Girl Scout cookies advice UPDATE Post #109

[brookmey]

This. Do NOT take any additional cookies - unless you want to be financially obligated for them.

I am a former cookie mom (one of my really favorite volunteer activities EVER!) I managed our cookies so we had less than 12 extra boxes each an every year.

Our council now has the "no-return" policy on cases of cookies ordered.

Luckily, the cookie mom and I worked it out so if I do sell during my garage sale and at DS's soccer practice, I can just return what wasn't sold to the troop. She feels terrible about the large number of leftovers, so I think she's grateful that someone is willing to work with her to sell what we can. The leader just took the approach of "not my problem, you figure it out." She's really something.

 

[Magic Mom]

I passed on many of the suggestions offered to the cookie mom and she said was pretty impressed. She said I've got some really smart friends! Of course I do! Disney nuts are a lot smarter than people give us credit for!

I would love to set up a booth and sell during DS's soccer practice because there are a ton of teams around practicing there. That's a good idea and I do think a lot of cookies will sell. I'll have to find out where to get permission because the fields are city owned.

The cookie mom really liked the idea of going to local businesses. She's going to try that this week. She's also looking into setting up a booth at the local community college. The girls have spring break next week, so it is possible to hit day classes with half of the troop and night classes with the rest of the troop.

This is kind of a big deal to me because our troop leader is a dud and she's a glass is always empty person. We don't get along well and she's made several comments about how DD hasn't sold her fair share of cookies (she's sold 101 and she's worked really hard to get that many). The leader saw my Disney Dooney purse at the last meeting and asked the cookie mom to suggest to me that I just buy the remaining boxes so the girls won't have to pay for it because I must have a lot of money if I can buy designer handbags. Uh, no, I don't have like $2000 just sitting around to be tied up in GS cookies. So I'm trying to show her that there are plenty of ways to sell these cookies if we think outside of the box and ask others for advice. Expecting me to buy them all, whatever.

This is the main reason why I became a troop leader. I knew what kind of leader I wanted DD to have and I knew what kinds of things she wanted to get out of scouts. The only way to ensure she got that was to be a leader.

 

[debster812]

I would love to set up a booth and sell during DS's soccer practice because there are a ton of teams around practicing there. That's a good idea and I do think a lot of cookies will sell. I'll have to find out where to get permission because the fields are city owned.

Over the winter DS (14 YO) has indoor soccer practice every Saturday morning. One Saturday there was a young girl scout, with a big re-usable shopping bag full of cookies. I swear, she could not hand them out fast enough, she must have sold 20 boxes in 5 minutes. She and her mom reloaded and came back for round 2, all gone again! I think soccer fields are a GREAT idea.

As far as getting permission, start with the youth soccer organization. I know in our town, the soccer fields are controlled by the rec commission, but the soccer association has all the oversight. Often it's just a matter of the soccer board giving their approval.

 

[brookmey]

This is the main reason why I became a troop leader. I knew what kind of leader I wanted DD to have and I knew what kinds of things she wanted to get out of scouts. The only way to ensure she got that was to be a leader.

I completely agree with you. I've decided that if DD wants to continue in GS next year, I'm going to be her troop leader, for the same reasons you became a leader for your daughter.

 

[daileyad]

tell your cookie mom to start listing them on Ebay... several troops sell them on there.

I didn't think this was allowed

 

[descovy]

You said SE Texas, so that sound like San Jacinto Council.

At this stage, finger pointing & blaming won't help, so it's best to just make the best of the situation. The troop will suffer if the cookies don't get sold, and while the mom-volunteer made a mistake, it is in the troop's best interest to help her out. It's hard enough to get volunteers to step up without crucifing them for their mistakes.

In San Jacinto Council, the troop is responsible for all cookies ordered. And yes, cookie booth cookies had to be pre-ordered and carefully "guessed." Not selling 500 cookies will likely wipe out all or most of the profits.

The good news is that there is still time. Booth sales continue until March 25. Your cookie mom should go on the cookie booth site and sign up for some more booths. Old Navy (inside malls) has recdently been added. My troop also had surpringly good luck at a Jamba Juice in a walking mall. Hobby Lobby even has weekday booths. So you have 3 weekends and a Spring Break week.

Girls get credit for cookies sold at cookie booth. So whether girls are working towards prizes or "cookie dough" (gift cards) there's incentive to do more than one booth. Plus it's fun!

Troops can do booths, but as long as you have 2 adults, you can have even 1 girl do a cookie booth (family!)

The garage sale is also an excellent idea. My kids sold lemonade and "Lemonades" at mine last year. It was just our family stash, and they sold each cookie for 25c and probably made more per cookie than per box!!! lol.

Your cookie moom also needs to get the word out to her service unit cookie manager that she has cookies to get rid of. But you can't count on it. I picked up cookies from several troops early in the sale, because I knew I had a lot of booths left. But starting Friday, troops can "consign" cookies for booths and can return what they don't sell. So while I need more cookies, I want to get them consigned from the cookie cupboard, rather than take them from troops.

