1 more week to sell Fall Product!

Greetings Volunteers!

I hope your Fall Sale is going great!  Girls have 1 more week to sell.  Just a reminder to encourage your Girl Scouts to finish strong..... fill out those address booklets, participate in the online portion and sell those nuts and candies (which make great holiday gifts!)

 As always--- the Fall Sale is prepay.  Money must be collected up front and deposited in your troop bank account.

Have a great day and thanks for all you do!

Happy 1st day of the Fall Sale!

It's October 15th which means it's the first day of the Fall Sale!! 

The 1st 2 girls who email me through our online magazine portion, I will purchase a magazine subscription from each.  My email: tmyers@gsmists.org.

Looking forward to a fabulous season!!

Fall Sale Kicks off this Monday, October 15th!

Hello Everyone!

I am so excited about our Fall Product Sale!  This year we have some yummy new additions~
1. Chocolate Toffee Almonds
2. Dark Chocolate Mint Penguins (super cute)
3. Peanut Butter Bears (also soooo cute!)
4. Dulce de Leche
5. Salsa Mix
6. Butter Toasted Peanuts

It's not too late to participate!  The fall sale is easy and your troop/group can do as little or much as you would like.  For instance - just by filling out an address booklet, your troop earns $2 a girl!  For participating in ANY WAY, your troop earns $1 (and Service Unit earns 50 cents!).  So, your troop earns $3 just for doing the address booklet, without selling anything!  How easy is that? 

Option 2: Online Magazine sale.  Your Girl Scout, with the help of a parent, uploads 12 email addresses for magazines.  Anyone who purchases, does so online so there is no money collecting.  So easy!

Option 3: Going with order card in hand to sell nuts, candy and magazines.

We have great options with the sale.  If you have not completed training, please contact your Service Unit Product Manager.  New this year- an Online Troop Training!  If you have participated in at least 1 Fall Sale, you are eligible for this training.

So, get your troop started on the right foot with this fun, interactive sale!  If you have questions you can contact myself or your nearest Product Sales Manager at any time.  We are here for you every step of the way!

(pictured is our new mailbox tin, filled with delicious mint treasures)

Fall Sale Program Calendar

Fall Sale Program Calendar

SEPTEMBER 4-6, 2012: FALL TRAINING FOR SERVICE UNIT PRODUCT MANAGERS

v  Tuesday, Sept. 4, Muskegon Service Center.  10 AM-12 PM OR 6 PM-8 PM

v  Wednesday, Sept. 5, Grand Rapids Service Center.  10 AM-12 PM OR 6 PM-8 PM

v  Thursday, Sept. 6, Traverse City Service Center. 10 AM-12 PM OR 6 PM-8 PM

Note: You must RSVP to let us know which training you will be attending.  You may RSVP through eBiz or by filling out a Council Registration form.  RSVP required by August 24.

SEPTEMBER 17 – SEPTEMBER 21, 2012: FALL TRAINING FOR TROOP LEADERS & VOLUNTEERS (scheduled and done by Service Unit Product Managers)

SEPTEMBER 24 – SEPTEMBER 28, 2012: Troop Leaders communicate details of Fall Sale with parents

October 2-4, 2012: FALL KICKOFF PARTIES

Fall Kickoffs are fun and interactive parties where girls can come and learn about selling Fall Product. You may attend as a troop or with your family. Open to girls in troops or other pathways - basically, any girl who will be selling nuts, candy and magazine subscriptions.

v  Tuesday, Oct. 2, come anytime between 4 & 6PM @ Betsy Cutler House

v  Wednesday, Oct. 3, come anytime between 4 & 6 PM @ Grand Rapids Service Center

v  Thursday, Oct. 4, come anytime between 4 & 6 PM @ Traverse City Service Center

RSVP encouraged to reserve your spot at one of these spectacular events! To RSVP, please register on ebiz or by filling out a Council Registration Form.

OCTOBER 15, 2012: FALL SALE BEGINS!

