Westchester-Putnam Council | |||
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Owner | Boy Scouts of America | ||
Country | United States | ||
Founded | 1973 | ||
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Westchester-Putnam Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America, serving Boy Scouts in southeastern New York State.
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In the 1920s, both Westchester and Putnam counties were served by many individual councils that were based in the cities of the area. Among them were the Bronx Valley Council which served the Mount Vernon area, the Siwanoy Council which served the New Rochelle area, and a separate Yonkers Council which served that city. In 1958, the Bronx Valley Council joined with the Siwanoy Council, forming the Bronx Valley-Siwanoy Council. The name was later changed to Hutchinson River Council in 1962.
In northern Westchester, the Hendrick Hudson Council, which served the Ossining area, and the James Fennimore Cooper Council, which served the White Plains-Bedford-Brewster area, merged to form the Washington Irving Council in 1950. The Yonkers Council was later absorbed in 1955. In 1973, the Washington Irving Council merged with Hutchinson River Council to form the present-day Westchester-Putnam Council, originally headquartered in White Plains. In 1993, the council headquarters were relocated to the current location in Hawthorne, NY.
The Westchester-Putnam Council is currently split up into four Districts: Muscoot, Manitoga, Mohican, and Algonquin. At one time, there was a Wiccopee District serving Phillipstown, Putnam Valley, Peekskill, Cortlandt and Yorktown in the Westchester-Putnam area, but these locations are now served by the Manitoga District.
The Westchester-Putnam Council is divided into 6 districts:
Curtis S. Read Scout Reservation, also known as Camp Read, is a camp located in the Adirondack Mountains in Brant Lake, New York. It consists of three camps: Waubeeka, Buckskin, and Summit Base. There are two dirt roads which make most of the camp accessible by car in the warmer months. The name Camp Read was used for several Boy Scout camps operated by the Council and its predecessors since the 1920s. The present-day Camp Read was named in 1949.
Camp Waubeeka, which opened in 1969, is a patrol cooking camp. When it first opened, and for the first few years of its existence, the camp was named Camp Proposed; a name derived from the words "proposed camp" on the original reservation plan. Boy Scout troops come to Camp Waubeeka to camp-out in tents and earn merit badges in a variety of disciplines: Waterfront, Scoutcraft, Shooting Sports (Archery, Riflery and Shotgun Shooting), Ecology and Conservation (or "ECON"), and Handicraft. In order to earn the Horsemanship and Climbing merit badges, scouts must use the in-camp transpotration provided to those class locations.
In Camp Waubeeka, scouts cook their own meals in a patrol-style cook site. Scouts pick up ingredients for each meal at the Commissary building. Food is cooked on top of cast-ironwood-burning stoves called sheepherders or on top of a half-barrel grill. No food is stored in the campsites, but utensils and condiments can be kept in large patrol boxes, called "monster boxes" which are locked at night to keep animals away from the campsites.
The camp has its own man-made lake, Waubeeka Lake, where Small Boat Sailing merit badge classes are offered and the camp-wide "Cardboard Boat Race" takes place. Small-Boat Sailing is made available for scouts from Buckskin, because the Buckskin waterfront is unsuitable for this type of watercraft.
Waubeeka has a large group of staff members serving scouts in each Merit Badge program area and in the Commissary, trading post, quartermaster's office and camp office. The quartermaster's office rations out cooking equipment weekly.
Camp Waubeeka has six functional campsites: Cascade, Avalanche, Wolfjaw, Polaris, Sunrise, and Haystack. Camp Waubeeka also has three decommissioned campsites, Cobble and Skylight, which were abandoned in the mid 1990s and are currently used for nature observation. Klondike Notch, which was removed when nearby Rose Drive was constructed, has been out of existence since the 1980s. Scouts traveling on the designated trails through these areas can see old cots, platforms, fire rings, a flagpole, and an old latrine. Showers and latrines are located throughout the camp for general use. In 2010, Camp Waubeeka received a new camp shower house, known colloquially as the Wolfjaw Showers due to its location next to Wolfjaw Campsite.
Camp Buckskin is the largest camp on the reservation where scouts can camp out in platform tents and earn merit badges. There are fourteen different campsites, among them Teheco, Pawnee, Ranger, and Blackfoot. Throughout the course of the summer there are a variety of events and competitions. There are also opening and closing campfires every week.
Scouts eat three meals a day in Newton Hall, the main dining hall, unless they are enrolled in the Cooking merit badge program of study. The option is also available for troops to cook meals at their own campsites. The field in front of Newton Hall is known as the "parade field" where ceremonies such as the daily lowering and raising of the flag take place. The field is also used for recreational purposes, like games of Ultimate Frisbee or soccer. Located nearby are the First Aid office, Main Office, campfire area and Trading Post.
