Be Streetwise and Follow Your Instincts
In order to ensure the safety of girls while selling door-to-door , you and the girls should become familiar with the areas and neighborhoods in which girls would like to sell . In addition , girls should :
● Participate in door‐to‐door sales only during daylight hours
● Wear a membership pin , uniform , or Girl Scout clothing ( e . g ., Girl Scout T‐shirt ) to clearly identify themselves as Girl Scouts .
● Avoid a house or person that makes them uncomfortable . They should walk away and find the next person / place that does not make them uncomfortable
● Call 9-1-1 if they see someone that seems to be acting in a way that makes them feel unsafe . This could include , but is not limited to , any person who is staring at them for long periods , seems to be following them for no apparent reason or takes pictures of the them
● Use safe pedestrian practices , such as crossing at corners and obeying walk signals
● Not enter the home or vehicle of a stranger , and to avoid selling to people in vehicles ( except at drive-thru cookie booths ) or going into alleys
● Should not carry large amounts of money ( see “ Plan for Safeguarding Money ”, above )
Booth Sales
Cookie booths are a traditional and fun way of selling Girl Scout Cookies . Booth locations are approved by councils , facilitated within council jurisdiction and you must follow all council guidelines with regard to setting up , manning and taking down a booth .
When setting up booth sales , it ’ s important that :
● Adults are present at all times
● There is adequate space at the booth for table , products and girls and to allow safe passage by pedestrians , bikes and cars .
● Girls are a safe distance from cars . If possible , set up a safety barrier between cars and the booth — perhaps a few volunteers could park their cars in spaces near the booth location
● The booth is not blocking a store entrance or exit
● Girls and adults do not confront or engage an irate customer , but call local authorities for assistance
While girls can receive cash from buyers and make change , they should hand the money to an adult for safekeeping . It is important that cash is kept safe and out of sight . This can be accomplished by :
● Keeping the cash box against a wall or behind a barrier of cookie boxes
● Having an adult volunteer keep the money by , for example , securing it in a front‐facing pouch tied around her waist .
If someone takes money or cookies from your booth , do not attempt to physically recover the stolen items and do not allow the girls to do so . Instead , get a good description of the offender ( s ), call 911 , and alert local security ( if applicable ). Make sure girls know what to do in case of theft . Report any incidents to your local council according to its guidelines .
For additional information about setting up a booth and safety and security suggestions , consult your council guidelines .