2023 Treats & Reads Troop Manager Guide

2023 Girl Scout Treats & Reads Program

Treats & Reads Manager Guide

Dear AMAZING Volunteer,

Thank you for being a Girl Scout of Eastern Missouri Volunteer! Without your assistance our girls would not be able achieve their Girl Scout goals. Participating in the Treats & Reads program is your troop’s pathway to success. With your support, your troop will be able to learn how to work together, learn business practices, and fund their troop activities. Our primary goal is to see your Girl Scouts thrive. We are here to help you this 2023 Treats & Reads season. The Quick Start Guide will provide you information to help you get started with the program, then visit the online guide for further details, tutorials and instructions for essential tasks. Complete your orientation as well as access other program resources on our website. For additional assistance during the Treats & Reads program, please reach out to your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager.

Yours in Girl Scouting, Products Program Team

Getting Started is Easy! 1. Add the Treats & Reads Manager role for your troop to your profile in MyGS. 2. Set up your M2 account beginning Sept. 22. 3. Complete online Troop Treats & Reads Manager Orientation in gsLearn through MyGS or on the Treats & Reads webpage. 4. Tell Girl Scouts and families about the program and guidelines for participation. 5. Set up the Parent/Adult Email Campaign for your troop in M2.

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Key Dates, Deadlines & CheckList Keep this checklist with you throughout the program for quick reference on upcoming tasks and deadlines. Verify your 2024 Girl Scout membership is current and the Troop Treats & Reads Manager role is assigned to you in the membership system View Troop Treats & Reads Manager Orientation beginning Sept. 9

Create login for M2 system for volunteer role beginning September 22

Set up Parent/Adult Email Campaign for troop beginning Sept. 22

Pick up materials from Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager by Sept. 23

View Nuts & Bolts Webinar- Getting Started with Treats & Reads beginning Sept. 23

Verify all registered Girl Scouts in the troop are showing in M2; reach out to Answer Center to have any Girl Scouts added

Discuss Treats & Reads goals with troop and how they want to use their funds

For Junior-Ambassador troops, Girl Scouts decide whether or not to opt out of receiving rewards

SEPTEMBER October

Host parent/caregiver meeting and hand out Treats & Reads materials by Sept. 30

Girl Scouts can set up M2 account and begin taking online/card orders on Sept. 30

Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

Sign up to join the Treats & Reads Rallyhood Rally

View Nuts & Bolts Webinar-Order Submission/What’s Next beginning Oct. 14

Collect nut order cards from Girl Scouts by Oct. 22

Enter nut order card orders from Girl Scouts and any extra troop product in M2 by Oct. 24

If opting out of rewards (Jr-Amb. troops only), update opt out setting in M2 by Oct. 24

Verify/update troop bank account information in M2 by Oct. 24

Last day for customers to choose girl-delivery option for online orders is Oct. 26; online donation/magazine/direct shipping orders continue Oct. 27-Nov. 19 Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

View Nuts & Bolts Webinar- Product Delivery beginning Nov. 7 Pick up troop’s order from Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager the week of Nov. 13 Print/save product tickets for each Girl Scouts

Finish collecting product payments from Girl Scouts in troop by Dec. 3 Submit Troop Late Payment Report by Dec. 4 for any parent/caregiver who has not yet paid the troop for their product Look for ACH withdrawal notice via email on Dec. 5

DECEMBER JANUARY

Distribute products to Girl Scouts the week of Nov. 13

Troop bank account ACH withdrawal on Dec. 12

View Nuts & Bolts Webinar- Wrapping Up Treats & Reads beginning Nov. 14 Collect payments for product from Girl Scouts

Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

Treats & Reads program ends on Nov. 19

Look for communication from Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager about picking up troop’s rewards Pick up rewards from Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager Distribute rewards to Girl Scouts in troop

In M2, transfer any troop extra product to individual Girl Scouts by Nov. 21 In M2, verify Girl Scout’s reward choices by Nov. 21 Print/save reward tickets so you have them ready when rewards arrive Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

NOVEMBER

Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

TTRM Guide 3

TREATS & READS Training and Support

In this Section: Nuts & Bolts Webinars..........................5 Virtual Office Hours..............................5 Answer Center.......................................5

Rallyhood...............................................5 Important Communication..................5

4 Treats & Reads Guide

Training and Support

Nuts & Bolts Webinars Available on our website, these recorded webinars will cover a range of topics relevant to key parts of each program season at https://www.girlscoutsem.org/en/cookies/treats-reads.html. Virtual Office Hours Join the Product Programs Team live to ask your burning questions about Treats & Reads and Cookies.

Date: Wednesdays, Sept. 27-Dec. 14 and Jan. 3-March 13 Times: 4-5 PM Location: Zoom, https://zoom.us/j/97474492246 Passcode: 368896

Answer Center Need to reach Product Programs or have a more general program question? Contact our Answer Center at 314.400.4600 or answercenter@girlscoutsem.org. Rallyhood Connect with other Treats & Reads volunteers. Go to https://rallyhood.com/61660 to join. Then, download the Rallyhood app and enable notifications so you don’t miss any important announcements during the season.

