Pushmataha Area Council
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| Pushmataha Area Council | |
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 Pushmataha Area Council Shoulder Patch |
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| Council data | |
| Owner | Boy Scouts of America |
| Headquarters | Columbus, Mississippi |
| Country | United States |
| Founded | 1925 |
| President | George Purnell |
| Website | http://Pushmataha.org/ |
 Scouting portal |
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The Pushmataha Area Council is part of the Boy Scouts of America. It renders service to Scout units in ten counties of North Mississippi, providing skills training and character development primarily to boys between the ages of six and 21. The council also serves girls aged 14 through 21 through Venturing Crews and Explorer posts.
In 2007, 24 Eagle Scout ranks were earned in the Pushmataha Area Council, and 20 Scouts earned the God and Country Award.
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[edit] History
The Pushmataha Area Council was established by the Boy Scouts of America in June, 1925. The council was originally named the East Mississippi Council, but this name was changed in 1929 to honor Chief Pushmataha of the Choctaw tribe.
Chief Pushmataha once told a group of chiefs that he was not born, but instead stepped, full grown and dressed for battle, from the split in a tree that had been struck by lightning. This story has been incorporated into the Pushmataha Area Council shoulder patch shown above. The patch shows a full-grown Pushmataha emerging from a tree struck by lightning. Camp Seminole has a sign on its grounds noting the tree from which Pushmataha supposedly appeared.
In 1925, the headquarters of the council was in West Point, Mississippi, on Main Street. In the 1960's, the council office was moved to its current location at 420 31st Avenue North, Columbus, Mississippi.
[edit] Items of Interest
The Pushmataha Area Council is unique in that it is one of the smallest Boy Scout councils in America. It is not unusual for other councils to have districts larger than the entire Pushmataha Area Council.
In 1950, the council erected a miniature Statue of Liberty in the middle of downtown Columbus, Mississippi, as part of a national effort in the Boy Scouts to erect 200 of these statues. Fewer than 100 of these statues still exist, and even fewer exist intact. The Pushmataha Area Council statue is one of the few intact ones that exist today.
[edit] Districts
When the council began, each town with a Scout troop was its own District. For example, troops in Columbus, Mississippi were in the Columbus District. Later the council evolved into having three districts, the Running Bear District, the Talking Warrior District, and the Tombigbee District. In the 1990's, these three districts were reorganized to create two new districts, the Choctaw District and the Chickasaw District.
The Choctaw District covers five counties: Clay, Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Webster, and Noxubee.
The Chickasaw District also covers five counties: Monroe, Winston, Chickasaw, Choctaw, and Calhoun.
[edit] Council Camps
The original council camp was Camp Palila, located in Louisville, Mississippi. Camp Palila served as the council camp for thirty years prior to 1980. The state of Mississippi had leased the land to the council, but the legislature failed to complete the new lease before the original lease ended. The land used for Camp Palila reverted to control of the state, and is now Legion State Park.
The current council camp for the Pushmataha Area Council is Camp Seminole, about five miles north of Starkville, Mississippi. Camp Seminole hosts, among other activities, council summer camps, Cub Scout campouts, leadership training sessions, Wood Badge courses, and Order of the Arrow events. Camp Seminole was named for Seminole Manufacturing of Columbus, Mississippi, which donated significant financial support toward the camp's construction.
[edit] Events
The Pushmataha Area Council hosts numerous events each year. These include:
- Eagle Recognition Banquet (early spring)
- Council Pinewood Derby (spring)
- Summer Camp (June)
- Cub Scout Day Camp (June)
- Webelo Resident Camp (June)
- Cub Scout Leader Training (September - March)
- Boy Scout Leader Training (late fall)
- Wood Badge Training (bi-annually)
- MSU Scout Football Day (fall)
- MSU Scout Baseball Day (spring)
- Cub Scout Family Weekend (semi-annually)
- Tiger Leader Training (fall)
[edit] Funding
The Pushmataha Area Council is funded by donations made by civic organizations, businesses, and individuals. Several different United Way groups contribute to the council, and most United way funding has remained strong. United way of Oktibbeha County is an exception, as they have cut their funding to the council by over half in recent years. The Pushmataha Area Council is a 501(c) non-profit organization.
[edit] Service
Through the Cub Scout, Boy Scout, and Venturing programs, the Pushmataha Area Council serves boys ages 6 through 21. The Venture program also serves girls aged 14 through 21. The council offers Learning for Life, a character education program used by local schools. Explorer posts in the council offer vocation-oriented experience to teenage boys and girls in the council's ten county area.
[edit] See also
- Scouting in Mississippi
- United Way of Monroe County
- Band of Brothers
- Boy Scout Troop 45
- Cub Scout Pack 27
- Replicas of the Statue of Liberty
[edit] References
- Unbound manuscripts, Nita Chito Scout Museum
- Scouting In Oktibbeha County, unpublished manuscript
