Submitted by: Girl Scouts of Central & Southern New Jersey
Status: Submitted to councils
Proposal: THAT Article IV Section 7 of the Constitution of Girl Scouts of the USA be amended by inserting the words “shall be elected in the calendar year preceding the National Council Session and” after the word “councils” and before the word “shall”.
PROPOSED (addition in green):
Subject to the requirements of the preceding sections of this article, delegates elected by local councils shall be elected in the calendar year preceding the National Council Session and shall serve as members of the National Council for three years from the date of their election or until their successors are elected, provided they remain the delegates of the local council which elected them; delegates from USA Girl Scouts Overseas shall serve as members for three years from the date of their selection or until their successors are selected, provided they remain delegates from USA Girl Scouts Overseas; members of the National Board of Directors and National Board Development Committee shall be members of the National Council during their term of office; those persons elected by the National Council shall serve until the next regular session of the National Council.
Rationale: Currently the majority of National Council Delegates elected from councils begin their term 6 – 7 months prior to the National Council Session. This allows little time for these delegates to become knowledgeable about their role, informed about the issues to be addressed, and educated about how business is conducted during the National Council Session. The delegate experience for these individuals is not ideal. It would also create more consistency in preparedness and knowledge being brought to National Council Session by National Council Delegates, as it would create a more common timeline and system/process across the movement.
If all National Council delegates elected from councils began their terms during the year prior to the National Council Session the delegate experience would follow a more logical pattern. In the first year of their term, they would become familiar with their role, constituency and issues or concept to bring to the National Council by participating in the Proposal/Discussion topic submission process. During the second year of their term, they would attend the National Council Session better prepared to address this agenda items. Finally, they would report to their councils on the experience of and actions taken and the National Council Session. They would end their term by training their successors. The proposed amendment would positively affect outgoing volunteers holding these roles. Delegates would prefer to see their work through to the end of the process, and not left to others to carry on.
Financial impact: There is no financial impact to local councils or the national organization. It is simply a change in timing for activities that already take place. Guidance on how to elect delegates in advance of knowing the exact allocation of delegates per council already exists, as 15 councils are already following this process. This proposal will make that process universal.
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I think this is a great proposal for all the reasons stated. I urge everyone to write to their boards of directors to encourage the boards to approve it.