2023 NCS Proposal: Constitutional Amendment – Formula for Delegates

SUBMITTED BY

Farthest North Girl Scout Council

STATEMENT OF PROPOSAL (in the form of a motion)

To amend Article IV, National Council, Section 5, by inserting and striking as follows:

 Formula for Delegates

5. Each local council to which a charter has been issued and remains in force shall be entitled to the following delegates based on the number of girls under its jurisdiction who are members of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America as of September 30 of the year preceding the regular session of the National Council:

1. 1. 1. 1. two (2) delegates;
         2. one (1) additional delegate for up to 1,000 3,500 girls;
         3. one (1) additional delegate for every 1,000 3,500 girls thereafter.

USA Girl Scouts Overseas collectively shall be entitled to the number of delegates according to the same formula prescribed for local councils.

The prescribed figure of 1,000 3,500 girls may be adjusted when necessary to keep the total membership of the National Council as close to but not no larger than 1,500.

Proviso: That this action become effective for the 2026 National Council Session.

REASONS: (Include answers to these two questions)
1.  What makes this proposal important to the future of Girl Scouting across the country?
2.  What is the Movement-wide benefit adoption of the proposal will provide?

The formula for the delegate body of council delegates was amended at the 2008 National Council Session, during the implementation of the Core Business Strategy. In 2008, the girl membership was 2,495,812. The number of councils was being reduced from 312 to 109. At the 2008 National Council Session, the delegates established the optimal size of the National Council body at 1,500 council delegates. Therefore, the formula was established to add council delegates accordingly using 3,500 girls as the threshold.

However, that formula did not hold up for even one National Council Session, because girl membership was on a steep decline. The girl membership has continued to decline every year. The National Board of Directors used a modified formula of 2,000 girls in 2011, 2014, 2017; and 1,500 girls in 2020 and 2023. This resulted in the following number of delegates for those respective years:

2011 – 1,296 National Council delegates, 7.6% decrease in membership since 2008

2014 – 1,195 National Council delegates, 13% decrease in membership since 2011

2017 – 1,027 National Council delegates, 12.1% decrease in membership since 2014

2020 – 1,158 National Council delegates, 16.9% decrease in membership since 2017 (formula change)

2023 – 846 National Council delegates projected, 27.3% decrease in membership from 2020-21

With the dramatic decrease in membership from 2019-2022, using the same girl formula of 1,500, would result in a delegate body of approximately 846 delegates for the 2023 National Council Session. It is safe to assume the girl membership will never recover to its former days of 2.5 million. Therefore, a Constitution change to the formula is long overdue.

Assuming the girl membership levels off at its current amount of approximately 1,100,000 girl members, and no further decreases occur, an adjusted formula to add council delegates for every 1,000 girls would result in a delegate body of 1,320 for the 2026 National Council Session.

Finally, the wording change to add the phrase “as close to but not” larger than 1,500 council delegates is important because the GSUSA Board of Directors has interpreted the phrase “no larger than 1,500” to mean any number smaller than 1,500. However, the National Council in 2008 rejected the proposal by GSUSA to reduce the size of the National Council to 1,000 council delegates. An amendment was passed to increase the council delegate body to 1,500, where it stands today. Therefore, it is understood that the 2008 delegates did not want to allow the delegate body to shrink smaller than 1,000.

FINANCIAL IMPACT STATEMENT
Indicate the projected expenditures and impact on resources for councils and the national organization, for a five (5) year period.

No expenditures are anticipated as the total number of delegates to the National Council Session will remain unchanged.

COUNCIL RESOURCE TEAM RECORDED WEBINAR