TimeLine
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- October 1, 2007 - Girl Scouts of North East Ohio formed
- September 1 , 2008 - Troops and service units allowed to apply for sites outside legacy council boundaries
- June, 2009 - First round of camp closures
Lycopodia, Crowell Hilaka, and Great Trail
At the Crowell Hilaka meeting, a board member suggests starting a Friends group, similar to the Friends of Camp Lejnar. Friends of
Crowell Hilaka begin that evening as a special interest group from Trefoil Integrity.
At the Great Trail meeting, a large contingent of members convince board members in attendance that camp usage at GT was actually
much higher than council reports indicate.
- July, 2009 - GSNEO board announces formation of "Vision 2012" to continue property evaluation process.Volunteers from each camp will
GSNEO does not recognize that FoCH has already started and holds an organizational meeting at the council office. Repair cost list is
distributed. Estimates seem “off”. FoCH points out that the numerous inadequacies in camp reservation process have contributed to low
usage, and demand that a basic description of each camp be posted on GSNEO website.
GSNEO sponsors organizational meeting for Friends of Great Trail.
Board announces they have decided to allow one side of GT to remain open
GSNEO begins posting camp information on its website.
- August, 2009 - Property consultant from GSUSA, Glen Chin, conducts cursory assessment of camps.
- September, 2009 - Camp Friends forms as a non-profit charitable organization to support GT,
Board decides to allow 3 sites at Crowell Hilaka to remain open
- September 30, 2009 - Camp Jessie Mae Faegol, Camp Lycopodia, Camp Singing River, Wadsworth House, East Palestine Cabins, closed
Wintergreen Cabin, Intergrove Cabin relinquished to Cleveland Metroparks
One half of Great Trail Camp closed, Most of Crowell Hilaka Camp closed
- October, 2009 - GSNEO board announces an on-line camp property survey for members. Members advise board that they will get better response from
FoCH holds its first Sunday Funday. Council office receives positive feedback. All of camp south of the gas cut is declared “off-limits” to hikers.
- December 2009 - Vision 2012 committee begins work
- January, 2010 - 1500 adults respond to online survey, but not enough girls. Council office gives hard copy to some girls until they reach 500 mark.
FoCH discovers that cost of cabin rental at C/H is much higher than at other camps. It begins offering grants which will make the troop
cost of renting a cabin at C/H equal with renting at Camp Timberlane. The camp fills during the slowest camping months of
February and march while the grants are offered.
Centralized, online campsite reservation becomes available
- April 2010 - Report on survey results released: &
* Troop camping is by far the largest form of camp usage
* 95% of girls want to camp The largest barriers to camping are cost, lack of time
* 33% of girls, 15% of adults say they must have flush toilets
* Camps ranked by popularity, but the prior difficulty of being able to make site reservations outside of "legacy" area means most troops
haven't yet crossed old boundaries
- June 2010 - Review of campsite usage shows that a 55% of the girl members use the GSNEO camps. The “conventional wisdom” reported by the
- July 2010 - Work of the Vision 2012 committee reviewed and summarized for report
- Oct 7, 2010 - Correspondence about camp capacity dismissed by Property Chair &
- Oct. 2010 - Vision 2012 report released. Among the recommendations are:
* Engage volunteers to support the outdoor program, explore community partnerships
* Recognize and maintain unique historic and environmental qualities of GSNEO properties,
* The estimated cost for deferred maintenance is about two million dollars.
