National Delegates represent the membership of their councils when it comes to determining the general direction of our Movement. They vote on proposals submitted by the National Board and participate in discussions about topics listed on the National Council Session agenda. They also hear GSUSA’s stewardship report and informational speeches by the GSUSA CEO, the GSUSA Board chair; this type of information delegates are expected to take back to their councils. There are also inspirational programs such as the opening and closing ceremonies, keynote speeches, panel discussions, etc. In addition to receiving orientation from their council, National Delegates should study the proposals and workbook in advance of the National Council Session along with getting feedback from the membership of their council. Unfortunately, past experiences shows that some councils do not do a good job of educating their National Delegates, so sometimes it’s up to delegates to study their role independently.
If you are a National Delegate or thinking about becoming one, or just want to know more about our organization’s governance system, be sure to check out the National Delegate Primer.
Related articles:
A National Delegate’s Duties
What are the duties and responsibilities of a National Delegate, and how are they accomplished?
Delegates of the National Council have to be citizens of the United States, registered members, and 14 years or older.
Source: Constitution/ARTICLE IV THE NATIONAL COUNCIL/1. CORPORATION MEMBERSHIP & CONGRESSIONAL CHARTER/§ 80303. GOVERNING BODY/1.(a) National Council
National Delegates are elected or chosen by their council and serve for three years from the date of their election or until their successors are elected. This also applies to USA GS Overseas. Members of the National Board of Directors and the National Board Development Committee are members of the National Council during their term of office.
Source: Constitution in ARTICLE IV/THE NATIONAL COUNCIL/TERM FOR DELEGATES
Some national delegates are automatically delegates because of positions or offices they hold or have held at the national level. These include members of the National Board, the National Board Development Committee, and past presidents of GSUSA, and all of these can be called ex officio delegates.* USA Girl Scouts Overseas chooses delegates as specified in their governing documents.
Councils choose their national delegates as specified in their council bylaws; in many councils, there is an application process followed by election or approval by the membership at a council’s annual meeting. Regardless of the process used by a council, our national constitution requires that all national delegates be citizens of the United states who are members of the Girl Scout Movement and 14 years of age or older.
The composition of a council’s delegation varies widely among councils, partially because of differences in the total size of the council’s delegation. National delegates from councils may be girl members 14 years of age or older, operational volunteers, governance volunteers, or executive staff. Per the GSUSA Constitution, the number of executive staff may not exceed the number of volunteers in a council’s delegation. In some councils, some national delegate positions may also be ex officio delegates. For example, some council bylaws state that the board chair and/or the CEO are automatically delegates. Many councils, especially those with a large enough delegation, make a point to include girl members and operational volunteers in their delegations
*Ex officio is a parliamentary term that means “by virtue of the office.” A common misunderstanding is that ex officio members are not allowed to vote; that is true only if the governing documents such as constitution or bylaws state that the ex officio member has no vote. Per our national constitution, all national delegates, whether ex officio or elected, have full speaking and voting rights as members of the National Council.
Source: GSUSA Constitution/Article IV/Section 3 and Section 6
Related FAQ:
A council’s determined number of National Delegates is based on the number of girls it has registered as of September 30th the year before the regular session of the National Council. Each council gets a minimum of three national delegates: two delegates and then one additional delegate for up to every 3,500 girls after the first 3,500 girls.
USA Girl Scouts Overseas uses the same formula as councils.
However, the 3,500 number can be changed to make sure the total number of National Council members does not exceed 1,500. GSUSA therefore notifies councils of the total number of delegates the council is allowed.
Source: Constitution/ARTICLE IV/THE NATIONAL COUNCIL/Membership.
The GSUSA Constitution states that to be a member of the national council, one must be a citizen of the US, registered as a member of the Girl Scout Movement, and be at least 14 years of age. The Constitutional further requires that a majority of delegates must be volunteers (including but not limited to governance volunteers such as board members). Remaining delegates may be executive staff provided the number of executive staff does not exceed the number of volunteers. There is no requirement that councils select operational volunteers or girls. Many councils choose to include operational volunteers and girls 14 years of age or over as part of their delegation, but that is not a requirement. Check your council bylaws.
