Scouting in New York 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. In fact, the first National Boy Scouts of America Headquarters was in New York City, and the Girl Scouts of the USA National Headquarters is located at 420 5th Avenue, New York, New York.
On September 10, 1910, S. F. Lester of Troy, New York, became the very first person to hold the Scouting leadership position of Scoutmaster (commissioned by the BSA). He received his certification from the BSA headquarters in New York City. In 1910 he led a group of 30 scouts at Camp Ilium, in Pownal, Vermont. Camp Ilium was the starting point of the Boy Scout Movement for Troy, NY and Pownal, VT which is only 35 miles (56 km) away from Troy, NY. [1]
The 1924 National Order of the Arrow Lodge Meeting was held at Tuxedo Park, New York, and the 1929 National Lodge Meeting was held at Kanohwahke Lake, New York.
Most Girl Scout units were originally segregated by race according to state and local laws and customs. The first troop for American Indians was formed in New York State in 1921.
In the 1970s and again in the 1990s, upstate New York went through a huge consolidation of small, historic councils.
There are twenty-two Boy Scouts of America local councils in New York.
The Allegheny Highlands Council serves Scouts in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties in New York and McKean and Potter counties in Pennsylvania.[2] It has two camps: Camp Merz and Elk Lick Scout Reserve. The council is divided into 2 districts: While originally intended to be a high adventure camp, Elk Lick is now a traditional summer camp, with emphasis on nature and other outdoor related merit badges. It is currently run by Camp Director Wayne Schuver Jr. Camp Merz is located on Lake Chautauqua, in western NY. Its merit badge program focuses on water related badges, as well as technology related ones (computers, photography, etc.) It is currently run by Camp Director Joe Debiso.
Order of the Arrow – Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge 165
Baden-Powell Council was formed in 1998 by the merger of the former Baden-Powell Council (headquartered in Dryden, NY) and Susquenango Council (headquartered in Binghamton, New York). The council's new headquarters are in Binghamton. The council covers five counties in New York State—Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Tioga and Tompkins—as well as Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania.[3]
As of late-2006, the Council has five districts:
"Districts". Baden-Powell Council Website. Baden-Powell Council. http://bpcouncil.org/Districts.aspx. Retrieved 2011-05-23.</ref>
The Baden-Powell Council operates two Scout Camps:
Camp Barton is a Boy Scouts of America camp located on 300 acres (1.2 km2) on Frontenac Point on the west shore of Cayuga Lake in New York State's Finger Lakes. It is approximately nine miles north of Ithaca.[4]
Camp Barton has nine summer camping sites with 2- and 4-man platform tents, as well as winter lean-tos in one of the two gorges which surround the camp.[5] The camp facilities include many water-based activities on the camp's half-mile of waterfront, including rowing, motorboating, sailing, waterskiing and swimming, as well as handicrafts, nature, rifle and archery ranges, and scoutcraft areas. Camp Barton also has a special Intro to SCUBA course.[6]
The camp's buildings and cabins are available for off-season use by Scouting and other youth organizations. For more information contact the Council Office.[7]
Camp Tuscarora is a Boy Scouts of America camp located on 1100 acres (4.5 km²) around Summit Lake in New York State's Southern Tier.[8]
The camp has twelve summer camping sites with 2-man platform tents.[8] It also has four winter units with a center lodge equipped with wood stoves, refrigerators and electricity and four 8-man lean-tos. Camp Tuscarora also offers a renovated Nature lodge, dining hall, a nationally known Handicraft program, and a 40-foot (12 m) climbing wall.[9]
Cayuga County Council served Scouting in the Cayuga County, New York and Red Creek, New York area. Camp Rotary in Niles, New York on Owasco Lake is a 29-acre (120,000 m2) camp. It provides a summer program for Cub Scouting and year-round camping for all Scouts. The Order of the Arrow is represented by Tahgajute Lodge.
The council had been in financial trouble for several years; in 2008 it was granted a provisional charter by National. A new charter was provisional on a new financial plan, else a merge with neighboring Hiawatha Seaway Council should be considered. Hiawatha Seaway Council approved the merger on Jun 10, 2008; on June 24, 2009 a proposal to merge was tabled by the Cayuga County Council executive board. National did not renew the Cayuga County Council charter on July 1, 2009 and the council was absorbed into Hiawatha Seaway Council as Cayuga District.[10][11]
The Connecticut Rivers Council serves Fisher's Island in New York in addition to the majority of the State of Connecticut. Order of the Arrow - Tschitani Lodge 10
The Seneca Waterways Council is a 2010 merge of Finger Lakes Council and Otetiana Council and serves Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Seneca and Yates counties.
