A revised edition of the Blue Book of Basic Documents has been released based on changes recommended by the Membership Strategy Steering Committee. The following changes have been made:
Addition under Credentials/Membership Dues and Procedures for Registration:
Extended year option: New girl and adult members who sign up on or between April 1-September 30 of a membership year may elect to pay $35 and their membership will start immediately and continue through the end of the following membership year. This option is available on a one-time basis for new girl and adult members only; upon renewal, such individuals pay $25 for a regular membership year.*
The following footnote on pg. 23 was removed:
* Effective May 1, 2018, new girl and adult members who sign up on or between May 1-September 30 of a membership year may elect to pay $35 and their membership will start immediately and continue through the end of the following membership year. This discount (comprising the tail of an existing membership year and the full following membership year) is available on a one-time basis for new girl and adult members only; upon renewal, such individuals pay $25 for a regular membership year.
and replaced with:
* One-time lapsed member option: Girls and adults who were previously members but did not purchase a 2021 membership are also eligible for this extended year option for MY 2021 – 2022 if they elect to renew from April 1, 2021 through September 30, 2021. If renewed during that time period, they may pay $35 and their membership will start immediately and continue through September 2022. Upon renewal, such individuals pay $25 for a regular membership year.
The updated version of the Blue Book can be found here: Blue Book of Basic Documents, March 2021 Edition
A change log of Blue Book revisions can be found on this website.
If a lapsed member takes advantage of this extended option to renew their membership, how will this affect their official years as a member, i.e., will they be considered as having been a member during the lapsed year for the purposes of calculating their total number of years as a Girl Scout?
Councils are counting these renewed members under the 2020-21 membership year, so technically, yes.
Thanks