Scouting in Washington (state)

Scouting in Washington 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.

"Scouting in Washington" redirects here. For Washington, D.C., see Scouting in Washington, D.C.

Early history (1910–1950)

Camp Black Mountain, located on the beautiful shores of Silver Lake an hour drive east of Bellingham, is the oldest existing camp in Washington State. Interviews with Hugh Eldridge Carr and General Floyd Hansen, Bellingham Eagle Scouts from the early 1920s, indicate the camp was active prior to 1919. The land was used by permission of owner H. P. Jukes (the council treasurer) prior to transferring ownership to the BSA in 1927. It was originally used by the Bellingham Council as Camp H. P. Jukes and has been in continuous use since that time with the exception of two seasons during WWII (1943 and 1944). Upon first use the camp was used for troop and district events, but became a fully organized resort in 1925. During the 1920s, the camp was supported by the Order of the Blue Knot, an honor camper's society that later became Quilshan Lodge, Order of the Arrow. Programs from the 1925 and 1926 seasons provide insight into early camp activities and vintage photographs of this cherished property.

In 1910, a Spokane, Washington Boy Scout leader, the Reverend David Ferry, created a troop under the name of Girl Guides of America. The Girl Guides did not expand much beyond the local area.[1] In 1911, the Girl Scouts of America (Des Moines, Iowa and to be confused with the current Girl Scouts of the USA) and the Girl Guides planned to merge with the Camp Fire Girls to form the Girl Pioneers of America,[2] but relationships fractured and the merger failed.[1]

Founded in 1919, Camp Parsons is the oldest continuous running Boy Scout camp west of the Mississippi River and one of the oldest continually running Boy Scout camp in the United States on its original location.[3] It sits on Jackson Cove, part of the Hood Canal, on the Olympic Peninsula, just north of Brinnon, Washington, and just south of Quilcene, Washington. The original land for the camp was donated by Reginald Parsons in 1918. Thousands of Scouts come to Camp Parsons every summer.

Recent history (1950–present)

Camp Sheppard is a camp outside of Enumclaw, Washington. Sheppard does not run a resident Scout camping program, but does run several other Scout programs including a Winter Camp program for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA. Since 2011, Sheppard has been the location for the Council's National Youth Leadership Training, usually holding two or more sessions every year in the summer.

Until 2009, Camp Sheppard was a High Adventure base, where it offered programs in mountaineering, mountain biking, and backpacking.

Until 2014, it hosted the "Mom & Me/Dad & Me" Cub Scout camping programs, after which they were moved to Camp Edward.

The camp also does winter camping during the first two months of the year.

http://www.seattlebsa.org/camp-sheppard/46-cap-sheppard-cat/71-camp-sheppard

Boy Scouts of America in Washington today

There are seven Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local councils in Washington.

Blue Mountain Council

With headquarters in Kennewick, Washington, the Blue Mountain Council serves Scouts in Washington and Oregon.

Districts
  • Columbia River District serves Kennewick and Finley, Washington
  • Eastern Oregon District serves Baker, Wallowa, Union, Grant, and Wheeler counties, Oregon
  • Oregon Trail District serves Umatilla, Wheeler, Gilliam, and Morrow counties, Oregon
  • Pioneer District serves Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, Washington
  • Rattlesnake Ridge District serves Richland, West Richland, and Benton City, Washington
  • White Bluffs District serves Franklin County, Washington

Council camps

The Council does not operate a summer camp.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project also maintains the ScoutCamp.org website which provides general information and a place for leader comments on the two camps operated by the Blue Mountain Council at Martin Scout Camp and Camp Wallowa

Order of the Arrow lodge

Cascade Pacific Council
Main article: Cascade Pacific Council

Cascade Pacific Council serves Scouts in Oregon and Washington.

Chief Seattle Council
Main article: Chief Seattle Council

The Chief Seattle Council serves the main parts of Puget Sound and Seattle areas including the Olympic Peninsula.

Camps

The council operates four camps:

Order of the Arrow lodge

Grand Columbia Council

Located in central Washington and based in Yakima, the Grand Columbia Council serves the Chelan, Douglas, Grant, Kittitas, Okanogan, Yakima and portions of Adams, Benton, Ferry and Klickitat Counties. The Grand Columbia Council maintains two service centers in Yakima and Wenatchee.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project has created a link to all known websites (districts, troops, packs, Venturing crews, O.A. lodge and chapter, etc. websites) located within the Grand Columbia Council which can be found at Scout Site Search.

Camps

The council operates four camps:[4]

  • Camp Fife off of Highway 410 near Bumping Lake
  • Camp Bonaparte between Tonasket and Republic on Highway 20[5]
  • Camp Scout-A-Vista outside Wenatchee,[6] and

Districts

Order of the Arrow lodge

Inland Northwest Council

With headquarters in Spokane the Inland Northwest Council serves Scouts in Washington and Idaho.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project has created a link to all known websites (districts, troops, packs, Venturing crews, O.A. lodge and chapter, etc. websites) located within the Inland Northwest Council which can be found at Scout Site Search.

Order of the Arrow lodge

Districts

The Inland Northwest Council provides the communities and volunteers with three council service centers. Each council service center has a Scout Shop and staff to answer questions, provide training and resources, and is able to take registrations for summer camp or events. Besides the headquarters office in Spokane there are service centers in Hayden Lake, ID and Clarkston, WA.

In 2009, the council sponsored a statue in Spokane. Titled Footsteps To The Future, it honors community mentors.[7]

Council Camps

The U.S. Scouting Service Project also maintains the ScoutCamp.org website which provides general information and a place for leader comments on all of the camps operated by the Inland Northwest Council: North Idaho High Adventure Base, Camp Grizzly, Camp Easton, Camp Cowles Scout Reservation.

Mount Baker Council

The Mount Baker Council of the BSA serves Scouts in the Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties of Washington. The council operates Fire Mountain Scout camp.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project has created a link to all known websites (districts, troops, packs, Venturing crews, O.A. lodge and chapter, etc. websites) located within the Mt. Baker Council which can be found at Scout Site Search.

Order of the Arrow lodge

The council's Order of the Arrow Lodge is #338 Sikhs Mox Lamonti which was created in 1995 through the merger of Kelcema Lodge #305 and Quilshan #325. Sikhs Mox Lamonti translates to "Friends of two mountains", which is a reference to the Mount Baker Council's camps Black Mountain and Fire Mountain.

Districts

The Council is made of the following districts :

  • Pilchuck District Cathcart, Clearview, Echo Lake, Gold Bar, Index, Lake Stevens, Maltby, Monroe, Skykomish, Snohomish, Sultan, Arlington, Camano Island, Darrington, Granite Falls, Lakewood, Marysville, and Stanwood
  • Salish Sea District Everett and Mukilteo School Distract, Lynnwood and Southwest Snohomish County
  • North Cascade District Serves Skagit County, Whatcom County, the islands of Whidbey, Fidalgo, and the San Juans

Council Camps
  • Fire Mountain Scout Reservation in Mt. Vernon, Washington
  • Camp Black Mountain in Maple Falls, Washington was sold in 2015 and no longer operates as a Council Camp.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project also maintains the ScoutCamp.org website which provides general information and a place for leader comments on all of the camps operated by the Mt. Baker Council: Fire Mountain Scout Reservation.

Pacific Harbors Council

The Pacific Harbors Council of serves the scouts in the Pierce, King, Mason, Thurston, Pacific and Grays Harbor Counties of Washington State. The council operates one Scout camp: Camp Thunderbird. In 1994 the Mount Rainier Council, Tumwater Area Council, and Twin Harbors Council merged to form the Pacific Harbors Council. The council operates two service centers. The main office is located in Tacoma, Washington and the other is located in Tumwater, Washington.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project has created a link to all known websites (districts, troops, packs, Venturing crews, O.A. lodge and chapter, etc. websites) located within the Pacific Harbors Council which can be found at Scout Site Search.

Order of the Arrow lodge

Districts

1994 - 2004 (9 Districts)

  • Narrows View - North Tacoma, Gig Harbor and Key Center.
  • Wapato - South Tacoma, Fircrest and University Place.
  • Nopi Soki - Fife, Federal Way and North Tacoma.
  • Lakes - Lakewood, Steilacoom, Dupont, Fort Lewis and McChord AFB.
  • Valley Mt. - Puyallup, Edgewood, Sumner, Orting, Buckley, Enumclaw & Black Diamond.
  • Mountain - Parkland, Spanaway, Graham, Yelm, Roy, McKenna, and Eatonville.
  • Twin Harbors - All of Grays Harbor and Pacific counties including Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Raymond, South Bend, Long Beach, Westport, Ocean Shores & Elma.
  • Black Hills - Olympia, Lacey, Tumwater, Shelton, Tenino and Rainier.
  • Evergreen - Chehalis, Centralia, Morton, Rochester and all of Lewis County.

2005 - 2009 (3 Districts)

  • Thunderbird - Tacoma, Gig Harbor, Lakewood, Federal Way, Dupont, University Place, Fircrest, Ft. Lewis, McChord AFB, Auburn, Des Moines, Fife, and Milton.
  • Sasquatch - Thurston County, Mason County, Lewis County, Grays Harbor County, Pacific County, and McKenna.
  • Sleeping Giant - Parkland, Spanaway, Eatonville, Roy, Puyallup, Edgewood, Orting, Sumner, Bonney Lake, Lake Tapps, Buckley, Wilkeson, Carbonado, Enumclaw and Black Diamond.

