This week is Trustees’ Week, a week dedicated to celebrating, supporting and inspiring trustees. At Girlguiding Scotland our work is overseen by our trustee board, appointed for their skills, expertise and commitment to our vision. Eleanor is an 18-30 year old member trustee and has sat on the board for 5 years. Next month, her term on the board comes to an end so we caught up with her to find out about her journey as a trustee. 

“Can you read a statement of balances?” was the question a former Girlguiding Scotland trustee put to me when I expressed doubt about applying for an open seat on the board 5 years ago. Surely it could not be so simple as that, I thought. I was 22, had ‘only’ been a leader for a couple of years and had next to no experience of guiding beyond my units, let alone of governance in a bigger charity like Girlguiding Scotland. Surely such an important job should be filled by someone far more knowledgeable and experienced than me?

Not so, she assured me: I was committed to the organisation with ideas for our future direction, could work in a team and think critically about information presented to me, and I was willing to put in the time to prepare for and attend meetings, learning the ropes of charity governance as I went (and yes, I could read a statement of balances too). Soon I was sitting in my first board meeting, pages of handwritten notes on the accounts ready to go.

I was, it transpired, rather overprepared there. I’m yet to be convinced that that is ever a bad thing, but back then I’d overestimated how much time we’d spend on the nitty gritty of our finances. To be sure, we always do our due diligence, but we don’t spend all of our meetings talking about accounts and paperwork. Instead, we focus on big picture thinking – what we want for members in Scotland and how we make that happen.

There is hardly space to list all the topics the board considers in that space. Current work on growing guiding and equity, diversity and inclusion is particularly exciting but my personal highlight has been developing and implementing a new governance model. It’s not the most glamourous topic, but good governance underpins everything we do.

Whatever’s on the agenda though, the trustees approach it in the same way – considering a range of options via detailed, honest discussion. Everyone brings a different perspective and we try to inform all of our decisions with the views of our members. Discussions can be challenging when opinions diverge but the knowledge that we are all working in good faith towards achieving the best for our current and future members keeps the meetings open and friendly.

That supportive atmosphere is 1 of the things I will miss the most when my time on the board comes to an end next month. It has enabled me to get so much from my trustee role: experience that I’ve used in guiding and as a springboard for professional promotions, new connections, and so much confidence. There’s also my new reputation for talking incessantly about governance at parties, yes, but what is that if not a sign of love?

Perhaps you’ll consider applying for my vacated seat? You don’t need to be an expert in governance, don’t need to know everything about Girlguiding Scotland, and don’t actually even need to know what a statement of balances is yet, let alone how to read it. With excellent induction and training, the trustee roles are more accessible than ever.

Still not sure? Then the question I have for you is even more straightforward than what I was asked. I only ask, “do you have ideas about the future of guiding in Scotland?” It’s something of a rhetorical question: we all do. Come and help us realise them.

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