The Girl Scouts of Gulf Pines Council has opened new worlds of thoughts and actions to over 375,000 girls and adults since being formed from four separate councils: Biloxi, Gulfport, Forrest County, and Jones County. We received our charter in 1960 serving approximately 1,800 members. With great vision and hard work, volunteers and staff alike sought to bring new worlds of discovery, adventure and fun to girls throughout south Mississippi.
Gulf Pines Council’s jurisdiction changed in 1994 with the addition of six counties previously part of Meridale Girl Scout Council – Lauderdale, Kemper, Neshoba, Newton, Clarke, and Jasper. With this action we now serve twenty-one counties.
Our Camps...
Gulf Pines owns and maintains two camps. Camp Meridale, a 160 acre site located in Lauderdale County, offers the rustic charm of camping in covered wagons, platform tents and tree houses (cabins in the trees). The addition of the new lodge in 2006 brings the camp capacity to 120. Camp Iti Kana, a 339 acre site located near Wiggins, offers a full range of activities. “Iti Kana” was derived from the Choctaw language meaning “Friendship”, as friendship is what built it. The Seabees and Mississippi National Guard constructed a large portion of both camp facilities. Camp capacity is 160.
Girl Scouting builds girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.
Girl Scouting is a continuous learning adventure offering girls a broad range of activities addressing both their current interests and their future roles as women. Through activities that stimulate self-discovery, they are introduced to areas of science and technology, the arts, the diversity of people and their cultures, and adventures in the out-of-doors. Girls grow in skills and in self-confidence. While having fun and making new friends, they acquire understanding about themselves and others through meaningful community service.
Girl Scouts of Gulf Pines Council serves over 16,000 girls each year in twenty-one east central and southern Mississippi, including Neshoba, Kemper, Newton, Lauderdale, Jasper, Clarke, Jeff Davis, Covington, Jones, Wayne, Marion, Lamar, Forrest, Perry, Greene, Pearl River, Stone, George, Hancock, Harrison and Jackson counties. More than 3,000 adult volunteers join our dedicated staff to help meet the ever changing needs of today’s girls. Council service centers are located in Hattiesburg, Gulfport and Meridian with a satellite office in Laurel.
As a part of the largest voluntary organization for girls in the world, Gulf Pines Girl Scout membership is open to all girls ages 5-17 who subscribe to the ideals as stated in the Girl Scout Promise and Law.