Scouting in California

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Scouting in California has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

Contents

[edit] Early history (1910-1950)

Many Scouts in California prior to the charter of the BSA were the youth auxiliary of the California Highway Patrol (similar to Law Enforcement Explorers, while others belonged to the Peace Scouts of California, another pre-BSA Scouting association.

[edit] Recent history (1950-1990)

The 1953 National Scout Jamboree was held at Irvine Ranch, California. Jamboree Road in Newport Beach, California, commemorates the site of the 1953 Jamboree.

The 1973 National Order of the Arrow Conference was held at the University of California, Santa Barbara.

[edit] Boy Scouting in California today

There are twenty-four Boy Scouts of America local councils in California.

[edit] Alameda Council

One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area - serving the city of Alameda.Alameda Council

[edit] Order of the Arrow

Camps

  • Camp Cedarbrook (closed 1999)

[edit] California Inland Empire Council

Districts California Inland Empire Council

  • Arrowhead District
  • Grayback District
  • High Desert District
  • River Valley District
  • Sunrise District
  • Tahquitz District
  • Temescal District
  • Three Peaks District
  • Old Baldy District as of May 2006 (Ontario, Montclair, Upland, and Rancho Cucamonga) (See history)

Camps

  • Camp Emerson, in Idyllwild, CA. Council operated since 1919, largely on land donated to the former Riverside County Council by developer and humanitarian Lee Emerson.
  • Camp Helendade, near Running Springs, CA. Council operated since 1960. It was partially burned in the California October 2007 fires.This area was cleaned in the most part by Troop 2 of Santa Monica, California[1][2][3] Helendade was originally given to the council in 1960 to replace another camp that had been burned.[1]

History

The California Inland Empire Council (CIEC) "was formed in 1973 through the merger of the Arrowhead Area, Grayback and Riverside Councils." [4]. In 2006, the council acquired the San Bernardino County portions of Old Baldy Council.

Order of the Arrow

The Council is served by the Cahuilla Lodge #127[5]. It currently has nine chapters, roughly one serving each district (the High Desert District has two chapters due to its large geographic size). "[It] was formed January 1, 1973 from the merger of Tahquitz Lodge # 127 and Wisumahi Lodge # 478. In 1974, the Lodge welcomed A-tsa Lodge # 380 into the family to make the territory of the Lodge as we know it today." With the merger of the Old Baldy Council, Navajo Lodge also was merged into the Cahuilla Lodge.[5] The Lodge has received many awards, local and national, in its history, including the National Service Award (2001), the E. Urner Goodman Camping Award (most recently in 2006), and the Section W4B Spirit Award (17 times in 29 years; most recently in 2006 (tie)).

[edit] Crater Lake Council

Crater Lake Council serves Scouts in Oregon and California.

Main article: Scouting in Oregon

[edit] Golden Empire Council

Main article: Golden Empire Council

Golden Empire Council serves Scouts in a large section of Northern California, primarily the Sacramento Valley and the northern Sierra Nevada mountains. The council headquarters are located in Sacramento.

Districts Golden Empire Council

  • Amador District
  • Buttes Area District
  • El Dorado District
  • Gold Country District
  • Iron Horse District
  • Northern Rivers District
  • Pioneer District
  • Pony Express District
  • Ranchero West District
  • Rio Del Oro District
  • River City District
  • Sierra Gateway District
  • Soaring Eagle District
  • Trailblazer District
  • Yolo District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp Robert Cole
  • Camp Lassen
  • Camp Pollock
  • Camp Winton
  • Camp Pahatsi

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Greater Yosemite Council

[edit] Districts

  • 49er DistrictGreater Yosemite Council
  • Big Valley District
  • Chief Tenaya District
  • El Capitan District
  • Golden Heritage District
  • Waukeen District
  • Wawona District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp John Mensinger
  • Camp McConnell
  • Camp Isom

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Las Vegas Area Council

Formerly Boulder Dam Area Council, Las Vegas Area Council serves Scouts in Nevada, California and Arizona.

Main article: Scouting in Nevada

[edit] Long Beach Area Council

Long Beach Area Council (LBAC), headquartered in Long Beach, is one of five Boy Scouts of America councils in Los Angeles County, California.Long Beach Area Council

[edit] Districts

  • Los Fierros District
  • Polaris District

[edit] Council Camps

[edit] Honor Camping Society

The Long Beach Area Council does not charter an Order of the Arrow lodge, instead it has a preexisting honor society, the Tribe of Tahquitz.[6]

[edit] Los Angeles Area Council

Main article: Los Angeles Area Council

Los Angeles Area Council (LAAC) (#33) serves most of the City of Los Angeles as well as several other cities in the greater Los Angeles area. It is one of five Boy Scouts of America councils in Los Angeles County, California.

