Council Governance | Delegates and Youth Board Participation

Overview

Membership engagement is a key part of Girl Scouts of Northern California’s strategy as we strive to honor the voice of our membership. Our governance system, which is comprised of elected and/or appointed delegates (age 14 and older) who serve as voting members of the council, is the main way for members to give input to the GSNorCal Board of Directors. All delegates should attend the Annual Meeting on May 3, 2025 at Camp Bothin to cast their votes and make their voices heard.

Click any of the following topics to jump to more information.

If you have any questions about any of these roles or council governance, please email info@gsnorcal.org.

National Council Delegates

National Council delegates (age 14 and older) serve a three-year term during which they represent GSNorCal at the National Council Session (travel and housing costs covered by GSNorCal), work with the National Board of GSUSA to provide input in an ongoing manner, and serve as voting members of GSNorCal.

Please see the following resources for more information about National Council delegates. Further information about self-nominations and elections will also be posted here during the fall of election years (every three-years).

Service Unit Delegates

Service unit delegates (age 14 and older) serve a one-year term as a key communication link between the GSNorCal Board of Directors and our youth and adult members. As a representative for their service unit and a voting member at GSNorCal’s Annual Meeting, delegates share feedback that they gathered from their service unit members about key topics and council strategy, provide input on our council’s strategy, vote on bylaws amendments, discuss national proposals, and elect the GSNorCal Board of Directors.

The GSNorCal Bylaws explain the formula for determining how many delegates each service unit is entitled to elect and how to divide the delegate positions between youth and adult members. Adult and youth members age 14 and older are eligible to elect delegates for their service unit. Only service units with more nominees than available delegate roles (i.e., a contested election) will need to vote. Service units with uncontested races do not require a vote and nominees are automatically considered elected.

Please see the following resources for more information about service unit delegates. Further information about self-nominations and elections will be posted here each fall.

Delegates-at-Large

Delegates-at-large serve a one year term as the primary communication link between the GSNorCal Board of Directors and the non-service unit constitute group they represent. This position was developed to provide opportunities for council level groups that are not service units to be represented by voting members.

Please see the following resources for more information about delegates-at-large.

Youth Participants on GSNorCal’s Board of Directors

Each year, GSNorCal appoints two youth board participants to serve on GSNorCal’s Board of Directors. For Girl Scouts currently in grades 9-11, this is an excellent opportunity to take part in council governance, advocate for their peers, and see first-hand how a nonprofit organization is run.

Please see the following resources for more information about youth members of the board of directors. Further information about applications will also be posted here each fall.

  • Submit your application (including 2 letters of recommendation) by January 17, 2025
    • Youth applicants should connect with their references and ask them to email reference letters to info@gsnorcal.org with the subject line “[GIRL SCOUT NAME] Letter of Reference – Youth Board Participant Application” no later than January 17, 2025.
    • It is the youth applicant’s responsibility to communicate with their references and share the deadline.
  • Youth Board Participants | Roles and Responsibilities

General Governance Resources

Delegate Orientation & Annual Meeting Overview Recording, March 27, 2024

Link to accompanying PowerPoint — Working Strategic Initiatives (March 2024).

< Back to How To