“100 for the 100th” - Girl Scouts of Virginia Skyline Council

The Skyline
FALL 2012 – WINTER 2013
What's inside…
Governance ........................................1
Gold Awards........................................2
Silver Awards ......................................4
Bronze Awards ...................................5
Troop News .........................................6
GS Communities Corner ..................10
Volunteer Recognitions ...................14
Fund Development ............................17
Programs .............................................18
Cookie Sale ..........................................20
Nut & Candy Sale ...............................21
Archives ...............................................22
Skyline Adventurers .........................23
Skyline Shop .......................................24
Annual Meeting ..............center insert
on
the cover…
(clockwise, from top right)
Girl Scouts from Senior Troop 2041, Jefferson Forest SU,
participate in an Arbor Day tree planting.
Daisy Troop 1938, Spotswood SU, poses proudly in front of 265
pairs of jeans they collected.
Christiansburg Troops 604 and 688 collect donations for a pet
clinic for “100 in the 100th”.
Congrats to all
ofouradultrecognition
award winners! Especially
Donna Holden and Patti
Gardner for attaining the Thanks
Badge — and Renee Mahon for
achieving the Honor Pin!
Check out all of our
victors on p. 15.
“When I applied
to travel to Our Chalet,
the Girl Scout World Center
in Switzerland, and Germany and
France with t he Adventurers this
summer, I thought it might be fun to
go somewhere different. I had no idea
that my expectations would be blown
away and this trip would far exceed
my wildest dreams.”
Kelsey Burchett on p. 24
More value for
the way you live.
governance
(left to right)
Board of Directors
Chair HelenRuth
Burch and GSVSC
CEO Jean Ann
Hughes
What is governance?
Governance is the responsibility of the board of directors.
It is the establishment of policy and the decision on or
resolution of any major issue affecting the council. The
board is the only policy-making body in the council and
cannot delegate its duties to any other group. The day-today
operations of the council are carried out under the
direction of the chief executive officer, Jean Ann Hughes,
who is responsible to the board of directors. Daily operations
result in the achievement of the yearly operating objectives
adopted by the board. Board Chair HelenRuth Burch and
CEO Jean Ann Hughes work in partnership to ensure that
Virginia Skyline is the best council it can be.
How do I get involved?
You have a chance to influence the decisions of the
board of directors by participating in the Open Council
Dialogue meetings (see our website for dates under
Who We Are, Governance). You can talk with and give
input to the board of directors on issues of importance
to the entire council. This year, the agenda for the Open
Council Dialogue meeting includes discussions on the
changes in our bylaws that impact the way we elect
delegates and the impact of charging a service fee along
with the GSUSA membership fee.
You can also be elected a delegate by your service
unit/community or at-large group. You become voting
members of the corporation with the responsibility of
helping generate the flow of information between the
board of directors and the membership. This position
is extremely important and involves a commitment of
time and study. Delegates must attend at least one Open
Council Dialogue meeting and be well-informed on issues
being discussed by those they will be representing at the
annual council meeting in January.
Membership Voice Committee
The Membership Voice Committee is made up of
volunteers from all parts of the council. It is the
communication link between volunteers and the board of
directors. They chair the Open Council Dialogue meetings,
train delegates and encourage service units/communities
to participate in the governance. To voice your ideas or
concerns, contact them at: mvc@gsvsc.org.
$12 Membership Fee + Council Service Fee?
We want to hear your opinion about the Council Service Fee
proposal. At the National Convention in October 2011, the
National Council approved a proposal that makes it possible
for councils to add a Council Service Fee to the Annual
National Membership Dues ($12 per year per member).
The annual National Membership Dues go directly to Girl
Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) to pay for services provided
by GSUSA. The Council Service Fee (paid only for girls, not
adult volunteers) would stay in Virginia Skyline to be used
for items in the council budget that directly affect girls
and adults. The Virginia Skyline Council Board of Directors
determines whether the council will implement the Council
Service Fee and how much the fee would be.
The Council Service Fee would help our council have more
money to provide services to volunteers and girls. Before
this decision is made, however, we need to look at all the
implications: Will adding to the National Membership dues
be a hardship for families? Will having a Council Service Fee
affect our fundraising efforts? What will the impact be on
membership retention and recruitment?
Parents and volunteers can give us input by completing a
short online survey. To participate in this survey, please go to:
www.surveymonkey.com/s/CouncilServiceFee.
Board
of directors
members
attend a
meeting
Virginia Skyline
Council Board
of Directors
If you are interested
in serving on the
board or know
someone you
think would make
a good board
member, please
contact the Board Development Committee at
boarddevelopment@gsvsc.org.
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