Cookie booths—that is, cookie pop-up sales in areas with lots of foot
traffic—are a fun way for Girl Scouts to connect with their community
and practice their sales pitch with new customers. Booth locations
must be approved by councils, facilitated within council jurisdiction,
and participants must follow all council guidelines with regard to
setting up, running, and taking down a booth.
Please check your local COVID-19 guidelines for any restrictions on
booth locations and other safety considerations, or consider
a virtual cookie booth or virtual
cookie rally if it makes sense for your troop.
Booth Coordinators
As a Cookie Booth Coordinator, you will be responsible for securing
Cookie Booths in your area and entering these locations into the
eBudde system. You can work with additional Cookie Booth Volunteers to
secure the locations within your region but as the coordinator, you
will be the only one with access to the eBudde system. During the
program, you will also be a point of contact for troops with questions
regarding the booth locations secured by you.
Qualifications
Currently registered adult members of GSUSA (2022-23 Membership Year)
Completed, and eligible background check on file
In good standing with GSDSW (i.e. no outstanding debt)
Additional qualifications include: the ability to approach
businesses in a professional manner and adhere to Girl Scout Booth
Guidelines. (Booths secured are for the benefit of ALL Girl Scouts and
Troops within our council.)
Access to computer, internet and email is required.
Duties and Responsibilities
Complete mandatory Council Cookie Booth Coordinator training
provided by GSDSW via gsLearn.
Secure cookie booth locations in designated areas.
Enter booths into the eBudde system by council set deadline,
Available, as needed, on evenings and weekends to monitor cookie
booth compliance of booths within responsible Service Unit areas. Must
communicate with council if unavailable so alternative arrangements
can be made if necessary.
Adhere to all GSDSW deadlines as outlined in the Council Cookie
Booth Coordinator packet.
- Adhere to all GSDSW and GSUSA policies.
Create a great cookie booth experience for your Girl Scouts by:
- Using your best judgment in setting up cookie booths in
locations that will be open, accessible, and safe for all Girl
Scouts and potential customers.
- Choosing a high traffic
area—this could be your local supermarket, mall, or park—where
you’ll maximize the number of visitors to your booth.
- Checking out your booth site ahead of the sale. Talk to business
owners in the area so they’ll know what to expect. Find out what
security measures are in place—these may include lights for evening
sales and whether a security camera watches the booth area—and where
the nearest bathrooms are located.
- Respecting the
surrounding businesses by making sure your booth isn’t blocking a
store entrance or exit.
Encouraging your Girl Scouts to unleash their creativity—and work on
their advertising skills—to make colorful signs and booth decorations
that potential customers can’t resist! Remind girls to be polite and
to have their sales pitch ready for interested customers.
And keep in mind:
- A minimum of two volunteers (at least one of whom is a
registered Girl Scout volunteer with the required background check),
and one Girl Scout should be present at the booth at all times. With
two or more volunteers, you’ll have adequate booth coverage if the
girls need to be accompanied to the restroom.
- If your
Daisies are still learning how to make correct change, help them
handle money as needed. But remember that girls make all sales at
the booth!
- Changing your cookie booth hours or location?
Keep your customers in the loop and update your baker’s Digital
Cookie or Smart Cookie system with the new details. All scheduled
booths are available on the Cookie Finder App (IOS
or Android).
- Certain locations may be inappropriate for younger Girl Scouts
based on the standards of your local community, may negatively
impact the cookie program experience for girls, and/or may
negatively impact our brand in your community. For additional
clarity, girls should not sell in or in front of establishments that
they themselves cannot legally patronize.
- Additionally,
with respect to marijuana dispensaries, we have been steadfastly
combating the unauthorized uses of the Girl Scout trademark by the
cannabis community, which has been marketing—without our
authorization—certain cannabis products under our youth-appealing
brand. We are continuing to aggressively fight these unauthorized
uses of the Girl Scout brand and hope that our councils and
volunteers will join Girl Scouts of the USA’s efforts by
discouraging cookie booth locations at such locations.
When an accident, injury, or illness occurs at a Girl Scout
sponsored activity, a council staff representative or the finance
department must be informed on a timely basis. This report is
important because communication with parents or the media may be
required, insurance companies must be notified, and incident
documentation must be maintained in the council records. All
occurrences must be reported, even if the first aid or medical
attention is not required. What seems like a slight mishap can later
turn into a problem, which may require medical attention or insurance filing.
The Accident
Report Form should be completed by the person in charge of the
event or activity at the time of the accident, injury, or sickness.
This may be a troop leader, day camp director, event coordinator, trip
leader, etc.
Complete the entire Accident Report Form. Be specific and detailed.
This will be the only original record of the occurrence. The report
should clearly explain, in detail, what happened.
The report should be signed by the person who completed the form and
mailed or emailed to the council office within 24 hours of the
incident. Mail to: Attn: Accident Reporting Girl Scouts of the Desert
Southwest 9700 Girl Scout Way, El Paso, TX 79924 Email: info@gsdsw.org
The council will take the necessary action based on the information
provided in the report. This may include contacting persons listed on
the report, sending insurance forms to the injured or sick person or
to the parent/guardian, follow up on the incident with other staff
members or volunteers, and maintaining the Accident Report form file
and other records.
