Volunteer Essentials Volunteer Essentials 2015-16 - Updated 5/31/17 | Page 86

  If you have a moment, watch the latest Girl Scout What Can a Cookie Do? video for an inspiring look into just how powerful those treats—and the girls who sell them—can be. Council-sponsored product sales are really the best way for girls to earn money to pursue their goals: the sales are beloved by the community and come with program, sales, and marketing materials and support that help girls run a great business. And they’re an integral part of the GSLE. With every season of cookies, another generation of girls learns five important skills: ● Goal setting ● Decision making ● Money management ● People skills ● Business ethics And most of all, girls gain a tremendous amount of confidence. It’s not easy to ask people to buy something—you have to speak up, look them in the eye, and believe in what you’re doing—all skills that help a girl succeed now and throughout the rest of her life. GSWPA At-A-Glance for Product Sales MagNut Program First week in October- MagNut order taking begins First week in November- Troop places nut and candy orders Mid-November - Nut and Candy delivered Mid-December- ACH Payment due Mid-December- Recognitions shipped to Service Units Cookie Program January 8- Cookie order taking begins End of January- Girl orders due Mid-February- Delivery First day after delivery to mid-March- Booth sales Mid-March- First ACH payment due End of March- Second ACH payment due By May 1- Recognitions shipped to Service Units   A Sweet Tradition It has been more than 90 years since Girl Scouts began selling home-baked cookies to raise money. The idea was so popular that, in 1936, Girl Scouts enlisted bakers to handle the growing demand. Two commercial bakers are currently licensed by Girl Scouts of the USA to produce Girl Scout Cookies—Little Brownie Bakers and ABC/Interbake Foods—and each council selects the baker of its choice. Each baker gets to name its own cookies (which is why some cookies have two names) and gets to decide which flavors it will offer in a given year, besides the three mandatory flavors (Thin Mints, Do-Si-Dos®/Peanut Butter Sandwich, and Trefoils/Shortbread). For additional information on cookie varieties, including nutritional details, visit www.girlscoutcookies.org.