Scouting in Ohio

Scouting in Ohio
  • Girl Scouts at Lorain International Festival
  • Boy Scouts Hiking the Cuyahoga Trail
  • New Concord, Ohio, Girl Scout Troops
  • Woodland Trails Scout Reservation Sundial

Scouting in Ohio has a long history, from the 1908 to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

Recent history (1950–1990)

In 1952 and again in 1975 the National Order of the Arrow Conference was held at Miami University.

Present Day (2016-)

In 2016, an effort was started to consolidate councils in Northeast Ohio as of January 1, 2017. Heart of Ohio and Greater Western Reserve Councils' northern districts merged with Greater Cleveland Council. Heart of Ohio's southern districts have merged with Buckeye Council. Greater Western Reserve Councils southern districts have merged with Great Trail Council.

Order of the Arrow Lodge mergers will be completed following the Section C-4A conclave in May at Camp Manatoc

Boy Scouts of America in Ohio today

BSA Councils Serving Ohio.

In the 1990s, the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) went through a restructuring in an attempt to reduce manpower, and in several states small historic Councils were merged into a larger supercouncil. The Simon Kenton Council is an example of such a supercouncil.

There are sixteen Boy Scouts of America local councils in Ohio.

Allohak Council

Allohak Council (#818) was founded in 1991. It is composed of six districts and serves West Virginia and Ohio. The council headquarters is in Parkersburg, West Virginia.

Black Swamp Area Council

Black Swamp Area Council (#449)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Findlay, Ohio
Founded 1992
Website
www.blackswampbsa.org

Black Swamp Area Council was created in 1992. It is composed of six districts and covers thirteen counties in Ohio. The council headquarters is in Findlay, Ohio with an additional service center in Lima, Ohio.

History

Hancock County Council #449
founded 1923		Tiffin Council
founded 1915		Lima Council #452
founded 1919		Defiance Council #446
founded 1920		Van Wert Council #463
founded 1922
Put-Han-Sen Area Council #449
merged 1930		Shawnee Area Council #452
merged 1926
Black Swamp Area Council #449
merged January 1, 1992

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow

Buckeye Council

Buckeye Council (#436) serves Ohio and parts of northern West Virginia.

Dan Beard Council

Dan Beard Council (#438)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Cincinnati, Ohio
Founded 1956
Website
danbeard.org

Dan Beard Council was created in 1956. It is composed of eight districts and serves Scouts in twelve counties in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The council is served by the Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge of the Order of the Arrow.

History

Cincinnati Area Council #438
founded 1915		Covington Council #201
founded 1916		Hamilton Council #448
founded 1919		Middletown Council #454
founded 1917
Northern Kentucky Council #201
renamed 1925		Butler County Council #448
renamed 1925
Dan Beard Council #201
renamed 1952		Fort Hamilton Council #448
renamed 1935		Mound Builders Area Council #454
renamed 1932
Dan Beard Council #438
merged 1956
Dan Beard Council #438
merged 1959
Dan Beard Council #438
merged 1985

The Middletown Area Council (#454)was first formed as a provisional (second class) council in 1917. In 1920 it was granted full council status. It initially served the city of Middletown. In 1928, the territory of the Middletown Area Council was expanded to include all of Warren County as well as Lemon, Liberty, Madison and Union Townships from Butler County. In 1926, the land for Camp Hook was donated to the council. The camp opened in 1927 and operated until 1991. In 1932 Union Township was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Butler County Council (later known as Fort Hamilton Council). In 1933 the Middletown Area Council was renamed to the Mound Builders Area Council. In 1955, jurisdiction of Lemon Township was transferred to Fort Hamilton Council, forming the final boundaries of the Mound Builders Area Council. Mound Builders Area Council continued to serve Middletown and the Lemon & Madison Townships of Butler County as well as all of Warren County until July 1, 1985 when it was absorbed into Dan Beard Council #438 and became the Mound Builders District. The current Hopewell District of Dan Beard Council, formed during the 2006 redistricting process when Middletown and Lemon Township (including Monroe Ohio) were recombined, very closely resembling the lines of the old Mound Builders Area Council territory.

