To: Cookie Managers and Troop Leaders
Subject: [GS] A new Cookie Chronicles and deadlines

A new cookie chronicles from the council is stored at our web site as
a PDF file, and it's full of useful information for the final stages
of our cookie season. Please check it out:

http://readinggirlscouts.org/cookies/mailings/2006-03-23-cookie-chronicles.pdf

Here's a textual distillation if you don't want to fire up a PDF viewer:

----The End of the Trail----

We have only a few steps left in our Safari, as we bring the 2006
cookie sale to a close. We appreciate your partnership as Troop
Contacts, Cookie Managers and helpful parents, as together we help our
girls grow in their abilities to set and reach goals, manage money,
market a popular product, provide customer service, and support the
future for their troop and Girl Scouting. Thank you!

----Money Matters----

The deadline for all payments is March 29.

Direct Debit must be authorized in QuickBase. Te debit process is not
complete until you click the "OK" button to authorize. Go to the
payment window and follow the prompts under "direct debit" (page 32 in
the plan book). Check to make sure you are not debiting $4 per box!

Money orders are made out to GSPTC and must your troop number on
it. Money orders can be delivered to either council office. Be sure to
keep your receipt!! Troop or personal checks are not accepted as
payment.

----We can help!----

We want to work with troops who have data base and payment problems;
contact your cookie chair for assistance right away!

----Consequences----

Troops who do not pay for their cookies will not be able to sell next
year, nor can they apply for troop programs until the full payment is
received. If you have one parent who has not paid, fill out the
Delinquent Report immediately. (On website, or from Cookie
Chair). Parents who don't pay may not send their girl to camp or a
girl program until they are paid in full.

----Girl Payment Window----

If your troop has received a SU transfer, you will notice that your 
"girl payment" window total is wrong by that amount. When you
distribute those boxes to a girl, her row is correct. Ignore that SU
transfer and total. The amount due to the council in the payment
window is correct.

----Sell Down is Tuesday April 11 in Waltham only----

(see important Sell Down info on the Website). Goodbye Lemon Pastry
Cremes... Your troop receives $1.50 revenue per box when you buy at
Sell Down!

----Cookie the Chimp and the recognitions are coming!----

The recognitions for the 2006 cookie sale will soon be ordered. That's
why you must distribute all the boxes in QuickBase to the girls by
March 29! Then it takes a month for the delivery.

By the first week of May, you should be in contact with your Service
Unit Cookie Chair for the patches, t shirts and treasures. You do not
pick them up in the council offices.

You can find out which items to give to each girl by viewing the
recognition window in QuickBase.

See Plan Book pages 35-37.

----Cookie Credits----

These are distributed with the other recognitions.

  -Troop Cookie Managers, be sure to sign each one

  -You may ask the parents to sign them over to you, but the girl and
   her parents get to choose this option.

  -They are useful for GSPTC Council programs, camp and the store, not
   GSUSA shopping or for membership or cookie payments.

  -They may be redeemed only in the 14 months (printed on them) not a
   day longer!

----....and camp----

Cookie credits may be used to pay for camp, but there is a timing
issue. May 1 is the deadline for the final payment for girls going to
camp in July. It is unlikely that you will have all of your
recognitions and credits by then, never mind having a troop meeting to
distribute them! Please tell your parents that they can ask you for
the total of the cookie credits they will be receiving (they are
listed in the last column of the Recognition Information window in
QuickBase) so they can list it with their other payments. When they
receive the cookie credit, they can then sign it and send it to the
camp registrar.

----Celebration----

Your girls have set challenging goals and have met or surpassed them!
Have a discussion of what they've learned and what they want to
remember for next year. Be sure to have them spend the money as they
had planned, and see the results of their hard work. Have them keep
their order cards to use for next year's sale. Time to celebrate!

====================================
Ralph L. Vinciguerra
Cookie Chair, Reading Service Unit
ralph@vinci.org