Scouting In New York
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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. The first National
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 ...
(BSA) Headquarters was in
New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
, and the Girl Scouts of the USA National Headquarters is currently located at 420 5th Avenue, New York, New York.


Early history (1910-1950)

On September 10, 1910, S. F. Lester of
Troy, New York Troy is a city in the U.S. state of New York and the county seat of Rensselaer County. The city is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany ...
, became the very first person to hold the Scouting leadership position of
Scoutmaster A Scout leader or Scouter generally refers to the trained adult leader of a Scout unit. The terms used vary from country to country, over time, and with the type of unit. Roles There are many different roles a leader can fulfill depending on t ...
(approved 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 Pownal is a town in Bennington County, Vermont, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town population was 3,258. The town of Pownal includes the villages of Pownal, North Pownal, and Pownal Center. History During the Woodland period, the ...
. Camp Ilium was the starting point of the Boy Scout Movement for Troy, and Pownal. Pownal is only away from Troy. Following the lead of the
State of Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...
, the
State of New York New York, officially the State of New York, is a state in the Northeastern United States. It is often called New York State to distinguish it from its largest city, New York City. With a total area of , New York is the 27th-largest U.S. state ...
formed its own Forest Scouts. This group was formed in response to a number of late 19th century and early 20th century forest fires and were effectively "auxiliary fire wardens".Daniel N. Jabe. (1998
The Sons of the Nation: The Popular Appeal of the Boy Scouts of America, 1910-1919VirtualScoutMuseum.com
The 1924 National
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 Go ...
Lodge Meeting was held at Kanohwanke Scout Camp near Tuxedo, New York and the 1929 National Lodge Meeting was held at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.


Recent history (1950-present)

In the 1970s and again in the 1990s,
upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upstate New York excludes New York City and Long Is ...
went through a huge consolidation of small, historic councils. In recent years, New York has also been home to smaller, independent scouting organizations.


Scouting today


Boy Scouts

There are seventeen
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 ...
(BSA) local councils in New York.


Allegheny Highlands Council

The Allegheny Highlands Council serves Scouts in Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, and Allegany counties in New York and McKean and Potter counties in Pennsylvania. Its Service Center is located in Falconer, New York, and is visible on Hough Hill from Route 86.


=Organization

= The council is divided into two districts: * Western Gate District * Two Lakes District


=Camps

= It has two camps: Camp Merz and Elk Lick Scout Reserve. Elk Lick is tucked into the heart of the Allegheny Mountains in Smethport, Pennsylvania, and operates exclusively as a Cub Scout summer camp. Camp Merz is located on Lake Chautauqua, just up the road from the Chautauqua Institution in western New York, and is a Scouts BSA summer camp. Camp Merz has a waterfront and many waterfront-related merit badges available for scouts. Both camps are opens to all scouts for year-round camping.


=Order of the Arrow

= * Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont Lodge 165


Baden-Powell Council

Baden-Powell Council was formed in 1998 by the merger of the former Baden-Powell Council (headquartered in Dryden, New York) 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.


=Organization

= As of 2017, the Council has four districts: * Chenango District (Chenango County and part of Broome County) * Delahanna District (Susquehanna County in Pennsylvania) * Hiawatha District (Tioga County and part of Broome County) * Taughannock District (Cortland and Tompkins Counties)


=Camps

= The Baden-Powell Council operates two Scout Camps: Camp Barton, founded in 1927, is a Scouts BSA of America camp located on on Frontenac Point on the west shore of Cayuga Lake in New York State's
Finger Lakes The Finger Lakes are a group of eleven long, narrow, roughly north–south lakes located south of Lake Ontario in an area called the ''Finger Lakes region'' in New York, in the United States. This region straddles the northern and transitional ...
. It is approximately nine miles north of
Ithaca Ithaca most commonly refers to: *Homer's Ithaca, an island featured in Homer's ''Odyssey'' *Ithaca (island), an island in Greece, possibly Homer's Ithaca *Ithaca, New York, a city, and home of Cornell University and Ithaca College Ithaca, Ithaka ...
. Camp Barton has nine summer camping sites with 2- and 4-man platform tents, as well as a winter lean-to site in one of the two gorges which surround the camp. The camp facilities include many water-based activities on the camp's quarter-mile of waterfront, including rowing, motorboating, sailing, waterskiing, jetskiing and swimming, as well as handicraft, nature, rifle and archery ranges, and scoutcraft areas. The Camp's buildings and cabins are available for off-season use by Scouting and other youth organizations. Tuscarora Scout Reservation is a Boy Scouts of America camp located on 1200 acres (4.5 km2) around Summit Lake in New York State's Southern Tier. The camp has ten summer camping sites with 2-man platform tents. It has five winter units with a center lodge equipped with wood stoves, refrigerators and electricity and four 8-man lean-tos. Tuscarora Scout Reservation also offers a renovated Nature lodge, dining hall, a nationally known Handicraft program, and a , progressively more difficult climbing wall with free rappel. They also offer mountainboarding, paddleboard, shotgun and rifle range as well as multiple Wilderness Programs and Scoutcraft programs. The camp is available year-round for camping, hiking as well as shotgun and rifle programs. Tuscarora Scout Reservation hosts over 500 Scouts and leaders each January and February for its Winter Camp programs. Tuscarora hosts the Council's annual National Youth Leadership Training Course every August.


