Recently, an update regarding the Movement Governance Advisory Team (MGAT) was released from the two co-chairs of the MGAT by way of the Office of the National Board.
Current National Delegates should continue to visit and engage on the official National Delegate website as it will be the primary communication route with the MGAT, GSUSA, and the National Board. If you are a National Delegate and do not have access to the delegate website, then you will need to contact your council’s governance manager.
We are pleased to share an update on the Movement Governance Advisory Team’s (MGAT) work so far and what you can expect from us over the coming months. As we previously shared, MGAT is the group of volunteers selected to advise on an optimal proposal process, the frequency of NCS convenings, and the implementation of virtual NCS sessions. They will make recommendations to the National Board and National Council no later than the 57th National Council Session in July 2026. Engagement with Movement stakeholders, including council CEOs and board chairs, delegates, past Presidents, and members, will be part of MGAT’s work.
The team met each other in mid-October 2023 and since then we have been learning together about governance, what works now and what might be possible. In November, we used an in-person workshop at Edith Macy Center to think about what we would want our governance to look like in the future and what would be needed to support a thriving Girl Scout Movement.
Since our November meeting, MGAT has been meeting monthly as a full group and in working groups to take deeper dives into specific areas of work, including;
- the role of delegates
- the National Council Session proposal process, and
- communications between the National Board and the National Council.
The value and strength of our democratic process is evident. We believe that adapting our Movement governance processes and behaviors will improve on-going decision influencing and decision making. Recognizing the role our National Board plays in Movement governance, national board members joined a learning session last week to reflect on their governance role and how to best support MGAT’s assessment and recommendations.
We will meet again at Edith Macy this March to refine some ideas and recommendations for your input. Our intention is to engage further with national council delegates on these ideas throughout the spring and summer of 2024. The delegate website will be our primary means of communication with delegates. This is important—our delegate website is how our recommendations will be shared, how you will be asked for feedback and can provide input to shape MGAT’s thinking. Please check the site regularly! If you know of fellow delegates who are not registered on the site, please send their names and email addresses to BoardOffice@girlscouts.org, so that they will receive the information and be able to share their voices.
We look forward to sharing this work and hearing your perspectives as we develop our recommendations for strengthened Movement Governance.
Yours in Girl Scouting,
Mary Ann and Sharon
Mary Ann Altergott and Sharon Matthews
Movement Governance Advisory Team Co-Chairs
Regarding: “This is important—our delegate website is how our recommendations will be shared, how you will be asked for feedback and can provide input to shape MGAT’s thinking.”
Please encourage the National Delegates to share these recommendations with and solicit input from their own Councils via their Council’s Associations, Service Unit Delegates and Alternates, Council newsletters, etc. Our Council’s NCS Delegates did a great job sharing information and asking for input on the NCS proposals prior to their attendance at the 2023 NCS.