Realignment


	Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes Council Website Message Regarding Manitou Council January 18, 2008 Link to Girl Scout's Core Business Strategy Web site This link provides you with further information about the national Core Business Strategy. It will also give you the opportunity to link to additional sites with the following topics: Facts Program & Uniform Questions Parents Volunteers REALIGNMENT INFORMATION Over the last three years the Girl Scout organization has conducted a comprehensive review of our business with a membership-wide team of council CEOs, volunteers, GSUSA staff and girls nationwide. Through that extensive review, we determined that realigning our councils will allow us to provide a consistent Girl Scout experience that builds courage, confidence and character in girls so that they may make the world a better place. The Girl Scout organization is very proud of the work we are doing in a diverse environment committed to meeting the needs of girls - the hallmark of the Girl Scout organization for nearly 95 years. Members of Girl Scouts of Birch Trails area who attended the Association Meeting on April 26, 2006, received an update on the realignment of councils, part of the GSUSA Core Strategies. Please review this update (PDF) and send any questions, concerns or comments to the realignment mailbox. This mailbox will be monitored by Mary Radke, CEO of Girl Scouts of Birch Trails Council, who will respond with the most up-to-date information available. We welcome your enthusiasm and involvement in this important time for the Girl Scout movement! The National Board has approved a new Girl Scout council map that features 109 Girl Scout Councils. This infrastructure will create the organization which will have the greatest impact on girls’ lives nationwide. In our region, Girl Scouts of Birch Trails WI, Inc. will join with five other Girl Scout councils to form one new, high-capacity council for north central Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. The councils that will join with us include: Girl Scouts of The Fox River Area, Inc. (Appleton); Girl Scouts of Indian Waters Council, Inc. (Eau Claire); Girl Scouts of Lac Baie Council, Inc. (Green Bay); Girl Scouts of Peninsula Waters, Inc. (Marquette, MI) and Girl Scouts of Woodland Council, Inc. (Wisconsin Rapids). The process of aligning these councils began in April 2007. The realignment is expected to take about 18 months to complete with the new configuration resulting in a strengthened Girl Scout presence in the region. Chris Olsen, the council Board Chair and Mary Radke, CEO attended Council Realignment Committee (CRC) training hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA. As a part of the CRC committee, they continue to give the Birch Trails Council a voice in the formation of the new council. With the combined resources of these six councils, the future for Girl Scouting in north central Wisconsin and the UP is bright and optimistic. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the process of moving Girl Scouts from good to great! We thank all Birch Trails volunteers for their hard work, dedication and commitment to girls throughout our council! Link to programs offered by Fox River, Indian Waters, Lac Baie, Peninsula & Woodland councils click Connect to Other Councils . Q: What will happen during realignment? A: Following the local Boards of Directors approval of the proposed changes in jurisdiction, a Council Realignment Committee (CRC) was appointed. This committee includes all CEO's and board chairs from the merging councils. The committee, working with many active subcommittees, will establish council structure and policies, define delivery systems, integrate program and camping opportunities and integrate databases. The committee may also establish the staff structure, hiring plans, and personnel policies. They may select the cookie company and other vendors. Decisions about the search for the new CEO will be made by members of the CRC. In some cases, the newly elected board of the corporation will be given the authority to make some of these decisions on behalf of the new council. Q: Where does the work of the CRC end and the work of the new council begin? A: This process can be compared to the building of a new house. It is the job of the CRC to design the house, put in the foundation, and do the framing work. It is the job of the newly formed council to select all interior elements and do all the finish work. Q: What will happen to our Program Center? Where will the headquarters be? A: The job of selecting the headquarters location is the responsibility of either the CRC or the newly elected Board of Directors. In either case, the selection of the office headquarters needs to be based on the agreed-upon vision for the new council. Successful operating structures will require multiple satellite office locations and creative service delivery models. Q: What will be happening to our camp property and programs? A: Decisions about camp properties and other assets will be made later in the realignment process. Q: What can volunteers do between now and then? A: The best thing volunteers can do while we are "waiting to realign" is focus on expanding membership within all existing jurisdictions. This will create additional strength for the merger work that lies ahead. For most of our volunteers and girls it will be business as usual. Our transformation should not interrupt the Girl Scout experience but should strengthen our capacity to serve girls better. Q: Are our resources going to be strained to shore up any weak councils with which we will be joined? A: All of the councils involved in our realignment are strong. All are serving girls above the national market share average. All have done well on their most recent Council Performance Assessments. Many are bringing beautiful camp properties and other assets to our new council. Check out all the amazing things happening in the other councils we will be joining. Girl Scouts of Fox River Area, Inc. http://www.gsfra.org Girl Scouts of Indian Waters, Inc. http://www.gsiwc.org Girl Scouts of Lac Baie Council, Inc. http://www.lacbaiegirlscouts.org Girl Scouts of Woodland Council, Inc. http://www.woodgsc.org Girl Scout Council of Peninsula Waters, Inc. http://www.gspw.org

