Submitted by: Michelle G of Central Maryland. This proposal is currently pending approval by the council board.
Proposal: It is moved that (in Credentials, Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration, Lifetime members section; on page 26 of the May 2018 version of the Blue Book) be amended to provide that one year of membership shall be provided to a Gold Award Girl Scout transitioning from girl to adult membership and if within that first year as an adult member the Gold Award Girl Scout puts in a minimum of 40 hours of service to support a Girl Scout council (ie: Gold Award committee, Outdoor camping volunteer, training volunteer, troop leader, etc…) the Gold Award Girl Scout will receive a free Lifetime membership.
| Current Wording | Proposed Amendment | If Adopted, Will Read |
| Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was a registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member. | Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was a registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member; one year of membership shall be provided to a Gold Award Girl Scout transitioning from girl to adult membership and if within that first year as an adult member the Gold Award Girl Scout puts in a minimum of 40 hours of service to support a Girl Scout council (ie: Gold Award committee, Outdoor camping volunteer, training volunteer, troop leader, etc…) the Gold Award Girl Scout will receive a free Lifetime membership. | Lifetime members pay $400 lifetime membership dues at the time they become lifetime members; discounted lifetime membership dues of $200 shall be offered to anyone who was a registered Girl Scout member before the age of 18 and is under the age of 30 at the time of becoming a lifetime member; one year of membership shall be provided to a Gold Award Girl Scout transitioning from girl to adult membership and if within that first year as an adult member the Gold Award Girl Scout puts in a minimum of 40 hours of service to support a Girl Scout council (ie: Gold Award committee, Outdoor camping volunteer, training volunteer, troop leader, etc…) the Gold Award Girl Scout will receive a free Lifetime membership. |
Reasoning: GSUSA needs to raise the awareness and prestige of our Gold Award Girl Scouts. This awareness needs to start at home by acknowledging and honoring their accomplishments within our own organization. Further, we need and want to keep our Gold Award Girl Scouts actively involved in our movement as volunteers. More volunteers increase GSUSA and councils’ ability to serve more girls. This proposed amendment will encourage Gold Award Girl Scouts, during their first year post high school, to start what will hopefully become a lifetime habit of serving as a Girl Scout volunteer.
This proposal will benefit Girl Scouts nationally and within each council by:
Short Term:
- Volunteers will be increased and so will the amount of girl involvement – minimum of 40-hour commitment
- Starts involvement of organization and post high school life (commitment of service from Girl Scouts to young adulthood from their Gold Award)
- Continues the Girl Scout core value
- For girls who go to college outside of their council, they are encouraged to connect with other Girl Scout councils, which allows them to have a Girl Scout family
Long Term:
- Volunteers and Girl membership and involvement is increased
- Encourages a continuous involvement in the organization by young adults being involved versus leaving and not returning until they have a younger daughter at the Daisy level
- These Gold Award recipients will bring in friends and family from other involvements, including post high school and college activities, to increase volunteers, involvement within the organization, and awareness of Adult Girl Scouting
- Builds awareness of the importance of the Gold Award and what it means to be a Gold Award recipient
- Encouraging councils to provide an infrastructure to engage post high school/college young women as Girl Scout volunteers
Per GSUSA findings, Gold Award girls have confidence in themselves and their leadership abilities. These are the individuals we want to capture as Girl Scout volunteers, mentoring our youth within our organization.
If this proposal passes this would begin in October 2020 – September 2021 Girl Scouting year for Gold Award Girl Scouts transitioning from the girl to adult membership category.
Financial Section:
Per the Independent Sector the 2017 value of a volunteer hour is $24.69. So, by a Gold Award Girl Scout giving 40 hours of volunteer time in exchange for a “free” $200 lifetime membership and free $25 annual membership; Girl Scouts is coming out ahead by $762.60 (40 hours X $24.69 = $987.60). (https://independentsector.org/value-of-volunteer-time-2018/)