COOKIE PROGRAM SERVICE UNIT GUIDE Winter 2017 February 5 - March 19 Cookie Program

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1 COOKIE PROGRAM SERVICE UNIT GUIDE Winter 2017 February 5 - March 19 Cookie Program Girl Scout Service Unit Product Chair Thank you for volunteering to manage your Service Unit s Cookie Program! Use this manual as a guide to help you manage your Service Unit Cookie Program, to lead you through Service Unit record keeping, and to follow the policies and guidelines of Girl Scouts of Central California South (GSCCS) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) as they relate to the Product Program. Please make your times of availability clear to the Troop Cookie Chairs in your SU. You are their first and main point of contact for questions and concerns. Once you have read through the materials in the manual, please turn in the following to a member of your s Product Program Department. Service Unit Cookie Chair Agreement. Service Unit ACH form, if your SU Bank account information has changed from the 2016 Fall Product Program. In order to participate in the Cookie Program, the following criteria must be met: Troop (and all participating girls) must be registered for the Girl Scout year and meet troop eligibility requirements a minimum of two adults and five girls. Troop must be in good standing with an approved leader and co-leader/ assistant leader, the Annual Financial Report on File with, and no outstanding delinquencies to. Contact Us Website: Phone: (800) Fax: (559) Headquarters: 1377 W. Shaw Ave. Fresno, CA Regional Office: 1831 Brundage Lane Bakersfield, CA Regional Office: 230 NW 3rd Ave. Visalia, CA Kerrie Ann Camacho Product Program Coordinator (800) ext. 203 cookies@girlscoutsccs.org Training Troop Cookie Chair Training is available in three options for both new and returning Troop Cookie Chairs: At a Service Unit Meeting - work with your Service Unit Manager to schedule and disseminate to your Troops. Attend a -led webinar based training (see dates on page 2). Geared towards brand new Troop Cookie Chairs but can be attended by anyone who needs a refresher. Online training - for experienced Troop Cookie Chairs. Watch your communications for instructions. The Troop Cookie Chair is responsible for training the girls and parents/ guardians on the Cookie Program. It is important for parents and guardians to understand their role in assisting their girls through out the sale and to know all Troop, Service Unit, and deadlines and policies. Websites to Know : ABC Snap: ABC CoCo Cookie Command: 1

2 Monday, December 5 Service Cookie Chair Training Fresno and Bakersfield Offices Wednesday, December 14 Service Unit Cookie Chair Training Visalia Boy Scout Office Tuesday, January 3 Friday, January 6 Service Unit Pantry Agreements due to Service Unit Delivery Information Sheets due to Monday, January 9 Tuesday, January 10 Just in Time Training - How to place an initial order and verify your girl roster in Snap+ Friday, January 13 Troop Cookie Orders due Troop Cookie Chair is locked out of order at 11:59pm Monday, January 16 Service Unit Cookie Chair reviews and confirms all Troop orders in Snap+ - SUCC is locked out of orders at 11:59pm Tuesday, January 17 Just in Time Training - Getting your girls ready, including online sales through COCOdirect Wednesday, January 18 Friday, January 20 Square Mobile Agreements due to Saturday, January 21 Cookie Expo, Fresno Fairgrounds Tuesday, January 24 Just in Time Training - How to order additional product from a Cupboard/Pantry and how to list your booth locations in Snap+ for approval and upload to the Booth Locator Monday, January 30 Mark Your Calendar Tuesday, January 31 Just in Time Training - Mega Drop, Cookie delivery and program kick off February 1-3 Cookies delivered to outlying areas Service Units 32, 45, 60, 609, 621, 624, 637 and 639 Service Unit Pantries are delivered Friday, February 3 Troop Proceeds in Lieu of Recognitions Agreements due to for those troops who elect to participate only Cadette, Senior, and Ambassador Troops Saturday, February 4 Mega Drop in Fresno, Visalia, and Bakersfield - contact to volunteer! Fresno Service Units 22, 23, 26, 34, 38, and 65 Bakersfield Service Units 614, 626, 643, and 649 Visalia Service Units 10, 13, 14, 17, 62, and 63 Cookie sale begins the Walkabout period girls can begin to sell cookies door-to-door, to friends and family, and online Troop Cookie Chairs make frequent deposits of collected money to their Troop Bank Account Tuesday, February 7 Just in Time Training - How to order Troop 2 Troop donations in Snap+ Wednesday, February 8 Cupboard and SU Pantries open Tuesday, February 14 Just in Time Training - How to transfer cookies to your girls, place an Early Recognition Order, and calculate your Troop s first ACH pull Thursday, February 16 6:00-8:00pm Last Day of Walkabout Period Friday, February 17 Cookie Boothing begins Troop Cookie Chairs make frequent deposits of collected money to their Troop Bank Account throughout the program Monday, February 20 6:00-8:00pm **Last chance to attend Training 2