A council’s determined number of National Delegates is based on the number of girls it has registered as of September 30th the year before the regular session of the National Council. Each council gets a minimum of three national delegates: two delegates and then one additional delegate for up to every 3,500 girls after the first 3,500 girls.
USA Girl Scouts Overseas uses the same formula as councils.
However, the 3,500 number can be changed to make sure the total number of National Council members does not exceed 1,500. GSUSA therefore notifies councils of the total number of delegates the council is allowed.
Source: Constitution/ARTICLE IV/THE NATIONAL COUNCIL/Membership.
The membership of the National Council consists of:
- Delegates elected by Girl Scout councils who are registered through their local council
- Delegates from USA Girl Scouts Overseas
- Members of the National Board of Directors
- Members of the National Board Development Committee
- Past Presidents of Girl Scouts of the United States of America
- Other persons who are elected by the National Council
At least four-fifths of the entire body of delegates must be from local councils and from USA Girl Scouts Overseas.
Source: Constitution/ARTICLE IV/THE NATIONAL COUNCIL/Membership
The National Council elects the National Board of Directors at the National Council Session (NCS). The National Board Development Committee prepares a single slate of candidates, and there is also provision for nominees from the floor provided the board chair is provided notice and written consent of the nominee at least 48 hours prior to the published start time of the NCS meeting when the election is to be held. In between National Council sessions, the National Board has the authority to fill vacancies until the next NCS.
Source: Constitution/ARTICLE X NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS/ELECTION OF MEMBERS TERMS 3. & Constitution/ARTICLE X NATIONAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS/VACANCIES 5.
Voting is done electronically via handheld devices. Also per the NCS Workbook 2017, “the presiding officer shall be authorized to expedite business by using methods of voting other than electronic voting as the officer deems appropriate. This shall include, but not be limited to, a vote by unanimous consent, voice, show of hands, standing, and ballot.” More information is always provided in the Standing Rules of the current NCS Workbook.
If there is only one nominee for each position to be elected, then in accordance with the GSUSA Constitution, Article XII, Section 12, the nominees are elected by acclamation, which means the presiding officer declares all the nominees elected. During the National Council Session, a member may move to vote by ballot, in which case, each office would be voted on individually.
Source: 2017 Board Slate FAQ (PDF)
A single slate means that the National Board Development Committee nominates only one person for each position. This is in contrast to presenting, for example, three candidates to choose from for each position.
The single slate by the NBDC is called for by Article XII, Section 9 of the GSUSA Constitution, which states: “The committee shall present at each regular session of the National Council a single slate of nominees for: a) the President; b) the Vice Presidents; c) the Secretary; d) the Treasurer; e) members‐at‐large of the National Board of Directors; and f) members of the National Board Development Committee. No member of the National Board Development Committee shall be eligible to be nominated for any officer position. A nominee for President shall be a current member of the National Board of Directors.”
Also, in Robert’s Rules, 12th edition (see 46:11), it says, “It is usually not sound to require the committee to nominate more than one candidate for each office, since the committee can easily circumvent such a provision by nominating only one person who has any chance of being elected.” If the National Council doesn’t like the slate presented, it has the power to make nominations from the floor for any position provided that notice is given to the President and the Chair of the National Board Development Committee at least 48 hours prior to the Session starting.
Source: 2017 Board Slate Frequently Asked Questions and Constitution/ARTICLE XII NATIONAL BOARD DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE, NOMINATIONS, AND ELECTIONS/Nominations
The National Council Session is considered a formal business event, and per GSUSA guidelines found on its uniform reference page:
Girl Scouts at each level have one required element (Tunic, Sash or Vest) for the display of official pins and awards which will be required when girls participate in ceremonies or officially represent the Girl Scout Movement.
For all girls, the unifying look includes wearing a choice of a tunic, vest, sash for displaying official pins and awards, combined with their own solid white shirts, khaki pants or skirts and a scarf. For adult members the unifying look of the uniform is a Girl Scout official scarf or tie for men, worn with the official membership pins, combined with their own navy blue business attire.
No, discussion during the National Council Session is limited to the discussion topic that is published in the Workbook. There may be opportunities outside of the session in open forums if those are planned during the week.