Important Communication The Product Programs team shares weekly information via the integrated M2 email system. Please look for and read these messages so you don’t miss out. You can also use M2 to share information with your local troops.

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TREATS & READS Roles and Expectations

In this Section: Your Role..........................................................................................................7

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6 NTRM Guide

Your Role

Role and Expectations

Your role as the Treats & Reads Manager includes:

• Complete required Council Troop Treats & Reads Manager training(s) each year while in this position • Pick up Treats & Reads troop materials as requested by your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager • Adhere to the established guidelines and deadlines regarding submission of orders, paperwork, product delivery, rewards and payment as established in the current program year

• Maintain responsibility for all products and payments during the Treats & Reads program, completing receipts for every product and financial transaction • Collect money for product ordered from girls/ families and make regular deposits in troop bank account • Complete a Troop Late Payment Report by deadline for all adults that have an unpaid balance; responsible for any unpaid balance for those adults if a report is not submitted • Provide support to girls and families, responding to communication in a timely manner

• Promote the Treats & Reads program with troop leaders, girls and parents/caretakers

• Become familiar with and use Treats & Reads program technology and promote technology to girls/families

• Distribute Treats & Reads rewards to girls in a timely manner

• Launch Parent/Guardian email blast in M2 system to troop families at the start of season

Thank you for making a difference for our volunteers and Girl Scouts.

We appreciate you!

TTRM Guide 7

NTRM Guide 7

TREATS & READS Basics

In this Section: 2023 Excitement.............................9 Glossary..........................................10 2023 Products................................11 Participation Options.....................12 Juliettes...........................................12 Events and Contests.......................13 Rewards...........................................14 Troop Proceeds.................................15

M2.......................................................16 Project Thank You.............................17 Money Management.........................18 Booths................................................20 Taking Care of the Product..............20 Media Inquiries..................................20 Online Marketing Guidance..............21

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Treats & Reads Basics

2023 Treats & Reads Excitement

Early Cookie Booth Access Incentive for Troops: It pays to participate in Treats & Reads! Your troop can earn early access to reserve a cookie booth with any of our council-sponsored cookie booth partners. To find out the criteria to earn early access, please visit the online Troop Treats & Reads Manager Guide. Leaders and Troop Cookie Managers with qualifying troops will be granted eBudde cookie booth reservation access 1-2 days before the all-troop booth reservation round one, and may reserve one booth slot at that time. They will then be able to sign up for additional slots according to the all-troop booth reservation schedule. Booth slots will be available for viewing in advance of access. New Direct Ship Items Available! Girl Scouts who set up an M2 account can promote two new products: Tervis tumblers and Mini Girl Scout BarkBox!

Volunteer Tasting Party: Never tried all of the products? New to Treats & Reads? Join us on Sept. 14 between 6:30-8:30 at the Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center to sample these delicious treats and learn more about how your troop can participate. Help your troop learn about the Ocelot mascot by completing activities in the Treats & Reads activity booklet (available on the Treats & Reads Volunteer Resources web page). Own Your Magic Contest, Sept. 30-Oct.6 Girl Scouts who set up their M2 storefront and send out emails will be entered to win daily prizes; set up early and earn more chances. Treats & Reads University: Your Girl Scouts can begin their skill-building adventures at our program on Sept. 30. Find more information and register at girlscoutsem.org/events. 2023 Promotion: Customers choosing direct ship for nut/candy products will be offered a free magazine subscription at the end of their checkout.

Junior Troops can now vote to opt-out of rewards!

New Personalized Patch Design Personalized avatar patches for Girl Scouts and volunteers are available exclusively through Treats & Reads! Girl Scout requirements are on the Girl Scout order card. • Troop Treats and Reads Manager earns the fall patch when the troop sells $1,700 in fall product and sends the Parent and Adult Email Campaign through M2

• Troop Leader earns the cookie crossover patch when the troop sells $1,000 in fall and achieves a 170+ PGA in cookies

TTRM Guide 9

Glossary ACH: Automated Clearing House; a safe, secure and quick method of electronic money transfer between bank accounts making collection of payments and reimbursement of proceeds easier for both volunteers and the Council. The ACH system utilizes the troop bank account and routing numbers when funds are withdrawn or reimbursed. All troops in eastern Missouri must use ACH as the method of council money collection and reimbursement for Treats & Reads and Cookie Programs.

CEM: Community Engagement Manager. This is a council-level staff member who provides troop support in your local community.

gsLearn: an online, learning platform for Girl Scout volunteers; it is accessed through your login at MyGS

M2: online Treats & Reads software system that TTRMs use to manage the Treats & Reads program for their troop.

MyGS: a tool located online at girlscoutsem.org that is used to renew membership, update your contact information and make sure we have the correct information about all your Girl Scout volunteer roles.

NH: Neighborhood (Girl Scout). Neighborhoods support troops in their local communities and are comprised of a team of volunteers who serve as the first point of contact for troops and volunteers in their area.

NTRM: Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager

PGA: Per Girl Average. Total number of product units assigned to the troop divided by the number of Girl Scouts selling. A Girl Scout is selling if they have one or more units assigned to them in M2.

