Goal Setting • Decision Making • Money Management • People Skills • Business Ethics
All About That Badge!
A Message From the “Top Cookie”
In addition to learning and practicing skills to last a lifetime, each girl can earn an annual pin and entrepreneurial badges for participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program. Badges are a great way for a girl to remember every adventure and show the world what she’s accomplished. Learn more at girlscouts.org/ badgeexplorer.
Daisies • Count It Up • Talk It Up
Brownies • Meet My Customers • Give Back Badge
Juniors • Cookie CEO • Customer Insights
Cadettes • Business Plan • Marketing • Think Big
Seniors • My Portfolio • Customer Loyalty
Wow, it’s hard to believe we’re already a few months in to 2018! If you didn’t have the opportunity to attend cookieWOW! – our third annual cookie convention – on January 13, you missed a truly wonderful kick-off to Girl Scout Cookie season!! Despite the nasty weather sent our way by Mother Nature, 930plus Girl Scouts, families and the public gathered at the Center of Progress Building at the NYS Fairgrounds for a day of exciting educational experiences with our valued community partners. Girls took part in hands-on activities to help them learn the five essential skills needed to be successful in the cookie program and school, work and life: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics. We also tried something new this year and attempted to break a world record for most people dunking cookies in a beverage! While the official record was not broken, the effort can be considered a local record for Syracuse and Central New York. It was truly an exciting and memorable day for everyone who took part! We enjoyed seeing not only our Girl Scouts and troop leaders, but the many parents and entire families who came out to celebrate the start of cookie season with us. cookieWOW! was presented in partnership with M&T Bank, Redhouse Arts Center, Water Safari, WonderWorks, Procter & Gamble, Y94 and Byrne Dairy. You’ll learn more about our wonderful community partners and the essential entrepreneurial and business skills girls gain through the cookie program in the pages of this magazine. Remember: your cookie purchases now through the end of March help build the next generation of female entrepreneurs while teaching them life skills imperative for leadership and future success. And all cookie earnings stay local and help power amazing experiences for our girls through Council programming, while girls and troops decide how to invest in impactful community projects, personal enrichment opportunities and more. We very much appreciate the community’s support of our girls! Thank you in advance for your cookie purchases and cookies donated through our annual Council Gift of Caring Program. Yours in Girl Scouting,
Ambassadors • P&L • R&D
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Julie Dale CEO, Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways
3 ways to Get Girl Scout Cookies Each year, millions of people satisfy their sweet tooth by purchasing genuine Girl Scout Cookies – but how do they do it? It helps to know a Girl Scout! Council staff members cannot sell or order cookies (unless they have a daughter enrolled in the program). Cookies are not available for purchase at Girl Scout Boutiques or local stores. Orders obtained via Amazon, e-Bay and other online retailers are expressly prohibited. The Girl Scout Cookie Program is the largest girl-led business and entrepreneurial program for girls in the world – so, it makes sense that genuine Girl Scout Cookies are only allowed to be sold by genuine Girl Scouts! You can get them directly through an in-person order or community booth sale, or through the Digital Cookie online ordering.
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Order In-Person Have cookies delivered to you! A Girl Scout can take your order on her paper order card or through a link she sends you using Digital Cookie, our online ordering system. Girls and their parents often bring paper order forms everywhere they go! They may post videos and pitches on social media to let everyone know they’re selling cookies and to share her Digital Cookie link. (Note: Girl Delivery is available when placing an online order prior to February 5 and costs you nothing for shipment if you live near the Girl Scout. Orders made on Digital Cookie after February 5 or out-of-area are shipped directly to customers and incur a shipping cost.)
The 2018 Season Runs through March 25
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Order Online Have cookies shipped to you! As long as you have a link from a Girl Scout, you may order cookies or donate cookies through our Council Gift of Caring Program anytime during cookie season. (The 2018 season runs January 12-March 25.)
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Purchase at a Booth Sale Booth sales in local communities will be set-up ALL over the 26 counties our Council serves from March 3-25. Find a booth near you by entering your zip code at girlscoutcookies.org or downloading the official Girl Scout Cookie Finder app – it’s free on iOS and Android.
Can’t eat ‘em? Treat ‘em!
Customers can gift their cookie purchase through our Council Gift of Caring Program. Donated cookie boxes help girls reach their goals and bring a touch of happiness to our partner organizations. We track donated boxes on the order card or online order link. There is never a shipping charge for cookies purchased through Gift of Caring. They can also be purchased at booth sales. Any donations of extra change also go to Gift of Caring, helping girls reach their goals and providing partners with even more cookies to distribute!
