For Troop Leaders and Troop Cookie Managers

For Community-Area Product Leaders

Placing an initial cookie order offers several benefits for your troop:

Your initial cookie order is due in Smart Cookies on or before January 24 at 11:59pm. If you haven’t already, connect with troop families to determine individual goals and finalize your troop goals..

Cookie Central features step-by-step instructions for placing the order. The initial cookie order is made in full CASES. After you enter the order, select your delivery location and time. Troops that are assigned to a Mega Drop delivery can choose from any of the locations listed in Smart Cookies. Troops assigned to Mini Drop deliveries will see one location and date for the delivery. When your troop places an initial order that follows the case count from the Cookie Calculator, each Girl Scout selling will receive the commemorative Ta-Ta Toast YAY patch. Plus, the Troop will entered into a drawing to be randomly selected to win Panda pom-pom beanies for all Girl Scouts selling plus two adults.

Need help in Smart Cookies? Your Community Product Leader or Girl Scouts River Valleys staff can assist you. Reach our staff at 800-845-0787 or girlscouts@girlscoutsrv.org. The Smart Cookies Help Desk is available at  ABCSmartCookieTech@hearthsidefoods.com. Provide your troop number, council name (Girl Scouts River Valleys), your name, and if possible, your Community when connecting with the Help Desk.

The Cookie Calculator is a tool to help determine your order. Using the calculator is as easy as 1-2-3:

Additional notes:

Remind families to complete the online Family Cookie Responsibility Form on Cookie Central. Share the link during your Cookie Family Business Meeting or via email. Provide families with your preferred email address for the form and your troop’s cookie return date.

You’ll receive an email each time a form is submitted. Families can also forward a copy to you from their email confirmation. Remember, families must complete the form before a Girl Scout can receive any cookie inventory.

Join us for the Cookie Open House Events at our Girl Scout Shop locations. Here's the scoop on the dates/locations/times:

Brooklyn Center Retail Shop:    January 25, 9am – 1pm

Mankato Retail Shop:                   January 25, 10am – 1pm

St. Paul Retail Shop:                      February 1, 9am - 1pm

Rochester Retail Shop:                 February 1, 10am - 1pm

View the new cookie merchandise along with your Girl Scouting essentials. To make these events even sweeter, everyone will receive a coupon for 10% off their total purchase. Here's a preview of some new items:

Spin our prize wheel to win additional prizes, including an extra shop discount coupon. Check out the new cookie patches now available for purchase and enter our drawing to win one of four Caramel deLite youth cookie costumes!

Bring your Girl Scout and craft it up with a panda beading activity. Connect with other cookie volunteers and the Product Program Team will be there to answer your cookie related questions. Plus, you can check out a live demo of Digital Cookie to view the updates for 2025.

Mark your calendars for important cookie booth dates, starting with the cookie booth lottery which opens next Wednesday, January 15. Check out the details from last week’s edition of The Cookie Press for instructions and the First-come, first-served booth rounds schedule.

Note: The primary troop contact in Smart Cookies will receive an email to alert of a troop’s lottery win or if they successfully secured a first-come, first-served booth location. You can also log in to Smart Cookies, go to Booths, then My Reservations to view booths secured for the troop.

Next week, troop-secured cookie booth requests will begin the review and approval process. Here’s a few idea-starters: car dealerships, community centers, places of worship, or even drive-thru booths in large parking lots. Brainstorm with your troop on other places where people gather in your area.

Certain booth locations that will not be approved, these include liquor stores, dispensaries, or gun-related venues. As a rule, if Girl Scouts cannot legally visit a location, they shouldn’t sell cookies there.

Both council-secured and all approved troop-secured cookie booths will be included in the GSUSA Cookie Finder, connecting customers  to booths during the  season. Note: Cookie Stands (aka booths held at residences, formerly known as Lemonade Stands) will not be included in the GSUSA Cookie Finder.

Troops that missed the pre-order opportunity and would like more than two-cases of Gluten-Free Caramel Chocolate Chip cookies must enter the number of cases you wish to receive in Smart Cookies in your initial order, plus, complete the Gluten-free Exemption Form by January 24. We will email to confirm the request was successful or alert you if we are unable to fill your request the week of January 27.  

This is a prime time to connect with troops to offer your assistance/guidance on their initial cookie order. New troops will especially appreciate your expertise. Remind troops ahead of the deadline to enter their initial cookie order and select their delivery location by January 24 in Smart Cookies. Community Product Leaders can adjust or enter orders until January 25. Want to know which troops have placed an initial order or review the orders?  Run the Troop Initial Order report in Smart Cookies.

Note: If your Community participates in a Mini Drop delivery, share the delivery date with Troops so they can mark it on their calendar.

Our Walmart and Sam's Club partnership has officially kicked off and we're looking for dedicated volunteers like yourself who are willing to visit your local Walmart or Sam's Club to talk with a store manager about our booths. to view a complete list of Walmart’s and Sam's Clubs that we're still waiting for approval on.

If you're interested, please fill out our to let us know! As submissions come in our team will assign the location to volunteers on a first come, first served basis, and send you an email. 

So, what do you need to know about this effort?

Have a question? Don't be shy!
Contact us for more information.