The Girl/Adult Partnership
Underlying all the lessons that girls can learn from their participation in the Girl Scout Cookie Program is
the girl/adult partnership. Ideally, this is a partnership between the girl and her leader and between the
girl and her parents or guardian. Adult members do not sell cookies, they participate only in supporting
the direct involvement of girls.
During the Girl Scout Cookie Program the girl/adult partnership may look like this:
● An adult and girl working together to make plans and set goals.
● An adult assisting a girl by giving her access to the information and training she needs but letting
the girl do the selling and delivering of cookies.
● An adult guiding a girl in understanding the finances and letting her practice the skills.
● An adult advising a girl on how to market her cookies but allowing her to make her own decisions.
● An adult helping a girl understand her responsibility to support her local council but ensuring that
her participation is voluntary.
For additional information and guidance, please see the “Girl Scout Cookie/Council-Sponsored Product
Sale: Safety Activity Checkpoints,” “Computer/Online Use: Safety Activity Checkpoints” and “Chapter 4:
Safety Wise” in Volunteer Essentials.
Safely Selling Girl Scout Cookies and Other Products
Girl safety is the top priority while selling Girl Scout Cookie and other products. Volunteers, Parents and
girls should be familiar with and practice the following:
A few other considerations will help keep girls safe:
● Parents and guardians must grant permission for girls to participate and must be informed
about the girls’ whereabouts when they are engaged in product sale activities. Specific
permission must be obtained when a girl intends to use the Internet for product marketing. A
parent, guardian, or other adult must know each girl’s whereabouts when she is engaged in
product sales, and if and when she is online.
● Girls should be identifiable as Girl Scouts by wearing a Membership Pin, official uniform,
tunic, sash, vest, or other Girl Scout clothing.
● Adult volunteers must monitor, supervise, and guide the sale activities of all girls at age
levels.
● Girl Scout Daisies (in kindergarten and first grade) may be involved in council-sponsored
product sale activities, but they cannot collect money in any other way except through group
dues or parental contributions.
● Girl Scout Daisies, Brownies and Juniors must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Girl
Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors who participate in door-to-door sales must be
supervised by (but do not need to be directly accompanied by) an adult. Girls of all grade
levels must always use the buddy system.
● Money due for sold products is collected when the products are delivered to the customer.
Girls will need to know whether they can accept checks and to whom customers should
write checks—find out from your council staff.
● Personal customer information should remain private. Customer credit card information
should not be collected by girls and should not be asked for on any form collected by girls.