Scouting in

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

was introduced in the 1920s, and has been serving both boys and girls in the island since then. The

Boy Scouts of America The Boy Scouts of America (BSA, colloquially the Boy Scouts) is one of the largest scouting organizations and one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with about 1.2 million youth participants. The BSA was founded i ...

(BSA), serves both boys and girls in different programs, while the

Girl Scouts of the USA Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as simply Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad. Founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, it was organized a ...

serves only girls in various levels.

Boy Scouts of America in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico Council

The Puerto Rico Council ( es, Concilio de Puerto Rico) was founded in 1927 as the ''Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Council'', part of the Northeast Region of the Boy Scouts of America. The Virgin Islands District was separated into a new Virgin Islands Council in 1965. Thousands of youth and volunteers participate in four programs,

Cub Scouting Cub Scouts, Cubs or Wolf Cubs are programs associated with Scouting for young children usually between 7 and 12, depending on the organization to which they belong. A participant in the program is called a Cub. A group of Cubs is called a 'P ...

Scouts BSA Scouts BSA (previously known as Boy Scouts, the official name until 2019) is the flagship membership level of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) for boys and girls between the ages of typically 11 and 17. It provides youth training in moral char ...

Venturing Venturing is a core program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women ages 14 (or 13 and graduated the eighth grade) through 20. It is one of the Boy Scouts' three programs for older youth, which also include Sea Scouts and Exploring. ...

and

Sea Scouting Sea Scouts are a part of the Scout movement, with a particular emphasis on boating and other water-based activities on the sea, rivers or lakes (canoeing, rafting, scuba, sailboarding). Sea Scouts can provide a chance to sail, cruise on boats, ...

, with the mission of preparing youth to make correct choices ethically and morally for their future by learning the Scout Law and Scout Promise. According to a statistics report by Scouting Magazine, Puerto Rico had 189 Scouts reach

Eagle Scout Eagle Scout is the highest achievement or rank attainable in the Scouts BSA program of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Since its inception in 1911, only four percent of Scouts have earned this rank after a lengthy review process. The Eagle Sc ...

s in 2016 and 128 in 2017.Eagle Scout rankings 2018 - Scouting Magazine
/ref>

Organization

The Puerto Rico Council is divided into six districts, all named based on the

Taíno The Taíno were a historic Indigenous peoples of the Caribbean, indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the ...

name of each of the districts' base area: * Arasibo District, based in

Arecibo Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, the ...

, covers the northern and central area of Puerto Rico, from Quebradillas to

Vega Baja Vega Baja (, ) is a town and municipality located on the coast of north central Puerto Rico. It is north of Morovis, east of Manatí, and west of Vega Alta. Vega Baja is spread over 13 barrios. The population of the municipality was 54,414 at t ...

. * Borikén District, based in

Caguas Caguas (, ) is a city and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the Central Mountain Range of Puerto Rico, south of San Juan and Trujillo Alto, west of Gurabo and San Lorenzo, and east of Aguas Buenas, Cidra, and Cayey. Caguas was founded ...

, covers the eastern area of Puerto Rico, from

Aibonito Aibonito () is a small mountain town and municipality in Puerto Rico located in the Sierra de Cayey mountain range, north of Salinas; south of Barranquitas and Comerío; east of Coamo; and west of Cidra, and Cayey. Aibonito is spread over 8 ' ...

Ceiba ''Ceiba'' is a genus of trees in the family Malvaceae, native to tropical and subtropical areas of the Americas (from Mexico and the Caribbean to N Argentina) and tropical West Africa. Some species can grow to tall or more, with a straight, la ...

. * Caribe District, based in Ponce, covers the southern area of Puerto Rico from

Yauco Yauco () is a town and municipality in southern Puerto Rico. Although the downtown is inland, the municipality stretches to a southern coast facing the Caribbean Sea. Yauco is located south of Maricao, Lares and Adjuntas; east of Sabana Grande ...

Patillas Patillas (, ) is a beach town and municipality of Puerto Rico located in the southeastern coast, south of San Lorenzo; west of Yabucoa and Maunabo; and east of Guayama and Arroyo. It is spread over 15 barrios and Patillas Pueblo (the downtown a ...

. * Guaitiao District, based in

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, covers the northeastern area of Puerto Rico, from

Guaynabo Guaynabo (, ) is a city, suburb of San Juan and municipality in the northern part of Puerto Rico, located in the northern coast of the island, north of Aguas Buenas, south of Cataño, east of Bayamón, and west of San Juan. Guaynabo is spr ...

Fajardo Fajardo (, ) is a town and municipality -Fajardo Combined Statistical Area. Fajardo is the hub of much of the recreational boating in Puerto Rico and a popular launching port to Culebra, Vieques, and the U.S. and British Virgin Islands. It is ...