Service Unit: Alternate term for what we call a “Neighborhood.” It is the term used in the M2 platform.

TTRM: Troop Treats & Reads Manager

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Treats & Reads Basics

2023 Products

2023 Products on the Order Card (Also available online)

Chocolate Covered Almonds

$8

Cheddar Caramel Crunch $8 Chocolate Covered Pretzels, Holiday Tin $12 Dark Chocolate Caramel Caps with Sea Salt $9 Dark Chocolate Mint Penguins $9 Deluxe Pecan Clusters, boxed $9 Dulce De Leche Owls $9 English Butter Toffee $9 Fruit Slices $6 Honey Roasted Peanuts $6 Hot Cajun Crunch $6 Mint Treasures, Girl Scout Memories Tin $12 Peanut Butter Bears $9 Peanut Butter Trail Mix $8 Whole Cashews with Sea Salt $9 Project Thank You Donation $5

Holiday Tin

2023 Online Exclusives

Almond Cran-Orange Crunch Black Forest Trail Mix Butter Toasted Peanuts Caramel Apples (boxed chocolates) Chocolate Covered Raisins Cookies & Cream Cups Cranberry Nut Mix Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels Dill Pickle Peanuts Deluxe Pecan Clusters, Holiday Tin Gourmet Blend Tin Gourmet Caramel Corn with Almonds and Pecans Tin Honey Roasted Mixed Nuts Jumbo Cashews Mint Treasures in 2020, 2022, 2023 Girl Scout Tins* (while supplies last) Mocha Cups Ruby Medley Thai Chili Mix New/Renewed Magazine Subscriptions Tervis Tumblers Mini BarkBox

Girl Scout Memories Tin

Cheddar Caramel Crunch

TTRM Guide 11

Participation Options

Candy/Nuts

Sale Type Money Collection

Delivery to Customers Troop Proceeds

Girl Scouts take customer’s orders using paper order card

Troop picks up product in November from NTRM

15% of every item sold

In-Person/ Order Card Sales

Family/troop enters orders from order card into M2 by the appropriate deadline (troops will need to inform their families if they expect the family to enter orders into the system)

Delivered by Girl Scouts to customers

20% for opt-out troops

Girl Scouts collect money from customers at time of product delivery

Girl Scout turns in money to the troop

Girl Scouts create their personalized storefront in M2 and send emails to friends and family

Shipped directly to the customer (1-2 week standard delivery time frame after order processing; customer will have option for expedited shipping at additional cost)

Online Direct Ship

15% of every item sold

Customers pay online, including shipping cost

20% for opt-out troops

Orders are automatically credited to the Girl Scout in M2 Girl Scouts create their personalized storefront in M2 and send emails to friends and family

Troop picks up product in November from NTRM

Online Girl Delivered

15% of every item sold

Customers pay online, no shipping cost

Delivered by Girl Scouts to customers (if a Girl Scout receives an online Girl Scout-delivery order, where they will not be able to deliver the items in person, family will need to contact M2 Customer Care as soon as possible to cancel the order)

20% for opt-out troops

Orders are automatically credited to the Girl Scouts in M2 and are included in the troop’s product orders sub mitted in October

New and Renewed Magazines/Tervis/BarkBox Sale Type Money Collection

Delivery to Customers Troop Proceeds

Girl Scouts create their own personalized storefront in M2 and send emails to friends and family.

Online

Customers pay online through the specific store for the product. Magazines, Tervis and BarkBox each have different ordering sites.

Shipped directly to the customer

15% of every item sold

20% for opt-out troops

Orders are automatically credited to the Girl Scout in M2.

Juliettes Juliettes are welcome to participate in the Treats & Reads program by linking with a participating troop. The partner troop will keep the proceeds, as proceeds may not be earned by individual Girl Scouts. The Juliette earns rewards and should be included in any activity in which the troop uses the proceeds. Partner troop volunteer must notify GSEM of any Juliette partnering with them so she can be added to M2.

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Treats & Reads Basics

Events and Contests

Product Tasting Party Thurs., Sept. 14 6:30-8:30 pm Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center

Never tried all of the products? New to Treats & Reads? Join us to sample these delicious treats with beverages and learn more about how your troop can participate. This is a troop volunteer-only event; no girls are permitted. Sign up by Sept. 12 at https://tinyurl.com/23tasteparty.

Treats & Reads University Sat., Sept. 30 9-11 am Berges Family Girl Scout Program Center

Join us for our kick-off program, where you can learn about our Treats & Reads products, check out the rewards and help build your skills so you can be the best entrepreneur you can be this fall! Check out all the full program details in Inspire Discovery. Treats & Reads Contests Contest for troops and individual Girl Scouts may be offered at times during the Treats & Reads season. Contests are designed to enhance a Girl Scout’s experience and help guide them to reach new goals. Be alerted for any new contests via M2 messages and the Treats & Reads Rallyhood rally.

Own Your Magic Online Sept. 30-Oct. 6

Get set up early! Girl Scouts who set up and open their online storefront in M2, and send out emails through M2 will be entered to win daily prizes. The earlier they set up, the more chances to win!