=Order of the Arrow

= The corresponding Order of the Arrow lodge is Otahnagon Lodge 172, a nationally recognized lodge.


Connecticut Rivers Council

The Connecticut Rivers Council serves the majority of the State of
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
in addition to
Fisher's Island Fishers Island (Pequot: ''Munnawtawkit'') is an island that is part of Southold, New York, United States at the eastern end of Long Island Sound, off the southeastern coast of Connecticut across Fishers Island Sound. About long and wide, it ...
in New York.


Five Rivers Council

Five Rivers Council serves Scouts in the Southern tier of New York and the Northern tier of Pennsylvania.


=Organization

= The council is divided into three districts: * Endless Mountains District * Big Horn District * Silver Fawn District


=Camps

= It operates two camps: Camp Brulé, in North East Pennsylvania, and Camp Gorton on
Waneta Lake Waneta Lake (previously known as "Little Lake") is a small lake in the Finger Lakes region of the state of New York in the United States. The lake straddles the border of Schuyler County and Steuben County, and is within the towns of Tyrone a ...
in New York. Camp Gorton Camp Gorton, located on
Waneta Lake Waneta Lake (previously known as "Little Lake") is a small lake in the Finger Lakes region of the state of New York in the United States. The lake straddles the border of Schuyler County and Steuben County, and is within the towns of Tyrone a ...
in the middle of the Finger Lakes, provides over 350 acres of land in Upstate New York for Scouts BSA camps. In 2014 Camp Gorton celebrated its 92nd year of existence and 90th anniversary of being a scout camp on the east side of Waneta Lake. Camp Gorton provides a program that is well-suited for younger scouts and is known for having an excellent waterfront and shooting sports programs. At the waterfront they offer facilities for fulfilling the Water Sports merit badge requirements as well as those for the Motorboating merit badge for no additional fee. Their Shooting Sports ranges have 16 slots for fulfilling the Rifle merit badge requirements and has plenty of cover for Scouts, Leaders, and Parents to come and observe. Camp Brulé Camp Brulé (pronounced "Brul-a"), named after
Étienne Brûlé Étienne Brûlé (; – c. June 1633) was the first European explorer to journey beyond the St. Lawrence River into what is now known as Canada. He spent much of his early adult life among the Hurons, and mastered their language and learne ...
, 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 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 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 S ...
twin brothers from Troop 2, Towanda, Pennsylvania, Army Air Corp 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.


Order of the Arrow

TKäen DōD Lodge 30 formed from three former lodges. Seneca Lodge 394, Wakanda Lodge 186, and Winingus Lodge 30. TKäen DōD celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2017


Greater Hudson Valley Council

Greater Hudson Valley Council was formed in 2021 when the Hudson Valley Council merged with the Westchester-Putnam Council. This council serves scouts in southeastern New York.


Greater New York Councils

The Greater New York Councils serves the Scouting families of the five boroughs of New York City. File:US Navy 070526-N-5758H-100 Capt. Rick Williams, Commodore, Destroyer Squadron 26, administers the Eagle Scout oath to his nephew during an Eagle Scout ceremony aboard guided-missile destroyer USS Oscar Austin (DDG 79), as part.jpg, Eagle Scout oath aboard destroyer USS ''Oscar Austin'' File:BOY SCOUT LEADER RECRUITING AMONG LATIN YOUTHS IN THE BEDFORD-STUYVESANT DISTRICT OF BROOKLYN IN NEW YORK CITY. THE... - NARA - 555899.jpg, 1974 - Boy Scout leader recruiting Latino youth in Bedford-Stuyvesant district of Brooklyn


Greater Niagara Frontier Council

Greater Niagara Frontier Council serves the territory of Erie and western Niagara Counties, with its headquarters in Buffalo.


=Organization

= The council is organized into four districts: * Tatonka District * Red Jacket District * Onondaga District * Polaris District, serving Northern Erie and Western Niagara Counties.


=Camps

= Camp Scouthaven is one of the 5 oldest Scout camps in the United States still in operation (1918 - over 100 years). It is the home of GNFC Camps Summer Programs for Cub Scouting and Scouts BSA. Situated on beautiful Crystal Lake in Freedom, NY it boasts one of the best Aquatics programs around. Scouthaven is open to year round program as well. Schoellkopf Scout Reservation was formed in 1938 and is located in Cowlesville, NY. It was built through donations by the Schoellkopf family. Schoellkopf features over 650 acres of prime Scouting property. It has rustic log cabins, beautiful campsites, and newer spacious lean-to's all for year round use. Camp Stonehaven operates in Sanborn, NY and has accommodations including campsites, lean-to's and newer cabins. It is an ideal camp for out of town units that would like to tour Niagara Falls. GNFC also operate
Birchbark Expeditions
a Nationally Accredited week-long, fully guided high adventure canoe experience, steeped in the rich Age of Exploration history of Southern Ontario. The program takes place in
Algonquin Provincial Park Algonquin Provincial Park is a provincial park located between Georgian Bay and the Ottawa River in Ontario, Canada, mostly within the Unorganized South Part of Nipissing District. Established in 1893, it is the oldest provincial park in Can ...
in Ontario and is open to Scouts at least 13 years old. Crews generally consist of six youth, two adults, plus a guide – making nine total. www.wnyscouting.org/camping


Longhouse Council

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. The council is headquartered in Syracuse, NY. The council currently owns 2 camps, including Sabattis Scouting Reservation and Camp Woodland. The council covers six counties — Cayuga, Jefferson, Lewis, Oswego, Onondaga, and St. Lawrence.


