Southern Nevada Council History

Download the GSSNV Council Fact Sheet

Over the years, Girl Scouting in Southern Nevada has been represented by many names:

• April 14, 1932: First area troops begin in Boulder City, Nevada.
• 1942: Boulder City Council officially formed and registered with Girl Scouts of the USA.
• 1943: Henderson Council formed and chartered with Girl Scouts of the USA.
• 1944: Las Vegas Council formed listing ten Girl Scout troops.
• 1950: Frontier Council formed.
• 1952: Officially charted “Frontier Council” consolidating all Southern Nevada councils together.
• 1999: Official council name changed to “Girl Scouts of Frontier Council”.
• 2010: Per Girl Scouts of the USA merger, official council name changed to “Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada”.

Council HQ Office and Shop:

Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada (GSSNV) currently serves the four Southern-most counties in Nevada: Clark, Lincoln, Nye, & Esmeralda, as well as the Southern California counties of Inyo and San Bernardino (eastern border). Prior to the 2010 national merger of councils, we also served White Pine Council and Needles, California.

The GSSNV council office, shop, and training facility is the result of a Reynolds Building Grant received in 2002. GSSNV moved into our current location at 2941 East Harris Avenue in 2004 continuing the tradition began by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912 of building girls of courage, confidence, and character. 

Camp Foxtail:

GSSNV is proud to provide many outdoor programs throughout our service areas. From 1948 - 2017, GSSNV served Girl Scouts from throughout Southern Nevada with programming at Camp Foxtail located in Lee Canyon on Mt. Charleston. Camp Foxtail, named for a rare Bristlecone Pine with short, bunched together needles (appearing like a “fox’s tail”), served as a resident Girl Scout summer camp and program site until its resting in the fall of 2017. 

Watch a video of the resting ceremony

A New Frontier:

In December 2018, Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada CEO, Kimberly Trueba, announced that GSSNV received a property and land gift valued at nearly $9 million. The gift marked the largest single private donation in the history of Girl Scouts.   

The Charles and Phyllis M. Frias Charitable Trust, named for the late Las Vegas philanthropists Charlie and Phyllis Frias, donated personal property and acreage in rural Lincoln County, Nevada located 90 miles north of Las Vegas. Included in the donation: A Cowboy’s Dream Bed and Breakfast, Windmill Ridge Restaurant and Lodging, and undeveloped acreage all totaling nearly 70 acres.

Council history provided by Vanette Christensen, GSSNV volunteer historian