Early Cookie Booth Access Incentive for Troops It pays to participate in Treats & Reads! Your troop can earn early access to reserve a cookie booth with any of our council-sponsored cookie booth partners.

To earn this incentive, troops must meet these criteria:

• Troop must have at least three Girl Scout members • Troop Treats & Reads Manager registers as a member by Oct. 15 • Troop Treats & Reads Manager sets up the Parent/Adult Email Campaign in M2 • Troop has 80% of troop members register/renew as Girl Scouts by Oct. 15 and at least 80% of the troop members participate in 2023 Treats & Reads • Troop achieves a per girl average of 40+ items during the 2023 Treats & Reads Program (based only on Girl Scouts selling in troop; not based on total Girl Scouts registered in the troop) • Troop must be in good financial standing at the end of the Treats & Reads program (as of Dec. 12) Leaders and Troop Cookie Managers with qualifying troops will be granted eBudde cookie booth reservation access 1-2 days before the all-troop access date and may reserve one booth slot at that time. They will then be able to sign up for an additional slot during round 2 reservations. Booth slots will be available for viewing in advance of access. Information will be sent via email in early January.

TTRM Guide 13

Rewards Girl Scouts earn individual rewards based on meeting certain goals. Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador troops that opt out of rewards still qualify for earned patches, Top 10 Project Thank You Seller reward and Early Cookie Booth Reservation Access. Girl Scouts, Troop Treats & Reads Managers (fall only) and Troop Leaders (cookies only) can earn Personalized Avatar patches. Individual Girl Scout orders cannot be combined to achieve higher level rewards. Troop Treats & Reads Managers are on their honor to demonstrate good business ethics and not combine Girl Scout orders. To receive high-level rewards, a Girl Scout’s responsible adults must be in compliance with payment deadline. Rewards are shipped to Neighborhood Treats & Reads Managers in early January, and troops will pick up from them. Girl Scouts who earn higher-level rewards, such as experiences, will be contacted directly by Product Programs staff.

Confirm your Girl Scouts’ reward/sizing choices in M2 by Nov. 21

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Treats & Reads Basics

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Troop Proceeds

Troops earn 15% of each item sold by their troop! If Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador troops choose to opt-out of rewards, their troop proceeds increase to 20%.

Opt-Out Troops Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador troops are eligible to opt-out of receiving rewards and receive 20% troop proceeds instead. Individual Girl Scouts in opt-out troops are still eligible to earn patches and Top 10 Project Thank You reward experiences. Opting-out should be a unanimous decision of all Girl Scouts selling in the troop and they need to sign the opt-out form (included in this guide) which the troop maintains for its’ records. Troop Treats & Reads Manager must change reward opt-out setting on M2 dashboard by Oct. 24

TTRM Guide 15

M2 Treats and Reads is run through our vendor’s program, M2. Volunteers log in at gsnutsandmags. com/admin and parents/girls use gsnutsandmags.com/gsem. Girl Scouts create and promote their storefront and promote their sale. Volunteers use their dashboard to finalize troop orders, view reports and print delivery tickets. Girl Scouts who join your troop after Sept. 30 can go directly to the login site and connect to your troop. You will receive a M2 login invitation on or before Sept. 22. It’s recommended you establish your access at that time, and set up your Parent/Adult Email Campaign. This will trigger an email, which looks like it’s coming from you, to your Girl Scout families on Sept. 30, giving your troop members access to set up their M2 site. If you did not receive an email, you can go directly to gsnutsandmags.com/admin to get set up. If you are still unable to gain access, please contact the Answer Center, 314.400.4600. Beginning Sept. 30, Girl Scouts log in to M2 to design their online store and create a Girl Scout Avatar in their likeness which can speak in their voice online. They can then email or share shopping invitations to family and friends. The online store offers nut, candy, tin and gift items from Ashdon Farms, as well as new and renewed/ extended subscriptions to magazines, newspapers and eBooks from M2 Media Group. Customers can choose: Girl Delivery Option: During order taking Sept. 30-Oct. 26, customers can choose to have their items delivered by the Girl Scout when making a purchase. The nut and candy products available for Girl Scout delivery are those listed on the paper order card. Customers ordering online for girl-delivery will pay for product at time of order. Products will come at the same time as those ordered on the paper order card. Shipped Orders: Anytime during the program, Sept. 30-Nov. 19, customers can pay with a credit card for products to be shipped and/or donated, as well as purchase new or renewed/extended magazine subscriptions. There is an extended list of candy/nut products exclusive to online ordering.

More details about the fun online program can be found on the M2 Media Group flier.

2023 fall product program ACTIVITIES

Skill-Building and Mascot Activities Help your Girl Scouts set goals, then learn about the Ocelot and conservation through fun activity sheets at the back of this guide.

The GIRL SCOUTS® name, mark and all associated trademarks and logotypes, including the Trefoil Design are owned by Girl Scouts of the USA. M2 Media Services is an official GSUSA licensed vendor.

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Treats & Reads Basics

Project Thank You The Project Thank You program is a Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri service project that lets our community donate treats to the USO of Missouri and Operation Food Search. The program provides Girl Scouts the opportunity to learn about philanthropy and the importance of giving back. For each $5 donation, we will gift a treat to these organizations! To help promote Project Thank You to customers, a flier and receipt is available online.