OCTOBER 15-NOVEMBER 5, 2012: ORDER TAKING WITH PAYMENT COLLECTION IN ADVANCE FOR NUT PRODUCTS

NOVEMBER 7, 2012: ALL TROOP ORDERS SUBMITTED INTO NUT-E.   PAYMENTS DEPOSITED INTO TROOP BANK ACCOUNT

NOVEMBER 9, 2012: ORDERS DUE TO SERVICE UNIT PRODUCT MANAGERS FROM TROOPS

NOVEMBER 13, 2012: ORDERS & PAPERWORK DUE TO COUNCIL

NOVEMBER 13, 2012: BANK SWEEP for all Fall Product payments (taken directly from Troop Bank Account)

NOVEMBER 27-NOVEMBER 29, 2012: DELIVERY TO SERVICE UNIT PRODUCT MANAGER

TBD: GIRL REWARDS SHIPPED FROM ASHDON FARMS

Watch Smart Cookies on Hallmark Channel, August 18

Gather your Girl Scout sisters and pop some popcorn! Smart Cookies, a made-for-TV movie, airs on the Hallmark Channel on Saturday, August 18, at 9:00 p.m. EDT (8:00 p.m. CDT). Starring Jessalyn Gilsig, Bailee Madison, and Ty Olsson, Smart Cookies tells the story of Julie Sterling, a hard-charging real estate agent who finds herself leading a troop of Girl Scouts at the height of cookie season. She channels her energies into the Girl Scout cookie campaign and along the way discovers the meaning of true love and friendship.

Watch Smart Cookies on Hallmark Channel, August 18

Top Cookie Prize ~ iPad3!

Keanna Eiseler



Meredith Allen



Natalee Hill

We had 17 happy girls who received iPads!  On the cookie card, we had listed iPad 2s but we were able to give the girls iPad 3s instead.   It was so much fun handing out these well deserved rewards and the girls had to sell 1,500+ boxes of Girl Scout cookies!  I wanted to share a few pictures of some of the girls when they picked up their iPads.  Way to go, girls.... you are indeed awesome SUPER SELLERS!
Enjoy!

Super Seller Overnight Trip

Some of our top cookie sellers enjoyed their reward during our Overnight Super Seller Trip last week.  This year, the trip was held in Grand Rapids.  The girls met in the hotel lobby and were each given a dog stuffed animal.  Then, we went to Red Robin for dinner.  Between bites of burgers and fries, the girls gave their input on what they would like to see as some of the top prizes for the 2013 Cookie Season.  (We are using some of their suggestions so, stay tuned!)

After dinner, we drove downtown to the Civic Theatre to watch the musical 'Schoolhouse Rock Live!'.   Afterward, some of the girls received autographs from the actors and we took a group picture in front of the stage.

The night didn't end there....  we went back to the hotel and had a spa event complete with manis, pedis, hand and head massages.  We also had several craft projects going on.  The giggling girls went to sleep somewhere in the middle of the night and we woke up and had a continental breakfast at the hotel.

What a fun event!  It was great to celebrate with these hard-working, amazing girls!

Cookie dough status

GSMISTS staff is diligently working on sorting and mailing out Cookie Dough.  Cookie Dough will be mailed directly to the troop leader.  We are hoping to have all gift cards mailed out by the end of next week.  We so appreciate your patience!

Just a reminder that if your Girl Scout is a Super Seller, I need to know by May 31st which trip option she is taking.  (All parents received a letter in the mail with details).

Thanks so much, everyone!

Service Units with Increased Cookie Sales!

I wanted to send a big 'Shout-Out' to the following Service Units who increased their cookie sales from last year.  Way to go!!

Atlanta/Hillman

Belding/Greenville

Benzie

Big Rapids

Byron Center/Rabbit Run

Cherry Valley

EBO

Emmet

Flat River

Forest Hills

Fruitport

Gaylord

Grand River

Grand Traverse

Hesperia

Holland

Hudsvonville

Kalkaska

Lake

Lakewood

Lewiston/Johannesburg

Marion/McBain

Morley/Stanwood

North Kent

North Park

Norton Shores

Oceana

Onaway

Presque Isle/Rogers

Rockford

RPF/N. Muskegon

Spring Lake

TriCities

West Muskegon

White Lake

Zeeland

Cookie Wrap-up Details

April 17th Bank Sweep Delay
It is taking a bit longer for council to upload all the info for the April 17th sweep.  The sweep will be done within the next few days; for those of you wondering why the money is still in your account.  Thanks for your understanding.

