28 October 2008
Convention Chat
Posted by admin under: Girl Scout Reorganization; policies .
Yes, it is time for the Girl Scouts of the USA National Council Session and 51st Convention. But how will you know what is going on? Even before the delegates begin registering at noon on Wednesday the discussion has already begun over at the online forums. Topics currently are: Live from the 2008 Convention, Let’s Talk, 2008 Proposals, Open Space, and Frequently Asked Questions. Registration is easy and you can put your two cents into the mix. Neat-o. I just saw that all of the proposals to be voted on this year are posted at these forums. There’s already been serious action regarding geographical representation at the national level. Cool. Let’s get seriously wonkish. I’ve kind of picked up on a rumor that some girls have been part of a test to let them sign up as very short term Girl Scouts (like 1 month or 1 event). This is part of Proposal 6 open for debate and voting at this convention. I like the discussion going on regarding it. It sounds like the delegates are really trying to think it through.
I told my delegates I would not have a problem with this one if the minimum membership remains 1 yr. I see a trend with the Pathways and Journeys, one that seemed to be encouraged with the “Every Girl, Every Where” campaign: that of encouraging registration for single events and/or day camps, calling those girls “Girl Scouts”, and forgetting about them the rest of the year. I have a BIG problem with that. Not only does it de-value the commitment of the girls who participate in troops, but it short-changes the girls who go to those events. If all they are seeing of the GS program is one or two events and possibly a product sale, have they really been exposed to the core values of GS enough to begin to incorporate them into their daily lives? I don’t think so. In my opinion, that trend turns us into little more than a flashy after-school program. Girl Scouts was meant to be, and can be, so much more than that!
On a practical note: considering the difficulty we have getting adult volunteers now, I can’t see that adding a bunch of girls without accountable adults is a wise move. I know that one of the “selling points” of the Journeys and Pathways is that it is supposed to be attractive to adults who only want to have limited involvement. As a troop leader, I know it’s hard enough to get my troop adults to commit to helping at one meeting, or driving to one event. I can’t see them jumping at the chance to run a week-long program. My question then becomes: who will take on these girls after the event is over? Are they incorporated into existing troops, many of which are already at the limits of Safety-Wise and their leader’s sanity? Are they left in the care of our over-worked council staff? If so, will councils have to create another staff position to monitor these girls? And really, how good of a program can a girl get from just doing a few scattered events? Then there is the question of product sales. Will these girls be allowed to participate? If so, what happens to the “troop profit” from their sales? How will these girls be able to access those funds? Who will keep track of the “who”s and “how much”s?
I’m all for flexibility, but not at the expense of providing quality programming. I have several girls in my troops who regularly take a sports season off, and then return to the troop, and I have no problem with that. I believe it improves the quality of the troop because those girls are bringing back additional experience with team-work and cooperation to the troop’s activities. It also shows girls that it does not have to be an either/or proposition. They can be involved in a variety of activities, and truly have the chance to find out which ones matter to them the most. And isn’t that one of the goals of Girl Scouts: to encourage and enable our girls to discover their own interests and talents?
Again: I don’t mind allowing for more membership categories as long as we are not just adding numbers without providing adequate program or oversight. From what I’ve seen, those questions have yet to be answered. Until they are, my vote will remain a “No”.
And yes, a dues increase for annual membership is on the agenda. Want to talk about it? Click on over and register!
Update: According to the last newsletter that whole topic has been withdrawn. It’s back to the drawing board on membership categories.
With respect to Proposal 6, we believe most of the delegate body supports the need to
create additional membership categories. We understand that some delegates did not
feel they could take action without a concrete plan, so we have decided to withdraw
this proposal. We will develop new membership categories in partnership with councils.
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