- January 2011 - Board Minutes - Vision 2012 results misrepresented to property committee &
- February 2011- Friends of Crowell Hilaka submit proposal to GSNEO board requesting permission to take responsibility for major repairs at camp
- February 23, 2011 - Board Minutes - Motion to reduce GSNEO camps made by the director of a competing camp. &
- March 2, 2011 - GSNEO board votes to sell 5 camps & transform the remaining 2 into Premier Leadership Centers
- Late March 2011 - board property vote leaked, petition begun to keep camps open
- April 16, 2011 - Board Property Plan announced at spring General Assembly meeting :2 Premier Leadership Centers to be financed by selling 5 camps.
outraged that all previous work and input has apparently been disregarded.Troop parents protest that drive distances impractical
Many members point out that two camps will not have enough capacity to serve 40,000 girls. Corey Ringle motions for a re-evaluation of the data. This is ignored because the delegates had not motioned at the start of the meeting for “new business” to be introduced. &
- April - May 2011 - Scores of letters written to board and council office protesting sale of camps
IN response to several inquiries, GSUSA states it is unable to intervene in governance issues of local councils because each
council is a separate corporation
Boycott of “Early Bird” registration organized
Several GSNEO delegates organize meetings to draft resolutions in response to board.
Delegates request that the council office provide them with a complete list of delegate contact information so that all the delegates
can be included. The office refuses, citing “privacy regulations”. Delegates request that the office follow up with each of the
delegates to find a way to facilitate communication. This is also refused.
- June 2011 - In response to inquiries about the purported $30 million, the council permits members to view the source document
- June, 2011. - Board Minutes - GSUSA liason belittles the concerns of the membership &
- June 9, 2011 - Protest Camp-in on lawn of Macedonia Office
- June 27, 2011 - 2nd protest Camp-in on Macedonia lawn. CEO talks with protesters and invites them to a meeting with her.
- July, 2011 - The GSNEO bylaws permit a special meeting of the general assembly if a majority of the assembly makes the request. The original draft of
A lawyer is hired for consulted who recommends streamlining the resolutions, including a resolution to cease and desist from current plans camp sales – without making it an amendment to the bylaws. This is adopted.
Approximately 30 delegates sign the special meeting request
The search for more delegate contacts continues via cyber-searches and word of mouth
- August 2011 - First vice-chair Joan Villarreal, conducts a series of informational meetings about the property plan. There is one meeting in each of the 5 council regions. Attendance is limited to delegates only, and each delegate is permitted to attend only one meeting.
More delegate signatures are obtained at each meeting
GSNEO releases new set of FAQs based on concerns “addressed” at the delegate meetings
Board spokesperson Brent Gardner repeats his claim that that camp repairs would cost over $30 million during an interview with WKSU
- August 20 & 28 - Two “visioning” meetings are scheduled at the end of August for members to give their ideas about what they would like at the PLCs. Girls and adults have separate brainstorming sessions – members want what we already have.
- Aug 30, 2011 - Meeting between CEO & Camp-in participants. They ask her to use her influence with the board. She tells them that she has no influence with the board. She invites two members to next board meeting.
- Sept 10-11 2011 - 3rd protest camp in on Macedonia lawn
- Sept 30, 2011 - 51st signature is obtained. The request for special meeting submitted, Board chair announces special meeting will take place
Professional camp planning team reports that two camps will not provide enough capacity.
Board votes to allow Camp Sugarbush ( Trumbull County) to remain open.
- October 21, 2011 - Applications for nominations for the board “from the floor” submitted to council office. Beth Frank to run against Joan Villarreal for
- Oct 25-28, 2011 - Delegates receive calls from council staff urging them to vote for the slate chosen by the Board Development Committee
- October 28, 2011 - Editorial in Cleveland Plain Dealer slams camp supporters for attempting to “grab power”,
- Oct 29, 2011 - Special meeting
Only voting members of the General Assembly permitted to speak at the microphone
Board Chair Dan Bragg is partially successful in his attempt to limit delegates to 1 minute apiece at the mike
55% voted FOR the proposal to make consent of the General Assembly for any real estate part of the bylaws. Because it is an
amendment to the code of regulations and the code and would remain in effect indefinitely, it requires a 2/3 majority to pass.
The cease and desist resolution was an emergency measure that temporarily affected just the 5 camps that had originally been
slated for closure. As such it only required a simple majority to pass.
