We can all learn from Girl Scout cookie sales!

 The holidays are over and you know what that means…it’s Girl Scout (GS) cookie time! Here are some cookie selling thoughts and stories. My two daughters; Abby, 13, and Riley, 10, ordinarily sell more than 1,000 boxes each, however, now that they are getting older, I’m not holding my breath! They are both active in dance, sports, music etc. so as many of you are aware, time to knock on doors is limited. As a Daisy and Brownie Girl Scout, selling is a challenge and the girls are easily motivated by each box sold! My older Scout’s motivation is the cookie credits earned to attend Resident Camp, GS activities and saving for a long trip somewhere outside Kansas! (We love this new Opt-Out Option for Cadette, Senior and Ambassador Troops. If the entire troop chooses to “Opt-Out” the troop receives $.40/per box as opposed to $.35/per box.)

Since I have two girls selling, we attempt to cover neighborhoods with about the same number of houses on both sides of the street. Each girl has one side and they go door-to-door. It’s fun to see which side enjoys which kind of cookie! A bonus for going around your neighborhood, your Scout might stumble across a Mystery House! Girls who find Mystery Houses receive $5 to be used in the Council Shop AND their troop will be entered in a drawing for a special troop party. YIPPEE!!

When I was a girl GS, I sold at the normal places, church, school, etc. but the majority of my sales came from door-to-door. My father was in the Chamber of Commerce business and didn’t feel it was appropriate to take an order form to work. Mom didn’t work outside the home, so every day after school, I was knocking on doors. To sell 500 boxes was quite an accomplishment for me. I remember other Scouts discussing how many boxes they’d sold and being so excited to tell everyone my total, but was usually outdone by the girls whose parents worked at corporations. All that hard work, to be outdone by a parent! Dad would say, “But doesn’t it make you feel good to know you sold all those boxes on your own?” Now, looking back, yes it did! Something to truly be proud of, I was motivated!

 When I worked for a large company, I’d ask my friends if were interested in purchasing cookies and if so, they would give me their phone number, I wouldn’t take the order. My girls HAD to contact them for the order. They would call each and every person. If the customer said, “Just take the order, they don’t have to call,” my girls would either call them anyway or sit down and hand write thank you notes to attach to the cookies at delivery time. I know, it’s just easier to take the form to work, but remember the girls are the ones selling. They can learn so much from this business opportunity, this is a chance many children never experience until they are in the world doing it as a living. And they have no idea where to begin. Cookie sales help the girls learn about setting goals, developing action plans, working as a team, the importance of customer service, math, they meet new people and learn how to communicate.

Words to the wise:

• Keep order forms from year-to-year. They come in handy when trying to remember who purchased previous years.

• What does your Scout want to do with the cookie credit she earns? Look at our Calendar of Events at www.kansasgirlscouts.org and select a camp or activity for her to attend and get the calculator, how many boxes must be sold to get to go to camp? There’s your goal!

• Checks are much easier to work with, for everyone.

• Wear Girl Scout uniforms or at the minimum a GS shirt. Here’s what my daughter Abby said after breaking the Emporia Council record twice as a Brownie, “I think I sold so many boxes because I was wearing my (Brownie) beanie.”

• Didn’t reach your goal during order taking? Have no fear, meet that goal by holding a cookie booth!

• Bad weather is the perfect time to hit the neighborhood. People are actually home AND sometimes you get sympathy orders!

• When combing neighborhoods, pick those with houses closer together, you can cover more ground. And of course, always, always, always have an adult go with the girls when selling! Even if they are older Scouts.

Leaders:

o ALWAYS have the person picking up the cookies count the cases/boxes and you double check them on the receipt. (Trust me on this one!)

o Complete and turn in to your bank, the “Bank Authorization Form,” just in case a check bounces. (If you filled one out for the nuts/candy sell, you do not have to do it again.)

o Be sure parents complete and return the parent permission slip to you. Scouts should not sell until this slip is received by you. If girls are living with just one parent and both parents are planning on helping with the sell, they should both fill one out.

I have several funny memories of the girls selling, but my favorite is when Riley was about four, we had been selling the entire weekend and were driving by the GS Council office going home. She was taking everything in, not fussing, just strapped in her child seat and blurts out, “When I’m a Gurl Scout, I’m not going to sell de Girl Scout cookies, I’m going to sell de Brwnies!” What a hoot! With her speech impediment it put a smile on an exhausted mom’s face!

Happy selling! Momma Scout

Did you know that plastic soda/water bottles can be recycled as a see-through mail package?

After you’ve finished your 16-oz. beverage, wash and dry the bottle and remove the label. You can use rubber cement thinner or Goo Gone to remove the residue. Then cut a long vertical slit in one side by scoring it with a craft knife. The bottle will be weakened at the curved top/bottom section, so avoid cutting there. About half-way down, cut a horizontal slit no more than two inches on each side of the vertical slit.

Get your small gifts…ornaments, gum, mittens, candies, socks, small picture frame, costume jewelry, lotions, perfume etc. (Cut a photo for the receiving person to piece together.) Insert them into the bottle by pressing the cut edges in. Begin with the small items to fill the bottom, then add larger pieces, then fit more small pieces at the top. Fill spaces with shredded paper, tinsel, tissue paper.

If you want to move something you can’t reach, try using a pencil inserted through the bottle’s mouth.

Screw the top on and secure with clear packing tape. Seal slits with tape, then adhere your address/return-address label to the bottle over the slit and add more tape.

Take the bottle to be weighed at the U.S. Post Office. I called the local Post Office and they said it’s best to contact your local post office if they have restrictions on what can be placed in the bottle.

What a unique gift for grandparents, friends and pen pals! Try creating a theme bottle and don’t forget to include a hand-written note to make it more personal.

Momma Scout is all about recycling…so here’s an idea to recycle holiday cards. Ask friends and family to donate leftover or last year’s cards to your troop. Most businesses receive cards from their vendors, partners etc. and many of those businesses have newsletters, so place a brief article asking for card donations for your troop. You’ll receive plenty. Have Scouts cut pictures, words etc. from the cards, arrange them on contact paper, then place another piece of contact paper over the top...instant holiday placemat.

One of my troops also made slipper candy holders from cards. We cut the cards into two pieces, one for the bottom of the slipper and the top to bubble up for the top part of the slipper. We used a hole punch and yarn to hold the two pieces together.

Susan Faler, our membership services manager from the Emporia Region, will be giving weekly updates with advice, insight and ideas to improve your Girl Scout experience. Susan has earned the name "Momma Scout" from years of experience with Girl Scouting. Let Susan know what you'd like to read about by sending her an e-mail at sfaler@kansasgirlscouts.org This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .