Scouting in Florida has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

In 1914, the BSA gave local councils the power to ban African Americans from Scouting.

[3] The Greater Tampa Bay Area Council serves youth in Citrus, Hardee, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, and Sumter counties.

Its camp is Spanish Trail Scout Reservation in DeFuniak Springs, Florida.

Gulf Stream Council is in southeast Florida with the headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens.

The council serves youth in the eastern portion of South Florida from the Broward/Palm Beach line north to the Brevard/Indian River County line and west into the eastern portions of Highlands, Glades and Hendry counties.

The Southwest Florida Council is a geographic area divided into four districts that include Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hendry, Lee, Manatee, Sarasota Counties.

These groups include religious, educational, civic fraternal, business, labor, and governmental bodies.

The Council supports chartered organizations by providing materials and certain facilities, such as camps.

(Source — SWFL Council Website) Recent Highlights In 2007 The Southwest Council: Awarded Centennial Council for achieving excellence in providing a quality program to a growing youth population in Southwest Florida Recognized as a National Quality Learning for Life Council Achieved 11 consecutive years of membership growth Serves over 32,000 boys and girls, in Charlotte, Collier, DeSoto, Hendry, Lee, Manatee and Sarasota Counties Had 117 young men attained the rank of Eagle Scout Has 4,000 active volunteers and over 390 units engaged in the program Increased attendance at: merit badge camp-outs, summer day-camps, camporees and at the Philmont Scout Reservation Almost 15,000 campers used our two camp facilities including special needs youth and community groups provided over 15,000 community service hours Collected almost 100,000 lb (45,000 kg) of food through the Scouting For Food Campaign Represented by 12 Scouts and Scout Leaders at the World Jamboree in London, England The Friends of Scouting fundraising campaign netted the largest amount in the Council's history Achieved a balanced budget Youth sold over 7,700 cases of popcorn at a retail value of over $480,000 Of that, 1,600 cases were shipped to deployed troops in over 40 countries Council Website [1] OA Lodge: Osceola #564, website [2] The Suwannee River Area Council, active from 1924 to present, encompasses 13 counties in north Florida and south Georgia.

Since opening in 1924, the Suwannee River Area Council has offered traditional Scouting programs at several camps.

The council moved its summer camp operations to Camp Semialachee, located on the west side of Moore Lake south of SR 20 on the Silver Lake Road west of Tallahassee.

Semialachee got its name indirectly from the union of "Seminole" and "Apalachee", two primary groups of Native Americans in the United States from the north Florida region.

The land for the new camp was donated by Dr. Charlie K. Wall and his wife Margaret as a gift to Scouting.

Wallwood covers over 500 acres (2.0 km2) of land bordered on one side by a branch of Lake Talquin.

The camp offers a variety of Scouting programs, including COPE, as well as opportunities for other civic organizations.

Headquarters: Orlando, Florida Website Camps Girl Scouts of Gateway Council serves nearly 6,200 girls in 35 northern Florida counties (Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Calhoun, Clay, Columbia, Dixie, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, Nassau, Okaloosa, Putnam, Santa Rosa, St. Johns, Suwannee, Taylor, Union Wakulla, Walton, and Washington).

The Council's name was changed to Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida, Inc. in 1993, with expansion to cover ten counties and nearly 10,000 square miles.

Camp Welaka facilities include a combination of both platform tent and cabin sites.

Camp Wesumkee is for experienced campers, offering opportunities for canoeing, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing, and nature observations in tidal pools.

All structures were damaged to some degree, and storm surge left sand piled up across the camp.

The camp is in a fairly urban location, and is made up of open grassy areas and pine scrub.

It covers over 11 acres (4.5 ha), has 8 cabins housing 10 people each, and areas for tents.

There are also several fire circles, a butterfly garden, and a natural coral rock "maze."