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PRODUCT SALES

Cookie Time

Every year the troop cookie manager (often the :"cookie mom" but we accept the "cookie dad" or "cookie uncle" or "cookie auntie" as well!
must sign a new form for the year. The PGS Cookie Manager (email: cookiediva at partroygs.org ) must have a copy of this signed form to give you access to the cookie system. Leaders/co-leaders can have "read only" access if they want to watch dates, and information but are not "cookie mom" themselves.
Traditional dates
  • We try to have information to hand out at the December PGS meeting. It comes from the baker to GSNNJ and then to us, so we can not control the date. If your troop cookie manager can come to that, or give you a signed form, it can be turned in in December!
  • January sales start - on your honor, make sure your troop does not start selling until the date (lately a Saturday). Of course you will want to give them their forms in advance.
  • Each family needs to sign that they understand the sales and are responsible for getting the money from sales back in -- so they are liable and not you or the troop leader.
  • In 2012, girls got credit for all sales through 1 April - the date can vary year to year, watch those ebudde emails.

Next: the best thing to do is read all of your e-budde emails. and contact the "cookie diva" if you have questions.
For historical reference:

2010 Cookie Time

The initial ordering period was over 1/27. Orders must be in ebudde for delivery. That system will only get busier in the days ahead. Of course our Cookie Diva will answer questions, but contact her sooner rather than at the last minute, please.
  1. A troop must be registered - forms online or from Cindy.
  2. A troop needs a "Cookie manager" who signed and returned the form to Michele. (She has a green tub outside her tan house)
  3. 2011 Cookie Manager Guide
  4. What are the skills? Help your girls become leaders in their daily lives and prepare for their bright futures! Girl Scout Product Sales and Activities can provide an important ingredient for leadership by helping girls develop five key skills:
    • Goal Setting
    • Decision Making
    • Money Management
    • People Skills
    • Business Ethics
  5. Girls with an iTouch of iPhone may want to buy a "Cookie Tracker" app for $0.99. I haven't tried it. Files available - will open in a new window (or tab): (More to come) Other files - click to open the word DOC file:
    • To be sorted better later...
  6. xx

  7. The GS Product Activity Checkpoints and the (NEW in 2010) GS Internet Safety Pledge apply to all council product sales (cookies, nuts and candy, magazines), with one exception. Customers may submit orders and online payment for magazines, because product is not handled directly by the girl. Girls send out e-mails to customers in a protected environment, who then choose magazines online. Offline sales materials are also available for magazines, as this function may not be available in your council.

    Fall Product Sales: 2010

    Theme: Design Your Future: Construct a Plan

    Pick up order forms, know your troop sales manager's name, etc: 9/9/2010 SU meeting

    Ordering taking: 2 - 29 October

    PGS Fall Sales Manager: Mary L.

    • 12 varieties of delicious nuts and candy items from Ashdon Farms, as well as your favorite magazine publications through QSP!
    • Troops earn 10% on all items sold and recognitions are cumulative for all girls!
    • Orders due in Nut.e system by November 1, 2010 at midnight. (Troop Fall Product Sale Manager will enter the orders by girl).
    • Product Delivery November 15 – 20, 2010.
    • Troop payment due to Service Unit Fall Product Sale Manager (Mary L.) no later than December 2nd.
    • Both the Be a Reader and Address Adventure program materials have fun and easy activities that girls of all levels can participate in. “Design Your Future” is the Be a Reader booklet theme. Follow your “Career Path Across America” with the address adventure activity poster.

    (In Fall 2010, the nut vendor’s piloting special online programs with a very limited number of councils. Depending upon the results from this year's experience, the rules for online sales with nut products may change for the next year. Follow the guidelines from GSNNJ/Mary L. Don’t know if GSNNJ is in this pilot project.)


    January 2011 Cookie Sales

    Theme: Starting Today: We're Open for Business

    Ordering taking: 8 - 30 January

    Pick up order forms, know your troop cookie manager's name, etc: December 2010

    Cookie Rally: January 14-15.... details to follow

    Booth sales: March 5 - 27 (Want to sign up for the cookie costume(s)?)

    PGS Cookie Diva: Michele D (& Melinda E - esp. for booth sales)

    Help build girls of courage, confidence, and character through skill building in planning and management, goal setting, teamwork, personal confidence and customer service. Read a view of what selling cookies can do for girls offsite at A Business Lesson, Compliments of the Girl Scouts.



    Quick 2010 Cookie Numbers for PGS:

    For the first time in baking history where there was a change in bakers and an increase in price, there was also an increase in sales... GSNNJ in 2010!

    In our Service Unit, 89 troops participated and 797 girls participated, selling an average of 65.5 boxes! Last year our girls sold about 46,000 and this year it was over 52,000.

