Surveys, Rogues, and Signs

Here are just a few random thoughts about some subjects that wouldn’t necessarily take up a whole blog post, but they do deserve some mention before I go into my upcoming EPIC RANT!  Rawr!

First, it’s time again for the annual Voices Count GSUSA Survey!  ::throws confetti everywhere::  Our council supposedly requested 100% adult and girl participation, but apparently this request was ignored and they were just randomly sent out instead.  My oldest daughter received one, but neither my youngest nor I did.  But that didn’t stop me!  Nope!  I requested a survey by sending an email to GSVoicesCount@girlscouts.org, and after a few days, I got one.  But before I filled mine out, I cajoled my oldest daughter into taking hers.  I won’t go into the drama.  Gotta love the tween years.  I figured it’d be the same confusing survey written at an adult level like what’s been sent out year after year.  In fact, I wrote (aka complained) about it last year and suggested creating different surveys for leaders, parents, and girls.

BUT LO AND BEHOLD, it was NOT THE SAME!  My daughter’s survey was ACTUALLY WRITTEN FOR GIRLS.  And she understood it!  ::faints::  WILL WONDERS NEVER CEASE?  Dance, puppets!  ::cough:: I mean, bravo, GSUSA – You Are Listening!  Now how about a survey for delegates?  🙂

And now the buzzkill!  The Farthest North Girl Scout Council (or as I like to affectionately call them, the rogue council) of Fairbanks, Alaska is suing GSUSA over the latest membership fee increase!  Read all about it here!  While they aren’t the first council to have ever sued GSUSA, they are the first and only ones to push back on the membership increases starting with the one from a few years ago.  Badass Farthest North CEO Suellen Nelles (author of the white paper that got everybody up in arms almost two years ago) asserts that the GSUSA Board does not have the authority to raise membership dues.  I’ll be following this case with interest, because I was under the impression that the national council delegates handed the authority over to the National Board at the 2008 National Convention.  Way to go, delegates.  ::slow sarcastic clap::  (Addendum 6/24/17:  I was wrong and I apologize.  For shame National Board).  There was some discussion in the “Girl Scouts of Tradition: Our Quest to Restore Sanity” Facebook group as to what this proposal exactly entailed, but it doesn’t look like anybody really understood what the final result was or what it meant.  Damn people, do I have to figure this out too?  I can’t do everything!  😉  Although my friends won’t believe me, I don’t have the Blue Book memorized, so I’ll let Suellen Nelles and her Rogue Crew handle it on the national level.  I’m assuming if they are moving forward with a lawsuit, then they know what’s going on.

Addendum 7/9/17:  I did delve into this further.  And even further.  And down the rabbit hole I go.

On a completely non-GSUSA note, check out what was found in storage recently!  No, not THAT storage.  We’re still trying to get that one opened.

This vintage sign was once used at the entrance of WaBak and designed by Stoney Faulkner, one of the first Equestrian Directors at camp.  Additionally, each unit had its own similar sign featuring one of these figures:

Thanks for the backstory, Lois!  But alas, the unit signs were not found with the yellow one.  But wouldn’t all of this make a great retro t-shirt or patch design?  Hint, hint. 🙂