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Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Business Plan Implementation

“The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers." -- Juliette Gordon Low. Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Business Plan Implementation. Update for Spring 2010 Delegates Meetings. Business Plan Adopted by GSHPA Board in November, 2009. Purpose

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Girl Scouts in the Heart of Pennsylvania Business Plan Implementation

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  1. “The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers." -- Juliette Gordon Low Girl Scouts in the Heart of PennsylvaniaBusiness Plan Implementation Update for Spring 2010 Delegates Meetings

  2. Business Plan Adopted by GSHPA Board in November, 2009 Purpose • GSHPA launched a business planning effort in August because the Council needed a financial turn-around. Presenting Problems • Apparent deficit; growing annually • Declining membership and volunteer numbers • Overdependence on line of credit

  3. Today’s Girls are Tomorrow’s Leaders • The Girl Scout experience is unique in providing future leaders with a strong foundation of courage, confidence and character-building activities that are both fun and affordable. • Helping girls become tomorrow’s leaders was our guiding principle.

  4. Investing Now in a Brighter Tomorrow • Investing = Contributing time, energy, resources of effort to an activity, project or undertaking in the expectation of a benefit. • Our Council must role model true leadership by prioritizing how and where we will allocate our precious time, energy and resources to preserve and grow Girl Scouting.

  5. Juliette Gordon Low: “The work of today is the history of tomorrow, and we are its makers.”

  6. Business Plan Investments In adopting GSHPA’s business plan, the Board of Directors decided to invest in experiences and people. • Experiences : Investing in the experiences that build leaders • People: Investing in the people who make it happen

  7. Experiences: Signature Programs Council-wide programs that girls can’t get anywhere else: Focus upon shared interests Quality v. Quantity Offering local and regional special events Integrated with Girl Scout awards, pathways and community service Impact across our 30-county region

  8. Signature Programs GSHPA’s January 2010 Cookie College has the potential to become an annual signature program of the Council.

  9. Signature Programs A really strong, visible annual Gold Award Ceremony could be developed into a signature program.

  10. Signature Programs We are excited about the 100th Anniversary of Girl Scouting and its potential as a signature program.

  11. Signature Programs Signature programs could enable girls to have a regional impact on issues like health or the environment.

  12. The Council is launching a Signature Program Task Force of volunteers and staff in late March. Our website and the next PAL will contain programming recommended by the Task Force. Leaders will still be able to access local activities for girls in their areas through our website and other resources. Signature Programs

  13. Outdoor Experience The Council must go from good to great in providing outdoor experience for girls.

  14. Outdoor Experience • Almost every Girl Scout can share a memory about camping • A focus on key camps ensures that outdoor experience will remain prominent in the development of today’s girls and future girls

  15. This is an experience that GSHPA is committed to preserving.

  16. An experience we want to grow.

  17. Outdoor Experience: The challenge • Usage • Under 10 percent of GSHPA girls attend sleep away camp • Under 45 percent of our girls attend troop camp • Cost • 2010 camp maintenance budget = $450,000 (not including personnel) • Total 2010 capital needs = $191,000 • Total to implement LRPC priority needs = $2,574,750* • Total 2009 camp personnel = $583,368 • * # 1 Health & Safety, #2 Asset Protection/Sustainable Design/ADA Compliance, # 3 Program Development/Enhancement. (Aesthetic upgrades not included.)

  18. National Context: Feb. 2010 Survey • 67% of Girl Scout Councils say that less than 10% of their income was derived from property fees. • 63% of Girl Scout Councils say that 30% or more of their annual expenses are for the cost of operating properties.

  19. Outdoor Experience: Decision-making criteria • Demographics and regional “spread” of camps • Usage patterns • Potential for developing outdoor programs and features that today’s girls want, e.g., • Water features • Horses • Modern bathrooms • Winterized facilities • ACA accreditation

  20. Listening to girls • On January 4, 2010 our Council received a petition signed by 139 girls suggesting that, if we are selling camps: • Guard the environment • Make sure the camps are spread out over the regions • Take unique elements from discontinued camps and place them at key camps.

  21. Seven Key Camps Announced • On March 4th, we announced our commitment to go from good to great in outdoor experience for girls by investing in seven key camps: • Camp Archbald (Northeast Region) • Camp Louise (North Region) • Camp Golden Pond (West Region) • Camp Small Valley (South Central Region) • Camp Echo Trail (South Region) • Camp Furnace Hills (South Region) • Camp Happy Valley (South Region)

  22. Regional Balance

  23. Local Options • Camps in our region owned by other Councils: • Camp Mosey Wood, Blakeslee, PA • Camp Hidden Falls, Dingman’s Ferry, PA • Camp Wood Haven, Pine Grove, PA • State Parks • Long Range Property Task Group identified many camps within 25 miles of each of our camp properties. • We will be working to help leaders get easy access to these sites.

  24. Outdoor Experience: Next Steps • Stepped up marketing of the camps is underway: • Strengthening support of service units and leaders getting the word out • Doubling the number of camp open houses • Mass mailing of camp “teaser” • Publication of 2010 Summer Camp Guide

  25. Outdoor Experience: Next Steps Outdoor Experience Task Force: Volunteers and Staff March 20th 2010 launch

  26. Outdoor Experience: Next Steps • Creating a Camp Development Plan which merges: • Assessments and recommendations from the Long Range Property Task Group • Financial forecast and proposed fee structure • Recommendations from the Outdoor Experience Task Force

  27. Outdoor Experience: Next Steps My next door neighbor, Sue. • Honoring her experience • Honoring all those camp memories • Paying tribute to the camps we must let go, to the people who made them, and moving forward together

  28. People Investing in the people that make it happen

  29. People: Excellent Customer Service Actions since December, 2009: • Consolidated retail operations • Stores consolidated in December, 2009 • Free shipping offered during transition • Introducing improved web site by late March/early April • Shipping will be cost of postage & materials with no mark-up • Made preparations to deploy staff to better meet volunteer needs • Planning to pilot member services staff telecommuting in 1-2 regions this year • Preparing for office-downsizing

  30. People: Excellent Customer Service Launch of four Task Forces this March 20th: • Customer Service • Retail • Finance/Information Systems • Staff Deployment: New Way of Work

  31. We are out to build the future!

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