Help your cookie mom. She's fretting right now for sure. It was a bad move to ask each girl to sell 70 more cookies. But offer to sell some at your garage sale, offer to help with a booth, and get the rest of the troop on board.

Good luck! You do have 3 weekends ahead of you!

 

[surfgirl]

Have the cookie mom contact the service unit cookie manager and ask for the email list of everyone selling cookies in the service unit.

Send out an email to the service unit cookie moms and see if anyone has sold Cookies From Home (CFH) that they don't have inventory for. If so, they can do a troop to troop transfer for as many cookies as needed and your troop can get rid of them. (Cookies from home are the cookies that people pay for and are sent to the troops overseas).

I'm a cookie mom and I manage our inventory pretty tightly. Especially if we are getting close to the end! I would rather drive and pick up cases of cookies a few extra times than get stuck with extra inventory - last year, I picked up cookies 8 different times.

Our council tells you if you take them, they are yours. No returns. In this case, if you begged, you might get lucky and they will take them back for the cookies for home.

Another option is to do a cookies from home drive! See if you can get people to donate (ie. pay) for them and then you turn in your extra inventory for CFH. (fyi, it is a charitable donation and yes, a tax credit. The receipts are online).

For example, our troop sold 119 cookies from home, so I know my inventory can go up to 119 extra boxes over what we sell. I typically send out an email to our service unit and if people have extra inventory, I take it from them before I pick up more cookies or do a virtual transfer online. I figure I'd rather help out someone who had a lower year selling.

good luck!

 

[GillieRose]

Wow I thought we where bad with 26 cookie boxes left. I don't know if it was mentioned but if someone doesn't want to buy cookies for themselves maybe they would be willing to donate a box to the troops. I know are troop donated over 200 boxes this year to gift of caring for the troops. I would also look for more booths. We also have to pre order are cookies for the booths but also can reorder over the 2 weeks we have booths. I believe we ended up selling over 1000 at the cookie booths we had. Good luck. I hope you guys can get rid of them.

 

[Sgt Mickey]

We had my dd troop in addition to sell cookies ask for donations/or to buy extra cookies for people deployed perhaps at the cookie booth sale you can set aside a donation for troop jar and use that money towards the cookies so they can be bought and sent to deployed troops.

I think dd troop also went door to door.

 

[aprilgail2]

I think dd troop also went door to door.

We do this every year- walk abouts. You have to give council the general area/blocks that you are doing so they don't have more than one troop going door to door in any area and then we spend the day pulling wagons full of cookies around and knocking on doors- we sold hundreds of boxes like that! A couple kids on one side of the street and a couple on the other and just work our way up and down blocks. One lady bought 17 boxes at one house!

 

[Fishteacher]

Hi, I quickly became interested in this thread because I just got an email from my DD troop leader that we still have 174 CASES totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, I am not sure how my DD's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

 

[clh2]

hi, i quickly became interested in this thread because i just got an email from my dd troop leader that we still have 174 cases totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, i am not sure how my dd's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

yikes!!!

 

[Magic Mom]

Hi, I quickly became interested in this thread because I just got an email from my DD troop leader that we still have 174 CASES totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, I am not sure how my DD's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

That's ridiculous. The council should not have let her make her initial order for that much. They need to step in. No leader or troop should be responsible for that amount of money.

 

[zurgswife]

Hi, I quickly became interested in this thread because I just got an email from my DD troop leader that we still have 174 CASES totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, I am not sure how my DD's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

As a past cookie mom I thought 500 boxes as a lot but 2000+ I can't even imagine how you get that many extra boxes....

 

[erincon23]

I haven't had a Girl Scout come to my door in a couple of years! My neighborhood seems to have "aged out" of Girl Scouts, and I miss it. I haven't seem them at the grocery stores, either!

I was involved in Cub Scouts with the popcorn sales -- one of our sales that worked pretty well was at the local train station -- we hit people as they were getting off the train in the evening. Had to get permission from the transportation line, I think, but they didn't give us any hassle.

Don't know Girl Scout policies -- can you put out a "donations" can saying that money donated will be to purchase boxes of cookies to give to a women's shelter, retirement home, veterans hospital, food bank? A lot of people don't want the cookies but would be willing to donate a buck or two. Cub Scout popcorn items are significantly more costly than your cookies, so we always got lots of donations from people who didn't want to spend as much as the items were.

Good luck!

 

[brookmey]

Hi, I quickly became interested in this thread because I just got an email from my DD troop leader that we still have 174 CASES totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, I am not sure how my DD's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

Holy cow! That's just insane! Your poor troop...

So how does it work when cookie sales are over and the money is due, but you still have unsold cookies left? I understand that the troop has to cover the cost, but can that troop continue to sell the remaining cookies to get that cost back? Or does all selling have to stop by a certain date?

