Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree...Cookie Sales Part 1

I have this memory as a Brownie...I was standing with my troop in a church gymnasium with many other Girl Scouts (presumably our Service Unit), singing the "Kookaburra Song" to kick-off the annual cookie sale.  Kookaburras used to be one of the varieties of cookies offered during the sale, but it was retired many years ago.  I still have the patch I earned for participation in the cookie sale that year.  I loved Thin Mints and Tagalongs (and still do), but who doesn't?  

I was only in Girl Scouts for two years, but as I have written in the past, I knew I wanted to be a Girl Scout Leader before I was a mother with daughters.  Being a troop leader is my way to give back, building into the young girls in our community.  One winter when my older daughter was 4-years-old and in preschool, we were visiting my parents' house.  The doorbell rang, and we were greeted by the cutest pair of little girls all decked out in their Daisy and Brownie uniforms.  Moments after placing our order and shutting the door, my daughter asked when she could be a Girl Scout because she really wanted to sell Girl Scout cookies in our neighborhood.  Selling cookies is still her favorite part of Girl Scouts.  In fact, the Cookie Sale is a fun time for our entire troop.

Each year we make sure the girls in our troop are prepared to sell cookies to potential customers.  As Kindergartners and first graders, these girls used flashcards to learn the cookie names and colors.  Each cookie variety has a specific color that is used on the cookie box as well as on the cookie order form.  For example, the Thin Mints have a green box.  I took half a sheet of construction paper and wrote the names of the cookies on the paper with a black Sharpie.  After running through the flashcards three or four times at two meetings, our young girls could correctly identify the color with the cookie variety.  I also created a worksheet to help them identify the cookie by its picture, box color, and description.  Having this knowledge prepared them to answer customer questions about the cookies and the order form.  

One day I was inspired to write a poem for our girls to get them excited about the upcoming Cookie Sale:  

 COOKIE SONG

To the tune of “I’m Bringing Home a Baby Bumblebee”

 

I’m selling some Girl Scout cookies.

Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m selling some Girl Scout cookies.

We’re making money!

I’m bringing home some Girl Scout cookies.

Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m bringing home some Girl Scout cookies.

Oooh!  There are so many!

I’m delivering some Girl Scout cookies.

Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m delivering some Girl Scout cookies.

Our customers are happy!

I’m eating all the Girl Scout cookies.

Won’t my mommy be so proud of me?

I’m eating all the Girl Scout cookies.

Oooh!  They’re tasty!

We had fun singing this silly song at the meetings leading up to the Cookie Sale.  While we made an effort to make these meetings fun, we emphasized the Cookie Sale safety rules.  It is incredibly important to reinforce these rules before you send the girls out with their order forms.  Here is an activity we found on the Little Brownie Baker website to help reinforce these rules with our troop:

Give each girl a small paper cup and five beads, buttons or pebbles

Discuss safety rules with girls:

                         

1.  Always sell with an adult

2.  Only call people on the telephone with a grown-up’s permission

3.  Wear your Girl Scout identification

4.  Never tell anyone your full name or where you live

5.  Ask an adult to help with forms and money

         Ask girls why they think each rule is important. After discussing each rule, the girls put a 
         bead or pebble into their cup.  Cover the cup with wax paper and secure it with a rubber 
         band.  The girls played their "instrument" while we marched around the room, reciting the 
         safety rules. 

I found a cell phone template on the Little Brownie Baker website.  We printed a phone for each girl that we allowed them to color.  We then had the girls team up with a buddy and practice calling customers.  We made sure each girl knew the name of the cookies, the price per box, when the cookies would be delivered, how to donate boxes of cookies, and how a customer can pay (cash or check made payable to your Council).  Though your girls may "only" be 5 or 6 years old when they are Daisies, they are completely capable of relaying this information to their customers.

The girls in our troop LOVE to prepare for the Cookie Sale by playing Cookie Bingo. I used black construction paper I had on hand for the game boards.  As I have mentioned in the past, I love to scrapbook.  I used the Creative Memories Square Maker to punch out 1 1/2" construction paper squares.  I wrote the cookie name on the corresponding colored square and adhered them to the black paper.  We used marshmallows as the markers.  The girls LOVED this game.  It was amazing how much information they retained after these cookie meetings.  In addition, the girls should know what the troop plans to do with the money they earn from the Cookie Sale.  More about that later...  Please check back to read Cookie Sales Part 2.  Thanks for reading!