9 Comments

  1. I suppose this could be seen as a compromise (even though technically the NB doesn’t have authority), but there is a big loophole that I see. It states “whenever a membership dues increase totaling more than 15% of the current dues rate is to be initiated in any triennium period.” But it doesn’t limit the raise to only one per triennium period. With the way this reads, the dues could be raised every year as long as each one is under 15%.

    1. Actually it means the National Board could raise dues each year PROVIDED the total within the triennium is 15% or less. So, for example they could raise dues 4% per year and stay within the guidelines. As a council we appreciate the National Board’s need to effectively budget from year to year, but the 67% increase the last time was an unprecedented and unexpected increase and in many cases a hardship to families, troops and councils.

      1. I see what you mean. But I wonder if the wording could be a little clearer to state that a raise can’t be any more than 15% total spanning a triennium. When I first read it, I interpreted it as stating that any individual raise that occurs between NCSs could not be over 15%. I’m not the only one who read it this way.

  2. Writing proposals (or any regulatory language) is very tricky business. My bet is that this council intended this to apply to no more than one dues increase in a triennium. If so, I wonder if it would be considered in scope if someone from the proposing council or one of the supporting councils would amend to clarify this to read so that only one dues increase of up to 15% was allowed.

    1. Our intent was no more than 15% in the triennium between National Conventions. Whether GSUSA wants to do that one time or split it up over the triennium is up to the BoD to decide. Assuming they create an annual budget (not a triennial one) this allows the board the freedom to adjust their budget to meet their forecasted income from membership dues. It also invokes the requirement to ask the National Council permission to increase the dues beyond the 15% if the need arises, as the National Board would need to justify that to the membership.

      1. If the need does arise to raise it above 15%, then what is the thinking as to how they will ask the NC’s permission between trienniums?

  3. Based on the recent Alaskan Supreme Court ruling (assuming they don’t reverse it with GSUSA’s Reconsider request), this proposal as written would not legally give the NB the authority to change the amount of dues. The ASC only based its decision on the Congressional Charter & GSUSA Constitution and stated that they did not consider the rest of the Blue Book (which includes the Credentials) on their appeal. In other words, in order to legally give the NB authority, the GSUSA Constitution would need to be amended and specifically state the NB has the authority to amend the amount of membership dues. This proposal only amends the Credentials section. Here is a recap of the ruling: http://girlscoutwithacause.dawgtoons.com/2019/09/farthest-north-vs-gsusa-the-final-battle/

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