[edit] Los Padres Council

Serving the youth of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties 1919.Los Padres Council

[edit] Districts

  • Cachuma District
  • Camino Real District
  • Del Norte District
  • Live Oak District
  • South Coast District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Rancho Alegre
  • Camp Mabel French

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Marin Council

[edit] Council Camps

One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Monterey Bay Area Council

[edit] Districts

[edit] Council Camp

Pico Blanco Scout Reservation is a summer camp in California, operated by the Monterey Bay Area Council. It has been run by a staff of dedicated young men and women who have provided a pristine outdoor environment for young boys for over fifty years. The camp is located in the Los Padres National Forest just 13 miles (21 km) inland from Highway 1. Its name comes from the 3,709 ft (1,131 m) Mt. Pico Blanco, which, during the camp season, is climbed weekly. Activities at the camp include aquatics, shooting sports at the camp's three ranges, handicraft, nature study, Scout outdoorsman skills (known as Scoutcraft), which includes the Skills Patrol area, a climbing and COPE course, and out-of-camp trips to the Pacific for kayaking and surfing. The camp now offers an "Adventure Day", on Wednesday, when instead of merit badge classes, Scouts have access to a plethora of fun activities both in camp and out of camp. Also this year, the camp launched an older scout program called Pico Pathfinders. It was a great program full of hiking, outdoor skills learning, shotgun shooting, knife/tomahawk throwing, and craft making.

New developments of the camp from 2003-2006 include a new dining hall known as Hayward Lodge (previously was known as the "super slab" until it received its roof in late 2005), a new roof for the handicraft lodge, which suffered from severe water damage between the 2004 and 2005 camping seasons, a massive flag pole near the Trading Post at Downtown Pico (The Parade Ground), a smaller pole (helper) erected on Uptown Pico (the Staff Area), and a state-of-the-art fish ladder to accommodate the endangered steelhead trout through the Little Sur River when the camp's aquatics dam is in use.

The 800 acres (3.2 km²) of camp property was purchased by the Monterey Bay Area Council from the William Randolph Hearst family in 1948.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

In the Summer of 2007, the Esselen Lodge celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

The Esselen Lodge consists of three chapters

  • Sit Caw Yu, which means White Bear (Loma Prieta District)
  • Shanax, which means fog in Esselen (Santa Lucia District)
  • Quetzalcoatl, also known as the Q (San Benito District)

[edit] White Stag Leadership Development Program

In the Summer of 2008, White Stag celebrated its 50th Anniversary.

The White Stag program consists of three phases

  • Phase One, for ages 10-13 (Patrol Member Development)
  • Phase Two, for ages 13-14 (Patrol Leader Development)
  • Phase Three, for ages 15-18 (Troop Leader Development)

[edit] Mount Diablo Silverado Council

One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area.Mount Diablo Silverado Council

[edit] Districts

  • Aklan District
  • Black Diamond District
  • Chief Solano District
  • Herms District
  • Iron Horse District
  • Lake District
  • Marsh Creek District
  • Meridian District
  • Muir District
  • Napa Valley District
  • Silver Gate District
  • Scout Reach District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp Herms is located in El Cerrito. This camp serves as a year-round camp with Cub Scout Day Camp during the summer. It is situated atop the El Cerrito Hills and can be used as the hub of local historical site visits to San Francisco and the surrounding area.
  • Camp Lindblad offers year-round traditions and wilderness camping on over 200 acres (0.81 km²) in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains. Camp is open year round, with five fully staffed weekends of Cub Scout family camping opportunities throughout the year. The rest of the year is open for use by all interested groups.
  • Camp Silverado (Temp. Closed) is located on Silver Lake near Kit Carson California. The camp is owned and operated by the Mount Diablo Silverado Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which leases the land from the United States Forest Service.
  • Camp Wolfeboro is a Boy Scout summer camp located on the north fork of the Stanislaus River near Bear Valley, California. The camp is owned and operated by the Mount Diablo Silverado Council of the Boy Scouts of America, which leases the land from the United States Forest Service. Currently, Camp Wolfeboro is used for 8 weeks each summer as a regular accredited BSA summer camp where it is host to as many as 500 Scouts per week, with a total summer attendance of more than 1,600 Scouts. Since 2005, the camp has also run an approximately six-week Fall Camp program designed for individual Scout troops and Venturing crews to use the property for rock-climbing, waterfront activities, and shooting sports. The fall program immediately follows the end of the regular 8-week summer season.

Camp Wolfeboro was founded by the Berkeley Council in 1928 in the area known as Hell's Kitchen, across the river from a family-oriented camp, Camp Baxter. Camp Baxter later closed down and its property was absorbed by Camp Wolfeboro, who Built Camp Sites and remodeled the Camp Baxter Dining hall and Medical Shack which beacame a nature lodge and hike shack. The camp has an honors society known as the Wolfeboro Pioneers.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

  • Ut-in Selica Lodge #58]

[edit] See also

[edit] Nevada Area Council

Main article: Scouting in Nevada

Nevada Area Council serves 13,945 youth as of December 2005 in northern Nevada and northeastern California.

[edit] Old Baldy Council

On May 1, 2006, Old Baldy Council merged into two neighboring councils. The Sunset District (in Los Angeles County) joined with the San Gabriel Valley Council and the Golden Eagle and Trails End Districts (in San Bernardino County) merged with the California Inland Empire Council. In the San Gabriel Valley Council the area that was formerly Old Baldy Council's Sunset District is now divided and added to expand the Valle Del Sol and Golden Eagle districts.

[edit] Orange County Council

Dating back to 1921,[7] the council was formed by the merger of the North Orange County Council and the Orange Empire Council in 1972. The Orange County Council's Order of the Arrow Lodge, Wiatava #13, was the home lodge of the National Chief of the Order of the Arrow, Evan Chaffee, in 2007.Orange County Council

[edit] Districts

  • Ahwahnee District
  • Canyons District
  • El Camino Real District
  • El Capitan District
  • Los Amigos District
  • Orange Frontier District
  • Pacifica District
  • Portola District
  • Rancho Del Mar District
  • Saddleback District
  • Santiago District

[edit] Council Camps

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] See also

[edit] Pacific Skyline Council

One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area.Pacific Skyline Council

[edit] Districts

  • Discovery District
  • Redwood District
  • Stanford District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Cutter Scout Reservation (In the Santa Cruz Mountains)
  • Boulder Creek Scout Camp (In the Santa Cruz Mountains)
  • Camp Oljato (Summer Camp in the Sierra Nevada mountains)
  • Camp Oljato is a camp for Boy Scouts located at Huntington Lake. It is owned and operated by the Pacific Skyline Council.

- Camp Oljato offers a wide range of activities focused around merit badge curriculum and certain high adventure activities. Additionally, it's location on Huntington Lake allows it to take advantage of some of the best inland small boat sailing in the country.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Piedmont Council

The Piedmont, CA Council of BSA was started in 1921 and Piedmont is among the oldest and smallest BSA councils in the United States. Scouting is active in the Piedmont community which is located in the East Bay hills, east of San Francisco and near Oakland and Berkeley. One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area.Piedmont Council

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Redwood Empire Council

Redwood Empire Council

[edit] Districts

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp Navarro
  • Camp Noyo
  • Camp Riggs Johnston

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] San Diego-Imperial Council

San Diego-Imperial Council
San Diego-Imperial Council

The San Diego-Imperial Council is headquartered in San Diego, California, and serves youth members and volunteer leaders through Scout units in San Diego and Imperial counties of Southern California, as well as a portion of Arizona. Desert Pacific Council was renamed to San Diego-Imperial Council on January 3, 2005.San Diego-Imperial Council

[edit] Districts

  • Black Mountain District
  • Desert Trails District
  • Heartland District
  • Kit Carson District
  • Mission District
  • Pacific Coast District
  • Pacific Crest District
  • Santa Margarita District
  • Skyline District
  • Scripps-Mesa District
  • Sweetwater District
  • Torrey Pines District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Mataguay Scout Ranch
  • Camp Balboa
  • San Diego Youth Aquatic Center

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] San Francisco Bay Area Council

Formed by a merger of the San Francisco and Oakland Area Councils.[8]Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, serving the cities of Colma, Daly City (northern section), San Francisco, Emeryville, Oakland, San Leandro, Hayward, Fremont, Union City, Newark, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Livermore, as well as unincorporated communities such as Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and Sunol. Headquartered in San Leandro, this council surrounds both the Piedmont and Alameda Councils.San Francisco Bay Area Council

One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area.

[edit] Districts

  • Golden Gate District (Colma, Daly City, and San Francisco)
  • Mission Peak District (Fremont, Newark, and Union City)
  • Peralta District (Emeryville and Oakland)
  • Tres Ranchos District (Castro Valley, Hayward, San Leandro, and San Lorenzo)
  • Twin Valley District (Dublin, Livermore, Pleasanton, and Sunol)

[edit] Council Camps

Camp Royaneh began its existence in Cazadero in 1923 and moved to its present location in 1925 when the Scout Executive, Raymond O Hanson bought a piece of property that was formerly the Watson Ranch. Since that time, it has served countless Scouts and Scouters.

