A Wisconsin Girl Scouts council is really no different from Dunkin’ Donuts, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday, and under Wisconsin franchise law, it should be protected like a franchisee.
As a result, the Manitou Council has emerged victorious in a years-long legal battle to block the national Girl Scouts chartering organization from eliminating it as part of a reorganization.
The Girl Scouts of Manitou Council was the only one nationwide to challenge a 2005 plan meant to reduce the number of councils from more than 300 to 112, though a handful of other councils were awaiting the outcome of the case.
The Sheboygan-based council serves girls living in Ozaukee, Washington, Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Manitowoc and Sheboygan counties. Under the Girl Scouts of the USA realignment, the prosperous council – cookie sales top $1 million annually – would have been split three ways. It sued to stop the plan in 2008.