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We are so thankful you are leading your troop through the Cookie Program- the cornerstone of the Girl Scout experience with over 100 years of success! Before the sale begins, there are a few steps you'll have to take:

  • Log into Cookie Tech Portal, our new single sign on platform for all things Cookie. Please view our first time user guide for assistance as needed.
  • Complete training.
  • Set the troop up in eBudde (online cookie management system).
  • Pick up your girl materials from your Service Unit Cookie Manager.
  • Lead a girl and parent training with troop.
Cookie Calendar 2020-2021
Date Description
October 24 Cookie Service Unit Training
November 2 Troop Cookie Training Available
December 15 Digital Cookie Opens
January 15
 Troop Starting Orders Due, Order Card Taking Begins
January 24 & 25 Starting Order Cookie pick-up by troops
January 27 My Sale Booths Begin
January 29 Booth Sales Begin
February 9 First ACH Draft Money Due
February 19-21 National Cookie Weekend
February 28 Traditional Sales Ends, DOC Girl Delivery Ends, County Cupboards Close
March 6-7 Cookie Clean Up Weekend
March 13-14 Cookie Clean Up Weekend
March 14 Digital Cookie Shipped and In-Hand Engs, GSHNC Cupboard Closes
March 15 All money due for final ACH draw must be deposited in troop account ; troop rewards due; troops locked out of eBudde
April 12 Rewards Ship
April 15 Unpaid Funds Report Deadline

* Dates subject to change

Training

Troop Online Training:

Service Unit Cookie Trainings
See the full list here to find out when your Service Unit is hosting Cookie Training.

Events & Promotions

Digital Cookie Day - December 14, 2019
Dive into cookies with this free drop in event to learn more and get expert help setting up your Digital Cookie site and participate in fun cookie program activities.  Troop Leaders and Cookie Managers come by to get your Digital Cookie questions answered.

Cookie Rally - January 11, 2020
Join us at the Council’s Cookie Rally at The Park Expo & Conference Center where girls will visit various booths for a hands-on learning experience of the cookie program’s 5 skills:  Decision Making, Money Management, Goal Setting, People Skills and Business Ethics, along with program rewards.  Special VIP guests will help us celebrate our cookie kick-off!  Check with your Troop Leader or Service Unit for other rallies in your area. Register for the Cookie Rally today!

Super Star Booth Challenge
Secret Shoppers will visit cookie booths at random around looking for troops that have a “Super Star Booth.” This promotion encourages girls to utilize the five skills from the Girl Scout Cookie Program while following proper booth etiquette. Booths will be reviewed and will be selected based on the following criteria:

  • People Skills: Proper knowledge, Girl Scout attire (GS uniform, cookie apron, GS or cookie t-shirt)
  • Business Ethics: Adult/girl ratio, no siblings present
  • Money Management: Money handling, price display
  • Goal Setting: Troop proceeds goal displayed, promotion of Cookies for Cause
  • Decision Making: Organized booth with various marketing elements, polite behavior

Super Star Booth troops will earn a “Super” cookie patch for each Girl Scout present and be entered to win one of the following prizes: a custom, reusable troop goal poster, a custom troop banner or cookie cut-out signs. The booth may also be featured in our social media.

Strive for Five: National Cookie Weekend (Feb. 28 - March 1, 2020)

National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend is around the corner and we want to celebrate with you! Celebrate by participating in one of five activities:

  1. Friday: Share your Girl Scout Cookie Program presentation at a local business or office.
  2. Saturday: Gather cookies and decorate a wagon, cart or carrier for a cookie walkabout!
  3. Sunday: Host a booth sale at your organization of faith.
  4. All Weekend: Make a sales pitch video.
  5. All Weekend: Complete 5 Digital Cookie orders.

Trip to the Magic Wings Butterfly House – April 4, 2020
Girls selling 1,250 packages of cookies will have the option to join us on a very special trip to the Magic Wings Butterfly House (One of the largest butterfly houses on the East Coast, featuring a 35- foot tall glass conservatory) at the Life and Science Museum in Durham, NC on April 4, 2020 or one week at a GSHNC or Service Unit day camp.

Girl Scout Day at Carowinds – April 29, 2020
Girls that sell 750+ packages of cookies will have the option of 2 day passes to Carowinds for Girl Scout Day to enjoy all the adventures the Carowinds has to offer or Buzz Bucks.

Cookie Pro
This cookie season, 24 girls nationwide, four per Girl Scout grade level, will be named GSUSA's Top Cookie Pro 2020 and get full VIP access to G.I.R.L. 2020, the largest event for girls in the the world. They'll also get:

  1. Unlock the awesome limited edition Cookie Pro 2020 patch.
  2. Travel to Orlando, Florida for G.I.R.L. 2020, with admission to all conference activities and experiences, breakfast with Girl Scouts of the USA's CEO, backstage passes to celebrity speakers, and more!

Learn more and enter at girlscouts.org/cookiepro. 
 

Cookie House Party

A Cookie House Party is a sweet strategy that encourages girls to invite their best customers to a cookie-themed gathering to have fun, enjoy snacks.. and buy cookies by the case! Girls share thier BIG goals, and customers make BIG purchases. Cookies are in the house! From invitations to yummy recipes, Little Brownie makes it easy!

