The Cookie Connection Badge
For Junior Girl Scouts

Not only are Girl Scout Cookies® delicious, but the annual cookie sale also supports troops and councils and teaches Girl Scouts many skills.

Whether girls are budding entrepreneurs or prefer to help from the sidelines, they can learn a lot from this activity.

Girl Scout Cookies® build:

• Strong Values
• Strong Minds
• Strong Bodies
• Strong Spirit
• Strong Friendships
• Strong Skills
• Strong Leadership
• Strong Community

To earn this badge, Junior Girl Scouts must complete at least five activities, including the starred one, Safe Sales.

1. Five Ways to Sell Cookies

With the help of Girl Scout friends, think of five new ways or places to sell Girl Scout Cookies®. Can you sell them at a community fair, neighborhood recreation center, or holiday parade? With the help of an adult, contact people who can help you find a place for your Girl Scout Cookie® sale. Remember, Girl Scouts are prohibited from selling cookies on the Internet.

2. Smart Cookies

Good salespeople know all about their merchandise (products). Do you know about Girl Scout Cookies®? What are the ingredients? How many calories do they contain? How long have Girl Scouts been selling cookies to earn money for activities? In your troop or group meetings, answer these and other questions that come up. Also, be prepared to tell customers what your troop/group plans to do with the money earned.

3. Tough Cookies

Knowing how to deal with people is an important part of being a salesperson. Always be polite and say "thank you," even if someone doesn't buy anything. With your troop or group, think of several situations that might come up when you are selling cookies and how you will handle them.

For example:

• A customer is having a hard time deciding between different types of cookies.
• A neighbor says she is tired of always being asked to buy things.
• A boy says he wants to buy cookies for his mother but doesn't have money.

4. Make Cookie Sales Count

With your troop/group, develop a plan for what to do with the money earned from cookie sales. Brainstorm several projects or activities. Estimate the cost of each by finding out admission fees, transportation, etc. Figure out how many boxes of cookies you need to sell to do one of these activities. Work out a plan for reaching your goal, and chart your progress. For help creating a budget, see "Adventures in Girl Scouting" in the Junior Girl Scout Handbook.

5. From Field to Food Shop

With your troop/group, think about different jobs, such as farmer, baker, advertiser, artist, nutritionist, which are connected to food products. With help from your leader, plan to talk to two people about their jobs and what the jobs involve.

6. Cookies Under Wraps

Be a good neighbor. Buy several boxes of Girl Scout Cookies® with your troop/group money, and wrap them in pretty paper to give as gifts throughout the year. You might take them to seniors in a nursing home or to a family that just moved to the neighborhood. Use this opportunity to meet new friends and make them feel welcome.

7. Safe Sales*

Make a list of safety rules for selling Girl Scout Cookies®. First, check the Cookie Sale Activity Guides from this and previous years for good tips. Then brainstorm other safety rules, tips, and ideas. Write them on a poster and hang it where everyone can see it. Review the rules during the time you are working on the Girl Scout Cookie® sale. Here are two rules you might post:

8. Cookie Creativity

Have a cookie party and get creative! How many adjectives can your group think of to describe Girl Scout Cookies®? Create memorable slogans like "Sensational Samoas!" or "Think Thin Mints." Turn your best ideas into posters and advertisements.

9. Be Bold

With your troop/group, design a large cookie campaign poster or display that is suitable for a mall, public building, or other place where many people will see it. Ask for permission from store owners or public officials to do this. Create a colorful design that includes information about the cookies and about the program activities that are supported by selling cookies.

10. Cookies Across Cultures

Are cookies as American as apple pie? Cookies are very popular in Girl Scouting and in this country. Find out about the types of cookies popular in another culture. Are they eaten after school, served for holidays, or reserved for certain special occasions? Find a recipe you like from another culture in an international or regional cookbook, and bake some cookies. Sample them with friends and family.

* Adapted from Junior Girl Scout Badge Book, © 2001 by Girl Scouts of the United States of America.

Note: Participation patches must be worn on the back of the uniform only.

Girl Scout badges, patches, awards, and other insignia that are earned for the accomplishment of skill-building activities or any set requirements should be presented, worn, or displayed only after Girl Scouts have completed the requirements outlined in the appropriate program materials.

All insignia are owned by Girl Scouts of the United States of America and are protected by law for use by GSUSA. None of the insignia may be copied, duplicated, or reproduced without prior express written authorization from Girl Scouts of the USA. All rights reserved.