In This Issue:

• 10,000 Case Challenge
• Final Paperwork
• Creating Recognition Orders in Snap
• Cookies From Home
• Service Unit Cupboards
• 2012 Mystery Tour
• Upcoming Deadlines

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.

Detailed information, including Reorder Station Schedules can be found at http://www.gsep.org/cookies/10-000-case-challenge.php. Any troop wishing to participate in the 10,000 Case Challenge should notify Jessica Menefee at jmenefee@gsep.org. The 10,000 Case Challenge is only for troops that will be picking up additional cookies from a reorder station after March 4, 2012. This does not include troops that are continuing to sell the inventory that they currently have on hand.

Final Paperwork

Unless a troop is participating in the 10,000 Case Challenge, final cookie paperwork is still due to Service Unit Cookie Managers by the date they've requested. Please view our Final Paperwork Video to learn how what final paperwork we're looking for and how we'd love to receive it in order to make our reconciliation process go smoothly.  Thanks!

• Before creating a Recognition Order, troops will first need to make sure that they transfer the proper number of packages sold to each girl responsible for selling them. If there are girls missing from a troop, the Troop Cookie Manager should notify the Service Unit Cookie Manager. This information needs to be passed along to a Product Program Manager. Cookies should be transferred to the girls by clicking on "Transfer Order" under the COOKIES icon. Under "Type," TCMs should select "Troop to Girl" from the drop down menu. Click on the troop's packages in the box on the left-hand side of the screen. A new window will pop up, prompting them to enter the quantity of packages they'd like to transfer. They should enter the amount of cookies to be transferred to an individual girl and select "Okay." Select the girl to transfer the cookies to in the box on the right-hand side of the screen and hit "Save." Continue this process until all of the cookies in the troop have been transferred to the girls and the number of troop packages is "0." Cookies must be transferred to girls in snap before a recognition order can be created.
• Once cookies have been transferred to the girls, Troop Leaders or Troop Cookie Managers can create a recognition order for their troop under the RECOGNITIONS icon in Snap™.  Select "Create Recognition Order," then "Main".
• The screen will go black with a message that reads, "The system is working to place your recognition order."
• For troops selecting Plan One (i.e. Cumulative, Adventure Credits or Older Girl Travel), the Troop Cookie Manager must select the appropriate recognition plan, if applicable (i.e. Cumulative, Adventure Credit, Older Girl Travel) for each girl selling 65 or more packages of cookies.
• Hit "Save" at the bottom of the screen.  GSEP will provide each Service Unit Cookie Manager with a spreadsheet to share with each troop of the actual recognitions they will receive based on the selection of the troop for each girl and her cookie total. Please refer to the Girl Order Card to view the items that a girl selecting the Cumulative option will receive.
• Note: Once a recognition order has been created and saved, a troop cannot create a new one. If a troop does transfer more cookies to a girl, their recognition order will show "Needs Review" on the Manage Orders screen. To complete or edit the existing recognition order, go to the COOKIE  icon, click on "Manage Orders," select the green arrow on the heading labeled "Recognition Orders," then double click on the recognition order. This will open up the current recognition order and allow changes to be made. After changes are made, they should click "Update" and then "Save." This is very important even if the selections for each girl do not change. If no transfers are made after the recognition order was saved, there is no need to update or make any changes, but please check to see if your order says "Needs Review."
• If a troop has chosen the older girl option, the plan is completely automated.  

Cookies from Home Process

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 closing 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 number

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 Cookies From Home may be turned in at the locations and times listed below: 

• Maternity B V M Church, 220 Old Bustleton Ave, 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, 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

Check out our Cookies From Home video, to learn how to properly turn in your Cookies From Home.

Please try to place varieties of cookies 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 smoothly.

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.

Service Unit Cookie Cupboards, Leftover Cookies and Transfers

If there are troops in your Service Unit that have extra cookies, a cookie cupboard may be their solution. Transfers can take place at Service Unit Cupboards or between troops in different Service Units. Troop Leaders and Troop Cookie Managers will not be able to enter transfers that occur between troops in different Service Units. Service Unit Cookie Managers should try to enter the information into Snap™. If you are a Service Unit Cookie Manager, please make sure that you are logged into Snap™ as such (Service Unit Cupboards are entered as troops; e.g. Service Unit Cupboard for SU 602 is TP 900602). These transfers should be Troop to Troop transfers. Please provide the date of the transfers, who the transfer is between and the T-8 number. Note: Transfers are done at the package level and T-8s are not needed for even exchanges.

Service Unit Cupboards may return up to 10 cases of cookies at the end of the Cookie Program during the Cookies From Home drops. Please see above schedule for exact times/dates/locations. These cases will need to be turned in with a T-8 Form, so please make sure to bring a T-8 with you when you return your Service Unit cookies.

2012 Mystery Tour: Rock the Mall, Washington, D.C.

This year the Mystery Tour is no mystery! We will be traveling to the National Sing-A-Long-Rock the Mall!-at Washington, D.C. on June 9, 2012. Each girl that sells 1,000+ packages of cookies will receive an invitation to this event (siblings need to sell 800+ packages of cookies each to qualify). GSEP understands that many girls that qualify for the Mystery Tour will be traveling to Rock the Mall with their Troop or Service Unit. In order to accommodate this unique circumstance, we have decided to partially subsidize the trip for girls who find themselves in this situation. Girls who have qualified for the Mystery Tour, but are traveling with their Troop or Service Unit to Rock the Mall can receive a $50.00 credit toward their trip, on the condition that proper notification has been made to Barb Bankert by April 1, 2012.  The Troop or Service Unit organizer for the trip to Rock the Mall must turn in the following information to Barb Bankert at bbankert@gsep.org by April 1, 2012:

• A copy of the bill for which payment/reimbursement should be made
• The name of the qualifying girl and her troop number

Note: GSEP is unable to send a check directly to a girl; checks must be payable to a vendor (i.e. bus company, hotel, etc.). If the bills for the trip have already been paid, we will need:

1. Proof that the girl has paid her portion (i.e. a receipt from the organizer of the trip)
2. AND, proof that the bill/s for the trip have been paid (i.e. receipts from vendors)

GSEP will process and distribute a check in an amount up to $50.00 to cover the cost of any bill pertaining to a girl's trip who is qualified for the Mystery Tour, but is traveling with her Troop or Service Unit to Rock the Mall. The amount of $50.00 is equivalent to the cost per girl of the Mystery Tour bus fare, transit ticket and registration.

Also, this year, parents and guardians are allowed to go on the Mystery Tour with their qualifying Girl Scout, provided that they provide a payment to GSEP of $80.00 by April 16, 2012. Checks can be made payable to GSEP and sent to:

GSEP

Attn. Lindsay Guyer

PO Box 27540

Philadelphia, PA 19118