Governance
There is a very basic problem at the heart of Girl Scouting: there is a conflict of governing principals.
ON one hand, each council's board of directors makes the policy decisions for their council. Period.They are supposed to listen to the membership, but when push comes to shove, they don't have to. In the GSUSA booklet on council governance: Combining our Voices; the Democratic Process in Girl Scouting* It is very clear that the delegates INFLUENCE; the board DECIDES.The book contains all kinds of suggestions for ways in which the board can find out what the membership thinks.But they don't have to follow any of them.Or, they can consult the membership (like it says in the book) but then ignore what the membership says.They can refuse to answer questions from the membership, they can LIE to the membership. These are the things that is happening in my council.
ON the other hand, we not only have a tradition of democracy in America and in Girl Scouting, we have an expectation of democracy. In the criteria for re-chartering a council from GSUSA, a council must provide evidence that it has "strengthened the democratic process." We are supporting our girls as they grow into leadership roles. So then, having helped them to become leaders, who discover, connect, and take action, we think that we are going to apply it in our own councils, and we run smack into a wall that says "NO, you aren't allowed to decide." The board decides these things.
In short, you are allowed to vote, except when it matters.
This is not going to fly any more.
There have to be real checks and balances in council governance.Some of our delegates have brought a resolution to the General Assembly which says that no real estate is to be sold or relinquished without the approval of 2/3 majority vote in Assembly. Our Assembly is made up of 2/3 council delegates, 1/3 national delegates, the board of directors, and the board development committee (BDC). If the board is proposing a property sale, theoretically they will vote for it.The BDC generally votes with them. If they have a convincing case, they should be able to get at least half of the delegates to go along with them.They will get their two thirds.Supporters of a single camp might all vote against it, but they won't be able to sway more than a third of the assembly if they don't have a legitimate case.
The effect of such an amendment to our council by-laws would mean that the members would actually have a say in what happens.The board would not be able to present bogus "facts" as justification for selling off land.They would have to present a reasonable case. In 2010, most of us believed that only a minority of the girls camped, and that the council couldn't afford to spend the majority of its money on a program that only a minority of the girls used.Then we found out that that about half the membership uses the camps, an unknown percentage were not able to get into the camps because they were full, and that the council spent less than 10% of its budget on the camps.Our board has proven itself untrustworthy and clearly demonstrated the need for a true democracy.
Grandmother Lynn (Richardson)
Member, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
ON one hand, each council's board of directors makes the policy decisions for their council. Period.They are supposed to listen to the membership, but when push comes to shove, they don't have to. In the GSUSA booklet on council governance: Combining our Voices; the Democratic Process in Girl Scouting* It is very clear that the delegates INFLUENCE; the board DECIDES.The book contains all kinds of suggestions for ways in which the board can find out what the membership thinks.But they don't have to follow any of them.Or, they can consult the membership (like it says in the book) but then ignore what the membership says.They can refuse to answer questions from the membership, they can LIE to the membership. These are the things that is happening in my council.
ON the other hand, we not only have a tradition of democracy in America and in Girl Scouting, we have an expectation of democracy. In the criteria for re-chartering a council from GSUSA, a council must provide evidence that it has "strengthened the democratic process." We are supporting our girls as they grow into leadership roles. So then, having helped them to become leaders, who discover, connect, and take action, we think that we are going to apply it in our own councils, and we run smack into a wall that says "NO, you aren't allowed to decide." The board decides these things.
In short, you are allowed to vote, except when it matters.
This is not going to fly any more.
There have to be real checks and balances in council governance.Some of our delegates have brought a resolution to the General Assembly which says that no real estate is to be sold or relinquished without the approval of 2/3 majority vote in Assembly. Our Assembly is made up of 2/3 council delegates, 1/3 national delegates, the board of directors, and the board development committee (BDC). If the board is proposing a property sale, theoretically they will vote for it.The BDC generally votes with them. If they have a convincing case, they should be able to get at least half of the delegates to go along with them.They will get their two thirds.Supporters of a single camp might all vote against it, but they won't be able to sway more than a third of the assembly if they don't have a legitimate case.
The effect of such an amendment to our council by-laws would mean that the members would actually have a say in what happens.The board would not be able to present bogus "facts" as justification for selling off land.They would have to present a reasonable case. In 2010, most of us believed that only a minority of the girls camped, and that the council couldn't afford to spend the majority of its money on a program that only a minority of the girls used.Then we found out that that about half the membership uses the camps, an unknown percentage were not able to get into the camps because they were full, and that the council spent less than 10% of its budget on the camps.Our board has proven itself untrustworthy and clearly demonstrated the need for a true democracy.
Grandmother Lynn (Richardson)
Member, Girl Scouts of North East Ohio