Bounced Check Fees

If your troop has any bounced checks and fees associated with those checks, please turn into our GR Service Center to the Accounting Department.  You can either mail the info in or fax to: 616-784-8187, attn: Accounting Dept.

We will need:

A-a copy of the bounced checks

B-a copy of your bank statement with any fees associated

Last Minute Cookie Events

If your troop has a special event where you might need to sell cookies ~ there will be some leftover cookies available at your local service center until April 30.  Please contact your Retail & Product Sales Manager to arrange cookies.  You will need to pay up front and those cookies will be yours.  No returns of cookies, as always.

Community Cookie Booth Weekend ~ Troop Instructions

GIRL SCOUTS OF MICHIGAN SHORE TO SHORE

COMMUNITY COOKIE BOOTH DAY - TROOP PROCEDURES 2012

Community Cookie Booths are designed to accomplish the following goals:

1. Provide a venue for troops, especially those that have never hosted a cookie booth, to learn that it is a fun way to increase troop proceeds after the initial order.

2. Create visibility for our girls, our program, our council and the cookie sale program in local communities.

3. Partner with local media to send customers in to the streets to find cookie booths.

Thank you for signing up for a Community Cookie Booth!

Please remember the following important safety guidelines:

·         There must be at least two adults present with girls at all times.

·         Girls must be supervised and controlled at all times, including restroom trips.

·         The troop leader/volunteer in charge must have written permission for each girl to participate.  

·         Keep the money secure at all times.

·         Remember to watch all transactions as you will be responsible to pay for all cookies less than the starting inventory.

·         Make sure everyone eats before you arrive – do not plan to eat at your booth.

On the day of the Community Cookie Booth you will:

·         Bring change – Do not rely on the store location for change. Suggested amount is at least one roll of quarters, 20 ones, and 4 fives for a total of $50.00. If you have plastic grocery bags they are often helpful for bigger sales. If you accept a check please make sure to get the phone number and Drivers License number.

·         Please arrive about 15 minutes before your scheduled time. Be patient if the staff person is not on time – traffic and unexpected problems can happen. Leave some wiggle room in your schedule. Do not leave until you check-out with the staff person.

·         Dress for the weather, most locations are outside.

·         Have the girls make posters to bring or photo collages to show customers your troop activities.

·         Bring your goal poster!

·         Teach girls to ask each customer who buys cookies if they would like to buy a Gift of Caring box to donate to a local charity. The customer pays for the cookies but you will keep them to donate. The girls can give the cookies to who they choose. Keep Gift of Caring cookies in a separate place. The troop could decorate a box or basket to collect Gift of Caring packages.

·         Be a good role model and show the best possible image of Girl Scouts – you and the volunteers with you may never smoke near the booth or near girls. Do not curse, or yell at the girls. If a girl is behaving badly, call the parent to come and retrieve the child.

·         Follow all instructions from store staff without complaining.

·         Remember it is not a right to have a booth. Allowing us to be there is a big favor the store is doing for us.

·         Count and sign for the cookies at the start of your booth. Count and sign for the number left at the end of the booth. Pay $2.85 for each box difference. Earn $.65 per package sold.

·         A Girl Scout leaves a place cleaner than she found it.

·         Questions before the day of the sale: Contact Jered (Grand Rapids) 616-784-3341 X 124 jmichael@gsmists.org, Sally (Muskegon) 231-744-4774 x 202 sellis@gsmists.org and Deb (Traverse City) 231-947-7354, dlang@gsmists.org. 

There will be GSMISTS staff members checking troops in and out. 

If you need more cookies or have a problem ask your check-in GSMISTS Staff Contact first. 