 

[GillieRose]

Hi, I quickly became interested in this thread because I just got an email from my DD troop leader that we still have 174 CASES totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, I am not sure how my DD's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

Even though cookie booths over can't you continue to sell them till at least June. I would hit up colleges and etc. I can't imagine having to sell that many cases still. There is not way are troop would have that much money to cover all those cases. Good luck and I hope you can sell them.

 

[MSLRAC]

I don't understand why you would order even ONE more box than you have orders for. We order exactly what the kids sold and then when we do a cookie booth we drive over to council and pick up a cookie booth kit worth of cookies- usually around 200-250. We sell what we can and the next day return all the cookies we didn't sell- open cases or not they take every single one back and you pay for what you sell. There is no penalty if you don't sell them all and you never have to pay for anything you don't sell. Not a troop here would bother doing a cooie booth if there was a chance you would be stuck with the cookies!

Not all service units do that. Our troops had to order in full cases and once you sign for them, they are yours. There is no returning full cases much less opened cases.

This is kind of a big deal to me because our troop leader is a dud and she's a glass is always empty person. We don't get along well and she's made several comments about how DD hasn't sold her fair share of cookies (she's sold 101 and she's worked really hard to get that many). The leader saw my Disney Dooney purse at the last meeting and asked the cookie mom to suggest to me that I just buy the remaining boxes so the girls won't have to pay for it because I must have a lot of money if I can buy designer handbags. Uh, no, I don't have like $2000 just sitting around to be tied up in GS cookies. So I'm trying to show her that there are plenty of ways to sell these cookies if we think outside of the box and ask others for advice. Expecting me to buy them all, whatever.

Oh my word, that leader sounds just peachy!

Hi, I quickly became interested in this thread because I just got an email from my DD troop leader that we still have 174 CASES totalling over $8,000. Yes, you read that correctly, there are 3 zeros on the end of that number. Our cookie sales are officially over and all monies were due at the end of last week. Honestly, I am not sure how my DD's leader is handling the situation. If you find you need some cookies, we have plenty left

Oh my gosh!! I would imagine that your leader and cookie mom are about to have some serious explaining to do to council. As a SU Cookie Manger, this is one of my worst fears because at some point, I have to turn troops like that over to council and council can prosecute for the money. I really hope that it works out for your troop!!

If none of those options work, tell your cookie mom to start listing them on Ebay... several troops sell them on there.

Good luck!

I would NOT suggest that because that is against the rules in most councils. GS is very strict with their online sales and collection of money policies. So EBay can get you into hot water real quick.

Anyway, back to the OP, have your cookie mom contact your SU Cookie Manger because if the sale is winding down, some cookies might be in short supply. Like our SU is running short on Thin Mints and we were totally out going into booth sales last weekend. So you might be able to unload some that way.

Also, does your SU do Operation Sweet Treat (cookies for our troops)? If so, you can use your extra cookies for OST cookies. I have a few troops planning to use all of their extras for that.

You could also do a cookie caravan...load up a vehicle with cookies and girls and go door to door in a safe neighborhood. We did that a couple of Sundays ago and did really well. Just make sure that you have an adult within arms reach when the girls go up to the door.

Other than that, I would do everything that I could to get some more booths going.

Good luck!! It sounds like your cookie mom is trying hard and I'm sure she appreciates your help with this!

 

[amberg@eastlink.ca]

im a guider in canada and can so feel your pain! i dont think adding it in the email is a good idea- it comes off wrong, and they're different organizations. however if i were you(and i am! lol) i'd schelp a case everywhere- altho i know you guys do your sales a bit different than we do. we send the cases home with the girls and im not sure if you guys do. often they do sell themselves! also if youre on fb, shout it from the roof tops that you have gs cookies for sale....ppl stalk me twice a year on there just for a cookie fix!

also as a pervious poster typed, go door to door. right now we dont do that, im on a busy main street, and where my daughter meets is in the middle of nowhere also on a busy main street. but trust me i hear every year from ppl in different provinces, where can i get some. if i clearly cant get them to the ppl i tell them to call their local office and they will redirect. door to door isnt very popular any longer- atleast here. i also take atleast one case to dd's school. last fall i sold two cases there. those babies sell themselves- and you guys have soooo many more flavours than us!

can you set up outside a grovcery store? thats what i used to do as a brownie back in the day...sigh....not sure if its aceptable any longer, and up here most places wont let you unless you have an in. good luck! dd's own ten cases arrive sometime at the end of the month.

 

[MSLRAC]

Holy cow! That's just insane! Your poor troop...

So how does it work when cookie sales are over and the money is due, but you still have unsold cookies left? I understand that the troop has to cover the cost, but can that troop continue to sell the remaining cookies to get that cost back? Or does all selling have to stop by a certain date?

There are certain dates that you can continue selling but after that you have to stop (it's usually May or June around here). You also have to pay the money in the mean time so if the cookie mom, leader or troop can't cover it, then there can be serious ramifications for the leader and cookie mom. The troop can be ban from all sales next year and whoever signed as the responsible party for the troop can be prosecuted (doesn't happen often but it can and many councils are cracking down for various reasons).