/girls may be eligible if they meet all of the following requirements:– Cadette/Senior/Ambassador only– Each girl must have sold at least 200 boxes in regular sale– Must use funds earned in this program for a Studio 2b destinations

trip or other educational Girl Scout troop trip.– all reports and forms due on April 8, 2014

• TO PARTICIPATE: Submit an Opportunity Knocking Participation Request Form (available on the council cookie website) to Products@gsctx.org by no later than Tuesday, March 5, 2014.