While most of the responsibility for the cookie sale should rest on your Troop Cookie Manager's (TCM) shoulders, the following list of information was developed to enhance communication between you and your TCM, and to avoid potential "trouble spots." Please remember that the information was compiled from previous years' cookie sales and may change in detail once this year's sale gets underway. Be sure to consult your TCM for current information after he/she has attended training. Questions that cannot be answered by your TCM should be referred to the Service Unit Cookie Manager (SUCM).• ALL TCM's must be trained! Be sure to listen for the training date, usually in December, and ensure that your TCM attends. Problems concerning the training date should be referred to the SUCM.
• Watch for pertinent dates concerning the sale, to be published in November/December. These dates include the first day of the sale, the due date of the initial order, when the cookies must be picked up, booth sale possibilities, and the date(s) all deposit slips and reports must be turned in. Check with your TCM to ensure that he/she is able to comply with these dates.
• Please be sure to discuss the Girl Scout Laws pertaining to honesty and fairness with your girls before the sale. In past years, there have been hard feelings when individuals have begun selling before the agreed-upon date and time.
• TCM's will receive all supplies for initial order taking at the December training. Since the sale starts after Christmas break, you may wish to hold your troop training before the holidays with a refresher course upon returning from the break, although you may choose not to distribute order forms until closer to the sale to discourage "jumping the gun."
• All booth sales must be coordinated through the SU Booth Coordinator. TCM's will be given an opportunity to indicate your troop's interest in participating in booth sales at the training in November. If your troop is interested, check with your TCM to be sure he/she turned in the preference
slip - keeping in mind that you must have additional parent volunteers to man the booth! Initial booth sale dates and places will be determined by the coordinator as fairly as possible. After all troops have one slot assigned, additional slots may be assigned as desired. Please don't arrange
a booth sale on your own. GSTC and SU 152 have worked hard to maintain friendly relations with the local stores who allow us on their property.• One of the most troublesome areas with any product sale is the problem of bounced checks. The easiest way to deal with it is to avoid it altogether! Council will accept responsibility for bounced checks from the cookie sale AS LONG AS THE FOLLOWING RULES ARE COMPLIED WITH!
1. Any girl or troop with an outstanding debt to GSTC cannot
participate in the cookie sale. They have provided us with one
solution - call the SUCM if you have a problem in your troop.
2. All checks should be made out to "GSTC" and not to your troop.
3. Remind girls and parents that you cannot accept personal checks for over $35. This seems to occur most frequently with parents who want to write one check for all the cookies their daughter delivers. Money orders and cashier's checks will be accepted, however.
4. The same goes for troop checks! Don't be tempted to cover a girl's debt by writing a check from the troop account with promises from the parent that "they'll pay next week." If that parent doesn't come through, your troop is out the cash - not GSTC!• Check with your TCM occasionally to be sure she is not having trouble collecting from any of your girls.
• Also check to be sure your TCM is making weekly deposits.Return to the Leader's Page.