Wente Scout Reservation is located outside of Willits, California. It is owned and operated by San Fransico Bay Area Council. [9] [10]

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] San Gabriel Valley Council

Located in Los Angeles County's San Gabriel Valley, San Gabriel Valley Council (#40) is one of five Councils serving Los Angeles County. Headquartered in Pasadena.San Gabriel Valley Council

[edit] Districts

  • El Camino Real District (combined with Mission Amigos as of 2007)
  • Golden Eagle District
  • Lucky Baldwin District
  • Mission Amigos District
  • Rose Bowl District
  • San Gabriel River District
  • Valle De Sol District

[edit] Council Camps

HSR was an SGVC camp located in the San Bernardino Mountains. The camp was named in honor of Herbert Brayton Holt on June 15, 1968. Prior to that time, the camp was known as Camp Cedar Canyon. In 1975, the camp was sold to a private party. The camp was located off SR-38. 34°05′27″N 116°58′01″E / 34.0907, 116.96684 The fire access road, which started at the hairpin curve on SR-38 connected to the camp entrance road. Just before the camp entrance (where the camp director's home was located), the fire access road forked to the left to make its way up the mountain.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

The San Gabriel Valley Council's Order of the Arrow lodge is the Ta Tanka Lodge #488.

Chapters:

  • Hunkpapa - Lucky Baldwin & El Camino Real Districts
  • Kiowa - Golden Eagle District
  • Oglala Lakota - Rose Bowl & Mission Amigos District
  • Teton Dakota - Valle Del Sol & San Gabriel River Districts

[edit] Santa Clara County Council

Main article: Santa Clara County Council

Santa Clara County Council, Inc. is a Boy Scouts of America council headquartered in San Jose, California. As of 2004, the council serves over 11,000 youth in over 400 Boy Scout troops, Cub Scout packs, Venturing crews, and Explorer posts.

One of the six councils that serves the San Francisco Bay area.

[edit] Sequoia Council

(not to be confused with the Sequoyah Council located in Tennessee and Virginia)

[edit] Districts

  • Chawanakee District
  • Golden West District
  • Kings River District
  • Live Oak District
  • Mount Whitney District
  • Thunderbird District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp Chawanakee
  • Camp Wortman

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Southern Sierra Council

[edit] Districts

  • Desert DistrictSouthern Sierra Council
  • Inyo-Mono District
  • Meridian District
  • Pathfinder District
  • Trailblazer District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp Kern
  • Camp Mirimichi
  • Camp Jewett

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Ventura County Council

Ventura County Council of the Boy Scouts of America was officially chartered as Council 57 on June 23, 1921 after a series of meetings that followed a proposal put forward at a County Chamber of Commerce meeting on March 28, 1921 in the Masonic Hall. Mr. C. H. Whipple, then of Moorpark and later Oxnard, became the president; and Col. J.L. Howland became commissioner. Harvey R. Cheesman, an assistant scout executive in the Los Angeles Council, became the first Scout Executive, assuming his duties on July 11th.Ventura County Council

[edit] History

 This article or section needs to be wikified to meet Wikipedia's quality standards.
Please help improve this article with relevant internal links. (November 2007)

The original charter indicates that there were nine troops in existence at the time. Research shows that these most likely included: In June 1910 the Ventura Free Press published an article, “Boys Organize Band of Scouts”.

A band of Scouts was organized in the Pastor’s study of the Congregational Church Monday evening, June 20. So far as we can learn this is the first organization of this worldwide movement in Ventura or even in California. The movement originated in the mind of Ernest Thompson Seton. It has been pushed in England under the leadership of General Baden Powell, and now there are in England three hundred thousand boys enlisted in the movement.

We have framed our constitution after the international one, but changed it to meet the needs of our Western life and customs. It includes the things that tend to the physical and moral development of the live boy.

Tramps in the hills, with the study of nature, will be a part of the physical development. It also includes many of the things called for by Thompson Seton. For the moral development, we have first the study of the Book, each Sunday.

Honor in all things is called for. Each boy must attend school if possible, must have some regular labor for which he receives pay.

Six months after membership is attained he must have a bank account in his own name. Our badge will be the arrowhead, with the words upon it, “Be Prepared. These words have great significance known only to the wearers of the badge, in fact it is the sign to them of life, and can be taken from them if it is not honored.

The band now numbers only twelve, but the invitation is extended to any boy of proper age who is not in any Sunday School, and wishes to live a clean life to join us. We say “come with us and we will do you good”.

