Portrait of Current Girl Scouts Turmoil Doesn’t Reflect Organization’s Strength

To the Editors:

The recent articles published in The Chronicle do not fully illustrate the Girl Scout movement as it exists today (“Girl Scouts’ Financial and Leadership Woes Threaten 100-Year-Old Group,” April 11).

For more than 100 years, Girl Scouts has been at the forefront of issues that face girls and women in this country. Over the organization’s history, Girl Scouts of the USA has delivered the Girl Scout leadership experience to more than 59 million alumnae due to its ability to evolve and meet the needs of girls.

The key to the Girl Scout organization’s longevity has been its adaptability and courage to make the necessary bold changes that are needed to fully deliver the Girl Scout program.

Girl Scouts is a strong organization with a bright future. Within the past seven years, Girl Scout councils have reorganized in order to better serve girls, alumnae, volunteers, and the local communities that they serve. The merger of Girl Scout councils in 2006 through 2008 was a strategic plan to build higher-capacity Girl Scout councils that had the infrastructure to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s girls. Many council realignments were welcomed and served to strengthen the Girl Scout program provided to girls.

Several years have passed since local councils have reorganized. Now Girl Scouts USA is reorganizing internally as well to better serve the volunteers, girls, parents, and Girl Scout councils around the nation. Girl Scouts USA should be reorganizing staff and resources just as local councils did.

The Girl Scout organization, locally and nationally, exists to positively impact the lives of girls. Whether the reorganization is good for all employees of the national headquarters is irrelevant.

It is appalling that newspaper articles have included anonymous comments and quotes. This diminishes the credibility of former staff members and the publications that print unattributed comments.

In order to fully deliver on the Girl Scout mission, Girl Scouts of the USA launched a bold advocacy and fund-raising campaign—the Campaign for Girls.

With a $1-billion goal, Girl Scouts USA and its chartered councils knew that raising such a large of amount of funds during a recession would be difficult, but not impossible. Girls deserve the investment in time and money. Our campaign creates awareness about the need to bridge the leadership gap that exists between men and women in this nation.

In order to make change, funds are needed to provide girls with the resources, training, and leadership opportunities they need to become successful in the future.

There are many critical issues facing girls and women today. As an organization, Girl Scout councils across the nation need to work together and with Girl Scouts of the USA to solve them. Nothing will be accomplished by setting our fund-raising sights lower and focusing on personnel matters.

Girl Scouts will not only be a positive influence on girls and society in 10 years, Girl Scouts will be relevant in 100 years and still paving the way for future generation of girls and women.

Mary Connell, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey

Betty Garger, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey

Susan McClure, Chief Executive Officer, Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore