Cookies

Wrapping up your Cookie Season

Cookie Season is finally over! But before you shut down and focus on other Girl Scout activities, there are two questions you need to ask yourself:

  • Is all the money accounted for?
  • Did you meet your cookie goal?

Is all the money accounted for?
Collect all remaining cookie money and deposit to the troop bank account. Provide each girl/adult the remaining cookie balance and the final due date for the money collection.

Make at least three attempts to collect the money. The attempts to collect money must be documented in writing.

All outstanding parent debt must be reported immediately to Council’s Product team (by March 1, 2018 to Debbie Zito at 800-367-3906).

Enter each cookie deposit under Finances: girl transactions in www.abcsmartcookies.com.

Inform the troop of their total cookie profits.

Retain the ABC Smart Cookies Troop Balance Summary and share it with your troop leader(s) or troop finance manager to complete the June troop finance report.

…and of course, let the girls know which cookie incentives they earned as a result.

Did you meet your cookie goal?

Before the cookie sale started your girls set individual and/or troop cookie goals.

If they reached their goal:

  • Be sure to congratulate the girls on accomplishing their cookie goal.
  • Plan a cookie celebration with your troop.
  • Look at the cookie sale pin, earned cookie badges and fun cookie items available at the Citrus Council Shop.

Didn’t meet your cookie goal:

  • Meet with the girls and discuss how they can meet their goals next year.
  • Look at what you did well and what didn’t go so well.
  • Discuss different ways to increase cookie sales at booths and during walkabouts.
  • Suggest increasing online cookie sale participation.

 

Remember to Say THANK YOU

Lastly, be certain that your booth locations are recognized and appreciated for supporting the Girl Scouts of Citrus Council. In the past I would provide each booth location with some token of appreciation. They can be thank you cards, thank you certificates, handmade swaps or even some Girl Scout cookies.

Troop 763

Thanking each booth location is a great way for your service community to have the opportunity to return for booth sales next year. This is especially important when the location was a high traffic area.

It’s also good practice for each service community to thank their community cookie chair(s) and troop cookie troop chairs for their time, talent and support.

Troop 154

They’ve worked hard to make this a successful cookie season for all and showing appreciation can go a long way to make the experience a rewarding one.

Thank you to all the parents, girls and volunteers who made this cookie season a great experience for all.

 

 

Be sure to follow me on Facebook @floridagirlscout

Cookies

Finish Strong this Cookie Season

When I say Girl Scout you say COOKIES!

This has been an amazing cookie season for the girls to learn and complete their 5 cookie skills: Goal Setting, Decision Making, Money Management, People Skills, Business Ethics.

There are a couple days remaining and the girls are almost at the finish line. The girls are looking to their adult volunteers for a cookie victory! That’s you by the way J

 

Cookie Booth Management

Check your cookie inventory after each cookie booth. Visit your cookie cupboard regularly for additional cases of cookies. Oddly enough, customers really want cookies when they can’t find them or when cookie season is almost over. Funny how that works right?

Encourage your girls to continue selling door to door, at cookie booths and at local businesses.

Promote cookie sales using different booth posters or marketing ideas.

  • Fill your Easter basket with Girl Scout Cookies!
  • Don’t be a fool on April Fools Day… give a box of cookies to your friends and family.
  • Purchase cookies for Teacher Appreciation Month in May.
  • Girl Scout cookies freeze well to eat during the Summer.

Cookie Sale Management

Deposit cookie money into your troop banking account after each cookie booth. Be sure to collect cookie money from initial cookie orders and deposit into your troop bank account.

Check the cookie money you have received and provide the girls their remaining cookie balances. Provide receipts for cookie money received. The cookie receipt booklets are provided to your cookie chair at the end of the cookie season.

Check your cookie paperwork for accuracy and contact your cookie chair for assistance or support. It’s important to know your remaining cookie inventory to prepare for cookie cleanup.

Provide the cookie sale ending date to your adult volunteers and girls.

  • Cookie Booths end February 25
  • Digital Cookie Program ends February 25

National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend

From February 23 through February 25 Girl Scouts across the nation will band together to speak as a single, powerful voice to raise awareness of the Girl Scout Cookie Program and increase cookie sales.

Wild River Cadettes attend a woodworker badge workshop to prepare for the National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend. Several troops will display their project at cookie booths.

Make sure you have plenty of cookie booths this weekend and let your community know that this is the last opportunity to purchase cookies.

For those selling cookies this weekend, There’s a National GS Cookie Weekend Patch you can purchase from the Citrus Council Shop at www.girlscoutshop.com/CITRUS-COUNCIL.