Secondary, contact your nearest service center

Grand Rapids Service Center: 616-784-3341

Muskegon Service Center: 231-744-4774

Traverse City Service Center: 231-947-7354

Community Cookie Booth FAQs

Will troops be responsible for unsold cookies on Community Booth Day? No. the troop will schedule a block of time at a specific location. They will bring at least two adults, a signed permission form for each girl and money to make change. The cookies, a table and a sign will be there for them.

How much will troops earn at the Community Cookie Booth Day? Troops will earn $.65 per package of cookies sold. At the end of their time block they will inventory cookies, calculate the difference between the starting number and the ending number. The troop will pay $2.85 for the number of packages difference. (Yes, this means if they made an error they will still pay for the cookies that are gone.) The troop will leave with proceeds in hand.

Will cookies sold at the Community Booth Day be used to calculate incentives for the girls that attend? No. The cookies sold on March 17 & 18 will not count towards incentives or cookie dough.  Booths held after delivery starts will count towards girl incentives and cookie dough.

Can troops sell Gift of Caring boxes during Community Booth Day? Yes, troops can suggest that customers purchase additional cookies to donate to a Gift of Caring charity or suggest Gift of Caring purchases for those with dietary or health issues.

Why are there no booths scheduled in small towns? This project relies on staff to be responsible for the cookie inventory and there are not enough staff to be in every small town. Travel time is also a consideration.

Happy Selling!!!!  J

Fun Cookie PR Events happening this Saturday and Monday!

Traverse City:
If you are in the Traverse City area on Saturday, please pop by the Cherry Capital Winter WOW! Fest.  An area troop will be decked out in cookie costumes, passing out Girl Scout cookie information.   The WOW! Fest has everything from an ice cream eating contest to a frozen cherry pit spit contest!  It is going to be one fun weekend with activities for kids as well as adults.  Come on out and support Girl Scouts while having a family-fun weekend! 

http://www.winterwowfest.com/

Grand Rapids:
This Monday, Feb. 20th, make a stop out to Woodland Mall.  Girl Scouts and Michigan Blood are partnering together on a Cookie Blood Drive.  The Blood Drive will be next to Express down the Sears wing, 3:30-7:30 PM.  2 troops will be on hand, in cookie costumes with cookie info for the public.  After giving blood, donors will receive a Girl Scout cookie.  We will also be doing some fun giveaways.  Make a stop to the mall to support Girl Scouts and give blood too!

http://shopwoodlandmall.com/calendar/event/13501

What selling Girl Scout cookies teaches you about business

By: Laura Vanderkam

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-57376447/what-selling-girl-scout-cookies-teaches-you-about-business/?tag=mncol;lst;6


(MoneyWatch) 
The Girl Scouts are celebrating their 100th anniversary this year. Though the cookies didn't come until later, this annual fundraiser is what the Girl Scouts are probably best known for, and at this point, millions of girls have gotten an early lesson in business by hawking them. Among my take-aways from a scouting stint years ago:


1. The most likely sale is to an existing customer. I had one lady who bought about 20 boxes from me one year. I made sure to call her up the next year to get that order logged fast. These days, likewise, I know that people I've worked with before are better bets than hunting for new prospects. If I want more work, I call them first.


2. There's no accounting for taste. I don't particularly like Think Mints, but they were always my biggest seller, so I made sure to mention them when people asked what kinds of cookies we were selling. Likewise, I'm not particularly fond of lists like "22 Things To Do During That Boring Conference Call," but those are always my most read posts. So I write them.


3. Cold calling isn't as awful as it sounds. My best friend and I went door to door through our neighborhood, alternating who would get each sale. There were, indeed, some questionable people who answered the doors (one reason I suspect many parents don't encourage door-to-door selling now) but in a team, and always smiling, we racked up some serious sales that way. Whenever I'm nervous about picking up the phone, I remember that it usually turns out fine.


4. Internal motivation is great, but sales targets are motivational too. One year, as I neared sales of 200 boxes (then costing $2/each), I became incredibly fixated on crossing that mark. Seeing that neat number on my total, and counting up $400 in cash and checks, was so much nicer than counting up $396. These days, I know that setting a specific, numerical goal (a certain number of blog readers, book sales, newsletter subscribers, etc.) tends to have a focusing effect. Even if I like the work for its own sake, too.