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Top SELLER TIPS While Girl Scout Cookies are delicious, they don’t sell themselves! The average girl sells between 100-150 boxes. Top cookie sellers across the country (1,000 or more boxes) make the most out of the few weeks each year when everyone’s favorites are available.
Here are some ideas to make this cookie season your best yet: 1
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Contact previous customers, politely remind them that it is cookie season. Use more than one method. Not everyone checks email regularly. A friendly note in the mail or a phone call may be just what you need to make the connection.
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If you are selling cookies to achieve a personal goal (such as to earn a week at camp) share your story with your customers. Stories create a connection, and people like to know that they are supporting your dreams.
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If your troop is planning to do something for the community with your funds, create a poster and mark off how many boxes more you need to sell to reach your goal. A visual reminder helps people show how much they are contributing to a good cause.
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Carry cookies wherever you go! Put a sign in your family’s car and let people know that they can buy boxes from you when they want a sweet treat.
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Keep in mind that not everyone wants to eat cookies. Remind people, politely, that donations to our Council Gift of Caring Program provide cookies to our partners (like organizations that assist military families or community food pantries) and that these donations still contribute to your goal!
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Manage your money. Have enough small bills to make proper change. You can also ask customers if they would like to donate their change. At $4 per box, many customers will gladly forgo $1 or $2 knowing it is applied to our Council Gift of Caring. Every $4 equals another box donated!
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Create a video! Original material is always the best. Turn your goals into a rhyme and recite it, draw a poster, sing a song, explain why you love Girl Scouts or show people how to make a unique recipe featuring your favorite cookie.
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After you exchange money for cookies, smile and say “Thank you” to your customers. (And “Thank you, anyway” for those who decline to buy or donate.) You can make a person’s day through a little thoughtfulness and kindness.
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Think outside the regular places you might sell cookies. Ask your parents to help you contact local business owners (bakeries, restaurants, beverage sellers) who might order a few cases and offer Girl Scout Cookie-inspired recipes throughout March!
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Remember to have fun! No matter how many boxes of cookies you sell, the objective of cookie season is to learn how to set a goal, make a plan and achieve it. Do your best, but always prioritize your school work and your health.
Sharing is Caring! Why should it always be BUY! BUY! BUY! and SELL! SELL! SELL! when it could be GIVE! GIVE! GIVE!? Selling Girl Scout Cookies is beneficial for you, your troop and this year it also benefits our community partner, the Military Family Assistance Center. You may be shocked to learn that not everyone you meet will want to eat three boxes of Thin Mints this season! They may want to gift their cookies instead. Anyone can share their love of Girl Scout Cookies through our Council Gift of Caring Program. You get full credit for each box gifted to this year’s partner, the Military Family Assistance Center, and no one pays for shipping – Council takes care of it for you! The Military Family Assistance Center based in Syracuse and serves Broome, Cayuga, Chenango, Cortland, Jefferson, Lewis, Madison, Oneida, Onondaga, Oswego, St. Lawrence, Tioga and Tompkins counties. The center will share cookies with local veteran groups, service members and military families regardless of branch or duty status.
It’s All In the Family For many families, cookie season is a time that everyone pitches in to help. The best way for your girl to learn valuable life skills is for you to talk with her about the Cookie Program so that you are prepared to help her.
Motivation Ask your daughter how she set her personal goal. Is she interested in attending Girl Scout Camp? Does she want to earn a sales prize? Understanding her motivation can help you talk with her when she is discouraged.
owners. Troop leaders should not shoulder this task alone; our girls need to see us working together as a community.
Break the Goal Down
Many parents like to bring an order card to their workplace or share their daughter’s Digital Cookie link online. Make the personal connection by having your daughter create a poster, flyer or video sharing her motivation and troop goals so that potential customers can understand why they are purchasing cookies. Help her write thank you notes to her customers for when she delivers orders. It’s the little extras that give her confidence in her ability to set goals and achieve them.
Help her understand how to break her goal into manageable pieces. For example, if she wants to sell 1,000 boxes and has approximately 10 weeks to sell, she needs to average 100 boxes per week to reach her goal. If she tracks her progress on a chart on the refrigerator, the whole family can help her celebrate her successes.