Customers can donate $5 Project Thank You nuts/candy in two ways: • Using the Project Thank You column on the paper order card • Adding Project Thank You to online orders through M2

Girl Scout troops never physically receive Project Thank You items with their product order. The Project Thank You items will be ordered and donated on the troop’s behalf by the Girl Scout Council.

Troops that select a charitable organization other than Project Thank You organizations need to order and track these donations separately as Gift of Caring. Only Project Thank You packages are eligible for Project Thank You rewards. One of our Project Thank You partners is USO of Missouri. Nut and candy treats donated to the USO will go to military personnel. The top 10 Project Thank You Sellers will earn the opportunity to hand out donated treats at the USO Holiday Block Leave event in December. This event is subject to change.

TTRM Guide 17

Money Management The troop must pay for product they order on behalf of customers. Our council will collect this from the troop bank account via an ACH (Automated Clearing House) withdrawal in December. If your troop has only online customer sales, it is likely we will deposit your troop’s proceeds into the account via ACH. Returning troops: Troop bank account information will be rolled over into M2 from the 2023 Cookie Program. Troops must review and make any needed changes by Oct. 24 to authorize ACH transfers for the 2023 Program. New troops: Work with your troop leader to accurately enter the troop’s bank account information by Oct. 24. The entry of this information is required and provides your troop’s agreement to conduct ACH transfers for the 2023 Treats & Reads Program.

Treats & Reads Money Management Best Practices

• Establish and communicate troop deadlines for order card and money collection; deadlines should be no later than council deadlines • Collect money for order card payments and deposit money in the troop bank account frequently • Always count product and money in person with the Girl Scout’s parent/adult; avoid leaving product or money on a porch • Always use the paper receipts from your materials packet when distributing product to a Girl Scout/parent or another troop and make sure they sign it and both parties keep a copy • Always use the paper receipts from your materials packet for any check/cash payment from a Girl Scout or another troop for product. Make sure the other party signs it and both keep a copy • In the absence of a receipt book, you can print product delivery form to include financials from M2.

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Treats & Reads Basics

ACH Withdrawal/Late Payments A single ACH withdrawal for 100% of the money due to council for product purchased will be drawn on Dec. 12. The ACH withdrawal amount is equal to the troop’s total sales, minus the troop’s earned proceeds. For instance, if a troop sells $1,000 in product, the withdrawal will be $850, and the troop retains the $150 (15%) in proceeds in their account. The Treats & Reads Manager and Troop Leader will receive an email one week before, confirming the amount due. If the troop has submitted a Troop Late Payment Report due to non-payment by a Girl Scout parent/adult, that amount will be deducted from the amount due to Council. If a troop’s online sales exceed the amount due to council, an ACH deposit for the proceeds owed will be transferred to the troop by Dec. 15. Payment Collection Options For customer payment collection, Girl Scouts can accept cash or check made out to GSEM Troop XXXX. If the troop receives a returned check, we ask that you make an attempt to collect the funds from the check writer and document that attempt. If your attempt is not successful, please fill out a Collection Request Form as completely as possible, include the “legal copy” of the check, as well as a copy of your bank statement showing the bounced check fee and mail or deliver to Council, Attn: Finance Department. The completed form should be submitted no more than 45 days after the returned check date. We will then take over the collection process. Once the documents are received, Council will either decrease the ACH draw for the troop or utilize ACH to reimburse the troop as appropriate. Stolen Funds If money, checks or product have been stolen, the troop should complete a Troop Late Payment Report for the responsible party. The responsible party should file a police report and contact their insurance company. It is the responsibility of the individual involved to obtain a written copy of the police report and insurance company report. These reports should be sent via registered mail directly to Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, Attn: Finance Department, 2300 Ball Dr., St. Louis, MO 63146. The Finance department will contact the individual responsible to make arrangements for payment of the amount due.

TTRM Guide 19

Treats & Reads Booths Treats & Reads booth is when a troop has physical product and sets up a table/stand to sell the product direct to customers. In some cases, troops have hosted Project Thank You donation-only booths (all donations go to purchase product for donation to Project Thank You partners). Unless a donation-only booth, any booth should be held between Nov. 14-Dec. 9 to ensure product is in-hand and payments can be deposited into the troop account in time for the ACH withdrawal on Dec. 12. Booths may be held at locations secured by the troop, with exceptions. Due to partnership agreements with council cookie booth partners, the following businesses/companies may not be contacted for Treats & Reads booths: Dierbergs, Schnucks, Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club, Walgreens, Magic House and GNC. Please note there are no product cupboards during the Treats & Reads program. All booth products must be ordered as extras with the troop’s order submission in October. Media Inquiries During the Girl Scout Treats & Reads Program, troops are occasionally approached by reporters from television, radio, newspapers and online media for interviews and photo opportunities. Be sure you understand what they are interested in covering before agreeing. If you are approached by the media in a crisis or uncertain situation (such as being solicited for your Girl Scout opinion on potentially controversial topics), please DO NOT make any statements to the media. Instead, contact the council communications team immediately at kdaleen@girlscoutsem.org . Points to Remember: You are never obligated to speak with members of the media. Do not issue any statements to the media regarding any controversial topics, issues, accidents or emergencies on behalf of Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri. Taking Care of Your Product Chocolates must be stored under 72 degrees at all times. Chocolate will “bloom” and turn white if it is exposed to heat above 72 degrees or exposed to different temperatures quickly (moved from a warm car to a freezer). Please store nut/candy product in garage only if the outside temperatures are cool enough. Remove product from vehicles as soon as possible, as car temperatures are warmer than the outside temperature. Troops may also wish to host a virtual Treats & Reads Booth. Virtual booths are hosted on social media to give girls an innovative and creative way to reach their goals.