Records of the Ventura Congregational church indicate that the group was officially disbanded in January 1914. Various articles gleaned from the local newspapers indicate that troops were active in most of the local communities. The YMCA had one in Santa Paula in 1911. They then formed another in Fillmore in 1912 with 25 boys. The scoutmaster was Mr. A.J. Dicks, and his assistant Professor A.C. Marcey. Ray Horton was the Seal Patrol leader, and his brother Harold leader of the Foxes. The same article mentions leaders from a group of 20 scouts in Bardsdale helping to form the group. In February 1913, the Oxnard Courier talks of a YMCA group under Scoutmaster Kirchner and Commissioner Stant, while in November 1913 the Star mentions Scoutmaster Ramsey expecting to enroll as many as 100 boys and young men and is setting up a recruiting station at City Hall. A later Courier article in February 1916 mentions Scoutmaster Rev. J.M. Barhart, assisted by Ross Winter and Elmer Johnson, while the committee consisted of George Hume, Frank Petit, and J.W. Shillington. A surname that appears in the boys noted, Willett is very familiar to long time scouters in the council, as Camp Willett gets its name from the family. Surely additional information is buried in the old microfilm and will shed more light as research continues.

The earliest of these was Troop 1, sponsored by St. Paul’s Methodist Episcopal Church of Oxnard from February 1916 to February 1918. Next in line is Troop 1 (later 301) of Santa Paula sponsored by The Clipper Club of Presbyterian Mariners Club from December 1917 to December 1919, again from November 1920 to November 1933, and once more from August 1934 to February 1963. Moorpark Troop 1, sponsored by the Community M.E. Church existed from December 1919 to December 1922; Ojai Troop 1, by a Group of Citizens, went from December 1919 to December 1920; and Troop 1 of Ventura (later 101), sponsored by the Rotary Club appears from December 1919 to December 1926. 101 still exists today, but is sponsored by the Church of Latter Day Saints, its last reincarnation after an interim sponsorship by the Kiwanis. Troop 1 of Port Hueneme appears to have existed, beginning in April 1916; but disappears before the council was chartered.

[edit] Districts

  • Camarillo District - Camarillo, Somis and Point Mugu
  • Channel Islands District - Oxnard, Port Hueneme, and El Rio
  • Conejo Valley District - Thousand Oaks, Newbury Park, Westlake Village and Oak Park
  • Matilija District - Ventura, Montalvo, Saticoy, Ojai, Meiners Oaks, and Oak View
  • Ronald Reagan District - Simi Valley and Moorpark
  • Santa Paula/Fillmore District - Santa Paula, Piru, and Fillmore

[edit] Council Camps

Camp Three Falls is located in the Los Padres National Forest at the base of Mount Piños in the northern portion of Ventura County, approximately 50 miles (80 km) north of Castaic Junction. The camp has been open since 1933. The name is derived from the three waterfalls: North Falls, Middle Falls, and Bitter Falls, that are located on the streams running from the mountains above the camp. The camp is at 5,400 feet (1,600 m) elevation. The summer weather at this elevation is dry and the temperature ranges from 70-90 degrees with cool evenings and crisp nights.[11]

This is the Council where Rock Climbing and Rappelling started in the Scouting Program in 1973. Camp Three Falls was the first BSA summer camp to offer Rock Climbing and Rappelling as a new program element in scouting. This was 22 years before it was considered to become a merit badge at Philmont. A 57-foot (17 m) Climbing tower was built at Camp Three Falls in the spring of 2003.

Camp Willett Mrs. Edith Scott Willett donated a 535-acre (2.17 km²) plot near Oak View, California in 1954 and named in her honor. Camp Willett has been used for events such as Camporees. There are no facilities at this camp.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

Topa Topa Lodge #291[12]

Many years ago the Chumash Indians roamed the forests and hunted game in the bountiful Ojai Valley. When a bad omen came to the tribe, the great spirit sent two white gophers to chief Matilija. The gophers instructed the chief and his people to perform acts of unselfish service and sacrifice. Chief Matilija perished in a great calamity, but with the acts of service and devotion done, the great spirit sent chief Topa Topa to the Chumash to save the worthy people from an evil horde. In the 1920s the spirit of unselfish service was rekindled at Ventura County Council's Camp Grey. There, the "Tribe of Matilija" was founded as the honor camping organization of the council. The tribe had as its purpose to promote camping at Camp Grey. The Order of the Arrow in Ventura County was established in June of 1944, when ceremonies were conducted during the Camp-O-Ral at Steckel Park to induct 13 selected scouts as charter members of Topa Topa Lodge #291 of the Order of the Arrow. Thus the Order of the Arrow came to replace the "Tribe of Matilija." The new lodge took its name from the legendary Chief Topa Topa.