5. Connections matter, but they're not everything. Some girls sold cookies largely by having their parents take the sign-up form to their offices. That can work, but those girls weren't necessarily our troop's top sellers. Smart scouts learn that customers prefer to buy directly from the girl the sale is benefiting. If you want to be well-connected, you can make your own connections.


What did you learn by selling Girl Scout cookies?

Fun Cookie PR Opportunity for the Traverse City area

Earn cookie proceeds!  Participate in an ice cream eating contest!  Do a frozen cherry pit spit! 

We have an excellent opportunity for troops to participate in the Winter WOWfest in Traverse City this Saturday.

A troop or 2 can pass out cookie postcards directing the public to purchase cookies at the TC Service Center.  Troops will then get those proceeds. 

In addition to earning cookie proceeds, troops can participate in  The Brain Freeze Ice Cream Eating Contest!  How cool is that?
We have a morning or afternoon slot and will have cookie costumes available.  If interested- please contact Deb Lang within the next 24 hours.  dlang@gsmists.org or 231-947-7354 x 222.

http://www.winterwowfest.com/

Cookie Booth Etiquette 101

Just a reminder that when you secure your own booth sale location (March 23-April 15), you must have Girl Scouts!  We had a few instances last year where only the adults showed up to man the booth. Girls must be present and selling the cookies. 

Also- you may begin reserving your own personal booths anytime.  Just remember to post them to eBudde for council approval.  This way, we can help advertise your cookie booth as well as avoid any duplicate scheduling errors.

Community Cookie Booth weekend is March 17-18.  You can reserve your booth space beginning February 20th on eBudde.

Thank you and happy selling!

Where is my magazine?

We have received a few calls about magazine subscriptions.  If you ordered a subscription from a Girl Scout on paper (not online), it should arrive by the March issue.  Online orders should be coming already.   March issues come out at the end of February, unless it's a quarterly subscription.

Thanks for your patience.

How to Accept Credit Cards at Cookie Booths

How to Accept Credit Cards at Cookie Booths

GSMISTS is offering to partner with troops this year to have credit/debit cards be a form of payment for cookies purchased at cookie booths or expos.  GSMISTS has selected Square as the vendor for credit card processing.

1)      In order to use the credit card reading device at cookie booths an iPhone, iPad, or Android device is required.

2)      Go to www.squareup.com , enter your email address and create a password.

3)      Click “continue” and fill in the rest of the information as prompted.  Please note that you will be asked to give a mailing address to ship the credit card reader to, your date of birth, and your social security number.   

4)      Select to sign up as a business and enter our EIN of 38-1366924 when prompted.  Type your business name as: GSMISTS-Troop (your troop number).  This is what will show up on the customer’s credit card statements.

5)      You will also need the account information for your troop bank account, such as routing number and account number, so that deposits can be made to the bank account.

6)      Upon completing registration, make sure to download the Square app on your mobile device.  Feel free to spend a few minutes browsing the help information on the website and/or app to familiarize yourself on how to accept credit/debit cards.

7)      Your Square credit card reader should be shipped within a few days!

***IMPORTANT REMINDERS***

1)      Credit/debit cards can only be accepted at cookie booths or expos.  The idea behind accepting credit cards is to increase payment options for people who are walking by your cookie booth who otherwise might not have stopped to purchase cookies.  Feel free to advertise the fact that your troop can accept credit cards at the booth so people who are walking by can see.

2)      There is a 2.75% fee charged by Square for credit card sales.  Council will be reimbursing these fees to the troops for transactions occurring at booths and expos.  In order for your fees to be reimbursed, you will need to submit a detail of your credit card sales and fees to council within three days of the completion of your cookie booth.  This information will be cross referenced with the sales information in ebuddie.  To access this detail, login to your account on squareup.com, choose the tab that says “deposits,” then click “download spreadsheet” to download to Excel.  Please return this report to your retail/product sales manager by email, fax, or by dropping it off at your service center.

If you have any questions regarding the above process contact Justin by email at jglover@gsmists.org or by phone at 616-784-3341 ext. 125.