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Treats & Reads Basics

Online Marketing Guidance

Online marketing and sales efforts for Treats & Reads should be limited to friends and family only and not promoted on public facing websites.

Sales links should never be posted to online resale sites (eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Facebook Swap etc.). GSUSA reserves the right to remove or disable the link for any reason including violation of guidance, inventory fulfillment issues, safety issues, or if sales and marketing activity goes viral and otherwise creates unanticipated disruption. Safety Tips for Online Marketing 1. Continue to adhere to the Girl Scout Internet Safety Pledge 2. Review Product Program Safety information in Volunteer Essentials 3. In addition, review and apply the below Supplemental Safety Tips for Online Marketing: • To protect your personal identity, NEVER direct message with people you do not know online or on social media platforms • Always use the M2 online sales link for customer orders • Parents or caretakers should approve all girl-delivered online orders and supervise all • communications and product delivery logistics with any customers Girl Scouts don’t personally know. As a reminder, Girl Scouts should never deliver product alone. • Never share your personal information (e.g., last name, phone number, email, or street address) • Never share your personal location information If you become aware of a Girl Scout or family who may not be following online marketing guidance, please reach out to them about the situation, and respectfully have a discussion about it. If issues persist, it can be escalated to your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager.

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TTRM Guide 21

TREATS & READS PROGRAM Timeline This section provides a full reference to the tasks on your timeline in the Quick Start Guide. Timelines and Checklists

In this Section: September...............................23 October....................................27 November................................30

December................................35 January....................................36

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Timeline & Checklist

September □ Complete the online Troop Treats & Reads Training by September 30 □ Log into M2 and set up parent/adult email campaign beginning September 22 □ Pick up your troop’s program materials from Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager by September 29 □ Host Treats & Reads Parent/Adult information meeting by Sept. 30 □ Verify Girl Scout membership and product programs permission by Sept. 30

□ Assist Girl Scouts with setting up M2 storefront □ Girl Scouts can begin taking orders on Sept. 30

□ Junior-Ambassador troops can vote to opt out of rewards □ Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

Program Materials Look for information from your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager about how to get your troop’s program materials. They may also post the information on your Neighborhood’s communication forums, such as Facebook. Please contact the Answer Center for assistance locating your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager. If you do not have a Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager and you need materials, please complete this form to place a request: https://bit.ly/3ypifUJ.

TTRM Guide 23

Accessing gslearn Instructions 1. Log into MyGS from girlscoutsem.org 2. Select MyGS Login button on the MyGS homepage

3. Select Login a the top of the page 4. Type your username and password 5. Select gsLearn from the left menu 6. On the gsLearn dashboard, you can find a to-do list of course ready to go. To browse what gsLearn has to offer, select Content Library on the left. 7. In Content Library, you can search for a course using keywords 8. Select a course and begin your learning experience! This training will be more of a program overview and role introduction. Then, Product Program staff will post recorded Nuts & Bolts webinars to provide instruction on key tasks during the season, such as submitting the troop order.

The troop training will also be available on our website at girlscoutsem.org/en/cookies/treats-reads. html .

Log Into M2 A unique login will be emailed to you titled “Username and password for the Girl Scout magazine and nut program.” The email contains a link to gsnutsandmags.com/admin where you will create your password, watch a brief training video, create a Girl Scout Avatar and complete your setup. Be sure to create your avatar for the personalized patch you will earn!

Click the Parent Adult Email Campaign button on your troop dashboard and create an email to the parents/ adults of your troop members. This email will go out on Sept. 30 inviting Girl Scouts to set up their store. This step is crucial to ensuring your troop members are able to participate in online marketing of their product. Parent/adult emails begin sending at 9 am Sept. 30, and will arrive throughout the morning. Remember—Sending the Parent/ Adult Email Campaign is a required step for Troop Treats & Reads Managers to earn the personalized fall patch.

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Timeline & Checklist

Familiarize Yourself with the M2 Dashboard The top half of the page is the dashboard. It gives you a quick overview of sale progress for your troop, including Girl Scout engagement (creating avatars, making a recording and video, sending emails, etc.), how many paper orders have been entered and how many nut/candy/ magazine orders have been placed through online storefronts. The bottom half of the page has links to all other pages within the operating system. Each page will show you Girl Scout and troop information in more detail. A quick link to all reports is included here too. Under each category, click on page titles to access the page. At the bottom of each of those pages is a button that will take you back to the homepage with one click. Near the top right hand corner of each of those pages is a “Show quick dashboard links” dropdown menu, making it easy for you to go to another page or report. Verify Girl Scout Membership and Permission Work with your leader to verify that the Girl Scouts participating in Treats & Reads have a 2023-2024 Girl Scout membership, as well as signed Product Programs Permission for 2023 2024 on their Girl Health History and Permissions form. Girl Scouts who join your troop after Sept. 30 are always welcome to participate in Treats & Reads too! If your troop receives notification that a Girl Scout parent/adult has a “No Funds Handling” restriction in place, that parent/adult is not permitted to sign product programs permission, nor handle money/product. The Girl Scout must have an unrelated adult from a different household be willing to sign permission and take responsibility for product and payment for Treats & Reads and Cookies. Host Troop Treats & Reads Parent/Adult Meeting After completing your training and receiving the troop Treats & Reads program materials, you should schedule a time to go over the program and expectations with Girl Scouts and parents/ adults before the program starts on Sept. 30. Before the meeting: • Fill out order cards, M2 flyers, money envelopes with troop number, and due dates along with any other information • Only distribute order cards and information to Girl Scouts whose parents/adults have signed the product programs permission form • Review email sent in early September to verify if there are parents/adults not in good financial standing. Girl Scouts with parents/adults with a no funds handling restriction may only participate if an adult non-family member living at a different address agrees to be responsible for the order card, product and money. The Girl Scout may still participate in product booths. Please contact your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager if you have any questions

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Girls Set Up M2 Storefront Girl Scouts use the instructions on the M2 flier, or in the M2 email, to access the online site (gsnutsandmags.com/gsem) and set up their online store. They create a Girl Scout Avatar, record a message and/or upload a video then send emails to friends and family inviting them to shop from an expanded selection of nuts, candy, tins, new or renewed magazine subscriptions, Tervis products and Mini Girl Scout Bark Box. They can earn special patches just for sending 18+ emails through the system.

To assist your Girl Scouts, if needed, in setting up their M2 site, please check out these videos:

• Girl Site Setup Overview

• How to use the Share My Site feature

• How to Send Emails to Customers

• How to Record a Voice Message in M2

• How to Create an Avatar

• How to Personalize Your Avatar Patch

Reward Opt-Out Junior, Cadette, Senior and Ambassador troops may vote to opt out of receiving rewards in order to receive an extra 5% in proceeds • Conduct a vote to opt out of the Girl Scouts in your troop. A unanimous vote must be made for a troop to opt out and the troop members need to sign the form for your records, see appendix • Change reward opt-out setting in M2 on the troop dashboard

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October □ Collect nut order cards from troop members by Oct. 22 □ Enter nut order card orders from Girl Scouts and any extra troop product in M2 by Oct. 24 □ If opting out of rewards (Junior-Ambassador troops only), update setting in M2 by Oct. 24 □ Verify/update troop bank account information in M2 by Oct. 24 □ Last day for customers to choose girl-delivery option for online orders is October 26 □ Online orders for donation and direct shipping continue through Nov. 19 □ Check your email for updates from Product Programs team Enter Nut Order Card Orders in M2 Girl Scouts have two choices: turn in the paper nut order card to you or their parent/adult enters it into M2 through their Girl Scout’s dashboard. Girl Scouts who need you to enter the orders for them need to turn those cards in to you by Oct. 22. You must then manually enter the product quantities under that Girl Scout in M2. All girl-delivery orders must be updated and submitted by Oct. 24 for the troop. For those who want to enter their own order card items, they will do this through Manage Paper Orders on their Girl Scout’s online M2 dashboard. The deadline for them to do this is Oct. 22 at 11 pm CST. If they cannot enter the paper orders by that time, they you will have to manually enter the order.

Timeline & Checklist

Note: Parents/adults only enter the paper order card items. All online, paid-for orders calculate automatically and are added to your troop’s order.

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Enter Paper Orders Not Entered By Parents/Adults Troop Treats & Reads Managers can see when Girl Scout’s paper orders have been entered by the parent/adult on their M2 dashboard, to avoid entering duplicate orders. To prevent duplicate accounts, troops cannot add newly registered Girl Scouts until Oct. 23. Prior to Oct. 23, the Answer Center can help add girls or the parent/adult can add them at gsnutsandmags.com/gsem. Troop Treats & Reads Managers must enter ALL orders by 8 pm CST on Oct. 24. At that time, troops will be locked out of the site and will not be able to make changes or additions. Please contact your Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager, or in the absence of that volunteer, contact the Answer Center if you need assistance with your order.

Volunteer Instructions for Entering Paper Order Card Orders: 1. Log in to M2 2. Click on the Paper Order Entry icon on the troop dash board 3. Select the troop you will be making a paper order entry for 4. Click on the Girl Scout’s name 5. If a Girl Scout’s name does not appear, click the Add Girl Scout button on the bottom right corner of the screen, en ter their information and click Save 6. Enter the quantity of each product ordered and click Save Ordering Additional Products in M2 If you need extra products for booths or anticipate late girl-de livery orders, you can order additional products at the same time as their Girl Scout orders. All products order will be your troop’s financial responsibility, so be sure to order wisely. 1. Click Manage Troops and Girl Scouts on the dashboard 2. Click the + sign to the left of the troop number 3. Select Manage Extra Products 4. Enter the desired number of products in units 5. Click Save Additional products will arrive with the troop’s order in No vember. You will need to transfer the products in M2 to the Girl Scouts who sold them by Nov. 21 so they receive credit.