Mound Builders Area Council primarily had only two districts, Fort Ancient and Pokey Griffith. A third district, Wischixin, was formed briefly but lasted for less than 5 years before being discontinued.

The Nachenum Lodge #145 of the Order of the Arrow served Mound Builders Area Council, forming in 1939. Upon the merger with Dan Beard Council in 1985, the Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge #462 merged with Nachenum, forming Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge #145 (keeping the existing Dan Beard Council name but choosing to use the lower lodge # of the former Nachenum Lodge).

An interesting note is that Mound Builders Area Council, while no longer an actual council, was represented at the 1985 National Jamboree. The troop contingent from Mound Builders Council attended the jamboree, held beginning July 15, while the council itself ceased to exist on July 1. The contingent was technically now part of Dan Beard Council, though all patches and markings, etc. were already set to the old Mound Builders Area Council and were not altered to note Dan Beard Council.

Organization
Camp Friedlander
Camps
Dan Beard Scout Reservation

Camp Michaels is located in Union, KY, on 700 acres (2.8 km2) of land, offering primitive outdoor facilities. 61 acres (0.25 km2) of additional land was dedicated on September 19, 2008.

The Dan Beard Scout Reservation, in Loveland, OH, consists of three areas on its 506-acre (2.05 km2) campus. Camp Friedlander was established in 1919, and reopened in 2002 after renovations to the camp. Friedlander has 23 campsites, a 600-person dining hall, an 18-acre (73,000 m2) lake, cabins, and a swimming pool. It has an excellent reputation and attracts Scouts from all over the world. Camp Craig is often used as a training facility. The Program Building at Camp Craig is often rented out for retreats, conferences or training. The swimming pool at Camp Craig is shared with Cub World. Cub Scout Adventure World (Cub World) opened in 2000 as a camp designed exclusively for Cub Scouting. Cub World features two large buildings that offer dorm-like accommodations (Pioneer Fort and Medieval Castle) that offer rooms with bunk-beds, and more primitive areas (Mountain Man Village and Miner's Camp) that offer tent camping. All three camps have access to each other on the Reservation, which is adjacent to the Little Miami River.

Camp Charles R. Hook, founded in 1926, was in operation until 1991. In 1997, the land was purchased by the Five Rivers Metroparks and is now called the Twin Creek Metropark. The land for Camp Hook was donated by the Charles R. Hook family. Charles Hook was the President of the American Rolling Mill Company (ARMCO) - which in the early 1990s merged to become AK Steel Corporation - and son-in-law of the company's founder, George M. Verity. In early 1929 Mr. Hook donated a significant amount of stock to the Middletown Area Council with the instructions to immediately sell it and use the proceeds to put in a swimming pool at the camp. The timing on this event was advantageous considering early in the fall of 1929 was the crash of the stock market known as Black Friday and the beginning of the Great Depression. The sale of the stock yielded enough money to put in the swimming pool and purchase more land to the north, expanding the camp's size significantly. The waterfront of the camp was later named Lake George after Charles Hook's son, George Verity Hook. After the camp's closure and sale to the Metroparks system, the majority of the structures were torn down and the swimming pool filled in. Most of the campsites have grown over as well, but many landmarks or signs of the former use of the area remain. The Metroparks system maintains three group campsites for Scout use, and a backcountry camping area was added on the north side of the property near Chamberlain Road. A large rock with embedded plaque thanking the Hooks for the donation remains, as does the amphitheatre campfire bowl, the Administration Lodge, the Maintenance Building, the Chapel (now called the Natuary) and a few other structures that are in ruins. The pool pump house and the shelters for the shooting ranges still remain, though it is believed this is due only because the demolition equipment could not safely reach these structures. The park previously held three geocache units that contain historical pictures of the old camp, but as of fall 2013 they have been removed. One point of interest that remains is the Gilwell Tree. A local Scouting family in the 1970s took a vacation to England with his family, during which they visited Gilwell Park, the home of the Scouting movement. A sapling of one of the English Oaks was brought back from Gilwell Park and planted at Camp Hook to signify the ties between Scouting in the US and the worldwide movement. In June, 1986, Camp Hook hosted EC 336 X, an experimental Wood Badge Course directed by William Hillcourt. (Very little is known about this course.) In 2010 a plaque, and a split rail fence were created to honor the tree and one of the leading, and oldest, scout leaders in the Council. It was an Eagle Scout Service Project.

