Owner Girl Scouts of the USA Country United States | Headquarters Washington, DC Membership 90,000 (2009) | |
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The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital (GSCNC), more commonly Girl Scouts Nation's Capital, serves girls in Washington, D.C. and portions of Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.
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Organization
GSCNC is headquartered in Washington, DC with satellite offices in Frederick and Waldorf, Maryland; Lorton, Leesburg and Manassas, Virginia; and Martinsburg, West Virginia. GSCNC employs 115 full-time employees. The 2008 Operating Budget was $12,050,000. As of the 2009 membership year, membership for the Council is 90,000, including 63,000 girls and 27,000 adult volunteers.
History
The Girl Scout Council of the Nation's Capital as we know it today was formed in 1963 and encompassed five area councils that were in existence at that time, plus Calvert and Charles Counties in Maryland, and lone troops in Prince William, Loudoun, and Fauquier Counties in Virginia.
The merger that built GSCNC was very carefully crafted with full consideration given to all the councils and lone troops that were to merge. Prior to the merger, there was a year-long study made by a group composed of both GSUSA and the local councils. Under consideration was the real need of delivering the required services to girls so that all the girls could benefit from a strong and diverse program. The first meeting for the actual merger was on Friday, March 2, 1962. A committee of 15 was formed.
In 2004, the national organization began a series of mergers and realignment of the Girl Scout Councils throughout the nation. The purpose of this realignment is to create high-capacity councils, with volunteers, staff and financial resources to serve growing numbers of girls. By the end of 2009, this nationwide effort to combine councils reduced the number of Girl Scout Councils from 313 to 109. In 2006 the Penn Laurel Girl Scout Council in Frederick County, Maryland merged into GSCNC. In October 2009, Shawnee Council [1] with 5,000 members and 491 troops in 14 counties, merged into GSCNC.
In 2012, Girl Scouts celebrated its 100th anniversary. A Sing-Along, in Girl Scout tradition, was held on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
Programs and activities
In 2009, 244 girls, a record number, earned the Gold Award, the highest level of achievement for a Girl Scout. In 2010, Girl Scouts sold over 4.7 million boxes of Girl Scout Cookies.
Other programs include: Congressional Aide internships, Girl Scout Day at the National Air and Space Museum, Capital Currency financial literacy workshops, a Girl Scout performance of the Washington Ballet's Nutcracker, easy-to-do program kits for leaders, and programs in partnership with local museums and vendors. To encourage inclusion in all activities the “Including All Girls” patch program was launched and GSCNC served 522 girls with disabilities during camp programs.
GSCNC trained 1,907 volunteers through online and home study training courses in 2008. To attract graduating college seniors into volunteer roles with Girl Scouts, the Young Leader Program placed 118 college students as troop leaders at 54 sites in the District of Columbia and Prince George’s County.
SHARE, the council’s annual giving campaign raised $593,215 in 2008. In addition, over one million dollars was raised from foundations, corporations and government agencies. GSCNC provided $417,930 in financial aid to girls and adults to participate in GSCNC activities, start troops and fund camp fees.
Camping
GSCNC owns and operates eight camps
Camps: