Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Cookies From Home!

Check out our video tutorial on how to turn in Cookies From Home:

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

10,000 Case Challenge!

Continuation of GSEP Cookie Program
Thank you for all of your hard work during this year’s Cookie Program! Congratulations to all Service Units and Troops that have met their goals. At this point in time we are at 97.1% of our 4, 305,000 package goal. We understand that troops are wrapping up, but for those troops that have not yet achieved their goal or would like to continue selling, they may continue to pick up cookies through March 31, 2012. 

Troops wishing to continue their sales should contact their Service Unit Cookie Manager and the Product Program Coordinator, Jessica Menefee, at jmenefee@gsep.org.

10,000 Case Challenge!
Through the extension of the Cookie Program, GSEP hopes to sell an additional 10,000 cases of cookies after March 4, 2012. This is our 10,000 Case Challenge!
Special recognitions will be awarded to Troops that pick up additional cookies from a Council Sponsored Reorder Station after March 4, 2012.

  • Girl Recognition: If an individual girl sells two additional cases of cookies picked up after March 4 from a Council-Sponsored Reorder Station, she will receive a special, limited edition 10,000 Case Challenge Patch.
  • Troop Recognition: If a troop picks up three additional cases per registered girl from a Council-Sponsored Reorder Station after March 4, the troop will receive $5.00 per registered girl, in the form of a voucher, which can be used at GSEP Retail Stores. This voucher will expire on 10/31/2012.
How and Where to Pick Up Additional Cookies for the 10,000 Case Challenge
Troops wishing to participate in the 10,000 Case Challenge can obtain cookies at the following locations:

  • Shelly Ridge Service Center
March 5, 2012 through March 30, 2012
Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM; please enter the main office and ask assistance from a member of the Product Program Department

  • Valley Forge Service Center
March 6, 2012 through March 30, 2012
Tuesdays 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM
Wednesdays 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Fridays 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM

  • Lehigh Valley Service Center
March 7, 2012 through March 30, 2012
Wednesdays 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Thursdays 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM
Fridays 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

  • Fischer Hughes Lansdale
March 6, 2012 through March 30, 2012
Tuesdays 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Fridays 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

  • Reads Moving and Storage
March 7, 2012 through March 29, 2012
Wednesdays 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM
Thursdays 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

These five Council-Sponsored Reorder Stations will be open for unplanned pickups only.  Troops should still bring a T-8 Form with them when they pick up the cookies. If cookies are needed outside of the posted hours, please contact Barbara Bankert at bbankert@gsep.org
T-8 forms can be obtained from Service Unit Cookie Managers.

10,000 Case Challenge: Paperwork
Final paperwork for troops participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge should be turned in to Service Unit Cookie Managers by April 5, 2012. This paperwork is, in turn, due to GSEP by April 10, 2012. This paperwork can be turned in to any GSEP Service Center to the attention of the Product Program Department or mailed to GSEP, Attn. Product Program Department, PO Box 27540, Philadelphia, PA 19118. Troops that are participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge will not affect the final paperwork deadline points that a Service Unit will receive on their Service Unit Points Challenge for the Cookie Program.

10,000 Case Challenge: Cookies From Home
If troops participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge have additional Cookies From Home  after the March 10 and March 17 drop offs, arrangements need to be coordinated through Amanda Harrity at aharrity@gsep.org.

10,000 Case Challenge: Recognition Orders
Troops participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge should still submit their original recognition order in snap by the date requested by their Service Unit Cookie Manager. If troops pick up cookies after March 4 and this increases a girl’s recognition plan to a new level, please notify GSEP Product Program staff when the final paperwork is turned in.

Contest Extensions
Entries for the Bling Your Booth Contest have been extended to April 15, 2012. Voting on our GSEP Thin Mints Facebook page will begin on April 20, 2012 and end on May 20, 2012.
5=52 Customer Contest entries will be extended to April 15, 2012.

DEADLINES
Important: Pre-existing deadlines still remain for troops that are not participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge.
Unless a troop is picking up additional cookies at a Council-Sponsored Reorder Station after March 4,
  • Paperwork is still due to SUCM by the date they requested.
  • Automated Clearing House sweeps will still occur on February 29, March 13 and April 6.  An additional ACH sweep has been added for troops participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge and are a part of the ACH Pilot.  This sweep will occur on April 27, 2012.
  • Cookies From Home drop offs will still occur on:
    • March 10 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Delaware County Service Center
    • March 10 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM NE Philadelphia Location TBD
    • March 10 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Schuylkill Valley School
    • March 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Valley Forge Service Center
    • March 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Shelly Ridge Service Center
    • March 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM Lehigh Valley Service Center
  • GSEP Cookie Program Reconciliation Weekend will still be held during the weekend of March 23 through March 25. 

