Our Council ensures our members’ voices are heard and are at the heart of our organisation. The Council thrives on the collective strength of passionate and engaged individuals. As a Council member, you have the opportunity to actively participate in the vibrant discussions that shape the direction of Girlguiding, and stay briefed on our initiatives.
What does Girlguiding’s Council do?
The role of Council is to provide a forum for its members from all countries and regions to engage with Girlguiding at a national level. Our Council meets once a year for an annual general meeting (AGM) – usually June. Here members have the chance to review and discuss the annual report of the board of trustees , and our annual financial accounts. We also sometimes ask members to meet and give their opinions on other important issues that come up throughout the year. The Council formally appoints our president, vice-presidents and patrons too, plus agrees the process for choosing our chief guide. Members also sign off any changes to the documents that set out how Girlguiding should work (our Royal Charter and Bye-laws).
Council plays an important role in being engaged at and between meetings on matters that affect the organisation. Sometimes, this means helping make big decisions, like changing the rules to create a separate Chair of the Board position. Other times, it’s about sharing information, gathering opinions, and getting input—like talking to members about our environmental strategy. Our Council is made up of different kinds of members so it represents everyone at Girlguiding. Members from our countries and regions (known as ‘elected members’) work alongside members who are on our Council because of their role (‘ex officio members’). These include our chief guide, deputy chief guide and chief commissioners.
Each of Girlguiding’s countries and regions has four places on our Council for elected members. Council members serve for three years to begin with. They can then stay on the Council for another three years if their country/region
wants them to. Council members must be aged 14 or over when they start their term
