Girls and their accompanying adults participating in cookie booths are required to follow all applicable standards set forth by Girl Scouts of the USA and River Valleys, including those found in River Valleys policies, Safety-Wise, and other information communicated by River Valleys.
- Girl Scout cookie booths are girl-operated direct-sale opportunities where customers from the public can purchase cookies from girls. Any Girl Scout selling cookies in a stationary manner will be considered a cookie booth.
Standards
- All cookie booths must be approved by River Valleys, except those held at a private residence.
- Girl and adult behavior at cookie booths and in communicating with partner organizations must be in line with the Girl Scout mission, Promise, and Law.
- Actions by girls, adult volunteers, or parents/guardians that are not in line with the Girl Scout mission, Promise, and Law, are damaging to the Girl Scout brand, are negligent, result in loss of Cookie Program money or inventory, or are damaging to the relationship between River Valleys and its partner organizations will result in consequences up to and including removal from all River Valleys Girl Scout roles, restriction of non-member adult participation, and possible legal action.
- All Girl Scout program grade levels may participate in cookie booths.
- Cookie booth participation is a troop activity.
- Cookie booths may be operated by an individual girl, but must be offered to all girls in a troop.
- Juliette Girl Scouts are treated as a troop and may participate in cookie booths.
- Cookie booth participation is optional; girls cannot be required to participate.
- Girls participating in cookie booths must be easily identified as Girl Scouts by wearing a visible Girl Scout uniform or other apparel/accessories (e.g. Girl Scout buttons, hats, pins, shirts).
- Money and product must be kept secure at all times.
- River Valleys-secured cookie booths:
- Cookie booth signup procedures will be set and published annually by River Valleys.
- All communication with the business or organization where a cookie booth will be held must go through River Valleys’ cookie booth staff contact, unless otherwise noted in the specific booth’s special instructions.
- Cookie booth participants are responsible for accessing, reading, and following all rules for each specific cookie booth.
- Special instructions and rules for specific cookie booths can be found in the baker-provided online system either as an attachment or in the notes section for that cookie booth.
- River Valleys cannot transfer cookie booth times between troops.
- Troop/Juliette-secured cookie booths:
- Each troop/Juliette-secured cookie booth location and time must be approved by River Valleys. Approval is up to council discretion.
- Troops/Juliettes are responsible for ensuring that any booth location they are trying to secure is not already secured by River Valleys and cannot pursue cookie booths at businesses or organizations that are existing partners of River Valleys.
- Reference the list posted online on the Cookie Booth Sales page of the River Valleys volunteer website.
- River Valleys-secured cookie booths have priority in the event that a troop-secured booth is scheduled during the same time and in close proximity.
- Troops/Juliettes are responsible for communicating with and obtaining permission from the cookie booth location’s management.
- Cookie booths must be in a location that is safe for girls.
- Cookie booths are not allowed inside businesses where girls are not legally allowed to enter alone.
- Cookie booth participants must follow all rules specified by the booth location.
- Girls must be under adult supervision at all times.
- Cookie booth girl-adult ratios:
- 1 girl: 1 adult who is either the girl’s family member or a registered and background-checked Girl Scout volunteer.
- 2 or more girls: at least two adults, one of whom is a registered and background-checked volunteer, and at least one of whom is female.
- Cookie booth girl-adult ratios:
- Donation collection at cookie booths is only allowed for official River Valleys cookie donation programs. Donation containers must be clearly marked as allocated toward these programs.
- Cookie samples at a cookie booth:
- Samples can only be distributed after obtaining express permission from cookie booth location management.
- Proper health and safety procedures must be followed.
See also: Cookie Booth Sales
