from staff reports



Girl Scouts of Gulf Pines Council is one of two organizations chosen to host a free summer camp program for military children.

The National Military Family Association (NMFA) recently announced that the Girl Scouts council and Camp St. Stanislaus will host Operation Purple summer camp. NMFA developed this free summer camp program in response to the need for increased support for military children, especially those whose parents are or will be deployed.

“The goal of Operation Purple summer camps is to let these young heroes know that ‘Kids Serve Too!'” said Mary Scott, the association’s chairman of the board.

Military children who attend camp will have the opportunity to learn the skills to cope the stress of a deployment and make friends with other kids who are also missing their mom or dad.

“The National Military Family Association is excited to work with Girl Scouts of Gulf Pines Council and Camp St. Stanislaus on this very worthwhile program,” Scott said.

Operation Purple summer camp will be held July 5-11 at Girl Scout Camp Iti Kana for girls and Camp St. Stanislaus will be home to the boys. Camp Iti Kana is located on 339 beautiful wooded acres 8 miles north of Wiggins, while Camp St. Stanislaus is located on the bay in Bay St. Louis.

Each camp is “purple” and open to children of service members of any branch of Service, active duty, National Guard or Reserve, as well as children of members of the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service and National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration.

Registration for Operation Purple camp began March 16. Applications will only be accepted online. Sign up atwww.operationpurple.org to receive e-mail notices and camp updates.

Camps are free to all participants through support from the Sierra Club and The Sierra Club Foundation.



About Gulf Pines Girl Scouts and Camp St. Stanislaus

• Gulf Pines Council is headquartered in Hattiesburg. The council serves 21 counties and East Central and South Mississippi. Administrative facilities include three service centers in Hattiesburg, Gulfport and Meridian with retail shops at each location. The Hattiesburg campus includes a Troop Activity Center and an open-air pavilion available to our members free of charge for troop meetings or events.

Gulf Pines Council owns and operates two camp sites – Camp Iti Kana, a 339-acre camp located south of Hattiesburg and Camp Meridale, a 160-acre camp near Meridian.

• Camp Stanislaus is operated in conjunction with the Brothers of the Sacred Heart, a religious order of teaching Brothers who have operated St. Stanislaus College Prep since 1854. The camp has functioned successfully since 1928. The mission of Camp Stanislaus is to provide campers and counselors a safe and enjoyable recreational and learning experience in the Catholic tradition and under the leadership of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart.



About the National Military Family Association

• The National Military Family Association (NMFA) is the leading nonprofit organization committed to improving the lives of military families. NMFA’s 40 years of service and accomplishments have made it a trusted resource for families and the nation’s leaders. As the only non profit organization that represents the families of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the association protects benefits vital to all families, including those of the deployed, wounded, and fallen.

For more information, visit www.nmfa.org.