Frequently Asked Questions

Updated July, 2009

Open and ongoing communication between girls, volunteers, alumnae, the community and council staff is very important as we come together as Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways, Inc.

1. What is the status of alignment plans?

The legal alignment of five councils is complete and we’re excited to be working together to provide a premier leadership experience for girls in our 26-county area.

2. Cookies: What will happen to the fall/spring cookie sales and cookie program?

NYPENN Pathways will oversee five separate cookie sale programs in each of the five legacy council areas in year one of the alignment. Currently, two legacy councils have contracts with ABC Bakers and three councils have contracts with Little Brownie Bakers for their cookie sale program. During our first year, we will honor contracts with both bakers and conduct separate sales in different regions of the council. The Product Sales staff will be responsible for planning the transition to a unified product sales program for our second year. The CEO and other staff will seek input from girls, adults and other stakeholders to determine how the sale will be designed, develop a process to select a baker company, and implement a comprehensive plan. Girl, volunteer and community input will be critical during this transition. Our communities love Girl Scout Cookies®.

3. Camp: What will happen with camp properties and camp programs?

Our 2009 summer Day and Resident Camps are in full swing. In total, our members have access to ten beautiful outdoor properties. Information about camping opportunities for all sites is available on our Camps page.

4. Where will the “headquarters” — main office — be located?

It is important to us that we continue to provide service directly to all girls who desire to be a Girl Scout, in communities where they live. Our priority is to continue to have connections and a presence in our communities. All of the current Service Centers will continue to operate. See “Contact” for a list of all current locations. Our legal address will be the Bayberry Service Center in Phelps. The CEO will work primarily from the Cicero Service Center.

5. We really like the new name, Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways. Is there any additional information about it?

The Council Alignment Committee (CAC), made up of representatives from the five legacy councils, after much deliberation, proposed a name for the new council and sent it to the GSUSA for approval in early May 2008.

There were several criteria required by GSUSA for choosing the new name: the name must begin with Girl Scouts, be geographically descriptive, and must not include the name of any of the current councils. Other criteria included that the name had to be easy to pronounce and remember, and that it had to include all the geographic councils that would fall under the new jurisdiction.

The CAC took a number of points into consideration when proposing the new name. The new council will stretch from the Thousand Islands to Binghamton, into two counties in northern Pennsylvania, to the Finger Lakes and east beyond Utica.

There are a number of “pathways” that connect the new council’s geographic area. From the Erie Canal, rivers, and lakes stretching across the state and region to the highways connecting the major cities in the area, there are pathways connecting all of the Girl Scouts. We are also connected by our cultural, ethnic, social and historic pasts.

The CAC believes that the new Girl Scout council is a “pathway” to the future. Although this is a time of change for councils across the country, everyone has a single path to follow – the path that focuses on the common goal to continue to “build girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.”

We look forward to working with our collective membership to design a new council patch, insignia, and other marketing materials to make the name come alive.

6. Now that we know who the new CEO will be, when will we know what staff will be part of the new council?

A directory of staff appears on our "About Us" page.

7. What will happen with troop numbers, insignia, troops and groups, service units and associations?

These questions will be answered as additional information is known some information coming from standards and processes being developed by GSUSA, and others with the appointment of the new CEO and staff. We recognize that many troops and Service Units or Neighborhoods take pride in their numbers. Staff will work with our members to develop a system that meets our data collection needs while striving for minimal disruption to troops and groups. Decisions about troop and SU numbers will be announced by the end of August so that we are prepared for the new membership year beginning October 1, 2009. The new bylaws, recently approved by each legacy council, identifies a new system of governance whereby each member 14 years of age and over has a vote. In the legacy councils, votes were in the hands of delegates who were elected to represent Service Units or Associations. There will continue to be opportunities for board members to meet with members throughout the council jurisdiction, but the format for these conversations will be determined by the new board.

8. When someone gives a donation to the council, where does that money go?

Fund raising is more vital now than ever for girls in ALL our communities. Funds will be allocated to meet the needs of girls throughout our jurisdiction. If a donor designates their gift for a specific purpose, the council will of course track and utilize these funds based on the donor’s restriction. The board is the steward of all council funds and it is their job to ensure that the Girl Scout program is extended in an equitable way to girls throughout our 26-county jurisdiction.

9. Why did the councils align? Was one or more of the councils bankrupt?

Realigning councils is an essential part of the Girl Scout Movement’s strategy to create a robust network of 109 councils that will have greater capacity, more resources, and wider reach to girls and volunteers. Aligned councils are better able to make the most effective use of pooled resources, offer more consistent program opportunities, serve more girls and increase opportunities for volunteers. The reorganization of Girl Scout councils is one step in an overall strategy to enable Girl Scouting to be as effective as possible in serving today’s girls with a premier, consistent leadership experience. For more information on the Core Business Strategy, visit http://www.girlscouts.org/strategy/. All of the legacy councils brought strength to this alignment and our combined resources provide a stable financial foundation for Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways. With our combined resources, the talents of dedicated volunteers and staff, and ongoing fund development efforts, Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways is prepared to carry out our mission: Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character who make the world a better place.

10. How will girl programming be impacted by the alignment?

Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways is dedicated to girls and will offer quality programs for girls in their neighborhoods and throughout our region. We will continue to implement the new Girl Scout leadership development program adopted by GSUSA. Girls will have greater access to regional programs, camps and a variety of Destinations. Girls will be a part of developing and advancing new models of program pathways &emdash; to include troops, events, series, camp, virtual experiences, and travel opportunities to name a few.