Activity Description: Youth make “goals in a bottle” to track their goal with cookie money.
Items Needed:
- A goal number, or discuss and vote on a goal
- Empty bottles
- Paint, markers, or rubber bands to mark lines and write numbers on the bottle
- Filling materials (sand, rice, etc.)
- (Optional) Sample Goal Ideas for GSUSA by The Badge Archive
- (Optional) Labels or stickers for decoration
Instructions (Estimated Total Time: 15–40 min):
- (Optional) Discuss giving ideas. (6–8 min)
- Choose to make a giving goal or make a goal of how many total cookie share/donation boxes the troop will try to raise during the cookie season.
- Write down all the giving ideas suggested by youth.
- (Optional) Vote on a cause. (5–6 min)
- Youth vote by raising hands, placing stickers, or using tokens. Or read each idea aloud and ask youth to clap for the ones they like best. Count claps to see which ideas are most popular.
- Count votes and announce the top choice. Record the giving goal or the chosen package goal that the troop will donate to the chosen cause.
- See GSUSA – D/B/J Voting or GSUSA – Teen Scout Voting for more details on how to vote.
- Mark the bottles. (5–6 min)
- Give each Youth a clear empty bottle.
- Use paint, markers, or rubber bands to mark lines on the bottle.
- Label progress lines. (6–8 min)
- Write numbers on each line to show packages sold toward the goal. Start with a low number at the bottom and move up to the main goal at the top. Example: 20, 40, 60, 80, 100.
- (Optional) At the top of the bottle, write “Goal” with the total number of packages.
- Youth can choose how many lines to mark (every 10 or every 20).
- Fill the bottles during future meetings. (6–8 min)
- Each time the troop reaches a milestone, youth add sand or rice up to the next line.
- (Optional) Display the bottles. (6–8 min)
- Place bottles at cookie booths to show progress. Encourage youth to talk about their giving goal with customers.
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Click Here -> See what GSUSA Requirements could be met in Goals Category
Leaders – please be aware of double dipping and make your own informed choice.
Info Needed for Set Goals: Brainstorm ideas, pick one to make a troop sales goal, and set your personal goal.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Daisy My First Cookie Business badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Daisy Cookie Goal Setter badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Brownie My Cookie Customers badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Brownie Cookie Decision Maker badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Junior My Cookie Team badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Junior Cookie Collaborator badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Cadette My Cookie Venture badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Cadette Cookie Market Researcher badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Cadette Cookie Innovator badge requirements.
Info Needed for Budget Goals: Set a troop goal and budget and get feedback
- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Junior Cookie Collaborator badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Senior My Cookie Network badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 1 of GSUSA Ambassador My Cookie Business Resume badge requirements.
Info Needed for SMART Goals: Learn what SMART is and apply it to the troop sales goal.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Senior Cookie Boss badge requirements.
Info Needed for Tracking: Make a way to track sales with a goal tracker or using the online sales tracking feature.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Daisy Cookie Goal Setter badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 4 of GSUSA Brownie Cookie Decision Maker badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Junior My Cookie Team badge requirements.
This activity does not meet any Scouting America Requirements
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Click Here -> See what GSUSA Requirements could be met in Custom er Category
Leaders – please be aware of double dipping and make your own informed choice.
Info Needed for Customer Practice: Learn what to say to customers and practice it.
- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Daisy My First Cookie Business badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Brownie My Cookie Customers badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Junior Cookie Collaborator badge requirements.
Info Needed for Customer Sharing: Share the reason for the cookie sale with customers.
- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Daisy Cookie Goal Setter badge requirements.
Info Needed for Pitches: Make a sales pitch and practice, create a video, or write it down and get feedback (Ambassador needs feedback from 3 mentors).
- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Daisy My First Cookie Business badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Junior My Cookie Team badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 4 of GSUSA Senior Cookie Boss badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 4 of GSUSA Ambassador My Cookie Business Resume badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 2 of GSUSA Ambassador Cookie Influencer badge requirements.
Info Needed for Customer Reach: Make a list of potential customers and ways to reach them (i.e. a social media campaign).
- Fulfills Step 3 of GSUSA Brownie My Cookie Customers badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 4 of GSUSA Junior Cookie Collaborator badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Cadette Cookie Innovator badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 4 of GSUSA Senior My Cookie Network badge requirements.
- Fulfills Step 5 of GSUSA Senior Cookie Boss badge requirements.
This activity does not meet any Scouting America Requirements
