May 4 2021

If You Can’t Beat ‘Em, Yank Their Charter

National Governance    20 Comments    , , , ,

I’ll just leave this right here:

Update from National Board and CEO

Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) remains wholeheartedly committed to building girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place. GSUSA issues charters to over 100 local Girl Scout councils to bring our powerful mission to life with Girl Scouts throughout the country. The charters and our Girl Scout governing documents in the Blue Book of Basic Documents provide rights and obligations for local councils. While the chartering process is an internal Girl Scout business matter, good governance is the foundation of our organization’s ability to deliver on our mission—helping girls realize their biggest dreams and full potential. As such, GSUSA takes this process very seriously and conducts a thorough annual review of each council’s adherence to its charter obligations.  

After much careful deliberation and several years of offering support to the council, today GSUSA sent the Farthest North Girl Scout Council a notice of potential non-issuance regarding the council’s charter, which is due to expire on June 30, 2021. Because Farthest North disputes GSUSA’s position, GSUSA also filed litigation in New York today to confirm the charter process and obligations regarding Farthest North.

It’s important to note that while Girl Scouts is working through its internal governance processes, Farthest North remains responsible for providing Girl Scouting in northern Alaska. The National Board continues to encourage Farthest North to work with GSUSA to address its issues.

As girls remain at the center of all that we do, GSUSA will also work to ensure that Farthest North’s more than 200 girl members will continue to be served with Girl Scouts’ life-changing programming.

Update:  GSUSA and FN came to a settlement.

20 COMMENTS :

  2. By Bridget =) on

    Oh, that’s rich…. snatching the ball and going home. So, who upholds that these charters are delivered or rescinded? the courts or GSUSA?

    Reply ↓
  3. By anarem on

    How is taking the charter helping all the girls in Alaska, GSUSA????
    Maybe they’ll just set up their own division and use the charter fees for local girls instead…

    Reply ↓
  4. By Reality Check on

    The girls, volunteers, staff, and board of Farthest North have for years stood their ground and exemplified the “courage, confidence, and character” necessary to hold the parent organization accountable to the written word of the governing documents – to make the organization a better place – are about to become “homeless” scouts.

    The courts – the supreme court of Alaska – ruled in favor of the council and GSUSA will not accept it. Who is really honoring the Girl Scout promise and law? When we see something wrong, do not our founder’s words tell us to do what is right? Does not our mission statement tell us to stand with confidence and courage to TAKE ACTION for what is right?

    GSUSA is a bully and have effectively threatened councils, council ceos, and board members to back the organization when in fact, the courts ruled otherwise. But since the triennial meeting last fall, when the delegates gave away the last vestige of any say in the organization’s dues structure – THAT is on the delegates – succumbing to bullying is not courageous and of course, the character of those on the board and staff pulling their stunts is a disgrace to the organization.

    On the bright side, when the charter is yanked by GSUSA, another robust scouting organization in the land of the midnight sun will, I am certain welcome the scouts and volunteers.

    Reply ↓
  5. By Ann Robertson on

    Without a charter, they are no longer a Girl Scout council. Even if Farthest North tried to operate without one, they would not have access to GS materials, including the GS service mark. Most important, GSUSA would re-assign that territory, presumably to the Alaska Council.

    Reply ↓
      1. By GSWAC-Amy (Post author) on

        GSUSA has filed litigation to begin the process of taking away Farthest North’s charter.

        Reply ↓
  6. By cathyf on

    I predict that this is the next step of BSA taking over the girls who want to be scouts and the volunteers and the families.

    And GSUSA is clearly stupid enough to drive us all away!

    (What makes scouting girls Girl Scouts? That would be our history, our governing structure, our properties passed down through generations, our traditions, symbols, uniforms, our programming, our cookies. When all that’s left is the cookies, the generics at the Wal-Mart taste just as good.)

    Reply ↓
    1. By Sara B. on

      Have you seen the cost of BSA membership? If GSUSA dues are too much, those scouts and families are not going to find BSA more hospitable in the cost department.

      Reply ↓
      1. By Carrie Gravelle on

        However BSA allows fundraising that GSUSA does not and this more often than not lessens the actual cost of the BSA dues and program. This has been an issue for a very long time for GSUSA.,

        Reply ↓
      2. By cathyf on

        It’s not what the dues are, it’s who decided what the dues would be.

        (I said years ago that the best way for the membership to wrest control back from headquarters was to pass the dues increase to $25 — or even better, $26!)

        Reply ↓
      3. By Vicki on

        I’m currently paying $160 for BSA and only $35 for Girl Scouts. However In my area Boy Scouts meet weekly and camps monthly. Girl Scouts meets once a month and camps once a year… I feel like I’m getting what I pay for.

        Reply ↓
        1. By Cass on

          I meet every week and camp when. My girls ask to camp. You may need a new troop

          Reply ↓
        2. By Candy on

          I meet once a week with my girls. It’s up to the leader on how often to meet.

          Reply ↓
  8. By Tammy Adams on

    Why are they pulling out? Sorry new to the thread and trying to understand what happened…

    Reply ↓
    1. By GSWAC-Amy (Post author) on

      The Farthest North council is not pulling out. GSUSA has filed litigation to pull their charter. FN filed a lawsuit back in 2017 claiming that GSUSA was out of bounds when they raised membership dues in 2013 and 2016. FN won their case in the Alaskan Supreme Court in 2019. The case then went back down to superior court to decide how much GSUSA owes. GSUSA is still fighting the decision. Now, they are taking action to pull FN’s charter.

      Reply ↓
  9. By Lesley Czochor on

    Is there an update on this? I note Farthest North has submitted a proposal for discussion at the 2023 NCS, so apparently they’ve kept their charter?

    Reply ↓

Add a comment: