Your Troop Can Host a Girl Scout Cookie Booth!

The Girl Scout Cookie Program has been transforming girls into G.I.R.L.s (Go-getters, Innovators, Risk-takers, Leaders) since 1917, when Muskogee, OK saw the first-known sale of cookies by Girl Scouts. 

Cookie Booths have been a common sales technique since the early 1950's, when Girl Scouts were setting up stands in the malls that were emerging across the country. 

At a Cookie Booth, Girl Scouts sell cookies at area venues – popular areas include area stores, their churches, local community events, etc. It's a great way for girls to practice their leadership and financial literacy skills while working together as a team. 

Downloadable Cookie Booth Resources

Council-Wide Cookie Booth Weekends:

February 24-26 - National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend (troops - place orders by 2/15)

March 4-6 (troops - place orders by 2/28)

March 10-12 (troops - place orders by 3/7)

Helpful Hints to Volunteers: 

(from the Volunteer Cookie Manual)

Where Can a Troop Have a Cookie Booth?

Troops can hold cookie booths at local businesses, their place of worship, community events, gas stations, etc. Troops should contact all venues for permission before setting up their booth. 

Due to high demand for these spaces, Service Unit Cookie Managers will schedule the following venues: Wal-Mart, Rural King, Lowes', Flying J, Love's and Travel Centers. 

The information for these sites will be uploaded into eBudde as Council Booth sites, but troops can secure any other business or location in their own Service Unit area. Troops must stay within their Service Unit jurisdiction; however that does not mean that troops have to stay in the town they are from. 

Selling in another Service Unit is only allowed with written approval - troops must fill out a form and submit with a seven day grace period for approval. Troops must also visibly display their troop number and service unit at their booth location.

Enter Your Cookie Booths Into eBudde 

Troops need to enter their cookie booth information in eBudde under "My Sales."   Customers are looking for Girl Scout Cookies - help them and help your troop by making your cookie booth easy to find!  Information entered into eBudde helps GSSI direct customers to your booth, makes it easy for local media to share and lets people use Girl Scouts' national Cookie Finder app to buy cookies. 

Enter the Cookie Troop 100 Challenge for a chance to win up to $3,000! 

How to Order Cookie Booth Cookies 

1. Log in to eBudde 
2. Go to the Transaction tab 
3. Click Add a Transaction 
4. In the Pickup box, choose a date and time. NEW - Cupboard Hours of Operation will now be shown when placing booth cookies. 
5. In the 2nd Party box, Cupboard needs to be selected. In the next box, choose the cupboard in which you plan on picking up your cookies. 
6. Enter your troop order. Make sure you put your order in as cases unless you are filling Goal Getter or Girl Delivery cookies. 
7. Click Save/Print. Please take this receipt with you when you pick up the cookies

No Cookie, Cookie Booth

Troops can even set up a cookie booth without the actual cookies!   Use media coverage around National Girl Scout Cookie Weekend to collect donations to send cookies to the U.S. Military through Operation: Sweet Treats donations. There is no inventory to manage and sales count towards girl rewards and troop proceeds! 

1. Contact your local place of worship or mom and pop stores in your community. You may not contact any businesses listed on the eBudde booth scheduler. 
2. Set up the date and time to attend. 
3. Customers support your troop and Operation: Sweet Treats; you collect funds for those donations at the booth. 
4. Enter your No Cookie, Cookie Booth in eBudde as a non-council sponsored cookie booth. 

To get ideas on where to hold your cookie booth or to find out some best practices, contact our Product Program team at nutsandcookies@gsofsi.org or hop on Leaders Lounge to hear from experienced GSSI volunteers. 

Granite City Troop #371 Sending Girl Scout Cookies to U.S. Military Overseas

A growing fondness for community service inspired Granite City Girl Scout Troop #371 to show some love to U.S. military members stationed overseas in the form of Girl Scout Cookies.   The troop is currently selling cookies and accepting donations to send the sweet treats overseas through the help of the local VFW Ladies Auxiliary and USO in St. Louis.   They call their campaign “A Little Love From Home.”

The troop of Girl Scout Cadettes has been working on earning their Girl Scout Silver Award – the highest honor that Girl Scouts in 6-8^th grade can earn.   Earning the Girl Scout Silver Award requires a minimum of 60 hours of community service to a project that addresses a need in girls’ communities.   The troop chose to dedicate their efforts to Good Samaritan House, which provides temporary housing to homeless women and children.   They are currently working to help replace the flooring and furniture in the living area of the shelter, as well as volunteering to coordinate children’s activities.  Their positive experience led them to want to take on another service campaign.

“We were talking about Memorial Day and what it was about, that soldiers had given their lives,” said Troop Leader Lynette Melton Wolfe.  “The girls wanted to send something from home to soldiers to remind them that people here in the United States are thinking of them no matter where they are.   The girls decided to go with the theme ‘A Little Love From Home’ with Girl Scout Cookies representing the love from home.”

