Report on Santiam’s Special Delegte Meeting

Girl Scouts of Santiam Council had its special delegate meeting on Saturday August 9, at Bush Park in Salem. The weather cooperated for our outdoor setting and more than 70 delegates and visitors joined together as we made history. The delegates voted almost unanimously (there was one dissenting vote) to approve the plan and agreement for merger. Santiam Council was the first of the four legacy councils (the others being Columbia River, Western Rivers and Winema) to ask its membership to approve the plan and agreement for merger. Many thanks go to the delegates who took this historic step in leading the way for all the councils in Oregon to join together and form Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington.

Suggestions needed

As part of the council realignment process, the way in which services are delivered and support is provided to volunteers throughout the council is being reviewed and updated. While no boundaries for service delivery jurisdictions have been set, the service delivery subcommittee of the Council Realignment Committee is looking for input on the names of the geographic units that will make up our new council.

In general, the structure will consist of the new council jurisdiction being divided into a number of primary geographic areas. These primary geographic areas will be further divided up into secondary geographic areas.

The service delivery subcommittee is looking for suggestions for names for both the primary and the secondary geographic areas. The only criteria for suggestions is that they NOT be terms that have been used by any of the legacy councils in the past (i.e. service unit, neighborhood, association, VISTA, district, etc.). Click here to enter the survey page.

Suggestions will be taken until midnight on August 10. Feel free to submit multiple entries.

Special Delegate Meeting Set

SAVE THE DATE!
Special Delegate Meeting to Vote on the Realignment Plan
Saturday, August 9
Bush Park, Salem
11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

As part of the realignment process, delegates from Santiam Council will need to vote on the final merger document that will result in the creation of Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. Included in the merger document will be the slate of officers and members-at-large for the board of the new council, the bylaws and the articles of incorporation.

TENTATIVE AGENDA
11 a.m. - Delegate and Visitor Registration
11:30 - Formal Business Meeting and Vote
Noon - 1 p.m. - lunch is served!

The meeting will be a family affair, so bring the kids and spouse along! A picnic-style lunch will be served to all in attendance. In addition to being a great location for the meeting, Bush Park provides the perfect outdoor setting for family fun, games and

Those in attendance will also be the first to view the "blueprint" of the new council. This document will include the following information on our new council:

• fact sheet (area served, girl membership, adult membership, properties owned and leased, etc.)
• vision statement
• outline of service delivery system
• governance structure
• financial information
  

Additional information on this meeting will be sent to delegates in the next few weeks, including the agenda, additional information on the items on which delegates will be asked to vote and directions to the location. Information will also be available on Santiam Council's web site.

Everyone is invited to this fun and historic event. We look forward to seeing everyone there!

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Launch Website!

We're excited to announce the launch of the interim website for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington. You can view it at www.girlscoutsosw.org Visit the site often for the latest news of the realignment!

Contact Us With Your Questions

If you have questions regarding the realignment, please email us at president@girlscoutsofsantiam.org

Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council to Keep Camp Arrowhead

The board of directors of Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council has voted to keep Camp Arrowhead, the council's resident camp, located in the Columbia River Gorge. A task group made up of volunteers from Columbia River Council will be working with council staff and board members to structure the best plan for Camp Arrowhead and what opportunities will be available during the coming camping season.


The final decision to open resident camp at Camp Arrowhead has not been made. We will keep you posted on what additional opportunities may be available this summer.

Hiring Timeline Developed for CEO Search

The search for the new CEO for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington has begun. The Council Realignment Committee (CRC) has contracted with the national search firm Evergreen Executive Source, LLC to assist with identifying candidates. A timeline for interviewing and hiring has been determined, with July 1, 2008 being the target date for the new CEO to be on board with the new council. Interested individuals may contact Evergreen for the vacancy announcement at evergreen.source@att.net.

Headquarters for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Has an Address

The new headquarters for Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington will be located at 9620 SW Barbur Blvd., Portland, OR 97219. This is the location of the current council headquarters for Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council. As decisions are made on the location of satellite offices, we will be sure to let you know!

New Council Headquarters Location Set

After reviewing the demographics of the new council's jurisdiction, the CRC voted to select the Portland metropolitan area as the location for our new council's headquarters. Action on the specific location, as well as where satellite offices will be located, will be taken at a later date. The Properties Subcommittee of the CRC will be meeting in February and March to review additional information in order to make final recommendations to the CRC.

Next CRC Meeting

The next meeting of the CRC is scheduled for Saturday, February 23, 2008. There will be several items on the agenda on which the group will take action. Look for the next issue of the Council Realignment Newsletter in your in-box shortly after February 23 with all the latest from the meeting!

Time to Think Delegates for the GSUSA National Council Session

GSUSA will be holding its triennial national council session in Indiana, IN on October 30 - November 2, 2008. Since our realignment process will not be completed until October 1, each of the current councils will be responsible for electing their own council delegates to the meeting. Girl Scouts of Santiam Council will be allowed two delegates. The council nominating committee will be seeking nominations of individuals who are interested in serving either as a delegate or as an alternate to the national council session. These positions will be elected at the council's annual meeting on Saturday, May 17. Please contact the council service center if you would like to receive an application packet when they are ready.

CRC to Meet Saturday, January 12

The next meeting of the Council Realignment Committee (CRC) is scheduled for Saturday, January 12, 2008. There will several items on the agenda on which the group will take action. Check out this blog shortly after January 12 to catch up on all the latest from the meeting!

Our New Council Has A Name!

We are delighted to announce that our new council now has a name. After reviewing over 250 submissions from girls and adults from throughout Oregon, three finalists were submitted to Girl Scouts of the USA for final approval. We have now been notified that, upon the realignment of Girl Scouts of Santiam Council, Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council, Girl Scouts of Western Rivers Council and Girl Scouts of Winema Council, we will all move forward as "Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington," serving approximately 20,000 girls throughout most of Oregon and Clark and Skamania counties in Washington.

Thank you to all who submitted names for our new council. Several individuals suggested "Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington" and we'll recognize them in an upcoming blog posting.