January 15, 2013 Service Unit Meeting/Cookie Webinar Minutes
In attendance: Chrissy Hadley, Heatherlynn Meeks, Vicki Powers, Jamie Somerhalder
Cookie Webinar Highlights:
Focus on “Goal Setting” and “Decision Making” with girls when talking about cookie sales.
New cookie boxes this year. Some highlights are:
-Customer service # on box. Customers can call and it will go directly to Little Brownie Bakers. This will eliminate customers having to call the leaders for replacement boxes if cookies are broken, etc.
-The “Freeze By” date is not a TRUE expiration date. It aligns with the Girl Scout year.
-All boxes are the same size and same amount of cookies. The only difference is the Do-Si-Do box. It is smaller due to taking out the air space to help eliminate the cookies getting crushed during the shipping process.
-This year’s order forms are thinner due to being printed on recyclable paper “Use Resources Wisely”.
-February 8 – 1st ever National Girl Scout Cookie Day – Patches for this. (Information coming about what girls need to earn the patch)
How to hold a successful Cookie Rally: tips on www.littlebrowniebakers.com
-Family Flyers -Craft Ideas
-Family Guide -5 Skills Activities
-Sample Agenda -Cookie Station Signs
-GS Cookie Rally Guide
Cookie Booth Materials – girlscoutcookies.org
$4.00/box – Amount that goes to troops:
$.50/box for a PGA up to 224 boxes
$.55/box for a PGA of 225+ boxes
$.02/box to Service Unit
www.littlebrowniebaker.com has a volunteer blog for leaders, parents and volunteers to get/give ideas (Think Pinterest)
Ebudde has not been set up yet. Bernie will let us know when leaders are able to put girl’s names/information in.
Remind people of the Cookie Locater app for smart phones. It is a free app that they just have to punch in the zip code they are in and it will give them the location of cookie booths! Last year the app was launched and over 334,000 people downloaded it!!!
Cookie Club – Online sales. Girls MUST turn in the Cookie Promise to their leader for them to sell online.
Girls are still responsible for collecting money and shipping orders that are placed online.
Cookie delivery to troops March 4 – 13. Troops are able to start cookie booths right away after the cookies are delivered. Great ideas and pictures on littlebrowniebakers.com
Council Gift of Caring – different than Troops Gift of Caring – “Buy a Box, Give a Box”. Customers can buy a box for themselves and buy another to donate to the cancer centers in our council. The donated boxes will be shipped directly to council and they will distribute them to the cancer centers.
Troop Gift of Caring is still going to be sent to the leaders to distribute.
If anyone wants a card reader for their smart phone for cookie booths, council has a limited amount available. The card readers can only be synced with one phone number, so if there might be more than one, please ask for as many as you think you need. Please email Terez at: gsmw.org
Service Unit meeting notes:
Old Business:
Caroling in December went well. A few girls got pretty cold and their feet were wet. Just remind parents of appropriate clothing for events. The Food Drive while considered a success in the collections, was not looked at as successful as far as the girl’s behaviors. Please remind girl’s and parents of what type of behavior is expected of them.
Council News:
-Volunteer Recognition Forms – Due Feb 15
-Girl Scout Sunday bulletin flyer orders – Due Feb 8
-Troop Management/Joy in the Journeys – Feb 9 in Anaconda. Starts at 12pm
-Journey Jamboree in Butte @ Gold Hill – Feb 11 (register online)
-Night in the Museum in Missoula – March 22
-Scout Day at Museum of the Rockies – March 9
-PowderPuff Derby in Anaconda – March 23
Whacky Science in Butte @ Gold Hill – April 8
New Business:
Chrissy moved for Jamie to be Service Unit Manager after speaking with Jamie and she volunteered to do the job.
Heatherlynn 2nd the motion.
Thank you and Congratulations to Jamie for volunteering for the Service Unit Manager.
If anyone has questions please contact Jamie Somerhalder at 406-600-8097.
Cookie Rally Sleepover:
January 25 – Begins at 6pm and goes until January 26 at 10am.
If any girl does not want to spend the night, the main events will go until 9pm. This will allow the girls with enough time to go through the different stations and earn their patch.
Cookie packets will be handed out to those that attend that evening, if a girl does not attend at all, the packets can be picked up Saturday, January 26 from 9am – 10am otherwise the packets will go with the leaders.
Cookie Pre-Sale begins Saturday 26 – NO EARLY ORDERS!!!!
We will need volunteers to help set up and tear down the various stations. We will also need volunteers for the following booths. If you are interested in any booth specifically, please contact Chrissy and you will be put down for that booth, otherwise adults will be assigned a station as they arrive.
Craft Stations: Information Booths: Miscellaneous Stations:
-Order Form Clipboards (HL) – Safety – Samples
-Cookie Buttons – Goal Setting – Incentives – Incentive Board w/ pictures for girls to see
-Cookie Charm Bracelets – Beach Ball Scenarios
-Pen Toppers – Cookie Club Sign-up (computers will be available)
Please get a complete girl/volunteer head count NO LATER than Tuesday, January 22.
Talked about World Thinking Day (Feb 23) being altered to just be an afternoon event in the Butte Plaza Mall rather than an overnight event. This would be beneficial for the girls showing their booths to the public and possibly recruiting more girls and volunteers.
Next Service Unit Meeting will be held February 12 @ 6:30pm @ Perkin’s Restaurant. Please be sure that EACH troop has representation, whether it is a leader/co-leader or just a parent. It is VERY important that everyone has the information they need.
Girl Scouts Butte 
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