Girl Scouts of Northwestern Great Lakes Council Website

Message Regarding Manitou Council
January 18, 2008

Link to Girl Scout's Core Business Strategy Web site

This link provides you with further information about the national Core Business Strategy. It will also give you the opportunity to link to additional sites with the following topics:

Facts
Program & Uniform Questions
Parents
Volunteers

REALIGNMENT INFORMATION

Over the last three years the Girl Scout organization has conducted a comprehensive review of our business with a membership-wide team of council CEOs, volunteers, GSUSA staff and girls nationwide. Through that extensive review, we determined that realigning our councils will allow us to provide a consistent Girl Scout experience that builds courage, confidence and character in girls so that they may make the world a better place. The Girl Scout organization is very proud of the work we are doing in a diverse environment committed to meeting the needs of girls - the hallmark of the Girl Scout organization for nearly 95 years.

Members of Girl Scouts of Birch Trails area who attended the Association Meeting on April 26, 2006, received an update on the realignment of councils, part of the GSUSA Core Strategies. Please review this update (PDF) and send any questions, concerns or comments to the realignment mailbox. This mailbox will be monitored by Mary Radke, CEO of Girl Scouts of Birch Trails Council, who will respond with the most up-to-date information available. We welcome your enthusiasm and involvement in this important time for the Girl Scout movement!

The National Board has approved a new Girl Scout council map that features 109 Girl Scout Councils. This infrastructure will create the organization which will have the greatest impact on girls’ lives nationwide.

In our region, Girl Scouts of Birch Trails WI, Inc. will join with five other Girl Scout councils to form one new, high-capacity council for north central Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. The councils that will join with us include: Girl Scouts of The Fox River Area, Inc. (Appleton); Girl Scouts of Indian Waters Council, Inc. (Eau Claire); Girl Scouts of Lac Baie Council, Inc. (Green Bay); Girl Scouts of Peninsula Waters, Inc. (Marquette, MI) and Girl Scouts of Woodland Council, Inc. (Wisconsin Rapids).

The process of aligning these councils began in April 2007. The realignment is expected to take about 18 months to complete with the new configuration resulting in a strengthened Girl Scout presence in the region. Chris Olsen, the council Board Chair and Mary Radke, CEO attended Council Realignment Committee (CRC) training hosted by Girl Scouts of the USA. As a part of the CRC committee, they continue to give the Birch Trails Council a voice in the formation of the new council.

With the combined resources of these six councils, the future for Girl Scouting in north central Wisconsin and the UP is bright and optimistic. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the process of moving Girl Scouts from good to great! We thank all Birch Trails volunteers for their hard work, dedication and commitment to girls throughout our council!

Link to programs offered by Fox River, Indian Waters, Lac Baie, Peninsula & Woodland councils click Connect to Other Councils .

Q: What will happen during realignment?

A: Following the local Boards of Directors approval of the proposed changes in jurisdiction, a Council Realignment Committee (CRC) was appointed. This committee includes all CEO's and board chairs from the merging councils. The committee, working with many active subcommittees, will establish council structure and policies, define delivery systems, integrate program and camping opportunities and integrate databases. The committee may also establish the staff structure, hiring plans, and personnel policies. They may select the cookie company and other vendors. Decisions about the search for the new CEO will be made by members of the CRC. In some cases, the newly elected board of the corporation will be given the authority to make some of these decisions on behalf of the new council.

Q: Where does the work of the CRC end and the work of the new council begin?

A: This process can be compared to the building of a new house. It is the job of the CRC to design the house, put in the foundation, and do the framing work. It is the job of the newly formed council to select all interior elements and do all the finish work.

Q: What will happen to our Program Center? Where will the headquarters be?

A: The job of selecting the headquarters location is the responsibility of either the CRC or the newly elected Board of Directors. In either case, the selection of the office headquarters needs to be based on the agreed-upon vision for the new council. Successful operating structures will require multiple satellite office locations and creative service delivery models.

Q: What will be happening to our camp property and programs?

A: Decisions about camp properties and other assets will be made later in the realignment process.

Q: What can volunteers do between now and then?

A: The best thing volunteers can do while we are "waiting to realign" is focus on expanding membership within all existing jurisdictions. This will create additional strength for the merger work that lies ahead. For most of our volunteers and girls it will be business as usual. Our transformation should not interrupt the Girl Scout experience but should strengthen our capacity to serve girls better.

Q: Are our resources going to be strained to shore up any weak councils with which we will be joined?

A: All of the councils involved in our realignment are strong. All are serving girls above the national market share average. All have done well on their most recent Council Performance Assessments. Many are bringing beautiful camp properties and other assets to our new council.

Check out all the amazing things happening in the other councils we will be joining.

Girl Scouts of Fox River Area, Inc.
http://www.gsfra.org

Girl Scouts of Indian Waters, Inc.
http://www.gsiwc.org

Girl Scouts of Lac Baie Council, Inc.
http://www.lacbaiegirlscouts.org

Girl Scouts of Woodland Council, Inc.
http://www.woodgsc.org

Girl Scout Council of Peninsula Waters, Inc.
http://www.gspw.org