Trails

The Riverwalk Trail spans downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky (Covington and Newport), and is 5 miles (8.0 km) long. Highlights along the trail include the boyhood home of Dan Beard. There is a patch available from the Council for walking the trail. The Trail Guide for the Dan Beard Riverwalk Trail can be found on the Dan Beard Council website.

Silver Moccasin patch for the Silver Moccasin Trail in Lebanon, Ohio

The Silver Moccasin Trail originally started in Lebanon and finished at Fort Ancient. It was 14 miles (23 km) long and used to offer a medal and a patch. A portion of the trail was reconstructed from Fort Ancient south to Morgan's Riverside Campground off of Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Rd, then crossing the Little Miami River to join the Little Miami Scenic Trail to complete the loop. This restored loop is 5.1 miles (8.2 km) long.

The Thunderbird Trail existed as a 6-mile (9.7-km) long loop around Camp Hook. It was in use for many years during the camp's time as a part of Mound Builders Area Council and Dan Beard Council. Scouts could earn a patch upon completing the entire trail. After the sale of the camp to the Five Rivers MetroParks system in 1997, the Thunderbird trail stopped being maintained and now no longer exists except to those who remember exactly where it was, although the trail markers and Order of the Arrow (OA) fire-rings are still visible and somewhat accessible.

Order of the Arrow

Buckskin Council

Buckskin Council serves Scouts in Scouts in Kentucky, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. It is headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia.

Erie Shores Council

Erie Shores Council (#460)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Toledo, Ohio
Founded 1929
Website
erieshorescouncil.org

Erie Shores Council (#460) was created in 1929. It provides Scouting programs to the youth of Northwest Ohio in Lucas, Ottawa, Sandusky, Wood and eastern Fulton Counties.

History

Toledo Council #460
founded 1915		Sandusky County Council #447
founded 1919
Maumee Valley Council #460
renamed 1925		Hayes Area Council #447
renamed 1925
Toledo Area Council #460
merged 1929
Erie Shores Council #460
renamed June 1, 1999

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow

French Creek Council

French Creek Council (#532) serves Scouts in Pennsylvania and Ohio. It has its headquarters in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Great Trail Council

Great Trail Council (#433)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Akron, Ohio
Founded 1971
Website
gtcbsa.org

Great Trail Council (#433) was created in 1971. It is composed of six districts and serves Summit, Portage, Medina and Northern Wayne Counties.

History

Akron Area Council #433
founded 1921
Great Trail Council #433
renamed 1971

Organization

Camps

The council operates the Manatoc Scout Reservation, containing Camp Manatoc and Camp Butler. The council summer camp program is housed at Camp Manatoc. The council also inherited Camp Stambaugh in Canfield with the consolidation of Greater Western Reserve Council. Camp Sambaugh will host weekend camping, training, and Cub Scout events along with a scout shop.

Order of the Arrow

Great Trail Council is served by the Marnoc OA Lodge.[2]

Greater Cleveland Council

Greater Cleveland Council (#440)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Cleveland, Ohio
Founded 1956
Website
gccbsa.org

Greater Cleveland Council (#440) was created in 1929. It is composed of three districts and serves northeastern Ohio. The council headquarters is in Cleveland, Ohio.

History

Cleveland Council #440
founded 1912		Cuyahoga Falls Council #443
founded 1921
Greater Cleveland Council #440
merged 1929

Organization

Camps

Beaumont Scout Reservation is a full-service Scout Reservation with forests, fields, wetlands and lakes, sitting on 1,260 acres along the Grand River in Rock Creek, Ohio, approximately 40 miles east from downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It began operating as a camp in 1946 and has grown into a year-round facility with camping for Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts and families.

