Delegates
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
Your Year at a Glance:
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.
Resources:
- 2023 Annual Report
- 2024 Board of Directors and Board Development Committee Slate
- Delegate Council Member Job Description
- Service Unit Delegate Allotments
- Service Unit Delegate Submission Form
- Service Unit Delegate Submission Form - Printed
- Parliamentary Procedures
- Tips for Conducting a Delegate And Alternate Election
- Bylaws