Help Her Manage Her Time Talk with your daughter about her plan. Schedule walkabouts around the neighborhood or partner with another parent to make it easier. The weeks fly by without a plan in place!
Help The Troop
So, if you have a customer who can’t eat ‘em – ask them to treat ‘em! Isn’t that sweet?!
Every parent in the troop can contribute in some manner. Perhaps you can chaperone a booth or help girls practice their sales pitches? Maybe you are handy and can help build a simple store stand for girls to decorate? Many parents are needed to distribute cookies or to connect with local business
Share Your Daughter’s Story
Purchase Cookies in Advance for Direct Sales Some parents find it easier to purchase a set number of cases of cookies and then their daughters sell them door-todoor. While this is acceptable, we must remind you that once you order cookies, you are financially responsible for them. They cannot be returned to the troop leader or Council cupboard.
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The 5 Skills and Our Community Partners
01 Skill:
Goal Setting Girls set cookie sales goals and, with their team, create a plan to reach them. This matters because girls need to know how to set and reach goals to succeed in school, on the job and in life. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85% of girls surveyed in 2016 learned how to set goals and meet deadlines, make a plan for how to achieve a goal, change actions when needed to keep on track with their goal and work with others to achieve goals set together.
Community Partner:
85% of girls surveyed in 2016 learned how to set goals and mee t deadlines.
WonderWorks, a science-focused indoor amusement park, combines both education and entertainment into one venue. With over 100 hands-on exhibits, there is something unique and challenging for all ages! Feel the power of 71 mile per hour hurricane-force winds in the Hurricane Shack. Make huge, life-sized bubbles in the Bubble Lab. Get the NASA treatment and experience zero gravity in the Astronaut Training Gyro. Nail it by lying on the death–defying Bed of Nails. WonderWorks is also home to two indoor ropes courses – Canyon Climb, the world’s largest suspended indoor ropes course, and Sky Tykes, a confidence booster climb for small children. WonderWorks also hosts birthday parties and special events. WonderWorks is located in the canyon section of Destiny USA in Syracuse, N.Y. Learn more at wonderworksdestiny.com.
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02 Skill:
Decision Making Girls decide where and when to sell cookies, how to market their sale and what to do with their earnings. This matters because girls must make many decisions, big and small, in their lives. Learning this skill helps them make good ones. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 88% of girls surveyed in 2016 learned how to think through different choices, explain the reasons why they made a decision, decide between multiple choices and listen to everyone’s thoughts when making group decisions.
Community Partner:
Redhouse is a nonprofit, multi-arts organization located in Syracuse N.Y. and dedicated to the production and presentation of interdisciplinary works, theatre, music, and visual art. Redhouse is a regional provider of communitybased arts education, with an emphasis on providing artistic experience for youth at risk and individuals with disabilities. Through public programs and community engagement initiatives, Redhouse aims to stimulate cultural activities and contribute to community development through the arts. Redhouse pursues its mission of building community through the arts. Learn more at theredhouse.org.
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03 Skill:
Money Management Girls develop a budget, take cookie orders, and handle customers’ money. This matters because girls need to know how to handle money: from their lunch money to their allowance to (someday) their paycheck. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 88% of girls surveyed in 2016 learned how to count money and make change, create a plan to save their money, track their money so they know how much they have, and distinguish the difference between wants and needs.
Community Partner: At M&T Bank, understanding what’s important means realizing the role a bank plays in people’s lives. And then living up to those responsibilities, by helping families, businesses and communities thrive. It’s what they’ve been doing for more than 160 years. Learn more at mtb.com.
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Community Partner:
Water Safari Resort is a family fun Adirondack vacation destination located in Old Forge, N.Y. Properties include Enchanted Forest Water Safari (New York’s largest water theme park), Calypso’s Cove Family Fun Park (featuring arcade, mini-golf, go karts and more), Old Forge Camping Resort (year-round campground featuring heated cabins and cottages, RV and tent sites) and Water’s Edge Inn (lakefront hotel with guest rooms and luxury suites). Learn more at watersafari.com.
04 Skill:
People skills
85% of girls surveyed in 2 016 learned how to be comforta ble talking to new people.
Girls learn how to talk (and listen!) to their customers, as well as learning how to work as a team with other girls. This matters because it helps them do better in school (on group projects, on sports teams, and on the playground) and, later, at work. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 85% of girls surveyed in 2016 learned how to be comfortable talking to and being around new people, determine the best way to get their message across when talking with people, and tell people what they hope to achieve when working toward a goal.