[edit] Verdugo Hills Council

Verdugo Hills Council (VHC) is one of five Boy Scouts of America councils in Los Angeles County, California. Headquartered in Glendale.Verdugo Hills Council

[edit] Districts

  • Foothills District
  • Iron Eyes Cody District

[edit] Council Camps

  • Camp Verdugo Oaks
  • Camp Silver Fir

[edit] Order of the Arrow

[edit] Western Los Angeles County Council

Western Los Angeles County Council (WLACC) (51) is one of five Boy Scouts of America councils in Los Angeles County, California. Headquartered in Van Nuys, the WLACC services over 30,000 youth spanning six districts including the San Fernando Valley, Santa Clarita Valley, Antelope Valley, Malibu, and much of West Los Angeles.Western Los Angeles County Council

[edit] History

The Western Los Angeles County Council was formed in 1972, when the Crescent Bay Council merged with the San Fernando Valley Council to form the Great Western Council. The Great Western Council was later renamed Western Los Angeles County Council.

[edit] Districts

The Western Los Angeles County Council is divided into six districts.

[edit] Order of the Arrow

The Malibu Lodge #566, chartered in 1972, serves 755 Arrowmen as of 2004. The lodge totem is a Pacific blue shark, and the name translates to "From the Mountains to the Sea" in the Chumash language. Malibu Lodge was created in 1972 from the merger of Tamet Lodge 225 and Walika Lodge 228.

[edit] Council Camps

[edit] Current Camps
Camp Emerald Bay is located on Catalina Island, California. It has been operating since 1925, when it was first opened by the Crescent Bay Area Council. It offers year-round activities as well as being a summer camp.
Camp Josepho is a year round camp owned and operated by the Western Los Angeles County Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The 110-acre (0.45 km²) camp is located in Pacific Palisades in the Santa Monica Mountains in Los Angeles County and has been serving Scouting and community groups since 1941.
The land on which Camp Josepho now lies was originally donated to the Crescent Bay Council in 1941 by Anatol Josepho and his wife Ganna. The camp quickly rose to the forefront of Scouting camps, becoming known as the West Point of Scouting.[citation needed] The focal point of the camp is its large old western style lodge now named the Malibu Lodge after the Malibu Chapter of the Order of the Arrow.
In January 2005, a flood washed out the main road into Camp Josepho. The camp remained closed for less than a month, reopening (to backpacking) in February 2005. The camp remained inaccessible to vehicular traffic while the road was studied by civil engineers. As of July 2007, the road was open once again.
Camp Whitsett is a summer camp in the Giant Sequoia National Monument which has been operating since 1947. Its 'sister camp' is Sierra Expeditions, which offers backpacking and other high-adventure activities.

[edit] Past Camps
  • Camp Jubilee (? - 2003)
  • Camp Slauson, Topanga Canyon (1910 - late 1970s)
  • Camp Temescal, Pacific Palisades (? - 1930)

[edit] Girl Scouting in California

There are 19 Girl Scout council offices in California; however, over the next few years some of them will be merging.

[edit] Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles

The new council, "Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles," will be a merger of Angeles Girl Scout Council, Girl Scout Council of Greater Long Beach, Joshua Tree Council (southeastern portion), Mt. Wilson Vista Council, Spanish Trails Council, and San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Council[1].

[edit] Angeles Girl Scout Council

Headquarters: Santa Monica, California Girl Scouting traces is history in this community back to 1926 with the founding of the Santa Monica Bay Council. In 1965 Santa Monica Bay, Los Angeles, Centinela Valley and El Segundo Girl Scout Councils merged to become Angeles Girl Scout Council and, in 1968, were joined by South Bay Council. Today, Angeles Girl Scout Council serves families from Malibu down the coast through San Pedro, and eastward from Eagle Rock through Downey, encompassing 101 communities. The council consists of over 770 Girl Scout troops and groups organized in 38 Girl Scout Neighborhoods. Angeles Council receives no financial support from Girl Scouts of the USA, the parent organization that is celebrating its 95th birthday in 2007. All activities are supported by generous local individuals, families, businesses, organizations and foundations.[13]Angeles Girl Scout Council

[edit] Girl Scout Council of Greater Long Beach

Girl Scout Council of Greater Long Beach (GSCGLB) is a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization that has been serving girls since 1962. GSCGLB serves more than 2,400 girls and 1,800 adult volunteers from the cities of Artesia, Avalon, Bellflower, Compton, Cerritos, Dominguez, Hawaiian Gardens, Hollydale, Lakewood, La Mirada, Long Beach, Lynwood, Norwalk, Paramount, Santa Fe Springs, Signal Hill and Willowbrook.