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Timeline & Checklist

Verify/Enter Troop Bank Account Details 1. Click on Banking and Payments on the troop dashboard 2. Click on the + sign next to your troop number 3. Select Manage ACH 4. Enter or verify troop bank account information, making changes as needed to update (see screenshot) 5. Click the Save ACH button

The routing and account numbers can be found on your troopchecks:

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November □ Pick up order card and online girl-delivery products from Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager the week of Nov. 13 □ Save/print product delivery tickets for each Girl Scout by Nov. 13 □ Collect order card payments from Girl Scouts with order card sales by Dec. 3 □ Record order card payments in M2 □ Online orders for donation and direct shipping continue through Nov. 19 □ Treats & Reads program ends on Nov. 19; all online sales close at 11 pm CST □ Transfer any extra troop product to individual Girl Scouts by Nov. 21 □ Verify Girl Scouts’ reward choices in M2 by Nov. 21 □ Print/save reward tickets for each Girl Scout so you have them ready for distribution when rewards arrive □ Check your email for updates from Product Programs team

Pick Up Troop Order and Distribute to Girl Scouts Troop orders will be delivered to the Neighborhood Treats & Reads Manager. Be on the lookout for communications regarding date and time of pick up. Upon arrival, make sure to carefully count your product before signing the receipt and leaving.

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Timeline & Checklist

After product pickup, distribute products to parents/adults as quickly as possible to ensure adequate time for Girl Scouts to deliver and collect payment:

1. Prior to picking up your troop’s order, determine how you want to get orders to your Girl Scouts. You could also set up a product pickup schedule that allows time between pickups for counting and verifying quantities. Sites like Sign Up Genius, Doodle Polls and Google Forms are helpful, and links can be emailed to your troop’s families.

2. Contact your troop’s families in advance of your scheduled reward pickup so they can plan for your pickup system.

3. Count and separate the product by Girl Scout in advance.

4. Distribute products to your Girl Scouts/families, along with their original order card, money collection envelope and your troop’s instructions for turning in money to you frequently. Ask each Girl Scout’s adult to count and verify the product they are picking up, sign the receipt and keep one copy of the receipt. They can leave the other receipt copy with you.

Tip: Girl Scout product delivery tickets are a quick and easy way to prepare product for pickup Print/Save Delivery Tickets 1. Click Delivery Tickets on your M2 dashboard 2. Under Product Delivery Tickets, make your selections by entire troop or individual Girl Scout 3. If you toggle the Include Financials button, the ticket will print with any payments posted and balance due 4. Click Create Ticket 5. Print two copies of each ticket to use as a packing slip and receipt

Remember to always use money/product receipts for each transaction because they provide a record of product picked up and money turned in. If there is an issue, these receipts are used to verify the transactions. Receipts should be kept for six months. For product, you can use the receipts from the receipt book, or the printed delivery tickets.

Please contact answercenter@girlscoutsem.org with the subject line “Product Damage” immediately if you receive damaged product and arrange for the replacement of the same product.

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Girl Scouts Deliver Product and Collect Money Girl Scouts deliver products to customers and collect payment for order card orders. All checks should be made payable to “GSEM Troop xxxx (troop #)” with the customer’s driver’s license and phone numbers on the face of the check.

To avoid parent/adult last-minute visits to drop off money, you may want to set an earlier troop deadline for money collection.

Collecting money from parents/adults: • Receive the money envelope directly from parents/adults; do not have Girl Scouts bring money to school or have parents drop off money if you are not home • Count cash and checks in the presence of the parent/adult and complete a money/product receipt, both sign, give one copy to them and keep one copy for your records • Deposit in the troop bank account at least weekly to avoid holding large amounts of cash and checks

Transfer Extra Product in M2 If your troop ordered extra products in October, you must transfer these items in M2 to each Girl Scout who sold them in order for them to receive rewards credit. Transfer products to Girl Scout in M2: 1. Choose Manage Troops and Girl Scouts from the troop dashboard 2. On the troop tab, click the + next to the troop number and choose Move Products from the dropdown menu 3. Under Type select Girl Scout 4. Enter troop number 5. Select the Girl Scout’s name in the drop-down box that you are moving the product to 6. Enter the quantities you want to move by variety in the Qty to Move box 7. Add comments as desired 8. Click Move Products to complete the transfer

If your troop or a Girl Scout in your troop sold in-person additional Project Thank You items for donation, please email answercenter@girlscoutsem.org with Additional Project Thank You Items subject and the quantity sold by Girl Scout to have them added to your troop’s order. Include your troop number, Girl Scout’s name, and the number of in person donation items they sold. Once they are entered, they will appear in the Girl Scout’s totals in M2.

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