exclusively for leaders and volunteers | | | |
Cookie Drive-Thru will be here next week!
If you are participating in one of our Cookie Drive-Thru locations, be sure to come prepared. We have tips to help ensure you are ready!
Helpful Tips & Tricks
1. Be prepared for the weather. If you are picking up cookies in an open bed truck, please bring a tarp to protect the cookie boxes from rain.
2. Clean out your vehicle ahead of time to maximize the space for carrying cookies.
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3. For your safety, please be prepared to stay in your vehicle until you enter the count/sort selection.
4. If multiple vehicles are picking up for your troop, please pull over and wait for all vehicles to arrive prior to getting in the drive-thru line.
Wondering if you need multiple cars? Check out the chart below to help decide.
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Type of Vehicle | Approximate Number of Cases of Cookies
Compact Car | 35 cases of cookies
Mid-sized sedan | 35 cases of cookies
Standard car |45 cases of cookies
Station Wagon |70-75 cases of cookies
Sports Utility Vehicle | 80 cases of cookies
Mini-van with seats in | 100 cases of cookies
Full bed pick-up truck | 100 cases of cookies
Cargo Van | 150-200 cases of cookies
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Change in Cookie Drive Thru location in Fredericksburg |
The cookie drive thru previously scheduled at the Fredericksburg Expo on Thursday, February 16th has been moved to the Ron Rosner YMCA located at 5700 Smith Station Rd, Fredericksburg, VA 22407. When entering the Y parking lot turn to the right and head towards the playground or where the cookie cupboard is normally located.
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The launch of the new Raspberry Rally cookie has been an incredible success. Our girls are perfecting their digital skills and customers are loving the new flavor. Due to this success, the Raspberry Rally will be temporarily unavailable on the Smart Cookie Direct Ship site. We anticipate it being available again February 10th. Please note this is a change from the original anticipated return date of February 6th. | |
Are you scheduling booths on your own for your troop? Remember to enter those in Smart Cookies so they will show up on the Cookie Finder site. Listing them in Smart Cookies enables your troop to use Smart Cookie credit card processing for electronic payments at your booth.
When scheduling your troop's booths, keep in mind guidance from Girl Scouts of the USA. Certain locations may be inappropriate for young girls based on the standards of your local community, may negatively impact the cookie program experience for girls, and/or may negatively impact our brand in your community. For clarity, girls should not sell in or in front of establishments that they themselves cannot legally patronize. For this reason, GSCV does not approve cookie booths at breweries, wineries, and dispensaries.
To enter your troop secured booth in Smart Cookies follow the steps below:
· Log into Smart Cookies
· Click on Booth at the top of your dashboard
· Click on Troop Secured Booths
· Enter the location with the complete address
· Enter the day and time of the booth
· Click Save
Each booth will need to be approved by a member of the GSCV staff before it shows on the Cookie Finder site or as a booth in your troop listing. Booths are approved daily.
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Cookie Booths Update
We added more booth opportunities in Smart Cookies. Troops now are eligible to sign up for 10 council sponsored booths in the Smart Cookies system. Please remember if you sign up for a booth but then are unable to be there, please release that booth in Smart Cookies so another troop can have that opportunity.
To register for one of these booths follow the steps below:
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Log into Smart Cookies
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Click on Booth at the top of your dashboard
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Click on Schedule Booth
- Select a booth out of the available opportunities
| | Below is an update on the status of some of our community partners and cookie booths: | |
Stores Troops Can Contact to set up cookie booths:
Kroger (except Willow Lawn)
Dunkin Donuts
Sam's Club
Tractor Supply
small locally owned businesses
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Stores who are currently not allowing booths to be scheduled - Troops should not contact them:
Wawa
Kohls
Target
Publix
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Stores working with the council for booth opportunities - Troops should not contact them:
will be available in Smart Cookies- first come/first serve.
Walmart
JoAnne Fabrics
Triangle Rock Climbing Club
GNC
Food Lion
7-11 Travel Center (Colonial Heights)
more updates coming
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Our Cookie Cupboards will open
the week of February 20th!
| | In order for us to have your cookies ready and guaranteed when you pick up, we use a planned order system in Smart Cookies. Planned orders placed in Smart Cookies by 11:30 p.m. on Sunday evening will be available for pick up Friday or Saturday. Here's how to place your planned order:
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1. Log in to Smart Cookies
2. On your dashboard, click on "Orders"
3. Click on "Planned Orders"
4. Choose the location you want to pick up
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5. Choose the date and time frame for pickup
6. Enter the cookie order
7. Click "Save"
| | Please Note: Planned orders are only for full cases of cookies. Not all cupboards are able to take planned orders. | |
Your troop's first payment for cookies will be drafted from your troop bank account on Wednesday, March 15th. The Smart Cookies system calculates the payment amount by pulling the balance due from your initial order January 26th and subtracting the amount of money that was collected electronically from online payments. The balance is split in half for this first payment. Two days prior to the draft, you will receive an email detailing the amount to be drafted. If your troop is unable to accommodate the scheduled draft, please notify the help desk at gshelper@comgirlscouts.org or by calling (804)746-0590 x316 no later than Tuesday, March 14th by 10:00 a.m. If your troop currently doesn’t have a Girl Scout bank account, please let us know by emailing the help desk at gshelper@comgirlscouts.org or calling (804)746-0590 x316. | | | |
2023 Important Cookie Dates
As you plan your troop 2022/2023 membership year, these are the most important cookie dates to assist in your planning.
| | Program Events and Activities | |
Did you know that GSCV has a competitive archery team? We do! Girls ages 10 and up with archery experience are welcome to join our medal winning team. Anyone interested should attend our parent information meeting on February 25th at 2:00 p.m. This meeting will give you all the info you need to see if this program is for you! We look forward to seeing you there!
