October 18 2021

Network Alignment: The Next Frontier

National Governance, National Operations, Random Things That Don't Fit Anywhere Else Kinda Like Me    2 Comments    , , , , , ,

<<Karen Layng, the National President of GSUSA, steps to the podium at the 2023 National Council Session in Orlando.>>

KL: Thank you, fellow National Delegates, for passing our most important work at this National Council Session which was raising membership dues by 50% and removing the 25% guardrail in the Blue Book to give the National Board and GSUSA complete control over membership dues with no boundaries. And now, we come to the next portion of the National Council Session to give you a status about something we’ve been laser-focused on this past decade, which is Network Alignment. Network Alignment forces… I mean… places all of our councils onto a common IT platform, whether it works or not. Yes, we’re bleeding money, and yes, membership is in crisis, but NETWORK ALIGNMENT!!!! And we are proud to say that we are finally ALL under alignment!

<<The National Council applauds.>>  Continue reading

September 23 2021

I Wrote a Strongly Worded Letter

National Operations    4 Comments    , , , , ,

Yes, believe it or not.  I did, and the recipients were the National Board, Karen Layng (our National President), and Judith Batty (our interim National CEO).  Again.  But this time, it was regarding Volunteer Systems 2.0 (or as I’ve called it in the past, CEI).  Last week, I got a wild hair and posted an open letter to the NB in the Convention Chat Facebook group basically stating that they need to get off their heinies and do something about how poorly the registration process is designed and executed in Volunteer Systems 2.0 because it’s costing us members.   It was very off-the-cuff.  I am not a big fan of open letters but I just felt like getting it off my chest.  A couple of people encouraged me to send it to the National Board office, but I declined because I felt like I’d get ignored and therefore it would be a waste of time.  The thinking was (and still is) that if council CEOs and staff are getting blown off regarding VS 2.0, then of course I would be too. Continue reading

August 28 2021

Kinda Sorta Maybe OFFICIAL Scarves!

Random Things That Don't Fit Anywhere Else Kinda Like Me    10 Comments    , , ,

If you’ve followed this blog for even a short period of time, you might have noticed that there’s some kind of weird obsession thing going on with OFFICIAL scarves.  There is a background story to it if you’re so inclined to find out what the deal is with it.  Well, I am not the only one who has an affinity for OFFICIAL scarves!  The OFFICIAL Scarf Showcase! clocks in at #12 when it comes to total views on the GSWAC (Not a Council) blog, so it’s obviously one of the more popular posts!

One of the later additions to The OFFICIAL Scarf Showcase! was a gallery of OFFICIAL scarves created by various councils.  Or are they truly OFFICIAL since they’re not released by GSUSA?   As the UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL keeper of OFFICIAL scarves, I declare they are, and they shall henceforth be known as Council’s Own OFFICIAL scarves.  So go forth and release those Council’s Own OFFICIAL scarves, councils!  You have my full blessing!  These had better not go the way of Council’s Own badges or there will be another strongly worded letter headed GSUSA’s way.  Just sayin’.  Continue reading

July 30 2021

The Very, Very, Very, Very Early Alert for the 2023 National Council Session

National Governance    3 Comments    , , , ,

Look at what just came out!  Happy birthday to me!

THE VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY EARLY ALERT FOR THE 2023 NATIONAL COUNCIL SESSION

The democratic process is an integral part of our organization’s success, and in order to conduct the important business of our Movement, the National Council comes together every three years.  Here’s a sneak preview of what you’ll be seeing at the 56th National Council Session in July of 2023!  Continue reading

July 29 2021

Trailblazers Rebooted, Part Two

Experiences as a Leader    3 Comments    , , , , , , , , , , ,

In Part One, I wrote about our new Trailblazer troop and how it’s structured and formatted.  After I started writing, I realized I needed to break out our experiences from the logistics.  This one will be about the moments we had as a troop during our first year.

I’m entering my 12th year as a Girl Scout leader. I’ve found that there have been years that I look back on with a smile, and others, not so much.  Before this past year over a two year span, there were some bright spots, but overall it was a tumultuous experience on many levels.  There were times where I started to wonder if the door on this part of my life was beginning to close and it was time for me to move on to something else.  I told myself that we’d see how the Trailblazer troop played out, and I’d make a decision about what to do after that.

Then the pandemic hit and things were thrown for a loop.  The world came to a standstill. The National Council Session turned virtual, and three years of anticipation went out the window. Things dragged on throughout the summer, and I became very bored and wrote incessantly about the upcoming NCS.  But throughout it all, I put all of my hopes in our new Trailblazer troop’s kickoff.  We leaders met in-person in August to plan the year and crossed our fingers that we’d be able to pull it off.  I really cannot say enough about my co-leaders.  We work well together and come at things from different angles, which in my opinion gives us a well-rounded approach.  Continue reading

July 22 2021

Farthest North vs. GSUSA: It’s Over. Really Really Really.

National Governance    5 Comments    , , , , , ,

What?  Could it be?

The Farthest North Girl Scout Council (Farthest North) and Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) are happy to announce they have settled their two lawsuits. The parties are excited to put these litigations behind them, and look forward to working together to deliver Girl Scouts life-changing experiences to even more girls in Northern Alaska. GSUSA welcomes Farthest North to the common technology platform and turning the page on past differences. GSUSA and Farthest North remain wholeheartedly committed to our mission and ensuring that girls in our Movement have the opportunity to realize their biggest dreams and full potential.

God bless America.  Continue reading

July 14 2021

Trailblazers Rebooted

Experiences as a Leader    7 Comments    , , , , , , , , ,

Last year, I shared news that we were about to launch a new Trailblazer troop.  Well, we’ve got one year under our belts, and it was a success!  After I started writing this, I realized I’m going to have to split this up into two separate posts.  This one will be more about the format and structure of our troop, and the second one will be our personal experiences throughout the year.  I can’t wait to write that one because there were some amazing moments that I want to share.

To give you a little bit of history, my Senior co-leader and I were attempting to figure out what to do in the Fall of 2019 because we were flailing around with our Senior girls and were struggling with a variety of issues.  During that previous summer (2019), GSUSA announced that it was reviving the Trailblazer and Mariner programs.  I read up on it and ran the idea of creating a council-wide Trailblazer troop by Cheryl because the two of us tended to run a more outdoor based program.  She said it sounded good.  We talked to our girls and told them that we were considering starting a second troop, and we wanted to get their take.  We explained that this would fill a niche in the council that was sorely needed and give other girls experiences that they wouldn’t necessarily get if their troop didn’t do outdoor activities.  They were fine with it.

I feel very strongly about the Girl Scout program offering outdoor experiences for a variety of reasons.  First of all, it’s fun.  I also believe it’s something that we as a Movement should capitalize on because it’s something not many youth organizations and activities offer.  It’s a way we can set ourselves apart.  And most importantly, multiple studies have shown that spending time outdoors offers health benefits both mentally and physically.  I don’t have to tell you that everybody spends way too much time on electronics, so unplugging and getting outside is more important than ever.  The mental health of girls depends on it.  Continue reading