Five Rivers Council serves Scouts in the Southern tier of New York and the Northern tier of Pennsylvania. The council is divided into four districts:[12]
Order of the Arrow – TKäen DôD Lodge #30
It operates two camps: Camp Brulé, in central Pennsylvania, and Camp Gorton on Waneta Lake in New York.
Camp Brulé (pronounced "Brul-a"), named after Étienne Brûlé, is in Sullivan County, Pennsylvania. It was founded by the General Sullivan Council with headquarters in Athens and jurisdiction over Bradford, Tioga and Sullivan Counties.
The camp covers the forty two acres of Elk Lake and 200 acres (0.8 km2) of forest land bordering it. Pancost Hall and Crandall Hall are memorials to Alfred H. Pancost, Chief Scout Executive and founder, and to Harry H. Crandall, first president of the Council.
On the parade ground a native boulder bears a bronze plaque in memory of Eagle Scout twin brothers from Troop 2, Towanda, Pennsylvania, Air Force Lieutenants John R. and William G. Winter. Born August 11, 1925, they were killed in action in World War II on August 11, 1945. The plaque was erected by employees of the Patterson Screen Company.[13]
The Greater New York Councils (GNYC) has a unique organization in that it is sub-divided into boroughs led by a borough executive.
Greater Niagara Frontier Council serves the territory of Erie and western Niagara Counties. The Boy Scout summer camp is Schoellkopf Scout Reservation. The Cub Scout camp is Camp Scouthaven. The council is organized into four districts:
Order of the Arrow – Ho-De-No-Sau-Nee Lodge
Longhouse Council was formed in 2010 as a merger of Hiawatha Seaway Council and Cayuga County Council. The Hiawatha Seaway Council was formed in 1999 as a result of the merger of the Hiawatha Council and Seaway Valley Council.[14] The council is headquartered in Syracuse, NY. The council currently owns 2 camps, including Sabattis Scouting Reservation and Camp Woodland.[15] The council covers six counties in New York State — Cayuga, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, Onondaga, and St. Lawrence.[16]
The council is divided into seven districts:[16]
As of 30 June 2009[update], Longhouse Council acquired a seventh district: Cayuga County.[17] This was previously Cayuga County Council, which lost its charter.[18]
Order of the Arrow – Lowanne Nimat Lodge 219, formed January 1, 2010 from Kayanernh Kowa and Tahgajute lodges.[19]
The World Brotherhood Camporee is a weekend-long camping trip that Boy Scouts from Canada and the U.S. participate in. The camporee is an annual event and takes place either in the Hiawatha Seaway Council, New York or in the Loyalist Area of the Voyageur Council, Ontario, Canada.
The main events include Council Strip trading and a dance party.[20]
The Hudson Valley Council is headquartered in Newburgh, New York, and also serves Scouts in Pennsylvania. The grave of Daniel Carter Beard lies within the Hudson Valley Council, where an annual service is held.
Its districts are: Rockland, Heritage, Delaware River, and Dutchess.
Order of the Arrow Lodge – Nacha Nimat 86
Iroquois Trail Council, with its headquarters in Batavia, New York, serves Scouts in western New York. It was created in 1994 from a merger of two councils: Genesee (Genesee, Livingston, and Wyoming Counties) and Lewiston Trail (eastern Niagara and Orleans Counties). It has two camps: Camp Dittmer(real) and Camp Sam Wood(cub scout). As of 2007, the council is divided into three districts:[21]
Order of the Arrow – Ashokwahta Lodge No. 339
The Otschodela Council of the Boy Scouts of America provides among the highest quality scouting programs, training and events. Serving the needs of Delaware, Otsego and Schoharie Counties in upstate New York.
Otschodela Council was formed in 1924 as the Otsego-Schoharie Council; the third county added in 1926 and the name changed to Otschodela (OTsego-SCHOharie-DELAware). Otschodela Council, headquartered in Oneonta, NY, has retained its name and three-county borders ever since. It is divided into two districts:
Within its programs the council provides opportunities for scouts to participate in summer camp at Boy Scout Camp Henderson, camporees, day camps and more. It provides valuable leader training at all levels of scouting.
Henderson Scout Reservation is made up of over 600 acres (2 km2) of woodlands and is home to a 70-acre (0 km2) lake that are both managed and maintained for the best possible Scouting experience. It has twelve campsites located in close proximity to the program facilities. It runs six weeks of Boy Scout Summer Camp Programs and Webelos Summer Camps. The camp also provides year-round camping at any of its lodging facilities, campsites or lean-tos.
Located 20 minutes away from the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown and the Soccer Hall of Fame in Oneonta. The Otschodela Council with the National Baseball Hall of Fame has developed a Boy Scout national patch for the Baseball Hall of Fame Scavenger Hunt.
Revolutionary Trails Council [1] serves a portion of central New York.
Rip Van Winkle Council serves scouts in the Ulster and Greene counties of New York. The council's camp, located in the Catskills, is Camp Tri-Mount. We have the distinction of having 6 of the first 21 Eagle Scouts from the Class of 1912, the first class of Eagle Scouts. The council is divided into two districts:
Order of the Arrow – Half Moon Lodge
Suffolk County Council serves scouts in Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York. Baiting Hollow Scout Camp is the council camp. It is located in Calverton, New York. The council has 4 districts:
Order of the Arrow – Shinnecock Lodge
Theodore Roosevelt Council supports Scouting in Nassau County, New York.
| Twin Rivers Council | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Boy Scouts of America | ||
| Headquarters | Albany, New York | ||
| Country | United States | ||
|
|
|||
| Website http://trcscouting.org/ |
|||
Twin Rivers Council is based in Albany, New York. It serves a large geographic area that encompasses 13 counties of Northeastern New York. On February 14, 2006 the Adirondack Council and the Twin Rivers Council merged to form the Twin Rivers Council #364. This merger was the result of recommendations made by both of the respective Council Executive Boards with National that neither council could continue to exist financially and both would need to merge to become a new solvent council. The new council has within its boundaries much of the Adirondack Park, one of the Northeast's wildest places and a haven for Scouting activities.
It currently encompasses seven districts:
| Rotary Scout Reservation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Founded | 1922 | ||
|
|
|||
| Website http://www.rsrbsa.org/ |
|||
Rotary Scout Reservation is a 1,300-acre (5 km2) camp of the Twin Rivers Council, located in Poestenkill, New York. The original part of the camp was donated by the Troy Rotary Club in 1922. Summer camp program areas include the Trail to First Class Program, where young Scouts can work on requirements needed to earn Tenderfoot, Second Class and First Class ranks. RSR offers 40 merit badges in 9 program areas. In addition to the merit badge option, RSR offers an open schedule which allows Scouts to plan their day with a variety of outdoor experiences. The camp also offers several additional program areas designed to appeal to older Scouts, which include COPE, Mountain Biking, Chillicothe, and Thunderbird Corps.
RSR's totem is the Thunderbird.
The Chillicothe program at RSR offers Scouts and Leaders a look at American Pioneer life in the 19th century. Scouts are encouraged to try their hand at activities such as candle making, flint and steel fire starting, blacksmithing, woodsman tools, tin-smithing and more. Chillicothe is a program unique to RSR, and it is an often underutilized program. It was designed to encourage the return of older Scouts who had earned most of the merit badges offered by the camp.
Woodworth Lake Scout Reservation, located in Gloversville, New York. Situated in the Adirondacks, Woodworth Lake is an excellent starting point for a hike into the Adirondacks. There are no resident summer programs run out of this camp, however it is open for weekend camping trips as well as a summer Cub Scout day camp.
Camp Boyhaven, located in Middle Grove, New York. Each summer, it runs a resident Cub and Webelos Resident Camp for five weeks. It runs a total of seven sessions. Each summer it camps up to 1000 campers.
Camp Bedford, is located at 10424 State Rt. 30, Malone, NY (near the Meacham Lake NYS DEC Campground, north of Paul Smiths, and south of Malone, NY). The camp encompasses 150 acres (0.61 km2), 2 large ponds for boating and fishing, and over 3,500 acres (14 km2) of State Wild Forests border the camp. Charles E. Bedford donated 3,650 acres (14.8 km2) to the Adirondack Council in 1943 to establish the camp, making it at the time the largest donation of land to any council in the USA.
Camp Bedford closed in 2005 as a summer Scout resident camp after sixty-two years of service. This was due to increasing financial costs such as: staff wages, construction estimates to build new older boy program areas (COPE, mountain biking, and treks), and the construction costs of a new electrical system. With a decreasing membership in the Scout units of Clinton, Essex, and Franklin Counties, this also translated to fewer campers who attended camp, which caused less camping and popcorn sales revenues to be available to operate the Adirondack Council and Camp Bedford.
On February 14, 2006 the Adirondack Council and the Twin Rivers Council merged to form the Twin Rivers Council #364. This merger was the result of recommendations made by both of the respective Council Executive Boards, the Area Director, the Northeast Region Professional Staff, and the National Strategic Long-Range Planning Committees that neither council could continue to exist financially and they would need to merge to become a new solvent council.
