Governance, Grassroots, and GSG

This is just a quick hit (plus further commentary, of course) to let you know there are now two new tutorials on the GirlScoutGovernance.com (GSG) website:  the National Delegate and Council Delegate primers.

The National Delegate Primer features articles that cover the basics when it comes to the National Council Session and what you need to know as a National Delegate.  Some councils offer very little in the way of National Delegate orientation, so perhaps this will fill in those gaps.  And even if your council offers superb training, you’ll still benefit from reading the articles.  They were written by volunteers who have served as National Delegates at some point or another, so they’re going to have a unique perspective that you’re not going to get in a council orientation.

The Council Delegate Primer covers more of an overview of general concepts since governance systems vary by council.  It includes information about topics such as governance documents, how to read council finances, and council governance players, just to name a few.  Unfortunately, some councils’ leadership do not view their delegates as an integral part of the council and orientation is lacking – if there’s any at all.  So like with the National Delegate primer, perhaps this will help those out there who really need it and serve as an additional resource for everyone.  Originally I started a section on this blog called Delegate Duties that I had planned on building up as the years went on, but it’s found a home on GSG and does a much more thorough job there than I could have done here.  I will eventually add a link to the corresponding GSG article at the top of those blog posts indicating where readers can find a better version. 

There’s also a primer on Parliamentary Procedure that you might find helpful.  It includes a walk-through of how Proposal 3 played out at the 2017 National Council Session to give you an idea of what it looks like in action.

Now, if you’re still reading at this point, you might be thinking governance is one of the most boring topics out there.  But I can’t stress its importance enough.  As I’ve said before, the fact that the democratic process is falling by the wayside in Girl Scouting is detrimental to this organization’s health whether its due to council leadership interference or volunteer apathy or both.  If you’re so inclined and want to take your volunteer experience to the next level, I highly suggest you take the time to educate yourself via these GSG primers.  It’ll be worth it.  And whether you’re just starting the delegate journey or have been on the road for a while, start with this article to get you going.  And please forward the primers and GSG website out to other volunteers because going the grassroots route is about the only way we have to get our message out there.  GSG can serve as that vehicle for both delegates and non-delegates alike with no worries about interference since it’s run by volunteers.

Stay tuned over the summer for more National Governance fun leading up to the now virtual National Council Session!