  • The complete Cookie House Party Hostess Guide provides step-by-step guidance and lots of fun resources. Find more at Blog.LittleBrownieBakers.com
  • A fun promotional video with lots of ideas in action will inspire you and the girls alike. What marketing ideas can your girls brainstorm?
  • So there are 12 boxes in a case, 12 months in a year. Little Brownie has created a year's worth of recipes girls can give away to customers who buy a whole case.
Tips and Resources

Troop Resources:

LBB Resources

  • Built By Me Cookie Meeting Planner
    • An online tool to help plan a custom cookie season.
  • Volunteer Blog
    • Check out the volunteer blog for exciting girl activities and booth ideas.
  • NEW eBudde Troop App
    • The “eBudde Troop” app enables volunteers to place initial orders and much more from their mobile devices. Video training and eBudde help are built right in. Check out the eBudde Help Center for more information.
  • Booth Sale Recorder App 
    • With the “Booth Sale Recorder” app for smart phones, volunteers can enter the number of cookie packages sold at the cookie booth, select which girls will receive credit and send the information directly to their eBudde accounts.
  • Cookie Locator App 
    • The “Cookie Locator” app is the most delicious app ever! Cookie Customers can use their smart phones to find cookie booths nearby.
  • Booth Scheduler
    • Volunteers, please keep “Booth Scheduler” in eBudde up-to-date so customers can find you with the Cookie Locator mobile app.

Resources for Leading Girl/Parent Meeting:

 

Girl & Troop Rewards

Girl Rewards

  • Use the back of the girl order card to set rewards goals with your girls. All rewards are cumulative.
  • Older girl troops that opt out of rewards will get an additional $.05 per package instead of rewards/patches. This option must be selected before submitting your initial order.
  • Initial order reward will be given out with the initial cookie orders.
  • Rewards will be available for troops to pickup from their Service Unit Cookie Managers in April and May.
  • Any rewards not picked up from the Service Unit Cookie Manager will be held at GSHNC.
  • Any discrepancies must be reported to GSHNC by June 30, 2020
  • All top level rewards will be distributed by GSHNC, exact items may vary.

Troop Starting Order Reward

  • Troops with Starting Orders of 80%+ of their last year's total sales will receive two adult Do Wow Things shirts and one chalkboard tabletop stand per troop.

Troop Per Girl Average (PGA) Reward

  • Troops that achieve a 200 PGA (per girl average) will receive a Do Wow Things t-shirt for each girl selling and 2 reusable tote bags for troop volunteers.

Troop Proceeds & Service Unit Bonus

  • Troops earn $.55 per package of Thin Mints, Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-Si-Dos, Trefoils, new cookie, and Cookies for a Cause.
  • Troops earn $.65 per package of the Toffee-Tastic and Girl Scout S’mores.
  • Troops can earn an additional $.05 per package by achieving a 168 PGA (Per Girl Average).
  • Troops can earn an additional $.10 per package by achieving a 216 PGA.
  • If troops “Opt Out of Rewards” they can earn an additional $.05 per package.
  • Only Cadette, Senior and Ambassador troops may “opt out of Rewards.”
    • It must be selected on the “Settings” tab of eBudde prior to submitting your initial order.
    • Troops will not receive any rewards, including patches.
  • Service Unit Bonus of 1/2 cent on every package sold will be achieved when the Service Unit’s goal % participation is met and Service Unit has exceeded packages sold from last year. 
Cookies for a Cause

Committed to giving back to our community, Girl Scouts, Hornets’ Nest Council’s Cookies for a Cause program supports our military, hometown heroes and local cause champions.

Important Reminders:

  • Encourage girls to ask EVERY customer if they would like to donate cookies for our heroes (hometown or abroad) or cause champions.
  • Remember to enter the orders into the “Donated Boxes of Cookies” column on the order form.
  • Gets get full credit towards rewards accepting $4 donations for Cookies for a Cause packages.
  • Troops/girls will collect and turn in all donated funds for Cookies for a Cookies packages, but will NOT receive or manage the cookie inventory (donated cookies do not come from troop cookies). 
  • After the sale ends, GSHNC will contact troops interested in assisting with Cookies for a Cause distribution based on troops that nominated their favorite charities.
  • Girls receive a Cookies for a Cause patch for selling 15 packages, a bracelet charm for 30 packages, a magic headband set for 60 packages, and a milkshake blanket sack for 120 packages for the Cookies for a Cause program. 
  • For every $4 donation, one package of cookies goes to our heroes at home and abroad. GSHNC will handle the details of cookie distribution. 
    • 68% of cookies go directly to men and women serving the US military.
    • 21% of last year’s donated cookies supported local charities.
    • 11% of last year’s donated cookies were gifted to our hometown heroes (Fire, Police and First Responders).
Digital Cookie - Getting Started

Through Digital Cookie, girls create customized websites and send emails to people they know, asking them to buy cookies. Customers place online orders and have the option for the cookies to be shipped directly to their homes, request for the Girl Scout to deliver the cookies or donate the cookies to our Cookies for a Cause program. Digital Cookie orders appear automatically in eBudde. Learn more about Digital Cookie on our Digital Cookie webpage

How to register - For girls to register on the Digital Cookie site, watch for the email, “Ready. Set. Register for Digital Cookie” and follow instructions to register. If they did not receive the registration email, follow these instructions on next steps. Forgot password? Click here!

Remember to visit the site regularly to ensure girls/parents are using the site, approving orders in a timely fashion and your troop has the needed inventory for any girl delivery orders.