3 Tuesday, February 21 All Troops will have an ACH pulled from their Troop Bank Account equaling 35% of their balance due to All Troops Early Recognition Orders due in Snap Just in Time Training - How to process Troop and Girl financial transactions in Snap+ Tuesday, February 28 Online Cookie Trade forum opens Just in Time Training - how to best utilize the Online Cookie Trade forum Tuesday, March 7 Just in Time Training - How to calculate your Troop s second ACH pull Tuesday, March 14 All Troops will have an ACH pulled from their Troop Bank Account equaling 50% of their balance due to Just in Time Training - How to close your Troop s Cookie program in Snap+, place a Recognition order and handle delinquent parents Sunday, March 19 Cookie Program & Boothing period ends All Girl Scout monies due to Troop Cookie Chair Monday, March 20 All Delinquent Parent Reports are due to March Troop Cookie Chair distributes all troop s cookies down to the girl level in Snap+ Troop Cookie Chair makes all final deposits into the Troop Bank Account, enters any Sage payments in Snap+, and completes all girl recognition orders in Snap+ Troop Cookie Chair is locked out at 11:59pm on March 21 Tuesday, March 21 Just in Time Training - How to calculate your Troop s final ACH pull Wednesday, March 22 Service Unit Cookie Chair reviews and verifies that all troop transfers are complete and all girl recognition orders are final in Snap+ - SUCC is locked out at 11:59pm Tuesday, March 28 All Troops will have the final ACH pulled from their Troop Bank Account equaling the balance owed to May Estimated arrival of recognitions TBA 500 Club Movie Day Event Cali Girl Event SSSSH Girl Trip Event Top 10 Sellers over 1500 trip Top Seller trip to 2017 Convention Note: Dates and deadlines can be adjusted within the Service Unit as long as all deadlines are met. Any changes must be communicated to the troops within the Service Unit. Service Unit Pantries & Cupboards Each Service Unit has the option to host a volunteer-run Cookie Pantry, an especially beneficial option for Service Units in outlying areas. Any interested party should read the Service Unit Pantry Guide and submit a Service Unit Pantry Agreement by Friday, January 6, Please see the Service Unit Pantry Quick Start Guide for more information. Service Unit Pantries and Cupboards will open February 8th. Troops will order extra product through Snap+, details and instructions will be sent out in our Just in Time Trainings. Once product is signed out to a troop, it becomes the financial responsibility of the troop and cannot be returned or exchanged with a Cupboard or Pantry. Exchanges and transfers can be done with other troops within our. **Cookies will only be available by the case during the first week the Cupboards are open (February 6 - February 11). Troop may order individual packages beginning the week of February 12 March 18. 3

4 GETTING STARTED Before the Cookie Program, Service Unit Cookie Chairs are responsible for the following : Conduct Troop Training for the troops in your Service Unit. Have a current Background Check on file with Girl Scouts of Central California South. Ensure that you are a registered Girl Scout member for the Girl Scout year. Once trained, each Troop Cookie chair will receive the following materials: Troop Guide available to all troops participating in the Cookie Program. Troop Guides will be available on the GSCCS website, and printed guides are available upon request. Girl Cookie Program packets. Money and/or Product Receipt SNAP+ Snap+ is the online ordering system for ABC Cookies, and is used for all aspects of the Cookie Program. All Troop & girl orders will be entered into the Snap+ system. Just in Time Trainings will instruct the troops on how to navigate the Snap+ system and reminders on tasks and deadlines. DIRECT SALE Our Girl Scout uses a Direct Sale model, which means cookies are in hand at the start of the sale. Girls sell cookies directly to consumers and collect the money on the spot. There is no preorder period for girls to collect orders - in fact no orders, sales, or promises of sales can take place before Sunday, February 5th when we begin with cookies in hand. Troops place their Initial Order on January 13, Each troop will be given a suggested Initial Order based on their sales from last year. Troops can use their Per Girl Average (PGA) from the previous year s sale and multiply by the number of girls expected to sell this season. Sample orders for each age level are available for new Troops. Troop Cookie Chairs can discuss with parents in the troop to gauge what the troop feels comfortable ordering. Troops can trade with other troops in their area or transfer directly to another troop. HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR TROOPS Be familiar with the Cookie Program Troop Guide and Cookie Program Family Guide. Encourage Troop to Troop transfers and assist with the processing in Snap+. Sign a receipt any time product, money, or recognitions change hands. Keep receipts in a safe place for at least a year. SERVICE UNIT PROCEEDS Service Units earn proceeds per package based on total packages of cookies sold by the troops within the SU as follows: $0.02 per package - base proceeds $0.01 per package - Service Unit s PGA (Per Girl Average) is equal to or greater than the Service Unit s 2015 PGA $0.01 per package - Service Unit s PGA (Per Girl Average) is 10% greater than the Service Unit s 2015 PGA Troop Proceeds - Based on Per Girl Average (PGA) Troops who participate in the 2016 Fall Product Program will earn proceeds as follows: PGA $0.75 per package PGA $0.80 per package PGA $0.90 per package 350+ PGA $1.00 per package Troops who did not participate in the 2016 Fall Product Program will earn proceeds as follows: PGA $0.70 per package PGA $0.75 per package PGA $0.85 per package 350+ PGA $0.95 per package Older Girl troops (all Cadette, Senior, and/or Ambassador age level) can opt out of earning recognition items to earn additional troop funds, but every girl in the troop must agree to it. Each girl and her parent/guardian must sign the Troop s Proceeds in Lieu of Recognitions Agreement. With this option, girls will not earn any recognition prizes, but will receive all patches earned. The Troop will earn an additional $0.10 per package of cookies sold. Proceeds can be lost if the Troop is found doing any of the following: Selling or boothing early Not following boothing guidelines Selling Cookies for any amount other than what is listed on the order card ($5.00 per package) Engaging in any misconduct unbecoming to Girl Scouts A special THANK YOU to our volunteer Product Program Task Groups, who planned our Cookie Program s Recognitions, Troop Proceeds, and Boothing. If you want to get involved in planning the 2017 Cookie Program, please contact. 4

