The Girl Scout Cookie Program Starts Jan. 10, 2015 - How Families Can Get Involved!

Girl Scout Cookies are coming to southern Illinois on January 10, 2015!  Funds from sales of Girl Scout Cookies help pay for troop activities and help GSSI provide quality programming, volunteer training, camp maintenance and financial assistance.   Girls also learn five essential skills: goal setting, decision making, money management, people skills and business ethics.   Girls also have fun and develop lifelong friendships while working as a team.   Read more...

How Families Can Help: 

Getting Started Before Cookie Program Starts:

• Girls must be registered members, as well as have a parent/guardian permission form signed and turned in before participating. 
• The Digital Cookie platform is new this year and will give girls a safe place to sell cookies online.  To participate, her membership account needs to include a parent/guardian e-mail address.  If necessary, update her information using eBiz or by calling 800.345.6858.
• Read GSSI's Family Guide to the Girl Scout Cookie Program
• Go Over Safety Tips Together

Support her sales:

• Encourage goal setting by guiding her to set practical and useful goals about what she wants to learn and earn.
• Practice a sales pitch and offer suggestions for improvements or role-play a sales transaction together. Visit www.gsofsi.org and www.littlebrownie.com to explore great resources, clip art and activities to use throughout the sale.
• Help her use the online Digital Order Card platform. Share e-mail addresses of family and friends for online orders.
• Help her take orders or arrange booth site sales at work, places of worship or other locations.
• Help your Girl Scout network with family and friends, but let her do the “ask” so she can learn important business skills.
• Volunteer to help with cookie booth sales, picking up cookies at the delivery site and more.
• Meet all deadlines for turning in order cards and money to the Troop Leader.
• Practice safety and above all have FUN together!
• Remember that the Girl Scout Cookie Program is a part of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience which is girl driven. Let your Girl Scout take the lead in selling cookies and reaching goals. Your encouragement, coaching and guidance are key ingredients to a successful Cookie Program experience for her.

Happy Holidays from GSSI!

Happy Holidays from GSSI!  Thank you to all of our Girl Scouts, volunteers, families, friends, donors and supporters for helping us build girls of courage, confidence and character during 2014.  We wish you all happy holidays full of warmth and cheer and are looking forward to all of the adventures that 2015 will bring.   See 2014 Holiday Card Contest Finalists...

 

As the year comes to an end, please consider GSSI in your year end giving plans.  GSSI depends on contributions from generous donors to help us continue to provide financial assistance, quality programming and exciting outdoor experiences to girls in southern Illinois.  All gifts are 100% tax deductible.  Learn more or Donate Now!

GSSI Is Updating Our E-Blasts to Better Share Girl Scout News

Stay up-to-date with GSSI e-blasts!

To help share the most relevant Girl Scout news with even more people, GSSI is updating our e-blast categories! 

The new categories are:
Volunteers: (Great for current Troop Leaders, Service Unit Teams, Council Trainers and other Girl Scout Volunteers) Stay updated through the Link to Leaders newsletter, updates to GSSI policies, program changes, and other news that is most valuable to Girl Scout volunteers. See example...

 

Family: (Great for parents, guardians, grandparents, etc). Get important Girl Scout news from a family perspective!   See recent photos, learn tips to help your Girl Scout make the most of her experience and find out the "big news" in Girl Scouting in quick, easy tidbits.  See example...

 

Friends: (Great for alumnae, community partners, donors and fans of Girl Scouting everywhere!)  Stay connected to Girl Scouting with current news from southern Illinois and around the country, invitations to upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and more. See example...

With the exception of very special events, updates in each category will be sent one time monthly. To sign up for GSSI e-blasts, or to update your profile, please click here and follow the instructions provided. You can sign up for as many e-blast categories as you choose and change your preferences at any time. 

On Sept. 1, most GSSI e-blast subscriptions made prior to August 28 will default to the "Volunteer" category, as most of our current subscribers are volunteers.  Subscribers who signed up for Special Event or GSSI Alumnae news ONLY will be added to the "Friends of GSSI' category.  If you are a volunteer who is also interested in these topics, please update your subscription to also include "Friends of GSSI" news. 

You can sign up for different/additional categories by clicking here.  Help us keep Girl Scout parents, friends and community partners up-to-date on GSSI news by letting everyone know we've updated our e-blast options!