The Golden Link

October 2005 Volume 31 Issue 9

President of the Council and Chair of the Board
Cora Ann Blytas

Chief Executive Officer
Mary Vitek

Communications Coordinator
Beth Watkins

Communications Director
Betsy Denson

Communications Manager
Joanne Pastalaniec

Mission Statement
GSSJC: The premier organization for all girls building character, values, and skills for a lifetime.

Pluralism Statement
Embracing and promoting pluralism is an integral part of every activity and plan of Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, not disconnected or separate projects. Only individuals willing to accept and be educated about the basic tenet that Girl Scouting is for all girls may serve in volunteer leadership or staff positions.

Circulation
The Golden Link is published 10 times a year. It has a circulation of over 44,000 for four issues and a circulation of over 15,000 for the other six issues. The Golden Link is also available on-line at www.gssjc.org. The Golden Link reaches 21 Texas counties: Angelina, Chambers, Hardin, Harris, Houston, Jasper, Jefferson, Liberty, Montgomery, Nacogdoches, Newton, Orange, Polk, Sabine, San Augustine, San Jacinto, Shelby, Trinity, Tyler, Walker, and Waller. To report address changes or if you have problems receiving The Golden Link call Membership Credentials at 713-292-0300.

Deadlines
Deadline for submitting items is the first of the month two months prior to publication. GSSJC does not accept responsibility for unsolicited materials. Send news and photographs to The Golden Link at the Council address or e-mail bdenson@sjgs.org.

Advertisements
Advertising rates are available by calling 713-292-0314. Advertisements are accepted in good faith that all the information is correct. Acceptance of advertising does not reflect endorsement of services or goods by the Council.

The Golden Link is published 10 times a year by Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council, 3110 Southwest Freeway, Houston, TX 77098
(713) 292-0300
http://www.gssjc.org

Joanne Williams
Vice Chair of Membership

tra·di·tion: The passing down of elements of a culture from generation to generation; a mode of thought or behavior followed by a people continuously from generation to generation; a custom or usage; a time-honored practice or set of such practices; a specific practice of long standing.

This fall, a new planning cycle will begin in order to create a new strategic and operating plan to see GSSJC through the rest of this decade and into the next. This is a good time to examine – and even to challenge – some of the traditions that are currently in place.

Can traditions change while values stay the same? Absolutely! Every established tradition was once a new way of work. One excellent example is Girl Scouts. When Juliette Low started the Girl Scout movement in the United States and established the very first Girl Scout troop in 1912, she was breaking new ground and establishing a new way of doing things, a new tradition based on the core values echoed in the Girl Scout Promise and Law.

The guiding principles or core values of the Girl Scout movement have remained consistent while many Girl Scout traditions have changed to keep the organization current, contemporary, and appealing to girls. In the same way, GSSJC has adapted over the years, letting go of some time-honored traditions to make way for new ways of work and new ways to reach out to girls and to adult volunteers.

“Although traditions are often presumed to be unalterable, and deeply important, they are much less “natural” than is often presumed. Many traditions have been deliberately invented for one reason or another, often to highlight or enhance the importance of a certain institution. Traditions are also frequently changed to suit the needs of the day, and the changes quickly become accepted as a part of the ancient tradition.” (Quoted from Wikipedia.org)

In the coming year, GSSJC will be conducting several pilots or tests in small sections of the Council. Through these pilot projects, we hope to find new and more effective methods for recruiting and retaining adult volunteers, for increasing Brownie membership, for improving participation in the Cookie Sale and Family Partnership Annual Giving, and more. Such projects will also test our ability to change some of our traditional ways of work, to adapt, to aspire to even greater levels of success – with the ultimate goal of achieving our mission to provide opportunities for all girls to build character and values and to give service to others.

To those who insist that, “We’ve always done it this way,” the questions remain, “Is this tradition still working for us? Will continuing this tradition get us to where we need to be?” Motivational speaker Bernice Washington* says it another way: “It’s okay to be anchored in the past as long as you are focused on the future.” Washington adds, “Successful [organizations] may be on the right track, but they will get run over if they stand still.” GSSJC is not standing still, it’s sprinting toward a successful future!

* Bernice Washington gave the keynote address at the GSSJC Membership Development Conference in 2001. This quote is from the June 2005 issue of Southern Living Magazine