GSNEO Annual meeting - 60% voted for a slightly different version of a consent amendment
BDC chair Katerina Papas refuses to allow the assembly to fill all the vacancies on the board.
- November 2011 - Camp supporters from Ledgewood, Crowell Hilaka, Great Trail, Pleasant Valley, and Lejnar meet and draft a letter to the board
CEO Daisy Alford Smith endorses a political candidate in a mass mailing -, using her title as CEO of GSNEO
New board chair Joan Villarreal says the board will allow two delegates from each region to present new ideas at a “listening
session”. This sidesteps the resolution which requires new evaluation and approval of assembly before selling the four endangered
camps.
Troop leaders report getting phone calls from council office asking if they plan to sell cookies.
- December 7, 2011 - Board “listening session” New information presented included
* Suggested engineering alternatives for the C/H Lower Dam , alternatives to swimming pools.
* Suggested low-cost, effective program ideas
* Ideas for organizing volunteers, many of which proven effective by the Friends groups.
* Discrepancy in cost estimates from $ 2 million - $30 million is a problem
* Delegates continue to be misled by the $30 million dollar figure.
Board member Chris Scala asks two delegates why they are bothering since the property decision was made long ago
- December 10, 2011 - Requested arbitration from GSUSA
- December 12, 2011 - Joan Villarreal announces that no new ideas were presented at the listening session, board will proceed with sales.
Council sends out Request For Proposals for camp properties to potential buyers
- December 13, 2011 - Camp supporters begin public campaign to raise money for legal action
- December 24, 2011 - Akron Beacon Journal prints a front page story on the rift in council, focusing on businessman Guy Renkert, whose family
- December 28, 2011 - Joan Villarreal responds with a letter justifying camp sales because of the $18.8 million it will take to repair them
- Jan- March 2012 -Some individual troops choose to boycott cookie sales
Cadette troop 71289 of Cleveland Hts.
$30,000 raised for legal fund - Litigator hired
- March 12, 2012 - Derivitive Action on behalf of the members of GSNEO filed in Carroll County
- March 21, 2012 - Case transferred to Summit County
- April 17. 2012 - Leaders report staff have told them they are not allowed to discuss camp closures or pending lawsuit
- April 21, 2012 - General Assembly meeting
Consent amendment re-introduced, gains majority vote, but not required 2/3
Amendment to clarify voting role of Board Development Committee also failed
- April 22, 2012 - Closing Ceremony for Camp Pleasant Valley
- April 30, May 1, May 16 - Hearing for preliminary injunction, Judge Richard Reinbold presiding
- May 2, 2012 - Fundraiser derailed by someone claiming to be “Joan from Girl Scout council”
- May 24, 2012 - Injunction denied
- June 5, 2012 - Board votes to retain Great Trail Camp – following Guy Renkert’s testimony
- June 8, 2012 - Trial date set for September 5
- September 26, 2012 - Court grants board motion for summary judgment ( dismissal of case)
- September 23, 2012 - Closing Ceremony Camp Crowell Hilaka under protest.
- September 30, 2012 - Closing Ceremony Camp Lejnar – under protest
- October 20, 2012 - 2012 annual meeting
Motions to permit the nominations were denied
General Assembly required to continue voting for board members even after the necessary vacancies were filled. Had Assembly
members refrained from further voting, it would have permitted a small minority still willing to cast ballots to elect a board member.
- November 15,2012 - Retirement of CEO Dr. Daisy Alford Smith
- December 2012 - Appeal filed
- January 2013 - GSNEO board response to appeal – position unchanged
- January 12, 2013 - Town Hall meeting
- December 2012 – March 2013 - Cookie Boycott- “Support the GIRLS in Girl Scouting: skip the cookies, donate cash directly to troops”.
decisions of the council that affect them
- February 2013 - Delegates submit New Proposals to Board - Denied &
