A National Delegate’s Duties

Posted by January 26, 2020 in More About Governance
This article is part of a series to educate National Delegates and non-delegates alike about our organization’s governance structure and National Council Sessions.

Becoming a National Delegate should be taken seriously.  Know that there are important responsibilities that come along with the position.  The National Council is considered the “coordinating head of the Girl Scout Movement in the United States,” and in order to fulfill that responsibility, National Delegates should do their due diligence.  How is this accomplished?

Before the National Council Session

National Delegates serve as representatives of their council, but note that they should be informed but not instructed.  What does that mean?  This means delegates also have the obligation to listen to other ideas, viewpoints, and recommendations and weigh the pros and cons of each.  When it’s time for the vote, a delegate should act upon her convictions as to what she considers to be in the best interest of the entire Girl Scout Movement and not just her council.  Neither the National Board, nor her council’s delegation, nor any individual should direct how she should vote.  Rubberstamping serves no productive purpose.  Votes on key issues are done normally by secret ballot using an electronic device.

Each National Delegate should individually:

  • Study all proposal items and discussion topics.  The National Board’s rationale will be given in both the Early Alert sent out in February (usually) and also in the Workbook which is published sometime in the summer prior to the NCS.
  • Make every effort to attend webinars and conference calls hosted by GSUSA and the National Board leading up to the NCS.  If this is not possible due to your schedule, then you should listen to the recordings after the fact.
  • Log into the GSUSA National Delegate website and process what is provided there.  There are also opportunities to ask and respond to questions and comments of other delegates on this website.
  • Attend your council’s delegate orientation and meetings.  If you feel they are inadequate, then ask questions or go to outside sources such as this website to educate yourself.
  • Read the Workbook for more than just the proposal rationales.  You should know who the nominees for the National Board and National Board Development Committee are and the explanations of how parliamentary procedure is handled during the sessions among other things.
  • Study the articles provided on this website in the National Delegate primer [coming soon!]
  • Do research in Facebook groups (the Convention Chat is a great one) and the comment section of specific articles to find out what other viewpoints are out there and read through the discussion.  It’s your choice whether you want to participate or not.
  • Share your thoughts on issues and information you find with fellow National Delegates.

It’s also very important that you reach your council’s membership base – both volunteers and older girls.  Not only should you share the proposals and discussion topics, but you should also explain how this will affect the Movement from the top levels of GSUSA all the way down to the troop levels.  You serve as the conduit between GSUSA and your council’s volunteers and older girls!  Some of the ways you can do this are:

  • Attend and participate in council town halls and forums
  • Attend your service unit’s meetings and discuss the proposals and discussion topics there
  • Send out an online survey and advertise it in your council’s newsletter, social media, website, and service unit Facebook groups and their meeting agendas

If your council does not do these things, then you should speak up and ask that they be done.  Refer to both GSUSA provided material and this website in order to prove your point.  This is important! If your council still does not do anything to assist you in learning how your council’s membership feels about the NCS proposals, then do whatever you can to seek out this information on your own.  You are a National Delegate representing your council and you can’t represent your council’s membership very well unless they have had opportunities to tell you what they think.

You should understand where all of this fits into the big picture of Girl Scouting.  Do your research on the following topics.  You can find this information here on the GSG website in addition to whatever is provided during your council’s orientation and training:

During the National Council Session

While you are attending the National Council Session, you should do the following:

  • Attend and participate in all delegate and NCS meetings, possible additional sessions, and other delegate-only events such as the “meet and greet”
  • Plan and make note of what information your council will want to share with your membership after returning
  • Review and discuss among your fellow National Delegates what will be covered in the upcoming session
  • Meet other delegates and guests from other councils!  Networking is great!

After the National Council Session

Upon returning from the National Council Session, National Delegates should:

  • Report as requested what was covered, discussed, and voted upon to your council’s board of directors and the membership.  Explain how this will affect them on the local level.
  • Assist the council with whatever it needs for the following National Council Session
  • If you are contacted by GSUSA due to your delegate status, respond to their requests
  • Continue to look at GSUSA’s delegate website periodically for interesting information such as summaries of the actions of the National Board.  Your status as a National Delegate does not end with the NCS; you remain a national delegate until your successor is elected or appointed.

We realize that not every council is as thorough as they should be and might even not take National Delegates seriously and only see them as rubberstampers.  This should NOT be the case, and it’s up to YOU to take the lead and show initiative to fully participate in the way it should be done.  Feel free to refer back to this website if you have any questions or would like to see additional topics covered.  We at GSG are here because we want the best for our Movement, and that’s to see that the democratic process is fully incorporated on all levels.

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