. * Majagua District, based in Bayamón covers the north-northeastern area of Puerto Rico from Vega Alta to Bayamón. * Yagüeka District, based in Mayagüez, covers the western area of Puerto Rico, from Isabela to Sabana Grande.

Ideals

Puerto Rico is the one of the few councils of the Boy Scouts of America organization that uses

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

as its main language for all programs, including the Scout Promise and Law.

Scout Promise

English: ''On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight''. Spanish: ''Por mi honor, prometo hacer todo lo posible, para cumplir con mis deberes para con Dios y mi patria, obedecer la Ley del escucha, ayudar a mis semejantes en toda ocasión, mantenerme físicamente fuerte, mentalmente alerta y moralmente recto''.

Scout Law

A Scout is: – ''Un Escucha es'': * Trustworthy – ''Honrado'' * Loyal – ''Leal'' * Helpful – ''Servicial'' * Friendly – ''Amigable'' * Courteous – ''Cortés'' * Kind – ''Bondadoso'' * Obedient – ''Obediente'' * Cheerful – ''Alegre'' * Thrifty – ''Ahorrativo'' * Brave – ''Valiente'' * Clean – ''Limpio'' * Reverent – ''Reverente''

Guajataka Scout Reservation

Guajataka Scout Reservation or Camp Guajataka, often simply referred to as Guajataka and nicknamed Santuario de Amistad ( en, Sanctuary of Friendship), is the Puerto Rico Council's only

scout camp Scout may refer to: Youth movement *Scout (Scouting), a child, usually 10–18 years of age, participating in the worldwide Scouting movement **Scouts (The Scout Association), section for 10-14 year olds in the United Kingdom **Scouts BSA, sectio ...

reservation. The camp is located at the northwest part of the island in

San Sebastián San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...

and partially borders the southern portion of

Guajataca Lake Guajataca Lake, or Lago Guajataca, is a reservoir of the Guajataca River created by the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority in 1929. It is located between the municipalities of San Sebastián, Quebradillas, and Isabela in Puerto Rico, and re ...

, from which the camp takes part of its name.

Order of the Arrow

Yokahu Lodge 506 is the

Order of the Arrow The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. The society was created by E. Urner G ...

Lodge of the Puerto Rico Council, founded in 1954 by Luis Matías Ferrer and Dr. Frank H. Wadsworth.

Girl Scouts of the USA in Puerto Rico

Caribe Girl Scout Council

Girl Scouting in Puerto Rico is administered by the ''Caribe Girl Scout Council'' of the

. It is headquartered in San Juan. The first troop was formed in 1926 in Cabo Rojo by

Elisa Colberg Elisa Colberg (April 25, 1903 – 1988) was the founder of the Puerto Rican Girl Scouts, the first troop of which formed in 1926 in Cabo Rojo, aptly named Hijas de Betances. She continued as head of the Girl Scout organisation in Puerto Rico f ...

. The Council owns Camp Elisa Colberg, established in 1948, in

Rio Grande The Rio Grande ( and ), known in Mexico as the Río Bravo del Norte or simply the Río Bravo, is one of the principal rivers (along with the Colorado River) in the southwestern United States and in northern Mexico. The length of the Rio G ...

, Camp María Emilia in Añasco and Camp Provi Biaggi in Ponce. The

translation of Girl Scout is ''Niña Escucha'' but it is also widely understood and used in

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

in Puerto Rico. The council's newsletter is called ''Niña Escucha''. Girl Scouts earn a uniquely designed badge created by the council called ''Los Faros de Puerto Rico'' (The Lighthouses of Puerto Rico). In 2006, painter Moisés Fragela donated one of his paintings entitled ''Quedo en Nada'' (''Left in Nothing'') to the Caribe Council which was sold in auction for funding part of the renovations and improvements towards the council's campsites. In 2017, shortly after

Hurricane Maria Hurricane Maria was a deadly Saffir–Simpson scale#Category 5, Category 5 Tropical cyclone, hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the wo ...

, 2,000 new members joined the Caribe Council.

Gallery

Review of reviews and world's work (1890) (14587179728).jpg, Boy Scouts of Porto Rico () Scouts in Puerto Rico 2.jpg, Scouts working on a service project For your safety, driving in Puerto Rico sign.jpg, Eagle Project by Richard Morrow, safe driving tips sign for Puerto Rico's mountainous road(s) Scouts in Puerto Rico.jpg, Boy Scouts attending the opening of the Caribbean

National Wildlife Refuge National Wildlife Refuge System is a designation for certain protected areas of the United States managed by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The National Wildlife Refuge System is the system of public lands and waters set aside to c ...

Complex and Caribbean Ecological Service Field Office in Boquerón

References

External links

Puerto Rico Council Facebook

Girl Scouts of Caribe

Concilio de Puerto Rico de Boy Scouts of America
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scouting In Puerto Rico Northeast Region (Boy Scouts of America) Organizations based in Puerto Rico