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05 Skill:
Business Ethics Community Partner: Headquartered in Cincinnati, P&G is one of the most valuable companies in the U.S. Five billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world and across 180 countries. Established in 1966, P&G’s Mehoopany, Pa. plant is one of the company’s largest plants worldwide. It is located along 1,100 acres of the Susquehanna River in Washington Township in Wyoming County. The plant produces Bounty paper towels and napkins, Charmin bathroom tissues, Pampers and Luvs diapers, and employs approximately 2,000 staff. Facilities include papermaking, material receiving and storage, finished product making, packing, warehousing and shipping operations, power generation and distribution, waste and water treatment operations. The plant’s impact on its neighbors extends beyond employment numbers and payroll figures. Learn more at pg.com.
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Girls act honestly and responsibly during every step of the cookie sale. This matters because employers want to hire ethical employees — and the world needs ethical leaders in every field. According to the Girl Scout Research Institute, 94% of girls surveyed in 2016 learned how to be respectful of others, take responsibility for what they say and do, keep their promises, and not lie to get out of trouble.
How the Cookie (money) Crumbles 100% of the proceeds (after we pay the baker) stays local to power amazing experiences for NYPENN Girl Scouts. $2.11 - Membership, Program & Volunteer Services Provides funds for program events and support services, adult recruitment and trainings, and maintenance of council properties and Adventure Centers
$0.14 - Girl Rewards Program Patches, rewards, Cookie Dough, troop bonuses, etc.
$0.58 - $0.73 - Troop Proceeds Directly supports troop activities
$1.04 - Little Brownie Bakers Cost of the cookies
Commitment to, and involvement in, our community are of utmost importance to our team. Howe & Rusling proudly supports the Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways. 11
8170 Thompson Road Cicero, NY 13039
Girl Scout Cookie Fun Facts • Girl Scouts first sold cookies in Oklahoma in 1917. It was a troop project selling sugar cookies at a bake sale. • The first-ever booth sale happened in Philadelphia, Pa., on November 11, 1932. • In 1948, there were 29 companies producing Girl Scout Cookies. Today there are two: ABC Bakers and Little Brownie Baker (LBB).
From our entire team to yours, “WOW!” Congratulations and thank you to all the families and volunteers involved in hosting a truly “wow”-worthy Cookie Rally. We’re amazed at all you do to encourage and inspire girls.
• LBB is the company through which GSNYPENN receives cookies. Some cookie have different names and recipes depending on the baker. • LBB goes through 750,000 lbs. of flour, 260,000 lbs. of shortening, 37,000 lbs. of cocoa, 438,000 lbs. of sugar and 75,000 lbs. of coconut during peak production. • At peak season, 4.9 million Thin Mints are baked per day. They make up 25% of all sales and are the most popular variety. • About 200 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies are sold every year. • Trefoils are the oldest variety still being produced today – at a rate of 4,700 per minute! • The girls on the cookie boxes are real Girl Scouts – not models!
A division of
The GIRL SCOUTS® name and mark, and all associated trademarks and logotypes, including GIRL SCOUT COOKIES®, THIN MINTS®, TREFOILS®, GIRL SCOUT S’MORES®, DIGITAL COOKIE®, GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SALE®, GIRL SCOUT COOKIE PROGRAM® and the Trefoil Design, are owned by Girl Scouts of the USA. Little Brownie Bakers is an official GSUSA licensee. SAMOAS, TAGALONGS, DO-SI-DOS and SAVANNAH SMILES are registered trademarks of Kellogg NA Co. TOFFEE-TASTIC is a trademark of Kellogg NA Co. Copyright ®, TM, © 2018 Kellogg NA Co.
We wish to thank our event partners who helped us kick off cookie season at cookieWOW!
Contact Us: 1.855.213.8555 www.gsnypenn.org info@gsnypenn.org
We could not have hosted this event without all the volunteers who braved the storm to assist us running booths, taking tickets, handing out cookies and milk, being dunk stewards and participating all day. Special thanks to Onondaga County Legislator Deb Cody and City of Syracuse Deputy Mayor Sharon Owens for coming out to witness the cookie dunk!
Find and follow us on social media! @gsnypenn
Thank you to all the vendors who contributed with extra touches to make cookieWOW! special, including: • Able Smith Tent
• Driver’s Village
• Fleet Feet
• Dave & Busters
• Embassy Suites
• Design Shop Graphics