Submitted by: Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
Status: Submitted to councils
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 girls transitioning from girl to adult membership and who have earned the Girl Scout Gold Award receive a free Lifetime membership.
Rationale: 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 as early as 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:
- Retaining Gold Award Girl Scouts as members,
- Building awareness of the importance of the Gold Award and what it means to be a Gold Award recipient,
- Providing an infrastructure to engage post high school/college young women as Girl Scout volunteers,
- Increasing the number of volunteers and thereby increasing girl involvement,
- Encouraging a continuous pipeline of involvement in the organization by Gold Award Girl Scouts versus leaving until they have a younger daughter at the Daisy level,
- Increasing awareness and involvement of Girl Scout alumnae – Gold Award recipients will bring in friends and family, which will increase volunteers, involvement within the organization, and the overall awareness of volunteerism in Girl Scouts.
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 impact: If every girl who earned the Girl Scout Gold Award (4,400 annually) became a lifetime member the resulting “loss” may have been substantial, however, the number of girls actually purchasing a lifetime membership is smaller, thereby reducing GSUSA liabilities to a fairly small amount for overall membership revenue. If the Girl Scout organization was to make this bold move the long term results will be incalculable.
We currently lose track of one of the most committed cohorts of girls, and Lifetime memberships will provide a smooth transition from girl membership to adult membership which will offer councils a way to remain connected and engaged with some of our strongest Girl Scouts. This will generate significant positive financial impact for years to come, engaging more Girl Scout alumnae immediately while they are still passionate about their experience. It is critical for us to retain them as potential volunteers, advocates and active alumnae. Gold Award Girl Scouts will remain connected and have the ability to become volunteers at no cost to them, which can be a barrier at a young age. The core Girl Scout adult membership is aging and has not been replaced in the same numbers as generations ago so engaging these Girl Scout alumnae early as volunteers is critical and could be valuable in attracting new girl members who relate to younger volunteers.
In addition, they are our future donors. The retention of Gold Award Girl Scouts as members is critical to the long term health of the Girl Scout movement. As women control more of their wealth and make decisions on those projects for which they are most passionate, it is more important than ever to capture this demographic early. The financial impact would be the lifetime membership revenue given up by Girl Scouts of the USA in order to retain this incredibly valuable group of young women who will feed the leadership pipeline for the Girl Scout Movement well into the future.
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Who would pay for this membership? GSUSA or the council?
I do not support this proposal. Being a Gold Award Girl Scout does not indicate the girl will remain active in Girl Scouting and giving her a free lifetime membership would not change that. Some girls are members from Daisies to Ambassadors and are committed to their troop, community service, and the GS program, but they just do not have the time or skills to complete the Gold Award. Some girls join as Cadettes or older, and yes it’s great if they go for the Gold. But their accomplishments are no more important than those who were loyal members for 13 years. Nor are they more important than the countless adult volunteers – many with 30 or more years and still volunteering – who recently received only a discounted rate for lifetime membership. Keep it as is, or lower it to $100 at the least, but don’t give them free membership.
I like this concept, but would like to better understand what the financial impact would be and who would be paying for this.
I was lucky in that my council paid for my Lifetime membership when I was graduating (I believe due to having earned my Gold Award).
Due to having my Lifetime membership, I had the opportunity to lead a troop while away at college, and then become an adviser to my service unit before becoming a leader once more.
I am now in my 28th year of Girl Scouting. I am 33 years old. Yes, I may have continued on on my own (I would like to think I would have, but who can tell) BUT, having the Lifetime membership already made it easier for me to be reached out to and continue to be active.
The Gold Award is something that girls work hard to earn. To be able to continue this relationship with these members would be huge, provided we have a good financial plan.