As the weather gets warmer and our members are getting out and about more, I am pleased to meet adults and Girl Scouts—some of whom I have not seen since before COVID arrived! During the month of April, we sent many thanks to all our volunteers for their passion and service on behalf of GSNI. I want to reiterate we really do appreciate your time and talents, especially during the pandemic!
We also want to have your input as much as possible into the things we are doing at GSNI. We held two well-attended Zoom Town Halls on April 5–6 and came away with good suggestions and pending actions. Because there were many questions and ideas around the theme of camping (from training to facilitators to marketing to booking to activities), we are creating a new Action Team which will be composed of Board Members, staff, and volunteers, with the theme of “How do we get more Girl Scouts to camp?”.
Additionally, we have five Action Teams developed from our Appreciative Inquiry strategic planning process in the summer of 2021. These will be ongoing into next year. Action Teams are examining marketing and brand, recruitment processes, community engagement, hiring for diversity, and older Girl Scouts.
We have also created four Task Forces looking to ensure that several minority groups feel welcomed and belong in GSNI. These Task Forces focus on the Native American, Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ populations in our geography.
If you have input or would like to be a member of any of these Action Teams or Task Forces, please contact me directly at fcummings@girlscoutsni.org. These opportunities are open to all our adult members and Senior and Ambassador Girl Scouts. I look forward to hearing from you! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy our lovely northern Illinois spring!
Fiona Cummings, GSNI CEO
