Annual Meeting

You Are Here : Home : About Us : Council Operations : Annual Meeting

Annual Meeting 2011

On Saturday, April 30, Regional Delegates, Board Development Committee Members, Board Members and other interested members met at AT&T's beautiful San Ramon office complex and:

Heard reports from me, our Treasurer (Carolyn Worth), our Property Task Group Chair (Ellen Richey) and some amazing girls:
- Sarah, who described her Gold Award project and the thousands of blankets she has inspired others to help make for foster children;
- Andie, who shared how she's sold over 3,000 boxes of cookies each year and the travel she has been able to experience as a result; and
- Mackenzie, who participates in a Girl Scouts after school astronomy program and shared with us both how the program has opened her eyes to science and how being a Girl Scout for the past two years has helped her become a better person.
Elected a slate of Board Members, Board Development Committee members and National Council Delegates and Alternate:
- Board and Board Development Committee members.
- National Council Delegates and Alternates.
Amended the Bylaws Click here for our current Bylaws as amended
Discussed GSNorCal's next three year strategic plan. We spent a lot of time on this topic and received lots of great input from the meeting participants. As referenced in previous updates from our CEO, found online here, we are using the GSUSA model of "strategic learning" which engages a "Strategic Learning Team" of 25 Board Members, volunteers, community members and staff in an in-depth process of discovery and strategic learning that began in January. The Strategic Learning Team identified 5 key priorities for our next three year plan (October 1, 2011 - September 30, 2014). Our Board further refined these priorities based on input from members at the Annual Meeting:
Mission Delivery: Align recruiting, troop development, program and outdoor experiences, volunteer resources and communications to achieve the national program outcomes and sustainable membership growth goals.
Volunteerism: Make Girl Scouts of Northern California a great place to volunteer, and increase the number of effective and satisfied volunteers, with an emphasis on recruitment and resources, including training and support.
Diversity and Inclusion: Engage all parts of the Girl Scout community to deliver a relevant, sustainable Girl Scout Leadership Experience for girls in Northern California's diverse communities. Focus on Latina girls and their families as one of the largest, fastest growing populations within our council's jurisdiction.
Alumnae: Leverage Girl Scouts' 100th Anniversary to establish Alumnae as an engaged and growing source of volunteers and financial support.
Financial Strength: Establish a strong financial foundation with prudent liquid assets (cash and investments) and growing revenue sources, with operations and properties aligned with strategic priorities.

The Strategic Learning Team met for a final time in mid-May, 2011 (for two days) and began the important work of getting from idea to action, passing the baton to GSNorCal staff members who will continue to refine the plan. At the conclusion of this final meeting, our Board President, Woody Shackleton, announced that he and his wife are donating $50,000 to Girl Scouts of Northern California to be used to help fund implementation of these strategic priorities, with

"Special thanks to the volunteers, board members, staff and community leaders who contributed so much to building a revised aggressive Strategic Plan to serve the girls of Northern California!"

The Shackletons' generous gift will help us build the capacity to achieve our goals.

Next steps will include bringing a draft plan to the Board at its July meeting, meeting with members and Regional Delegates for input during September, refining the plan based on input and then presenting the final plan to the Board at its November meeting. So, stay tuned, there will be much more information coming out this fall.