Sunday, February 26, 2012

GSEP Cookie Cupboards

February 27 through March 2, GSEP will open up Council Cookie Cupboards at three locations:
  • Shelly Ridge Service Monday through Friday 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM; 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
  • Lehigh Valley Service Center Monday through Friday 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM; 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
  • Valley Forge Service Center: Monday 5:00 - 7:00 pm
  • Valley Forge Service Center: Tuesday 2:00 - 4:00 pm
  • Valley Forge Service Center: Wednesday 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
  • Valley Forge Service Center: Thursday 2:00 - 4:00 pm
  • Valley Forge Service Center: Friday 10:00-11:00 am; 2:00 - 4:00 pm
These cupboards will be for individual package pickups only (under one case). If you need a full case of cookies (or more) please continue to place planned orders in the snap system or pick up your cookies at an unplanned pickup location. No exchanges can be made at GSEP Cookie Cupboards and T-8 forms must be brought with the individual in order for the transaction to take place.

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Council Sponsored Reorder Station Minimums

Nationwide, there is a 150 case minimum for cookies to be sent out on trailers (due to the cost of transportation and cost of human power to deliver the cookies). If a Council-Sponsored Reorder Station does not reach a minimum order of 150 cases, troops that have placed orders will be contacted by a member of the Product Program Team to arrange an alternative for pickup. Cookies may be transferred to a different location, troops may be asked to show up early, or the order may be cancelled-this is very situational. 

Thank you for your understanding.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012



How does Operation Cookies From Home (CFH) work? Operation Cookies From Home is a partnership between GSEP and the USO to provide Girl Scout Cookies to men and women of the Armed Forces throughout the world.

Troops may have taken orders for Cookies From Home and the money ($3.50 a package) should have been collected at the time the donation was made. Girl Scouts selling CFH get credit for this sale just like any other package of cookies sold. Below please find the Operation Cookies From Home procedure:  
  • At the end of the Cookie Program, the Troop Cookie Manager should add up the entire Cookie from Home orders from all the girls and booth sales. 
  • If the troop has any cookie inventory remaining, those cookies should be applied against the Cookie from Home orders. For example, a troop has collected CFH donations for 50 packages and has 36 packages of Thanks a Lots remaining from their sale. Those 36 packages can be turned into the locations at the dates/times listed below. The personnel at the designated locations will use the M3 Receipt Book to accept the cookies. The M3 will have the SU#, Troop#, cookies by variety in packages, and the signature of the person turning them in. Council personnel will counter sign the M3 and issue a receipt to the providing troop/Service Unit. The troop still needs to acquire 14 packages of cookies to fill their CFH order. Using the method below, this troop must transfer the needed 14 packages into their troop account in Snap™ from the CFH Cupboard. This is called a "CFH Virtual Transfer."  
  • Steps to complete CFH Virtual Transfers in Snap™:  
  1. Click on the COOKIE icon  
  2. Select "Create a Transfer Order"  
  3. Select "From a Troop to a Troop"  
  4. Choose "CFH Cookies From Home" as the Service Unit and "900900" as the troop
  5. Transfer to your Troop#  
  6. Use "CFH" as the Order Reference number  
  7. Fill in the number of packages needed  
  8. Save
Physical packages of cookies for Operation Cookies From Home may be turned in at the locations and times listed below:  
  • Location near Jane Seltzer TBD, Saturday, March 10 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM 
  • Delaware County Service Center, Saturday, March 10 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM  
  • Schuylkill Valley School District Building, Saturday, March 10 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM  
  • Shelly Ridge Service Center, Saturday, March 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM  
  • Valley Forge Service Center, Saturday, March 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM  
  • Lehigh Valley Service Center, Saturday, March 17 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM
Please try to place cookie varieties in their appropriate case (i.e. place Shortbread packages in Shortbread cases, Thin Mint packages in Thin Mint cases, etc.). Also, please do not seal up the cases. These simple steps will help our Cookies From Home process to run efficiently.

We are looking for approximately 10 Cadette, Senior or Ambassador Girl Scouts to assist at each Cookies From Home drop location. If you know girls interested in helping us out, please contact Amanda Harrity at aharrity@gsep.org. Girls will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis at each location.