 

 

Girl Scouts of the USA’s Cookie Pro Contest 2018

This cookie season, let’s show them how the largest girl-led entrepreneurial program in the world prepares girls to lead, learn, succeed, and shine – not only for today but also for the future.

Enter the National Girl Scout Cookie Pro Contest 2018 now through April 30, 2018 at www.girlscouts.org/en/cookies/just-for-cookie-sellers/cookie-pro.html

 

Leadership

CIT and VIT…what you’ll need to know to earn…

Counselor-in-Training (CIT) I (must be currently enrolled in 9th grade)

Mentor younger girls in a camp setting as you build skills toward becoming a camp counselor. To earn this award, complete these steps:

  1. Take a leadership course designed by your council on outdoor experiences.
  2. Work with younger girls over the course of a camp session.

 

Counselor-in-Training (CIT) II (must be currently enrolled in 10th grade and earned your CIT I)

To earn this award:

  1. Earn your CIT I award
  2. Work with younger girls over the course of at least one camp session while focused on increasing your skills in one specific area- such as riding instruction, lifeguarding, or the arts.

 

Volunteer-in-Training (VIT) (must be currently enrolled in 10th grade)

This award is for girls who’d like to mentor a Girl Scout Daisy, Brownie, or Cadette group outside of the camp experience. If you’ve completed 9th grade, you’re eligible to earn this award. Your VIT project should span 3-6 month period.

  1. Find a mentor volunteer who is currently the adult volunteer for a group of girls at the level you’d like to work with. This volunteer will help you through your training and internship, and you’ll help the volunteer with her group of girls for the 3-6 month period.
  2. Complete a council-designed leadership course
  3. Create and implement a thoughtful program based on a Journey or badge that lasts over 4 or more sessions. Be responsible for designing, planning, and evaluating the activities. If you’re passionate about a topic like art or technology, you could design the activities around the area you love or in which you have expertise.
Short and Sweet

On Your Marks, Get Set…GO

In early January, over 2,500 scouts from across the country traveled to take part in Scout Days at Daytona International Speedway. This three-day annual test session known as the “Roar Before the Rolex 24” was the start to the International Motor Sports Association (IMSA) racing calendar.

And although it was pretty cold for Florida…that didn’t stop Girl Scouts from showing up. Troops braved the freezing temperatures as they camped two nights in the tracks infield. Over the weekend scouts got up-close and personal with the teams and drivers from the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship and the Continental Tire SportsCar Challenge.

Girl Scouts were given their own dedicated camping area, participated in special question-and-answer sessions, and went on tours with some incredible G.I.R.L.s. The female drivers, engineers, and mechanics that make it all possible.

Minnesota Crouch, Kristen Bedard

For the first time in event history, a race was added to the “Roar Before the Rolex 24.” Above the track, Relationship Development Director, Kristen Bedard and Ambassador Girl Scout, Minnesota Crouch, waived the green flags as honorary starters for the IMSA Prototype Challenge season opener.

“To stand above the speeding race cars, motioning the start of their race while representing Girl Scouts of Citrus was a unlike anything I had ever experienced,” said Bedard.

The weekend ended in true Girl Scout fashion with a collectible fun patch earned by all!

Badges and Patches

Earning your LiA and PA awards

Leader in Action (LiA) (must be currently enrolled in 6th grade)

You can earn a Leader in Action (LiA) award by assisting a Brownie group on any of their National Leadership Journeys. There are three different LiA awards, one for each of the Journey series: ‘It’s Your World—Change It!’, It’s Your Planet—Love It!, and It’s Your Story—Tell It!. To earn a LiA, you’ll share your organizational skills, use one of your special talents (such as creating and demonstrating a science experiment or craft), teach Brownies something important from their Journey (such as making healthy snacks or getting exercise), and reflect on your experience. For more information about each LiA, network with the adult volunteers guiding Brownie groups in your Girl Scout community. Complete requirements can be found in their Brownie Leadership Journey adult guides.

*Cadettes can earn this award through Council programming or by working with a Brownie troop in the community.

Upcoming 2018 Training events:

March 9-10 – Leadership in Action LiA

 

Cadette Program Aide (PA) (must be currently enrolled in 6th grade)

To earn a Cadette Program Aide award, follow these steps:

  1. Earn one LiA award.
  2. Complete council-designed leadership course training. Part of your leadership course training will involve learning to work with children, and gaining a deeper understanding of a specialty such as science, art, the outdoors, or adapting activities for girls with disabilities.
  3. After completing PA Training work directly with younger girls over six activity sessions. This might be assisting girls on Journey activities (in addition to what you did for your LiA), badge activities, or other sessions. You might work with a group, at their meetings, at a day camp, or during a special council event.

Upcoming 2018 Training events:

April 14- Elements- Leadership Training Program Aide RSVP by April 2nd