Camp Stigwandish was added to the Council in January 2017, when Greater Western Reserve Council merged with Cleveland and Great Trail Council. Camp Stigwandish will serve as the councils Cub Day camp and also help out with the Beaumont Scout Reservation summer camp program. Stigwandish is the primary home to the Grand River and Headwaters Districts. Stigwandish is located in Madison Ohio and offers over 20 campsites, 6 cabins, 3 ranges, 3 Lakes, a COPE course, trading post, dining hall, training center, nature center and more. The camp sits on the banks of Mill Creek and is over 300 acres.

Firelands Scout Reservation was added to the council in January 2017. Heart of Ohio Council merged with Greater CLEVELAND Council. Firelands will serve as a Cub Resident Camp for the council.

Tinnerman Wilderness Canoe Base, more commonly known as Tinnerman Canoe Base, is a "high-adventure base" located on the banks of the French River, in Ontario. In the 18th and early 19th centuries, the French River area was a major trade route used to exchange furs trapped in the West with various goods made in the East and in Europe. Tinnerman is nicknamed the "Land of the Joli Voyageur". The land that the Tinnerman base is located on was owned by Albert H. Tinnerman, inventor of the speed nut. After Mr. Tinnerman's passing in 1961, his grandson Bill Buttriss of Cleveland Ohio tried to obtain a commercial license for the camp. The Ontario government said that any one area would support only so many camps and they felt the lower French had enough camps at that time. Though appealed, a license was not possible for the camp. It was at this time the family decided to donate the camp to the Cleveland Area Scout Council. Two weeks after the formal donation, Mr. Buttriss received a letter from the Ontario government stating that since one of the camps in the area had closed its doors (Rainbow Lodge on Bass Creek), the license would now be available.

From 1963 to 2011, the base was owned and operated by the Greater Cleveland Council of the Boy Scouts of America. In 2011, citing a lack of attendance and other factors,[3] the Greater Cleveland Council permanently closed Tinnerman Canoe Base and put it up for sale. Distraught Tinnerman alumni created a detailed proposal [4] for a non-profit Tinnerman Foundation,[5] to keep the camp operating as a canoe base for youthful explorers. On February 21, 2012 the Greater Cleveland Council announced that "the executive board of Greater Cleveland Council, Boy Scouts of America voted to unanimously accept a cash offer of $415,000 for the 10 acre property on the French River in Ontario, Canada that was the Tinnerman Wilderness Canoe Base. The purchase offer has no contingencies and is expected to be completed in early May 2012."[6]

Order of the Arrow

Greater Western Reserve Council

Greater Western Reserve Council (#463)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Warren, Ohio
Founded 1993
Website
bsa-gwrc.org

Greater Western Reserve Council (#463) was created in 1993. It is composed of four districts.

History

Youngstown Council #466
founded 1915		Warren Council #461
founded 1919
Mahoning Valley Council #466
renamed 1927		Northeast Ohio Council #463
founded 1929		Trumbull County Council #461
renamed 1922
Western Reserve Council #461
renamed 1948
Greater Western Reserve Council #463
merged June 1, 1993

As of 2016, a vote was cast that GWRC would merge with 2 different councils. Grand River District and Headwaters will merge with Greater Cleveland Council, Effective January 2017. Arrowhead and Whispering Pines Districts will merge with Great Trail Council in Akron. Camp Stambaugh will become a Great Trail Council Camp and Camp Stigwandish will go to Greater Cleveland Council. Heart of Ohio will also be merging with Greater Cleveland and Buckeye Council.

Camps

History

The Council is served by Wapashuwi Lodge 56. CLOSED as of January 2017

Heart of Ohio Council

Heart of Ohio Council (#450)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Ashland, Ohio
Founded 1994
President Daniel DeVille
Commissioner John 'JJ' Harbaugh, Jr
Scout Executive Brad Bodoh
Website
heartofohiocouncil.org

Heart of Ohio Council (#450) was created in 1994. It is composed of four districts. Geographically, the Heart of Ohio Council serves the youth of Ashland, Crawford, Erie, Huron, Lorain, Marion, Morrow, Richland, and Wyandot Counties in North Central Ohio.[7]

History

Officially organized into its present form in 1994 with the merger of the Harding Area, the Johnny Appleseed Area and the Firelands Area Councils, the Heart of Ohio Council is one of the largest geographic councils within the state of Ohio.

Mansfield Council #453
founded 1919		Sandusky City Council #458
founded 1921
Johnny Appleseed Council #453
renamed 1926		Firelands Area Council #458
renamed 1925		Harding Area Council #443
founded 1926
Heart of Ohio Council #450
merged January 1, 1994

Organization

Camps

The Heart of Ohio Council operates one reservation known as Firelands Scout Reservation. It is located 5 miles west of Oberlin, in Wakeman, on 455 acres of land. The reservation holds two camps, Camp Avery Hand (the Cub Scout camp) and Camp Wyandot (the Boy Scout camp). Each individual camp is named for former camps once a part of the original councils that merged to form the Heart of Ohio Council.

The reservation is about 70% wooded. There is a 23-acre lake with an island connected by a peninsula on Camp Wyandot. The camp has operated as a Boy Scout camp since 1938. Cabin and tent camping are available.

Order of the Arrow

portage619.org

Miami Valley Council

Miami Valley Council (#444)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Dayton, Ohio
Country United States
Website
miamivalleybsa.org

Headquartered in Dayton, the Miami Valley Council (#444) serves Darke, Preble, Miami, Shelby and Montgomery counties in Ohio.

Muskingum Valley Council

Muskingum Valley Council (#467)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Zanesville, Ohio
Founded 1956
Website
mvcbsa.org

Muskingum Valley Council (#467) was created in 1956. It is composed of three districts.

History

Zanesville Council #467
founded 1919		Coshocton County Council #442
founded 1922
Muskingum County Council #467
renamed 1923		Kno-Co-Ho-Tus Council #442
renamed 1928
Zane Trace Area Council #467
renamed 1929		Tomahawk Area Council #442
renamed 1947
Muskingum Valley Council #467
merged 1956

Organization

Camps

The Muskingum Valley Scout Reservation[8] (MVSR) is the council's year-round camping facility. Located on over 500 acres (2.0 km2) of reclaimed land near Conesville in Coshocton county, MVSR has offered Scouts a wide variety of options to expand their camping experience since its opening in 1968.

Order of the Arrow

Ohio River Valley Council

Ohio River Valley Council (#619) serves Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing, in West Virginia and Ohio.

Simon Kenton Council

Simon Kenton Council (#441)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters Columbus, Ohio
Country United States
Website
skcscouts.org

Simon Kenton Council (#441) serves Scouts in central and southern Ohio and in northern Kentucky. The council headquarters is in Columbus, Ohio.

Tecumseh Council

Tecumseh Council (#439)
Owner Boy Scouts of America
Country United States
Founded 1923
Website
tecumsehcouncilbsa.org

Tecumseh Council (#439) was founded in 1923. It is composed of five districts and serves more than 4,700 youth in five counties in Ohio.

History

Clark County Council #439
founded 1923
Tecumseh Council #439
renamed 1929

Organization

Camps

Camp Hugh Taylor Birch

Camp Hugh Taylor Birch was founded in 1932 at only 25 acres (0.10 km2) acres, growing to 440 acres (1.8 km2) today. Camp Birch features a dining hall, an Olympic size swimming pool, and a 10 acres (0.040 km2) lake. Adjacent to Clifton Gorge, John Bryan State Park and Glen Helen Nature Preserve, Camp High Taylor Birch is a part of 2,000 acres (8.1 km2) of continuous natural woodlands.