    We had help from other Service Units for our gift to military posted overseas. (thank you!) In total, we coordinated the donation of 4,357 boxes of GS cookies (about 363 cases) with Blue Star Moms. This included donations of cookies to 8 specific service people (from the local area) and their units.

    Parsippany Girl Scouts was divided into two parts for cookie sales delivery. Sales for the younger girls’ delivery went up by over 7,000 boxes and sales for older girls went down by about 1,000 boxes. (The “older” group had more troop changes & might not have included all of the 6th grade troops as it did last year). Overall, PGS cookie sales were up over 6,000 boxes from last year.

    The top selling troops in their PGS cookie division were: 1809, 1130, 517, 2185, and 1635, 448, 1846, 685 & 4507. Troop 1294’s Alexis was Parsippany’s top seller with 317 boxes. Troop 685’s Kaliegh was our top seller in her division with 301 boxes.

    All Troops please review 2009 Nut incentive orders ASAP. They were double checked when you received them and signed for them and should be correct. Any discrepancies should have been need to be reported to Mary L (levoyer@yahoo.com) by December 20, 2009. Last pickup time for Nut incentives: February Service Unit Meeting (2/11).

    January 2010 Cookies Sales Program

    The 2010 Initial Cookie Ordering period started January 9th and ends the 31st, but girls will get credit for sales throughout booth sales on March 28th. Be inspired. Your troop's cookie manager has to have a form with an email in to Michele D. to do much at all. You can get copies from Michele D -or- get started by printing these to be signed: 2010 Cookie Manager Agreement Form or click for 2010 Cookie Sale Parent/Guardian Permission Form.

    We're back with little brownie baker for 2010 - Samoas are back!

    • Initial Cookie Ordering Period 1/9 - 1/31. Scout's Honor
    • Girls forms to troop cookie manager - no later than 2/2
    • Booth sale dates coming
    • Girls do get credit
    • Cookie pick up: Feb. 23 - 25, Volunteers needed to help us sort.

    This year's mascot is Miranda the Panda.

    Note: If your troop plans to run a "money earner" of their own this year, they need to participate in both the Fall Product and Cookie Sales. Girls can certainly sell cookies without selling anything in the fall.

    • Cookie volunteers desperately needed for cookie delivery days (2/23 thru 2/25) Contact Michele D. either via phone or email. She can not schedule times until we have volunteers. can be cookie mom, leaders, dads of girls in troop, etc.
    • Everyone should be able to sign into the ebudde system by this point. Your password may have gone to your spam or junk file. If you can not sign in, then please contact Michele immediately. Change password. Make sure your contact info is up-to-date. Enter #of registered girls and girls selling.
    • NEW! GSNNJ is not putting names of girls into ebudde system, like Michele previously heard from council, so put your girls in. Put first and last name and check registered. You do not need GSUSA ID.
    • Cookie Club is available to girls.
    • 1/31 is last day for girls to sell during initial order. This also qualifies them for patch and beenie if they have sold 75 and 100 boxes respectively. All recognitions are cumulative so you have until 3/28 to earn.
    • Do not wait until 2/4 to put in orders. You will probably have problems getting into the ebudde system. Remember you have to order by the case, but booth sales and GOC are your friends.
    • You should be receiving Miranda Tips of the Week from council thru ebudde. If not, contact Michele
    • Delivery is 2/23-2/25 at firehouse across from St. Anne's church on Smith Road.
    • Can schedule booth sales from 3/6-3/28. contact Melinda for more info. will have costumes. need a booth locator form.
    • Gift of Caring is thru the Blue Star Moms, donating to soldiers. Michele can accept GOC cookies from March 6 to March 31. Call to schedule when bringing cookies over to her house. Do not leave in Rubbermaid or on doorstop.
    • Remember, you can contact Michele via email anytime, but please only call her from 9am to 8pm.

2009 FALL Product Sale Program

Unlock the Mystery: Solve it Together! Troop checks due no later than 1 December. Orders should all be delivered.
GS Daisies can participate too -- but only to friends & families!
For all levels, let's keep them safe first & then work on goal-setting skills & how to talk to adults you don't know so well, etc. There are new SafetyWise guidelines especially for Product Sales to help us support the girls. We link to the "411" summary and new SW details from our home page www.partroygs.org

Fall ordering period: 3 - 25 October. Please get orders into Mary L. on time. (You can still pick up your forms if you missed a meeting.)
Items will be delivered in November and all money is due to the Service Unit on/by December 1st, 2009. We're doing the drop-in meeting at Michele D's that day - check the times. Drop off the Fall Sales check and pick up cookie stuff that day.
Highlights for 2009

