STATUS
Approved by the Board of Directors of Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana at their January 29, 2019 meeting and sent to other boards on February 13th, 2019.
SUBMITTED BY
Marty Woelfel of Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana
STATEMENT OF TOPIC, QUESTION, OR ISSUE
A Movement-wide Property Strategy deserves the attention of the National Council as a discussion topic. Discussion might include but not be limited to the following:
- Advantages and disadvantages of council ownership of properties to support the Outdoor and STEM Program Pillars, the outdoor skills badges and Journey, STEM badges and Journeys, environmental sciences badges and Journeys, and outdoor adventure programs
- Advantages and disadvantages of council ownership of properties to house Girl Scout council offices
- The viability of various alternatives to owning properties and ways to partner with other property owners (both public and private) to provide a girls-only program location needed for Girl Scout outdoor and STEM programming
- Ways to leverage property access and/or ownership to support Outdoor and STEM programs into local fund development efforts
- Ways to pursue turning outdoor properties into public lands and/or lands purchased by non-profits but available for Girl Scout use for those councils forced to sell camp properties due to financial considerations
- The advisability of a national registry of Girl Scout properties to aid traveling troops who may wish to use council properties while traveling
- The types of support needed from GSUSA for councils to offer exciting outdoor and adventure programming at council-owned or managed properties and in other locations not owned or managed by Girl Scout entities
- Whether GSUSA should pursue owning or otherwise having significant access to one or more national outdoor and/or STEM properties as part of a national effort to better attract and retain older girls in Girl Scouting
REASONS
Within the past few years, GSUSA has announced that STEM and Outdoors are now two of the four program pillars of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience and important in the development of girls to be go-getters, innovators, risk-takers, and leaders (G.I.R.L.) This follows recent development of Outdoor and STEM Journeys and badges since the Outdoor Program discussion at the 2014 National Council Session identified outdoor programming as essential to our national brand. However, offering excellent outdoor and STEM programming in a girl-only environment requires property and other financial resources which are expensive to develop and maintain. As a result, financial pressures have forced some Girl Scout councils to sell properties, a process which is always controversial at best and which has caused significant divisions and discord between council memberships and their boards of directors. A national strategic discussion regarding how best to approach property ownership, the purposes of property ownership, alternatives to property ownership, and the support needed for providing outdoor and STEM programs is needed to guide the development of a National Property Strategy to support the recent program initiatives in STEM and Outdoors.
This strategic discussion should be preceded with providing National Council members data and information on the “current state” of any National Property Strategy and any advice or direction given by GSUSA to councils regarding property ownership and use. This information about the current state needs to include a brief historical perspective on changes in the last 10 years as well as current national resources (personnel, funding, services to councils, etc.) dedicated to properties. Such data and information should be provided to National Council members well in advance of the 2020 National Council Session to inform the discussion.
For those who don’t know, it appears that GSUSA is hiring a Vice President of Property Strategy. Here is a link, active as of 1/9/2019, to the position description: https://www.glassdoor.com/job-listing/vice-president-of-property-strategy-girl-scouts-of-the-usa-JV_IC1132348_KO0,35_KE36,58.htm?jl=3049377165
In case that link is removed, I’m “cutting and pasting” the entire position description and posting it here for future reference. Some of the formatting will be lost, unfortunately. Here it is:
“The Vice President of Property Strategy oversees the Movement’s property strategy, leveraging the more than 112,000 acres of Girl Scout properties and outdoor space to sustainably advance the mission of Girl Scouts; get girls outside; build and strengthen partnerships with like-minded organizations; and maximize the value of Movement assets.
**Please upload a cover letter and resume to be considered for this role**
You Are:
A thought partner and relationship builder
An expert and decision-maker on property strategy
A strategic planner with a demonstrated track record of management and delivery of a progressive strategy within a matrixed environment
A creative problem-solver and consensus-builder who can deftly manage competing expectations and creatively uses resources to deliver
You Will:
Design, lead, and oversee execution of the national property strategy with a focus on leveraging Movement-wide property assets to advance the mission and goals of Girl Scouting.
Evaluate inventory of existing properties and provide strategic recommendations and national approaches to sustainability and strategic use.
Identify and prioritize opportunities to drive revenue growth and property utilization.
Develop partnerships to encourage use of outdoor spaces and to increase nationwide use of camps by members and by external partners.