5 Boothing All Boothing Details, Guidelines, and Procedures were set by our Boothing Task Group of volunteers. DETAILS Bakersfield will run a Citywide lottery conducted by the Lottery Committee. Details will be sent out to all troops in the area. Fresno will not hold any lottery. All boothing locations must be set by the Troop and submitted to for approval via Snap+. Outlying Service Units can continue to hold their own lotteries. No boothing locations can be secured prior to January 1, Certificates of Insurance if requested by the boothing location, please location name and address to cookies@girlscoutsccs.org. Please allow hours for processing. GUIDELINES Every booth must have two registered and background checked adults, who are unrelated to one another. If registered and background checked adults are not available, the booth must be shut down. Must have a minimum of two girls boothing at all times. Must sell cookies for $5.00 only, if caught selling for more or less you will lose selling privileges. Boothing location must be approved in SNAP by or Lottery Committee Representative prior to boothing date and time. Service Units not included in Citywide lottery will determine how boothing is to be handled in their area lottery or troop secured locations. Must booth away from car traffic to ensure safety of girls and adults. No boothing in front of bars, medical dispensaries, casinos. No selling cookies in street medians. Girls must be in uniform or Girl Scout/Troop shirt. All booths must be marked clearly with Girl Scout Signage (i.e. tablecloth, signs made by girls). Boothing money to be secured by adult in a secure location (i.e. apron, fanny pack, money box) Daisies are not allowed to handle money. First Aid Kit and Health Histories for girls and adults to be kept at boothing location with Adult in charge during boothing times. Checklist for Parents to verify during their shift of work is suggested. Can be laminated with dry erase pen. If troop finds anyone not following the guidelines, they are to gather information from that party: troop number, girl name and adult name. Report this information to Kerrie Ann at, (800) ext 203 or cookies@girlscoutsccs.org. Troop leader will be notified immediately by. Walkabout - no boothing to occur February Guidelines of Walkabout to be signed by Troop girls and parents on Parent Permission Slip. PROCEDURES First Infraction - If a girl is caught selling early, boothing during non-boothing time frame, does not have a minimum of two girls, or two adults, she will lose the boxes she has sold during that time frame. Those boxes will be given to girls within the troop at leader s discretion. Her boothing location will be shut down immediately. If caught breaking rules, prior, during, etc. a second time, she will not be allowed to sell cookies, or booth the rest of the season. must notify the Troop leader immediately each time this occurs. Second Infraction - Upon the second infraction by the troop - the second time a girl in the same troop is caught doing any of the infractions listed above - breaking guidelines/rules, either illegal boothing, breaking any of the above guidelines prior/during the boothing time frame - the troop will lose five cents per box. must notify the Troop leader immediately if this occurs. It is the Troop Cookie Chairs/Troop Leader responsibility to ensure all rules are explained so there are no questions. Third Infraction Troop will lose all selling privileges for the current Cookie Program and forfeit all proceeds. Cost Infraction - If anyone is caught selling cookies for more than $5.00 they will lose selling privileges and those boxes will not be credited to girl. When securing locations, Girl Scouts should ask the store manager whether they need to contact the Property Management in addition to the store. Booth sale boundaries are flexible troops are not dictated by SU lines when it comes to boothing. SU s can upload boothing information into Snap contact Kerrie Ann for instructions. Remember - Boothing is a privilege granted to us by local businesses. This privilege, if abused even unintentionally, could cause all Girl Scouts to lose the opportunity for additional sales at these places of business. Remember, Girl Scouts and Adults at booth locations are representing GSCCS, and please be considerate of business s customers and property. You may be asked to leave if complaints arise. If conflicts arise at a booth location due to misconduct of any kind, future boothing privileges may be revoked. All girls and adults must be made aware of boothing guidelines. 5