Email the GSCV Help Desk at gshelper@comgirlscouts.org for meeting location details and if you have any questions.
| | It’s time for another Real Life Academy session! Girl Scout Cadettes, Seniors, and Ambassadors are invited to register for the February 16th “Thrifting your Way to a Better World” virtual event. This session will talk about the adverse environmental impact of fast fashion. Learn tips for thrifting and repurposing your way to a better world and cute closet. | | | | |
STEMazing with
Mad Science
| On March 18th, come have a STEMazing time with Mad Science at Camp Pamunkey Ridge. Girls will conduct experiments at different science stations. Make your own bouncy ball and receive a Mad Science patch to take home. | |
Black History Month Celebration
“I’m A Girl Scout!”
Fun Patch
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Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements and contributions of the African American and Black communities—a time (though not the only time!) for emphasizing the central role of this varied community throughout U.S. history.
Here are three of the many activities you can do this week to celebrate and work towards getting your patch!
1) Make a music playlist featuring 12 Black artists with different styles of music and from different decades. Read the National Museum of African American History and Culture’s blog post “Celebrating Black Music Month” for some inspiration and history.
2) Learn about African American folk art and share with your family or troop a picture of your favorite piece, some background information about it, and why you like it.
3) Research the term “diaspora” and learn what the term “African diaspora” means.
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Girl Scout Program Age levels welcome to register for each program activity featured are indicated by a letter for the level.
D - Girl Scout Daisy (K-1)
B - Girl Scout Brownie (2-3)
J - Girl Scout Junior (4-5)
C - Girl Scout Cadette (6-8)
S - Girl Scout Senior (9-10)
A - Girl Scout Ambassador (11-12)
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Sporting events are right around the corner and now we have dates! Be on the lookout for more details soon in S'more News.
Fred Nats – May 3rd
Girl Scout Night at the Diamond – June 2nd
Tri-City Chili Peppers – June 16th
Richmond Kickers – July 1st
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Bring your hot chocolate and join other Girl Scouts for a walk through the park.
Fast fashion is having an adverse impact on our environment. Learn tips for thrifting and repurposing your way to a better world and cute closet.
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For girls ready to try out an overnight campout, spend the night in the cabins at Pamunkey Ridge and practice camp fundamentals.
For folks ready to just dip their toe into what camp has to offer! Ease yourself outdoors with a fun filled day where girls will get to try their hand at canoeing, classic camp crafts, and learning to cook a basic meal over the campfire. This day event is perfect for anyone interested in beginning to explore outdoors!
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Our amazing summer camp staff
can't wait to see you and start the
best summer camp season yet!
2023 is here and you know what that means – camp season is fast approaching! We are excited to share with you the 2023 Camp Book, filled with exciting new offerings and classic camp fun. As you plan your summer break this year, consider giving the gift of summer camp! Each session is a chance for campers to learn new skills, make new friends, and gain self-confidence all while having boatloads of unplugged fun in the great outdoors.
Registration opens Wednesday, February 15th, 6:30 p.m. We hope to see lots of you at camp check-in this summer!
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Paddlesports training (canoe, kayak, paddle boarding)
April 15-16, 2023, at Pamunkey Ridge
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. both days
By taking the Canoe, Kayak, and Standup Paddleboard (SUP) Certification, you will become certified to bring this experience to girls in your troop, service unit, and special events! Certified adult instructors are required for Girl Scout canoeing, kayaking, and SUP. Space is limited so be sure to register right away! You will receive an email from the trainer with details regarding what you will need to bring the day of the training. Register today!
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Paddlesports training (canoe only)
April 29, 2023, at Pamunkey Ridge
9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
By taking the Canoe Certification, you will become certified to bring this experience to girls in your troop, service unit, and special events! Certified adult instructors are required for Girl Scout canoeing activities.
Space is limited so be sure to register right away! You will receive an email from the trainer with details regarding what you will need to bring the day of the training. Register today!
| | Black History Month Patches | |
February is here, and it's time to celebrate Black History with these fun patches both at $1.50. Call or stop by the retail shop to purchase.
Fun Patches are a great addition to the Girl Scout Experience! Keep in mind, all fun patches are unofficial and must be placed on the back of a tunic, vest, or sash. Don't let the "Fun" stop there! Add fun patches to a favorite bucket hat, tote bag, and so much more! Earn as a troop or self-discover on your own.
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Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia
804-746-0590 • 800-4SCOUT4 toll-free
office hours: Monday - Friday | 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
shop hours: Monday - Friday | 10:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Saturday | 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
Sunday | closed
S'more News is an e-publication for troop leaders and other volunteers
of Girl Scouts of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
| | Girls and volunteers can text NEXT to 59618 to join! | | | | |