Be a strategic partner to Girl Experience, Volunteer & Service Delivery, and Family Engagement colleagues in the creation of programming that enhances use of existing properties and inspires girls and families to join and stay in Girl Scouts.
Utilize technology, marketing, and communications to encourage councils and like-minded partners to take full advantage of Movement-wide properties.
Partner with key colleagues across GSUSA to advance the STEM Pledge, Girl Scouts’ ambitious multiyear initiative to put 2.5 million girls through our hands-on STEM programs by 2025.
Serve as a national thought partner to councils in the development of local property strategies guided by Movement strategy.
Sustain momentum of a network of council staff with property strategy responsibilities in order to garner and share best practices of property resources.
Partner with Fund Development to create grant proposals that result in funding for the national property strategy.
Establish benchmark milestones with Girl Scout Research Institute to measure the effectiveness of the property strategy and its outputs.
Partner with Marketing and Communications to increase awareness of the properties that serve girls, volunteers, councils and outside organizations.
You Need:
A Bachelor’s degree required in related field or equivalent relevant experience, Master’s or advanced degree/certification in education or youth development a plus.
10+ years in commercial real estate management and strategy development.
A proven track record of preserving, enhancing, and monetizing properties to advance the goals and mission of an organization.
Demonstrated understanding of commercial real estate strategies to support property sustainability and encourage increased use of properties.
Experience working within a federated environment and demonstrated examples of successfully leading enterprise-wide business initiatives.
Proven experience in scaling strategies and tactics.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including communicating complex information with clarity to diverse audiences.
Demonstrated experience utilizing Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Outlook, PowerPoint & Excel.
More about the role:
This is a full-time position. Days and hours of work Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.
Travel 30%, involving day trips, overnight travel or weekends, when required.
Girl Scouts of the USA is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a veteran, and basis of disability or any other federal, state or local protected class.”
Some thoughts: I don’t believe that Girl Scout camps need to be money-makers. I believe they are crucial for the girls of today and tomorrow too, and crucial to Outdoor Education, STEM, Outdoor badges, and other Programs of Girl Scouting.
We must protect these vital properties. They are more than just assets, to be sold without thought. They have a deep meaning to Girl Scouts. If they must be sold (and this would be a last resort), they should be sold to like-minded groups that will preserve them, and not destroy them. Because Girl Scouts care about the earth and about wild places.
I really do think that these things would be GREAT to discuss. Personally, I believe that we must protect and save our remaining Girl Scout Camps if we can.
Why? Our camps are needed for the new Outdoor Journey, Skills badges, learning Leadership in the Outdoors, STEM, and much more. Our Founder knew of the value of Outdoor Education. Research shows that girls DO want to get outdoors. And Girl Scout camps are needed for this, and are set up for this. The girls need them. All Girl Scouts need them. The whole world needs them. We must have focused support for them.
Our camps are an important part of our Mission to the girls. Also, we need our remaining green spaces, and our remaining trees. We need to remember this when talking about them and making plans.
I think having a Girl Scout in this position who knows about Outdoor Education, camping, and our More than S’mores study, has been a Trainer or has gone to camp themselves would be a great idea. They need to appreciate our wonderful camps and know that they are precious in so many ways.
The value of our Girl Scout camps is well known by Girl Scouts of all ages. I hope that the new VP of Property Strategy loves them like the Girl Scout Members do.
Because Girl Scouting is not just about money. It is about having a heart for nature.
Devastating news that Girl Scout councils (or at least Girl Scouts of the Missouri Heartland) are having to make hard tradeoff decisions between camps that are a critical aspect of the Girl Scout leadership program – or funding membership/recruitment staff.
https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/local_news/girl-scout-council-closes-on-camp-mintahama-sale/article_34ee3db4-4522-542c-bb42-291f6acd367a.html
“GSMH will be able to shift budgeted dollars and staff time to membership support and recruitment.”
How involved were GSMH members in the attempts to “find a sustainable solution to managing our property portfolio while maintaining our fiscal responsibilities”?
“Anne Soots, chief executive officer of GSMH, said at the time that the sale was announced that the council had “tried for 10 years to find a sustainable solution to managing our property portfolio while maintaining our fiscal responsibilities. The fact is fewer than 10 percent of our girl membership attends resident camps.”
What can/should GS membership nationally be doing about this trend?
I think this proposal – Discussing a national property strategy at the 2020 National Council Session can be one step in a multi-prong national membership response.