Updated Cookie Station List & Instructions

 

2012 Cookie Stations

Alpena County ~ InGS Store Front @ Harborside Mall

135 N. State Street

Alpena, MI  49707

Contact: Cindy Ranshaw, 989-464-6022, alpenagirlscouts@aol.com

 

Alto/Caledonia

8479 Vincent Ave 

Alto, MI  49302

Contact: Gayle Kraft, 616-891-1802, kraftj7471@aol.com

  

Bellaire ~ Bellaire Wesleyan Church

108 E. Cayuga sally_ann@charter.net

Bellaire, MI 49615-0250

Contact: Sally Ann Corner, 231-533-8751,

 

Big Rapids

420 Hutchinson St

Big Rapids, MI  49307

Contact: Nancy Pins, h: 231-592-5251, w:231-796-6138, nancypins@charter.net

 

NEW***

Carson City

7681 E. Holland Lake Rd

Carson City, MI

Contact: Linda Limon, h: 989-235-4336, w: (between 7 AM-10:30 AM) 616-597-3220 x 8354 or 2071

llimon@ventra.us or llimon13@gmail.com

Charlevoix~ Your Service Plus                                                                                                           6643 Easter WoodMichelle@atyourserviceplus.com

East Jordan, MI 49727                                                                                                                  Contact: Michelle Nowka, c: 231-350-0751, h:231-536-2532, w:231-536-9668

Ionia

644 Woods Road

Orleans, MI  48865

Contact: Jenny Root, h: 616-527-9532 (after 3:00 PM),   c: 616-240-7256

Gumby63@charter.net

 

Ludington ~ Ludington Little House (trailer in parking lot)

1024 Olmstead St

Ludington, MI  49431

Contact: Pam Huether, 231-843-4814, phuether@charter.net

 

Manistee

1424 Timber Ridge

Manistee, MI  49660       

Contact: Renee Myers, 231-690-7340, myers1424@sbcglobal.net

 

Zeeland

954 64^th Avenue

Zeeland, MI  49464

Contact: Norma Dearborn, 616-688-5221, norma@towersunlimited.com

Cookies also available at our 3 GSMISTS Service Centers


STATION GUIDELINES

•      Please call  Cookie Station a day ahead & order your cookies so they can be prepared for you in advance. 
•      Please call the Cookie Station at least 4 days ahead for orders of 25 cases or more. As the sale winds down we may not have all varieties available.
•     Cookies must be taken by Troops in full cases of 12 packages each. 
•      Mixed cases of 12 packages each are available.
•       The big change for this year is that there will be no post-dated checks (and actually no checks being left at the stations at all).   Cookies taken from your Cookie Station will be paid for via the bank sweeps on April 5 (and again on April 17 for those taken after April 5). 
•       Station cookies are $2.95 per package or $35.40 per case until the Troop’s initial order is paid for.
•        If a Troop earns over $.55/ box proceeds an adjustment will be made from the amount due for the initial order.
•       There will be absolutely no returns of cookies. Damaged or defective cookies will be replaced.
•      Cookies purchased by the box will be $3.50 per box and not included for girl incentives.
•      The Troop Cookie Manager or Leader must allocate boxes of cookies taken from the Cookie Station to individual girls in the e-budde software to qualify for added incentives. This can be done any time after they are picked up but must be done before April 15, 2012. 

For Service Unit Product Managers ~ Delivery Info

Important Delivery Changes for this Cookie Season

The following post is for Service Unit Product Managers ONLY (not troop leaders)

This year, your deliveries will be handled a little bit differently with the hopes that we can better accommodate your busy schedules.  GSMISTS will not be taking your delivery preferences.  You will be contacting Corrigan directly to schedule your delivery.

Once you receive this email, you may begin contacting Corrigan Logistics to schedule your delivery.  They will have a pre-determined schedule with specific dates & times when they will be in your area.  You will be given a choice of these dates & time slots so you can schedule based on your convenience or availability.  These slots are on a first come first serve basis and there are a limited amount of cookie deliveries for each day.  This means; the more proactive you are in this, the more likely it will be for you to get the date/time you request.

