The Gulf Pines Girl Scouts Council is merging with Central Mississippi Girl Scouts to create a new organization.

The decision to merge came Saturday during a meeting in Hattiesburg. Beginning Thursday, the new group will be called the Girl Scouts of Greater Mississippi. It will be based in Hattiesburg.

Forty-five counties in the central and southeastern part of the state will make up the council. It will serve about 25,000 girls.

The merger is part of an effort to realign Girl Scouts councils nationwide. The old Gulf Pines Council was established in 1960. 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.