To help turn their idea into reality, the troop connected with the Granite City VFW Ladies Auxiliary, who are gathering personal goods for service men and women overseas, which the USO is shipping.   They are also campaigning around town to collect donations and spread awareness.

The Girl Scout Cookie Program helps girls learn valuable personal and professional skills such as goal setting, decision making, money management, business ethics and people skills.   Money raised through cookie sales helps troops finance trips, programs and special activities.  Yet, many use their earnings to fund service projects in their communities, as well.

“Most of our girls are not from a mountain of wealth,” said Wolfe, “so to be working to earn money and giving it away is a big commitment for them.  But they’re seeing where it’s going.  They love to do things for other people.”

“I’ve always had a need to take care of other people and do things for other people.  I have a bit of that service personality,” she added.  “Girl Scouts, in my position, is leading by example - trying to see things and teach what service can do and what the potential of it can be.” 

Wolfe appreciates how she has seen the girls grow through their years in Girl Scouts.  “You see the girls expanding themselves- trying things they’ve never tried before, getting opportunities, learning.  Girl Scouting is getting girls a little bit out of their comfort zones because you don’t know what you like until you’re there.”

To help support Troop #371’s “A Little Love From Home” campaign or their Girl Scout Silver Award project to renovate the living area of the Good Samaritan Home, please contact Lynette Melton-Wolfe at 618.980.0273 or e-mail lynettemeltonwolfe@gmail.com.   

Checks can be made out to “Girl Scouts Troop #371” and mailed to 2nd Baptist Church, 2100 Illinois Avenue, Granite City, IL 62034 with ATTN: Cookies for Soldiers.

Troop #371 also welcomes any opportunities to speak to organizations or groups, as well as to set up a cookie booth at area businesses.

There's Still Time to Sign Up for a Girl Scout Cookie Booth

During GSSI’s Cookie Booth weekends, troops sell Girl Scout Cookies to customers at shopping centers, churches, apartment complexes, festivals, restaurants and other venues in their area. Cookie Booths gives customers a chance to get their favorite Girl Scout Cookies immediately and gives Girl Scouts the opportunity to reach a wider audience, promote the benefits of the Girl Scout Cookie program in their community and work on key business, financial and personal skills together as a troop.

 To host a Girl Scout Cookie Booth, troops needs just one registered adult volunteer and two registered Girl Scouts.  This flexibility allows troops to sell in shifts or on different days and to participate even if the whole troop cannot get together.

Remaining Council-Wide Cookie Booth Weekends are March 7-9 and March 14-16. A letter has been mailed to troops that have registered. If you would like to participate in a booth weekend, the eBudde Cookie Cupboard Ordering Quick Guide will help you navigate the easy online ordering system.

If you are unable to participate in the Council Sponsored Booth weekends but would still like to host a booth outside of those dates, please contact Product Program now. We would be happy to provide cookies for your scheduled booth weekend.

 

Get Creative With Your Cookie Booth!

 

Need a creative way to sell cookies? GSSI’s Product Program team is here to help! Below are just a few ideas to get you started -- call or e-mail if you’d like to discuss your idea!

 

• Contact your local legion halls for area fish fries or other special events.
• Have an empty parking lot or store front in town? – Set up a drive thru cookie sale.
• Decorate your van and drive around the neighborhoods selling cookies.
• Check out your local sporting events to see if you can set up a booth. 

For more information please contact Kelly Jansen, Director of Product Sales, kjansen@gsofsi.org or Katie Grayling, Product Sales Assistant, kgrayling@gsofsi.org.

How Parents Can Help During Girl Scout Cookie Booths

 

At Girl Scout Cookie Booths, troops sell Girl Scout Cookies to customers at shopping centers, churches, apartment complexes, festivals, restaurants and other venues in their area. 

 

Cookie Booths give customers a chance to get their favorite Girl Scout Cookies immediately and give Girl Scouts the opportunity to reach a wider audience, promote the benefits of the Girl Scout Cookie program in their community and work on key business, financial and personal skills together as a troop. 

 

How can parents get involved?

Sometimes it's difficult to get an entire troop together at one time.  To host a Girl Scout Cookie Booth, at least one registered adult and two registered girl members need to be present.  Parents who are registered members can help girls host a Cookie Booth.  That way, girls can participate even if a Troop Leader is unavailable or if girls need to come in shifts, etc.

 

Cookie Booths also involve a lot of hands-on money management and interaction with customers.  Parents can help girls prepare at home by practicing making change or going over her sales pitch together.    These skills will be helpful to her throughout her lifetime!  

 

Watch Brownie Elf & Friends Discuss Money Management

(great for younger girls)