Gulf Coast Council

Gulf Coast Council
Owner	Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters	Pensacola, Florida
Country	United States
Website http://www.gulfcoastcouncil.org/

Gulf Coast Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves over 20,000 youth in traditional Scouting and in Learning for Life programs 11 counties of the Florida panhandle and 3 counties in Alabama. The council office located in Pensacola, Florida. The council's name refers to the Gulf Coast of the United States.

History

In 1920, the Webb County Council (#700) formed. In 1924, the Laredo Council formed, merging into Webb County Council in 1922. In 1925, Webb County Council changed its name to the Aztec Council (#700) in 1927. In 1933, the Aztec Council (#700) merged into Gulf Coast Council.

In 1929, the Gulf Coast Council (#577) formed. In 1924, the Nueces Valley Council formed, merging into Gulf Coast Council in 1929.

Organization

The council is administratively divided into districts:

• Alabama-Florida District
• Choctawhatchee District
• Pensacola Bay District
• Lake Sands District

Camps

In 1961, the Spanish Trail Scout Reservation was founded in the Gulf Coast Council. STSR is one of the largest scout reservations in the southeast. It offers a full range of facilities including: a 40-acre (160,000 m²) lake for swimming, canoeing, and fishing; a dining hall; and many places to camp. There are two camps on the STSR, Camp Euchee and Camp Jambo, each with full camping facilities.

Order of the Arrow

Yustaga Lodge was founded in 1948 by Ted Childress and Norman Savellea. A chief and eleven braves from the Alibamu Lodge, Tukabatchee Area Council of Montgomery, Alabama came to the Gulf Coast Council’s Camp Big Heart on May 21–22, 1948 and inducted 24 new arrowmen. The Yustaga Lodge also has a wide variety of patches. Some of its lodge flaps and other patches can be seen here. The word Yustaga means the "Drinkers of the Fire Water."

See also

• Scouting in Florida