Girl Scout Council of Greater Long Beach provides opportunities for all girls to develop self-esteem preparing them to meet life's challenges and achieve their full potential. These opportunities are provided by a volunteer-led organization, supported by a professional staff.

The council maintains two facilities, El Ranchito and Skyland Ranch, where girls can explore the outdoors, hike, cook over an open fire and sleep under the stars. A third site, Marine Landing, hosts a year-round waterfront program, which includes a fleet of kayaks and canoes. The council headquarters houses our administrative offices, a Girl Scout retail store, which carries uniforms and official equipment, and a training facility where certified trainers prepare women and men each year as Girl Scout volunteers. Web Site: http://www.gscglb.org

[edit] Girl Scouts - Joshua Tree Council

Bakersfield, California Web Site: http://www.girlsfirst.org

[edit] Girl Scouts - Mount Wilson Vista Council

Arcadia, California Web Site: http://www.gsmwvc.org

[edit] San Fernando Valley Girl Scout Council

Chatsworth, California Web Site: http://www.sfvgsc.org

[edit] Girl Scouts - Spanish Trails Council

Montclair, California Web Site: http://www.gsspanishtrails.org

[edit] Girl Scouts of California's Central Coast

New council forming by the merger of Monterey and Tres Condados councils. Official merger date is October 1, 2007.

[edit] Girl Scouts of Monterey Bay

Castroville, California Web Site: http://gsmontereybay.org

[edit] Tres Condados Girl Scout Council

Santa Barbara, California Web Site: http://www.gstc.org

[edit] Girl Scouts Golden Valley Council

Fresno, California Web Site: http://www.girlscoutsgvc.org

Under the realignment will acquire the Kern County portion of Joshua Tree Council and will likely get a new name. Merger date is set for October 1, 2008.

[edit] Girl Scouts of Northern California

A new council forming by the merger of Konocti, San Francisco Bay Area, Santa Clara County, Sierra Cascade, and Napa-Solano councils. It will serve over 60,000 girls. The official merger date will be October 1, 2007.

Web Site: http://girlscoutsnorcal.org/

[edit] Girl Scouts of Konocti Council

Santa Rosa, California Web Site: http://www.konoctigirlscouts.org

[edit] Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area

Oakland, California[2]

Known for it annual "Golden Gate Bridging" where Junior Girl Scouts bridging to Cadette Girl Scouts walk across the Golden Gate Bridge. This event was started in 1981 with one troop but now has several thousand scouts involved each year.[3]

Camps

  • Camp Bothin
  • Camp Deer Lake located at 6,800 ft (2,100 m)
  • Camp Sugar Pine located in the Sierra Nevada
  • Camp Butano Creek in San Mateo County
  • Hayward Cabin
  • Ida Smith
  • Twin Canyon
  • Two Sentinels
  • Camp Arequipa

[edit] Camp Bothin

Camp Bothin officially known as the Bothin Youth Center, is a Girl Scout summer camp since 1948 located in Marin County, California. The site is managed by Girl Scouts of San Francisco Bay Area and supported mostly through private foundation grants and individual donations.

[edit] History

Camp Bothin began as a convalescent home for women and children, called Hill Farm, established in 1905 near Fairfax, California on property then owned by Henry E. Bothin. The patients were initially housed in an old farmhouse. Normally, Hill Farm was home to 30 patients, but during the summer the mild climate allowed as many as 60 through the use of tents and cots. During this time, Miss Elizabeth H. Ashe was director.

In 1910, a corporation named Bothin Convalescent Home for Women and Children was formed. Mr. Bothin deeded 152 acres (615,000 m²) of land to this corporation. The old farm house was torn down and a rustic building, now known as Manor House, was erected that could accommodate 40 patients with deep sleeping porches and an outdoor dining room.

That same year the Arequipa Sanatorium, directed by Dr. Philip King Brown, was opened to serve women in the first stages of tuberculosis. The name Arequipa, taken from a city in Peru, is said to be a Native American word signifying 'place of rest.'

Following the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, dust- and ash-filled air contributed to a tuberculosis epidemic in San Francisco. With the help of local artists and members of the area's philanthropic community, Dr. Brown engaged tubercular women in therapeutic handcrafts to combat idleness and avoid the stigma of charity. Arequipa Pottery is now highly prized among collectors.

The ceramics therapy was directed by a succession of nationally known ceramists: Frederick Hurten Rhead, Albert Solon, and Fred Wilde. The master potters were responsible for shaping the greenware, thus resulting in very dramatic variations in styles; however the surface decorations were added by the patients either in the form of designs painted on the surface or patterns carved into the damp clay. Later, Rhead introduced slip trailing which has become the signature form of decoration of Arequipa pottery.