July 2009 - December 31, 2018 (6 Districts)

  • Capital Area - Griffin, North Thurston, Olympia, Rainier, Shelton, Southside Tenino, Tumwater, Yelm, Lacey LDS Stake, and Olympia LDS Stake
  • Coastal Waters - Aberdeen, Elma, Hood Canal, Hoquiam, Lake Quinault, McCleary, Montesano, Mary Knight, Naselle-Grays, North Beach, North River, Oakville, Ocean Beach, Ocosta, Pioneer, Raymond, Satsop, South Bend, Taholah, Willapa Valley, Wishkah, and Elma LDS Stake
  • Glacier View - Lakewood, Bethel, Clover Park, Eatonville, Franklin Pierce, Steilacoom, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Graham LDS Stake, and Lakewood LDS Stake
  • Mt. Tahoma - Carbonado, Dieringer, Enumclaw, Orting, Puyallup, Sumner, White River, Puyallup LDS Stake,  and Puyallup South Hill LDS Stake
  • Puget Sound - Tacoma, Gig Harbor, University Place, Fircrest, Tacoma North LDS Stake, Tacoma South LDS Stake, and Gig Harbor LDS Stake
  • Timberline - Adna, Boistfort, Centralia, Chehalis, Evaline, Morton, Mossyrock, Napavine, Onalaska, Packwood, Pe Ell, Randle, Rochester, Toledo, Vader, White Pass, Winlock, and Centralia LDS Stake
  • Lexas (LEXAS District covers the entire council and all districts with Learning for Life, Exploring, Scout-reach, and Outdoor Education)

2011 - December 31, 2018 (7 Districts)

  • Hylebos - Federal Way, part of Auburn, Fife, Milton, Northeast Tacoma, and Federal Way LDS Stake (Split off of Puget Sound District bringing the total number of districts up to 7)

January 1, 2019 – Present (2 Districts)

  • 2 Districts. District names have not yet been decided on as of February 2019.

Council Camps
  • Camp Thunderbird in Olympia, Washington
  • Camp Delezenne in Elma, Washington no longer operates as a Council Camp was decommissioned 2016. Currently the camp is in a waiting period for being returned to Weyerhaeuser.
  • Camp Hahobas in Tahuya, Washington no longer operates as a Council Camp since 2016. Currently being sold by the Pacific Harbors Council.
  • Camp Kilworth in Federal Way, Washington no longer operates as a Council Camp since 2016. Pacific Harbors Council's board voted 10/18/16 to give the Camp back to the Kilworth Foundation. The Vote was 14 to 2 with John Ohlson & Morris Clark being the only "NO" votes.
  • Camp Curran no longer operates as a Council Camp since 2016.

The U.S. Scouting Service Project also maintains the ScoutCamp.org website which provides general information and a place for leader comments on all of the camps operated by the Pacific Harbors Council: Camp Thunderbird.

Girl Scouting in Washington
Map of Girl Scout Councils in Washington

There are three Girl Scout councils serving Washington.

Girl Scouts of Western Washington

This council was formed by the merger of Pacific Peaks and Totem Councils on October 1, 2007. Administrative offices are located in Seattle, Washington. The new council serves over 26,000 girls.

Mission: To build girls of courage, confidence, and character, who make the world a better place.

Website: http://www.GirlScoutsWW.org

Regional Offices:

Information about each Regional Office may be found at http://www.GirlScoutsWW.org/aboutus/locations.

Camps:

Information about all Girl Scout Camps in Western Washington can be found at http://www.GirlScoutsWW.org/aboutus/camp_properties.

Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho
Main article: Girl Scouts Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho

This is a new council formed May 1, 2007 by the merger of Inland Empire and Mid-Columbia councils. It serves more than 8,000 girls in eastern Washington, northern Idaho, and 3 counties in northern Oregon.

Headquarters: Spokane, Washington
Website: http://www.gsewni.org/

Service Centers:

Camps:

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

This council was established on October 1, 2008 and serves girls in Clark and Skamania Counties. See Scouting in Oregon for more information.

Headquarters: Portland, Oregon
Website: http://www.girlscoutsosw.org

See also

References
  1. Miller, Susan A. (2007). Growing Girls: The Natural Origins of Girls' Organizations in America. Rutgers. ISBN 9780813541563.
  2. Lane, Joseph J., ed. (July 1911). "Now Come the Girl Scouts to Emulate the Boy Scouts". Boys' Life. 1 (5): 30. ISSN 0006-8608.
  3. "USSSP: Scoutcamp.org - Oldest Camps". usscouts.org.
  4. "Camps". www.grandcolumbia.org.
  5. http://www.ScoutCamp.org
  6. World, The Wenatchee (October 19, 2009). "Scouts to sell off two outdoor camps". wenatcheeworld.com.
  7. "Footsteps To The Future". September 27, 2009.
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