  • Online orders are a win for everyone! We encourage all girls (along with an adult) to go online, do a fun activity and send emails inviting their friends and family to purchase magazines.
  • Top 3 reasons for ordering online: customers get their orders faster, paperwork is eliminated, and customers are more likely to buy more online!
  • Introducing the GSI Team (Girl Scout Investigators), follow the Fall Product Sale link on our council’s website (www.gsnnj.org) and team up with the GSI team for some great program activities!
  • New Safety Wise guidelines for online marketing for product sales. Direct troop leaders to www.gsnnj.org or www.girlscouts.org for latest information.
  • On the inside cover of the GSI Activity book there is a blank puzzle piece. We are asking all troops to decorate their puzzle piece with how they are working together to reach their goals. They can color, draw or attach a photo to the puzzle piece. These will be turned in to GSNNJ and will be displayed at each Service Center to illustrate how each troop contributes something great to the bigger picture of Girl Scouts!
Distribution – Contact Mary L & arrange pickup if you have not yet.
  • One per Troop:
    • Large troop envelopes
  • “Unlock the Mystery: Solve it Together” Be a Reader/Address Adventure packets
  • One per girl:
    • Girl Order Packets (blue envelope)
    • Money Envelopes (Will be given out at Delivery)
  • Permission slips (each girl should have this signed by her parent/guardian and return it to the troop leader)
Be A Reader/Address Adventure Program Books
  • These booklets are provided one per troop and are full of great program activities. The theme this year is “Unlock the Mystery: Solve it Together” and focuses heavily on teamwork. Activities in these books can be completed at any time throughout the year. The troop leader should decide how many activities girls need to complete to earn the patch. Patches are available for purchase at all GSNNJ Council Shops.
Ordering Taking
  • October 3 – 25
  • Girls are encouraged to sell to friends and family. Magazines, books and CDs may be ordered online when invited to do so with an email from the girl. Nuts and candy may not be ordered online.
  • No money is collected at time of order. Money for nuts & candy should be collected at time of delivery. QSP will invoice customers for magazines (this is called the “Pay Later” plan), so no money should be collected for these items.
  • QSP will not honor coupons of any kind for magazines subscriptions. This decision is made by the publishers and not by GSNNJ or QSP.
  • Step 2 Booklets:
    • 10 Addresses are needed for a complete book and for girls to get credit. Please note: booklets with duplicate addresses, incomplete addresses or inappropriate language/messaging will not be accepted. GSNNJ will not contact the troop to have the girls complete the booklets once they are turned in. It is up to the troop leader to make sure booklets are completed correctly.
Online Activity
  • If a girl wishes to participate in the online ordering process, she must first complete the fun online activity. She should log on (with a parent or guardian) to www.gsnnj.org and follow the link for the “QSP Online Activity”.
  • Each girl will create an “account” after completing the activity. From her account she will be able to send emails to friends and family asking them to help her reach her goals by ordering magazines, books or CDs. Throughout the sale, she should check her sales and see how close she is to reaching her goal.
  • Once the sale has ended, she should print the “Detailed Order Report” and turn it in to her troop leader so she can be properly credited with sending emails and for any online orders she has received. If a detailed order report is not turned in to the Troop Fall Manager, the girl and troop will not receive credit for the sale.
Online Order Entry
  • Troop Fall Managers should log on to http://gsorders.ashdonfarms.com and update troop contact information. Contact Mary L. or an SUM for the password if …. All orders must be placed by girl. When entering girl’s names, please use their First name and last initial (no nicknames or numbers). •
  • From each girl you will need the following information:
    • Nut & Candy order forms
    • Paper magazine orders
    • Completed Step 2 Booklets (these will not be accepted if there are duplicate names and/or are missing information).
    • Detailed Order Report (this report will include the number of emails sent).
  • Recognitions
    • Recognitions will automatically calculate based on orders entered. If there is a choice of recognition, the system will automatically prompt you to pick one.
    • You will manually enter a quantity of total Reader’s Digest magazines sold by girl.
Paperwork
  • To be submitted to the SU Fall Product Manager: Mary L or Michele D
    • Paper magazine orders
    • Detailed Order Report
    • Step 2 Booklets
    • Puzzle piece
Delivery
  • The delivery date will be determined for the Service Unit by the Service Unit Fall Product Manager. (Tentatively November 18th, 2009 at Firehouse #6 Smith Road, Parsippany.)
  • Upon pick-up, each troop should count their order before leaving and sign order form.
Money
  • Troops should subtract their proceeds for the entire sale from the money they receive for nuts & candy and submit the balance due to their Service Unit Fall product Manager. (December 1, 2009 at Michele D’s House)
  • New for 2009: Refund checks will be issued upon request only for overpayments in amounts of $20.00 or less. Troops can easily find their balance due to GSNNJ on the T2 report.
Helpful websites
  • www.gsnnj.org Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey website. Families need to follow the link for the online activity to enter emails.
  • www.ashdonfarmsgsi.com fun online activities!
  • http://gsorders.ashdonfarms.com Nut.e online ordering site
  • Demo site: http://gsorders.ashdonfarms.com Login and password for troops 09 demo troop