Girl Scouts Heart of the South: Home

Girl Scouts Heart of the South

Girl Scouts Heart of the South is a dynamic, proactive, and girl-centric organization recognized as the premier advocate and leadership development program for girls.

Girl Scouts of the USA - Core Business Strategy

Girl Scouts of the USA has adopted a Core Business Strategy to build more strength throughout the Girl Scout Movement. As part of this initiative, councils throughout the country are realigning their boundaries to make the most effective use of our resources and to offer even more program opportunities to even more girls. The council realignment will strengthen our organization’s infrastructure and resources so that improvements and benefits will be realized in the areas of Girl Scout programming, fundraising, public relations, property, staffing, and volunteer support.

On June 1, 2008, four Girl Scout councils in north Mississippi and west Tennessee joined together their assets, staffs and strengths to form Girl Scouts Heart of the South. The four merging councils were: Girl Scout Council of the Mid-South, Girl Scouts of Northeast Mississippi, Girl Scouts of Northwest Mississippi, and Reelfoot Girl Scout Council. The combined membership now consists of 16,500 girls and 4,400 adults in 59 counties in Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

For two years, our Girl Scout councils have been meeting to determine the best practices we currently have and to think even more broadly to create the optimal services and programs for our new council. Every aspect of service to girl and adult members is being examined and discussed. All input from girls, volunteers, and staff is being considered. Decisions will be made in the best interest of all concerned. The new council will depend on the valued contributions of adult volunteers.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Is Girl Scouts of the USA Making These Changes?

On a national level, change is perhaps the oldest tradition in Girl Scouts. Ever since Juliette Gordon Low returned from England in 1912 and changed “Guide” to “Scout” in response to the preference of American girls, those in the Girl Scout Movement have prided themselves on their ability to make periodic adjustments to meet the needs of girls.

Research and membership statistics were showing us that the competition for girls’ time and attention for extra curricular activities has increased in the past generation. Also, the research pointed to the fact that girls, both in and out of Girl Scouting, were beginning to feel that Girl Scouting is not relevant to their lives and the challenges faced by girls in society today. Girl Scouts is one option for today’s girls who have many options.

The good news is that Girl Scouting offers activities that already are the favorite hobbies, sports and interests of girls, while also providing a unique personal growth and leadership development experience. A renewed focus on leadership development for girls will ensure that Girl Scouting maintains the values that have been at our core for 96 years, while being a meaningful experience to girls today

What Other Changes Can I Expect?

The next exciting change you will see will be new program materials for all age levels. These resources will be widely available within the next year. The new Girl Scout Leadership Experience contains updated materials to accomplish three goals: First, it puts activity options into shorter cycles; second, we are offering more flexible time commitments for volunteers; and third, we are ensuring that Girl Scouting is a very full and consistent experience for girls and adults nationwide.

How Will My Daughter’s Girl Scout Troop Be Affected?

Your daughter will remain in the same troop she is in. Or, as always, she may choose from other membership participation options. Because the new registration system that Girl Scouts of the USA is providing for councils is not yet ready, your daughter’s troop number will not immediately change.

Because our new council is pooling volunteer and staff resources, she and members of her troop will have an even greater number of program events to choose from, in all corners of our council, affording all girls the chance to meet more Girl Scouts.

Where Will I Go For Services?

To provide uninterrupted service to our supporters, volunteers and girl members, staffed regional offices will remain open in all legacy council locations. These locations include: Memphis and Jackson, Tennessee, and Greenwood, Corinth, Tupelo and Columbus, Mississippi. Ensuring that volunteers, girls and parents have services available to them in close proximity is key to our commitment to improving services. These regional locations provide a variety of services to volunteers and girls.

The location for the new corporate headquarters has been left up to the new Board of Directors to determine. However, to ensure that Girl Scouts Heart of the South has a visible presence in the area with the most financial resources to offer the new council, the Council Realignment Committee has recommended that the corporate office be located in the greater Memphis area, which includes Desoto County, Mississippi.

How Will This Affect Camps and Other Council Properties?

With our combined resources, we are in a better position to modernize properties and to offer even stronger outdoor education experiences to meet the needs of today’s girls. During resident camp this summer, we had “Camp Caravan”, which consisted of a group of older girls visiting all four resident camp programs while they were in session, to provide us with their ideas of how each camp could best be used, as well as additions and improvements they would like to see at each camp.

The Board of Directors of Reelfoot Girl Scout Council was aware of a private outdoor recreational group’s desire to purchase Camp Hazlewood. After tracking the property’s usage for a number of years, they decided to sell the property before the merger. The goal of Girl Scouts Heart of the South is to provide the same level of convenience and service to our membership.
Additionally, there are six facilities with overnight sleeping, bathing and dining facilities. With in-town to more rustic options, troops can choose the adventure that is right them. They are:

Kamp Kiwani – Middleton, TN
Camp Annemeekee – Tipton County, TN
Camp Fisherville – Fayette County, TN
Camp Tik-A-Witha – Van Vleet, MS
Camp Cedar Point – Grenada, MS
Girl Scout Program/Training Center – Memphis, TN

What About The Fall Candy/Nut Sale?

Fortunately, all four merging councils used the same vendor, Ashdon Farms, for their fall product sale program. For 2008, all that was needed to coordinate the sale were uniform dates and product selection. Troop leaders and service unit product managers may notice a change on a form or two, but for the girls and parents, the sale remains largely unchanged.

What About Girl Scout Cookie Sales?

Girl Scouts of the USA is retooling so that all Girl Scout activities, including the Girl Scout Cookie Program, can offer the highest quality experience for girls and be managed in the most efficient manner. Our community will still be able to enjoy America’s favorite cookies while supporting the leadership potential of our girls.

Eventually, one baker will be chosen for our new council and details of how the sale is managed will be established. We do have permission, however, from Girl Scouts of the USA, to have a “transition” year, during which we will standardize what we can – things like price per box, troop profit, sale dates, etc.

All of the proceeds from the Girl Scout Cookie Program stay within the local area. Girls benefit directly through the portion shared with troop/groups, and indirectly by subsidizing the cost of providing the Girl Scout program in our area.

Where Will Meetings And Trainings Be Held?

The practice of conducting trainings at various locations throughout the council jurisdiction will continue. New opportunities in different locations, online workshops and resources, and even more will be enhanced.

Girl Scouts Heart of the South • PO Box 240246 • Memphis, TN 38124-0246 • 800-727-8104