Order of the Arrow

Girl Scouts of the USA in Ohio

Girl Scouting in Ohio

Map of Girl Scout Councils in Ohio

There are five Girl Scout councils serving Ohio.

Girl Scouts of Black Diamond Council

Serving girls in several eastern counties in Ohio, and headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia.

Girl Scouts of Kentucky's Wilderness Road Council

Serving girls in Lawrence County, Ohio, and headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky.

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio
Owner GSUSA
Headquarters Macedonia, Ohio
Country United States
Chief Executive Officer Jane Christyson
Board Chair Brenda Heidinger
Website
gsneo.org

Girl Scouts of North East Ohio (GSNEO) serves nearly 30,000 girls and has 14,000 adult volunteers.

GSNEO was formed in 2007 by the merger of five different councils: Erie Shores, Great Trail, Lake Erie, Lake to River, and Western Reserve. Its history dates back to 1912 when the first known girl scout troop in the area was started

Service Centers:

The current council camps are Ledgewood established in 1931 with 350 acres (140 ha) and a 2 acres (0.81 ha) lake in Peninsula, Ohio within the Cuyahoga Valley National Park boundaries. 324 acres (131 ha) Timberlane in Wakeman, Ohio (within the Firelands Reserve) which was acquired in 1956. Sugarbush with nearly 200 acres (81 ha) at Kinsman, Ohio.

Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council

Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council
Owner GSUSA
Headquarters Columbus, Ohio
Country United States
Founded 2009
Chief Executive Officer Tammy Wharton
Board Chair Laura L. Warren
Website
gsoh.org

Girl Scouts of Ohio's Heartland Council serves over 29,000 girls in 33 counties in central, north-central, south-central, and southeastern Ohio.

This was formed by a merger of Girl Scouts - Seal of Ohio Council, Girl Scouts - Heart of Ohio, and Heritage Trails Girl Scout Council on January 1, 2009.


Council camps are Beckoning Trails in the Hocking hills with 108 acres (44 ha), Crooked Lane near Mt. Gilead, Ohio with 226 acres (91 ha), 240 acres (97 ha) Ken-Jockety along the Big Darby Creek in Franklin County, Molly Lauman near Lucasville, Ohio with 170 acres (69 ha), and Wakatomika in Licking County with 262 acres (106 ha). The Zanesville Service Center in Muskingum County also has 8 acres (3.2 ha) which can be used for camping. Camp Cornish in Knox County had been a Girl Scout camp but was sold and acquired by a local community foundation for use by non-profit groups; the local council has 35 guaranteed days a year at it.

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio
Owner GSUSA
Headquarters Cincinnati, Ohio
Country United States
Website
gswo.org

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio serves about 42,000 girls in Western Ohio and southeast Indiana.

This was formed by a merger of Girl Scouts of Appleseed Ridge, Girl Scouts of Buckeye Trails Council, Girl Scout Great Rivers Council, and Girl Scouts of Maumee Valley Council.

Service Centers:

Camps are Butterworth, Libbey, Rolling Hill, Stoney Brook, Whip Poor Will, and Woodhaven. Camp Libbey (named after Edward Drummond Libbey who left $25,000 to the Girl Scouts for a campsite in 1925[9]) with nearly 350 acres (140 ha) on the banks of the Maumee River near Defiance, Ohio was established in 1936.

Scouting museums in Ohio

International Scouting units in Ohio

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.mawatwoakus.org
  2. ↑ http://www.marnoc.org
  3. ↑ http://councils.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Council440/Camping/Tinnerman%20Canoe%20Base
  4. ↑ http://www.tinnermanfoundation.org/2011-12-05TCBFoundationProposal.pdf
  5. ↑ http://www.tinnermanfoundation.org/
  6. ↑ "Tinnerman Sold". Retrieved 23 February 2012.
  7. ↑ http://www.heartofohiocouncil.org/aboutus
  8. ↑ http://www.muskingumvalleycouncil.com/camping
  9. ↑ "Girl Scout Camps - Ohio". Vintage Girl Scouts Online Museum. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
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