Your point of contact will be:

Elyssa Van Dam

Corrigan Logistics

Direct: 616-827-9315

Toll Free: 800-829-0940 x3315

Email: evandam@corriganmoving.com

Cookie Info! Expos....Booth Sales... CCB... OH MY!

Expo signups will be done on eBudde this year.  You may reserve 1 time slot per troop, available on a 1st come, 1st serve basis.  Signups will begin this Tuesday, January 17th beginning at noon.   We have 3 expos available:  The Home & Garden Show (March 1-4), The Women's Expo (March 9-11) and The Cottage & Lakefront Living Expo (March 23-25).  These expos are in the Grand Rapids area, at the Devos Place.    If you know of an expo in your area, we are more than happy to support you and assist. 

Booth Sales- If your troop is ahead of the game and has already found a booth location; you may put that on eBudde now.  Just a reminder that Booth Sales do not begin until March 23!

Community Cookie Booth- We are working on securing locations for CCB Weekend (March 17-18) so those are not on eBudde yet.  Stay tuned for details!

Traverse City Kickoff TONS of fun!

We had such a great time up in Traverse City this past weekend for a council Cookie Kickoff.  The girls had a great time visiting the stations.  They played games, did a craft, learned how to talk to customers and more.  Cool prizes were awarded and the kickoff ended with an hour ice skating around an indoor rink!  I will post pictures soon.  A HUGE thank you goes out to the TC GSMISTS staff and volunteers who did a fabulous job!  It was great interacting with all the Girl Scouts, troop leaders and parents.

If you are interested in the Grand Rapids or Muskegon kickoffs happening this Saturday, just contact your nearest Retail & Product Sales Manager for details! 

 I am so excited about the 2012 Cookie Season!

Have you RSVP'd for the Council Cookie Kickoff?

Just a friendly reminder that our super spectacular Cookie Kickoffs are happening the following 2 Saturdays! We have tons of fun activities planned! Stations include: Goal Setting, Selling Skills, Cookie Tasting, Incentives, Technology, Retail Shop and Gift of Caring! We have amped up the "fun factor" and have games, tasty treats and a craft! You won't want to miss out! If you haven't RSVP'd yet- please take a minute to do so. You can attend as an individual, family or troop. Go on eBiz to reserve your spot or fill out a council activity form or email your nearest Retail & Product Sales Manager. Of course, we won't turn away anyone at the door but it helps us supply the correct amount of materials.... we don't want to run short! :)

*Don't forget your Girl & Adult Health History Form as well as the Parent Permission Form!

Details: January 7th ~ Traverse City Kickoff, held at the Traverse City Civic Center, 10 AM-12 PM. Afterward, ice skate for $2.50 (open to first 100 people to RSVP). Email: dlang@gsmists.org to RSVP and questions regarding the event.

 January 14th ~ Grand Rapids Kickoff, held at Celebration Cinemas South, 9 AM-11 AM. Afterward, see any movie of your choice (that day) for just $5.50! This rate is open to adults/Girl Scouts. (Free popcorn provided for Girl Scouts only) Email: tmyers@gsmists.org or jmichael@gsmists.org to RSVP and questions regarding the event.

January 14th ~ Muskegon Kickoff, held at the Sherman Bowling Center, 10 AM- noon. Bowl 1 game for just $2.50! Email: sellis@gsmists.org to RSVP and questions regarding the event.

January 21st ~ Alpena area troops will be holding their Cookie Kick-off, 1-4 pm during their skating time at the Hillman Community Center. This way the girls can come and go between the activities and skating. They will also hold another Cookie Kick-off for all other troops on February 4th from 1 - 4 pm so all troops in the area have a chance to have a Cookie Kick-off. There is no fee to attend the actual kickoff. The cost to rollerskate is $5. Pam Kotzian @ (989)742-4522 is the person to contact regarding registering for the skating portion. 200 girls can skate. Any other questions can be emailed to AlpenaGirlScouts@aol Cindy Ranshaw or call (989)464-2619 Evonne Jasman.