Since August 15, 2005, Camp Bedford has operated as a year round multi-use facility to be available for a single day, a weekend, or as a base camp for a week for Scouting, community, or private groups. Twin Rivers Council believes that Camp Bedford serves as an example of how a Scout resident camp can be redeveloped as an outdoor adventure area for Scouting units and the public to enjoy. This is clear statement of excellent stewardship by the Council to sustain and improve this facility for all to explore this pristine part of the Adirondack Wilderness. For more information visit the Twin Rivers Council website or call 518-869-6436.
The Order of the Arrow Lodge for Twin Rivers Council is Kittan Lodge.
Westchester-Putnam Council serves Scouts in southeastern New York State.
New York state is served by 12 (soon to be 8) Girl Scouts councils. In addition the Edith Macy Conference Center belonging to the national organization is in Briarcliff Manor and the national headquarters is in New York City.
The national headquarters has been in various places in New York City since 1916 when it moved there from Washington, D.C.. It has been at 420 Fifth Avenue since 1992. Small groups can visit with prior reservations and visiting girls may be able to take part in focus group meeting.[22]
Edith Macy Conference Center is a national conference and training facility of the Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) It is located in Briarcliff Manor, New York. The site has had four names: Camp Edith Macy (C.E.M.) - University In The Woods, Edith Macy Training School, Edith Macy Girl Scout National Center and since 1982, Edith Macy Conference Center. However, it is often simply referred to as Macy. The John J. Creedon Education Center and Camp Andree Clark are part of the complex. Macy hosted the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts Fourth International Conference in 1926. Camp Andree Clark hosted the GSUSA's Silver Jubilee Camp in 1937.
Fishers Island in Suffolk County, New York is served by the Girl Scouts of Connecticut due to the close ties between the island and Connecticut. See Scouting in Connecticut for more information.
Headquarters: Hartford, Connecticut
Website: http://www.gsofct.org
Girl Scouts of Greater New York serves some 21,000 girls and has over 7,100 volunteers in New York City.
Headquarters: New York City
Website: http://www.girlscoutsnyc.org/
The council camp is 425-acre (1.72 km2) Camp Henry Kaufman in the Hudson Valley.
Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson serves over 34,000 girls in Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Rockland, Sullivan, Ulster and Westchester counties.
Headquarters: Pleasantville, New York
Website: http://www.girlscoutshh.org
Camps:
Headquarters: Garden City, New York
Website: http://www.gsnc.org/
Camp Blue Bay in East Hampton, New York is the council camp. Camp Tekakwitha was sold in June 2007 to Southampton, NY which will retain it as open space.
Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York was created in June 2007 from the union of four Girl Scout Councils (Hudson Valley, Mohawk Pathways, Adirondack and North Country) and now serves Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Greene, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Montgomery, Hamilton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren and Washington Counties and a portion of St. Lawrence County.
It serves over 14,500 girls and has over 6,500 adults and volunteers.
Headquarters: Albany, NY
Website: http://www.gsneny.org
Camps:
NYPenn Pathways was formed in June 2009 from five legacy councils - Seven Lakes Council, Central New York Council, Foothills Council, Indian Hills Council and Thousand Islands Council. NYPenn Pathways serves girls in 24 New York State counties and 2 Pennsylvania counties with a total girl registration totaling about 27,000.
Website: http://gsnypenn.org/
Offices
Camps
Girl Scouts of Suffolk County serves more than 43,000 girls and has more than 9,000 adult volunteers. The first troop in the county was started in 1915.
Headquarters: Commack, New York
Website: http://www.gssc.us/
Camps:
Girl Scouts of Western New York was created on July 1, 2008 from four legacy councils: Girl Scout Council of Buffalo & Erie County, Inc., Girl Scouts of Genesee Valley, Inc., Girl Scouts of Niagara County, Inc., and Girl Scouts of Southwestern New York, Inc. The council serves some 25,000 girls within Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Livingston, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, and Wyoming counties.
Headquarters: Buffalo, New York
Website: http://www.gswny.org/
Camps:
In addition, there are Armenian Scouts and Estonian Scouts in Exile in New York City, and Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség Hungarian Scouting maintains two troops in New York City and one in Buffalo. Also, there are large contingents of active Plast Ukrainian Scouts in New York City.
The West Point Camporee annual Invitational event, started in 1963, run by a Cadet Officer, held around the first week of May since 2001 on the grounds of the Academy. Cadets are allowed to invite their home Scouting Units (Boy Scout and Girl Scout). Managed by the Scoutmasters' Council.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||