Service Unit Delegates

As a service unit delegate, you help shape and drive the governance of Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council. You are a voting member at the Annual Meeting of Girl Scout Delegates and you serve as the primary communication between your local Girl Scout members, community networks, and Black Diamond’s Board of Directors.

_{Electing Service Unit Delegates and Alternates:}

Electing delegates and alternates for your service unit ensures that the voice of your service unit gets heard at the Annual Meeting of Girl Scout Delegates and creates a communication pathway between the members of the organization and the board of directors all throughout the Girl Scout year.

Delegate Elections
If you would like to have a volunteer in your service unit hold the delegate or alternate role, the service unit must hold an election–even if only to reelect a volunteer from the year prior–and complete the Delegate Submission Form.

Holding an Election in Your Service Unit
How your election takes place is up to your service unit, but you’ll want to elect someone from your area who has the qualities of a good candidate. Check the Delegate Tools section below for helpful information.

Complete the Delegate Submission Form
To make the election process official, the elected delegate and alternate must complete the Delegate Submission Form. It’s important to complete this form so that our council can maintain an accurate delegate count and contact information.

Find Your Number of Allowed Delegates
Delegates are based on a service units’ membership numbers from the previous year. Each service unit receives a minimum of two delegates.

Qualities of a Good Candidate

Delegates have a big job—representing the entire service unit! Choosing candidates that will be successful in this role is easy if you look for the following qualities:

Have a passion to make the world a better place for girls
Have ideas to share on how Girl Scouts of Black Diamond would be more effective in serving girls and volunteers
Want to ensure Girl Scouts of Black Diamond is serving and being a voice for all the girls and volunteers in our communities
Facilitate the constructive exchange of ideas and viewpoints
Have an interest in engaging in the strategic, long-term goals of Girl Scouts of Black Diamond on a governance level
Support decisions made at member meetings and report information back to the delegate region constructively and positively
Possess mature judgment, flexibility, and enthusiasm
Practice welcoming and inclusive behavior toward people of all ages, races, religions, cultures, abilities, sexual orientation, gender, educational, and economic backgrounds
Follow all Girl Scouts of the USA and Girl Scouts of Black Diamond policies, standards, and procedures
Speak and act in a manner consistent with the Girl Scout mission, Promise, and Law
Demonstrate effective communication skills
Respect the democratic process

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Upon Registration: Get Elected
If a service unit would like to have a volunteer hold the delegate role, the service unit must hold an election—even if only to reelect a volunteer from the year prior. See the previous section “Electing Service Unit Delegates and Delegate Alternates,” to guide you through the process.

January-March: Listen to Your Peers
To effectively represent the concerns and satisfactions of your whole service unit, you can attend different types of member functions and meetings within your service unit to speak with your volunteers and listen to their feedback.

April: Prepare Your Vote
In the weeks prior to the Annual Meeting of Girl Scout Delegates you will receive a voting packet which outlines the annual meeting agenda, volunteer recognition lunch program, breakouts, and much more. In addition to reading your voting packet, you may want to check our Delegate Tool section and familiarize yourself with the parliamentary procedures.

April: Attend Annual Meeting
Be the voice for your service unit by attending the Annual Meeting of Girl Scout Delegates. This is a primary function of the service unit delegate role.

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