Re: [Leaders] Cookie info

Leaders,

Online cookie sale training for experienced leaders is now available, and this email includes everything you need to get started, including some updates to the information handed out at the December leader meeting.

Apologies to those who aren't selling cookies--we have found

that using ebudde to send out messages doesn't work, so are using the leaders mailing list, but will try to keep messages to a minimum. If you know of any troop cookie managers who aren't on the leaders mailing list, please forward this to them (and you might want to either get them on the list or let me know so I can include them via a separate email).

2013 Cookie Sale Calendar

12/14/12 Online training open

01/11/13 - 01/12/13 Cookie Kickoff Council events

01/14/13 6:00 PM Cookie Training for Troop Leaders and Volunteers

01/18/13 Cookie Sales Begin

02/18/13 Initial Orders due to troop leaders/cookie moms

02/19/13 8:30 AM Sign Up on Ebudde for Community Cookie Booth/Expo sales

01/21/13 Council deadline for bank form

02/20/13 Orders due to Rockford Service Unit

02/22/13 Orders due to Council

03/15/13 - 03/16/13 Community Cookie Booth Weekend

03/18/13 - 03/22/13 Delivery for initial orders

03/23/13 Booth Sales Begin

04/02/13 Deadline for Outstanding Money reports to Council

04/04/13 Bank sweep for all initial orders

04/12/13 Cookie Sales End / Booth Sales End / Last day to submit incentives

04/16/13 Bank sweep for Booth sale/Cookie station money

Cookie prices are the same as always, $3.50 per box, and the order forms look very similar to other years. The cookie varieties are the same as last year--the Savanna Smiles were so popular that they weren't able to switch them out. As before, all money is being handled via electronic transfer, and the delivery schedule is tight.

 

Girls must be registered to sell cookies, and you need a troop number, a troop bank account, and training... and paperwork, of course!

Bank account information for cookie payment--there is a form with a place to attach a voided check, just like last year. After the bank form with voided check has been turned in to Council, they are supposed to send you your password for the cookie ordering web site, ebudde (unlike last year).  Troops that don't use checks can write "No checks" on the form and attach a bank statement. The form isn't available online yet, so I will send another email following this one, with the form attached. I'm told the form can be sent to Council via email or fax to tmyers@gsmists.org (616-784-8187). Council will withdraw cookie payment from your troop account on April 4.  Because the money will come from the troop account via electronic transfer, any checks must be written to your troop, NOT to gsmists. The checks need time to clear before the money would be available, so council is suggesting that we use cash as much as possible. They told us last year that any insufficient funds problems would be the responsibility of the troop leader so the money needs to be there, and troop leaders need to keep an eye on cookie managers--if you need Council to withdraw less money because of bad checks or non-payment, the form for that needs to be turned in to Council by April 2.

Two options for training--either in person before the January 14 leaders meeting at 6pm, or if you have sold cookies before, you may train online any time at http://vipetraining.littlebrownie.com/ . The first time, click "Request Access" on the right, and put in your name, email, state--Michigan, council--Michigan Shore to Shore, service unit--322, and your troop number and zip code. It should set up an account for you--you'll need to verify your email address and set up a password. Once you log in, there are five sections--the first four have videos to watch, and all five have quizzes to take. The web site keeps track of which videos you have clicked on and which quizzes you have completed. You don't need to actually watch the videos all the way through. Once you take all the quizzes and get all the answers right, that fact is available to the Council folks, and once they also have your bank account information they are supposed to set your password for you in ebudde and send it to you. If that doesn't happen correctly, let me know, and I can probably find a way to get it working. If neither of these options works for you for training, let us know and we'll figure something out.

Paperwork--the final thing needed to sell cookies is paperwork, of course. You are supposed to get a training manual, order forms, and receipt books. The training manual is supposed to be available online, but it isn't yet, and I don't have an electronic copy yet. If you need to get the paperwork at a time other than the January 14 leader meeting, let us know, and we'll figure out times for pickup. The materials come from Stephanie (not from Charlie as was previously indicated) because they are in her garage!

Cookie ordering--ordering is done on the ebudde web site at https://ebudde.littlebrownie.com/ once you turn in your bank paperwork and get your password. Make sure to allocate booth cookies to individual girls so they get incentives. You need to submit your initial orders (for cookies and incentives) by February 20th, and your incentive order for booth sales by April 12 by midnight because the web site shuts down! These deadlines got messed up last year and the web site closed early, so I'd suggest getting things done a few days early if at all possible.

Delivery--as in other years, cookie pickup will be some time in the March 18-22 time frame. We'll know more once we get closer.

Two kinds of cookies won't be available for booth sales--Dulces and Thankyou-Berry-Munches. We had at least one troop last year that didn't do an initial order, but did booth sales--if that's your situation and you want those kinds, you might want to order a few or arrange to buy or trade for them with another troop.  As always, girl scouts sell cookies to other girl scouts at $2.95 per box, so that the final troop to sell to the public gets the profit.

New this year, if a girl sells 50+ boxes, her registration for next year is free. Registration is expected to go up to $15 so that's a good thing. They are allowing us to accept credit cards for booth sales again this year, see page 13 in the manual.

Here are some answers to questions that were asked in the past:

Q: Why doesn't my ebudde login from last year work?

A: Council reset the passwords, and will let us know what they are when we send in the bank forms. If you have done the training and sent in the form and still can't get into ebudde, let me (Charlie) know and we'll figure it out. In previous years I could tell you your password, but they don't allow that any more, so we may have to reset it somehow.

Q: Can girls without a troop sell cookies?

A: Yes, their orders go through the service unit.  (Currently we don't have any--please let me know if that changes.)

Q: Can troops that don't yet have a troop number sell cookies?

A: It's complicated, but yes, if the girls are registered it should be possible.  I have been in contact separately with all the troops I know of, please let me know of any I've missed.

Q: Can Daisies do the community cookie booth?

A: Yes

Q: Do the routing and account number need to be entered into ebudde for cookies to be ordered?

A: No

Q: Are booth sales covered by the second bank sweep that happens in mid-April?

A: Yes, troops keep the proceeds, they get cookies for 2.95 and sell for 3.50.

If you have more questions, let me know.

Thanks

Charlie

Contact information:

Charlie Sears--ordering/training
searscf@gmail.com (email is usually the best way to reach me)
616-826-2626

Stephanie Fischer--paperwork/delivery
fischerslf@gmail.com
616-307-0392

Jill Fitzhugh--Council/shipping communications