In 1917, the Bothin Helping Fund was incorporated. This organization, now known as the Bothin Foundation, was responsible for raising the $30,000 needed to build Stone House. It was here that professional and business women could come to rest and recuperate after illness.

As treatment methods for TB changed, the need for the Bothin Convalescent Hospital dropped. In 1948, Miss Ashe offered a small building now known as Little House to the San Francisco Girl Scouts for troop camping. A few years later Manor House was made available for Girl Scout use and by 1955 the entire Bothin property was offered to the Council for its use. The property was developed for use by Girl Scouts and a pool was added. The name was officially changed to the Henry E. Bothin Youth Center.

In the 1950s, Arequipa was closed as a hospital and in 1959 the property was leased to Girl Scouts. By 1963 both sides of the property began to operate as the Henry E. Bothin Youth Center.

[edit] Timeline
1905
Hill Farm convalescent home for children opened by Henry E. Bothin
1910
  • Bothin Convalescent Home Board founded and 152 acres (615,000 m²) is deeded.
  • Manor House built.
  • Arequipa built.
1917
Bothin Helping Fund was incorporated to distribute funds under the terms of H. Bothin.
1919
Stone House completed.
1922-1940
Bothin is abandoned.
1948
Use of Little House and Bothin property was offered to Girl Scouts.
1948-1953
During this time, 181 troops, representing 2221 Girl Scouts and 556 leaders, made use of Bothin.
1954
Severely crippled and mentally retarded Girl Scouts attend camp sessions.
1955
  • Use of Bothin offered to Girl Scout for at least 10 years.
  • Name changed to Henry E. Bothin Youth Center.
1959
Use of Arequipa offered to Marin Girl Scout Council.
1963
Entire property becomes Henry E. Bothin Youth Center.

[edit] Girl Scouts of Santa Clara County

San Jose, California[4]

Camps

  • Skylark Ranch 280 acres (1.1 km²) on the Pacific coast north of Santa Cruz.[5]
  • Hidden Falls has 90 acres in the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz mountains.[6]
  • Camp Metro - day camp in Berryessa

[edit] Girl Scouts of Sierra Cascade

Chico, California[7]

[edit] Girl Scout Council of Napa-Solano

Fairfield, California[8]

[edit] Girl Scouts Heart of Central California

A new council formed by the merger of Muir Trail and Tierra del Oro councils.

[edit] Girl Scouts Muir Trail Council

Modesto, California[9]

Serving Mariposa, Merced, Stanislaus, and Tuolumne counties.

[edit] Girl Scouts of Tierra Del Oro

Rancho Cordova, California[10]

[edit] Girl Scout Council of Orange County

Costa Mesa, California[11]

[edit] Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council

San Diego, California[12]

[edit] Girl Scouts of San Gorgonio Council

Redlands, California[13]

This council will remain mostly the same except it will acquire some bits from neighboring councils (the realignment hopes to decrease the number of councils that cross state and county lines).[14] Its name is also likely to change.

[edit] International Scouting units in California

Cambodian Scouting in exile existed at least into the early 1990s in Los Angeles, alongside fellow Vietnamese Scouting in exile and Laotian Scouting in exile groups. Colonel Oleg Pantyukhov, Chief Scout of Russia, moved to the United States, where large troops of Russian Scouts were established in cities such as San Francisco, Burlingame, California, Los Angeles, etc. Also, Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség Hungarian Scouting maintains four troops in Los Angeles and two in San Francisco.

[edit] See also

Scouting Portal

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Running Springs Fire Update. California Inland Empire Council (Oct 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  2. ^ Fires Consume 5,000 Acres Total. Fire & Wind. The Sun Daily Bulletin (Oct 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  3. ^ Main Page Website. Camp Helendade Website (Oct 2007). Retrieved on 2007-10-23.
  4. ^ http://www.bsa-ciec.org/about/history.php
  5. ^ a b History - Cahuilla Lodge # 127, Order of the Arrow, Boy Scouts of America
  6. ^ Tribe of Tahquitz
  7. ^ Orange County - 1910 to 1929
  8. ^ http://www.sfbac.org/sfbac_history.cfm
  9. ^ Camp WenteHome Page
  10. ^ wente
  11. ^ Ventura County Council, BSA
  12. ^ Topa Topa Lodge - Order of The Arrow
  13. ^ Council History
  14. ^ http://www.gssgc.org/Forms/REALIGNMENT_FAQ%20for%20GSSGC.pdf

[edit] External links and references

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