It's Girl Scout Cookie Time!

If you are a leader - you have a very important job! The next most important job in your troop is your Cookie Mom! They need a lot of support from you and your parents. This is a position of extreme trust - they will be handling a lot of money. Make sure you choose your cookie mom wisely. There are stories every year of those that have problems. Make sure this choice is a positive experience!

If you have stepped up to be cookie mom - THANK YOU! You have a very important job! You will help your daughter's troop to fund all those wonderful projects they have planned! You will work hand in hand with the leaders to order cookies and set up cookie booths - a very important part of the cookie sale!

Who can resist this smiling face?!

The time period before cookies are actually delivered to troops is called the pre-sell period. Girls take cookie orders from friends and family. Family and friends want to see girls succeed so they will be supported. However, you will occasionally encounter adults that tell the girls they are on a diet or money is an issue or they have given up sweets for a specific time frame. The girls can tell the adults that the cookies can be frozen so they can be enjoyed later (Thin Mints are the BEST straight out of the freezer!). However if they say that diet or money is the issue than the girls can suggest a direct donation that will benefit the troop directly. This can make the adult feel that they are directly supporting Girl Scouts (they are!) and not contributing to their waistline (they are not!). A win-win!

Girls will collect the money when they distribute the cookies. All money is given to the Troop Cookie Mom.

One of the best ways to sell all those extra cookies is the cookie booth. This is where the girls can develop their leadership skills. They get to practice some public speaking. Make sure the girls know how the troop will be using the money. They can share that information with their customers so the customers know the girls have a goal they are working toward.

The key for a good cookie booth is: LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION! (Also weather and the economy!) On cold wet days you could have the best location in the world and still may not sell any cookies!

In the past few years I have heard of troops sending cases of cookies to military troops. This is a great service project. There are many ways troops can get the public to help with this. At cookie booths, you can ask your customers to support the troops by buying an extra box of cookies - they will then be sent to a military troop. You could get a connection before the booth sales so that the girls could tell their customers where the cookies may be heading.

Don't forget that we have military all over the world - they deserve some attention also! There are many ways to find a troop that would like cookies - ask your families if they have any relatives in the military. This will make the connection closer for the girls. Contact your closes military base or National Guard to inquire if you could donate cookies to a group.

Shipping those cookies can be costly. Ask your customers when they buy a box to add an extra amount to offset shipping costs. Or you could get a sponsor to offset the cost of shipment. You never know until you ask!

Each level offers the girls an opportunity to earn a try-it, badge, or interest project patch. Each of these badges will help support the information the girls will be learning while selling cookies. If they work on the badges it will make them better salesmen for their cookie sale.