Camp Buckskin has its own lake, known as Rogers Lake. At the waterfront scouts can earn aquatics merit badges, participate in instructional swim courses or just check out rowboats, canoes or other watercraft.
Campers can earn merit badges in the Scoutcraft, Handicraft, Aquatics, Ecology (known as the "ECON" Lodge for "ecology" and "conservation"), and Field Sports program areas. These different areas offer a wide variety of merit badges; including some Eagle Scout required merit badges such as Camping, Environmental Science, First Aid, Swimming, Lifesaving and Emergency Preparedness. For merit badge requirements and recreation, there are shooting ranges for shotguns, rifles, and archery. A program designed for newer scouts helps orient them to scouting, camping and rank advancement. Recently, this program was named the Anthony Long Rank Advancement Program in memory of a past staff member.
Showers and latrines are available around the camp. For the summers of 2008, 2009 and 2010, new latrines were built in several locations throughout camp. In 2009 and 2010 three new shower houses with private stalls where erected for usage by the scouts and leaders.
Summit Base is a nationally recognized and accredited Adirondack High Adventure base camp at Read Scout Reservation. Mount Stevens, a relatively small peak, is located here. There is a large field and a few campsites, including lean-tos for use by scouts and adventurers. The staff at Summit Base guide week-long canoe and hiking treks. A climbing wall and showers are available for general use.
A long dirt road leads to a big grassland where the remnants of an early 20th century racetrack are located, much of it still visible. The racetrack area is home to a high and low ropes course, known as COPE (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience). Summit Base also has a man-made lake where scouts can use an 80-foot (24 m) zipline.
During the 1960s, Summit Base was known as Camp Tomahawk. Tomahawk formed individual scouts into provisional troops to participate in activities at Read Scout Reservation with full formal troops. The small man-made lake was then known as Lester's Lake.
There are horse stables located on the reservation where scouts can earn the equestrian merit badge. A small, old-style house located on the reservation is made available in the winter for skiing in the Adirondacks.
Durland Scout Reservation is located in Putnam Valley, New York in Putnam County adjacent to Clarence Fahnestock State Park, with many interconnecting trails.
In 1968, environmentalist and National Geographic director of exploration William O. Field sold his 1,400 acres (6 km2) of wilderness to the Boy Scouts of America. New York State was also interested in the land to expand the existing Clarence Fahnestock State Park, but Field felt that the Boy Scouts would be better caretakers and keep the land "forever wild." The property became the Clear Lake Scout Reservation. In 1993, the Westchester-Putnam Council had considered a $4.5 million sale to developers who would construct a golf course on the property. After careful consideration and much heated debate, plans to sell the camp were cancelled.
In 2007, Clear Lake Scout Reservation was renamed for Agatha Durland, who had previously donated waterfront property and a trust to maintain a Scout aquatic center in Rye, NY. With the sale of the Rye property to private developers, the name and trust were transferred to the Clear Lake Scout Reservation property.
Durland offers improved sites for tent camping and unimproved areas for trek and wilderness camping. Cabins and outdoor pavilions are available for rental year round for various Scout activities. Durland is also one of the sites for the Council's Cub Scout Day Camp summer program.
Siwanoy Scout Camp
Durland Aquatic Scout Center
Camp Wiccopee
Curtis S. Read Memorial Camp
Camp Waubeeka
Purdy Scout Reservation
Allen Reservation
Camp Osborn
Ktemaque Lodge | |||
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Founded | 1973 | ||
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Westchester-Putnam Council is also home to the Ktemaque Lodge of the Order of the Arrow.
One of the oldest OA lodges in the organization, it can trace its roots to Chappegat Lodge formed in 1923. Chappegat was originally chartered to the Siwanoy Council. In 1957, Chappegat merged with Hanigus (formed in 1930 and chartered to the Bronx Valley Council) to form Mide. The merged lodge was chartered to the Hutchinson River Council.
Up north, Wiccopee was formed in 1936 and chartered to Hendrick Hudson Council. This lodge disbanded in 1947 and reformed in 1948 as Great Horned Owl. In 1943, Wakoda was formed and chartered to the Fennimore Cooper Council. Great Horned Owl 86 was merged into Wakoda in 1951. Back south, Kitchawonk 32 was formed in 1927 and chartered to Yonkers Council. The lodge rechartered in 1947 as Tahawus 32. In 1955, Tahawus was merged into Wakoda Lodge and became Horicon 247, chartered with Washington Irving Council.
In 1973, Horicon was merged into Mide 15 to become Ktemaque, chartered with the newly formed Westchester-Putnam Council. Ktemaque is a Delaware Indian word meaning "from the land of the beaver," harkening back to the original totem of Chappegat Lodge. Order of the Arrow is very active in the region, helping to organize Eager Beaver weekends to help maintain the council's Scout camps and facilities.
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