=Organization

= The council is divided into seven districts: * Cayuga County District (the former Cayuga County Council area) * Interlakes District (Western Onondaga County) * Northern Lights District (St. Lawrence County) * Oneida District (Northern Onondaga County) * Onondaga District (Southern Onondaga County) * Ontario District (Oswego County) * Tri-Rivers District (Jefferson and Lewis Counties) **As of June 2020, the Onondaga and Oneida Districts merged to become the Crossroads District , Longhouse Council acquired a seventh district: Cayuga County. This was previously Cayuga County Council, which lost its charter.


=Order of the Arrow

= Lowanne Nimat Lodge 219, formed January 1, 2010 from Kayanernh Kowa and Tahgajute lodges. The World Brotherhood Camporee is a weekend-long camping trip that Scouts from Canada and the U.S. participate in. The camporee is an annual event and takes place either in the Longhouse Council, New York or in the Loyalist Area of the Voyageur Council,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
, Canada. The main events include Council Strip trading and a dance party.


Hudson Valley Council

The Hudson Valley Council was headquartered in
Newburgh, New York Newburgh is a city in the U.S. state of New York, within Orange County. With a population of 28,856 as of the 2020 census, it is a principal city of the Poughkeepsie–Newburgh–Middletown metropolitan area. Located north of New York City, a ...
, and also served Scouts in
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
. The grave of
Daniel Carter Beard Daniel Carter "Uncle Dan" Beard (June 21, 1850 – June 11, 1941) was an American illustrator, author, youth leader, Georgist and social reformer who founded the Sons of Daniel Boone in 1905, which Beard later merged with the Boy Scouts of Am ...
lies within the Hudson Valley Council, where an annual service is held. In 2021, it merged with the Westchester-Putnam Council to become the Greater Hudson Valley Council.


=Organization

= Its districts were: Rockland, Heritage, Delaware River, and Dutchess.


=Camps

= The Hudson Valley Council operated two year-round use properties - Camp Bullowa in Stony Point, NY and Camp Nooteeming in Salt Point, NY.


=Order of the Arrow Lodge

= * Nacha Nimat 86


Iroquois Trail Council

Iroquois Trail Council, with its headquarters in Oakfield, 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). Troop 1 was first formed in 1912, first chartered in 1914. When it was disbanded in late 1994 troop 1 had 80+ years continuous charter with the BSA.


=Organization

= As of 2007, the council is divided into three districts: * Nundawaga District (Livingston and Wyoming Counties) * Seneca District (eastern Orleans and Genesee Counties) * Towpath District (western Orleans and eastern Niagara Counties) When the two councils merged, it originally had four districts. * Niagara District (Niagara County) * Orleans District (Orleans County) * Genishaua District (Genesee and northern Wyoming County) * Letchworth District (northern Livingston and southern Wyoming County)


=Camps

= It has two camps: Camp Dittmer (Scouts BSA) and Camp Sam Wood (Cub Scout). Sam Wood was the first Eagle Scout in Genesee County. Sam Wood was a member of Troop 1 St. James Church, Batavia.


=Order of the Arrow

= *Ashokwahta Lodge No. 339


Leatherstocking Council

''Leatherstocking Council'' serves a portion of central New York. The council provides Scouting to Herkimer, Oneida and Madison Counties as well as part of Hamilton, Otsego, Delaware and Lewis Counties.


Rip Van Winkle Council

Rip Van Winkle Council serves the youth of Ulster and Greene counties of New York, and headquartered in Kingston. The Rip Van Winkle Council has the distinction of having 6 of the first 21 Eagle Scouts from the Class of 1912, the first class of Eagle Scouts.


=Organization

= The council is divided into two districts: * Algonquin District (Ulster County) * Mohican District (Greene County and Saugerties)


=Camps

= The council's camp, located in East Jewett, New York, is Camp Tri-Mount.


=Order of the Arrow

= * Half Moon Lodge


Seneca Waterways Council

Seneca Waterways Council (SWC) serves youth in the Counties of Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Yates, and Monroe and the city of Rochester, New York.


Suffolk County Council

Suffolk County Council serves scouts in Suffolk County, on Long Island, New York. Baiting Hollow Scout Camp is the council camp.


Theodore Roosevelt Council

Theodore Roosevelt Council supports Scouting in
Nassau County, New York Nassau County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2020 U.S. census, Nassau County's population is 1,395,774. The county seat is Mineola and the largest town is Hempstead. Nassau County is situated on western Long Isl ...
.


Twin Rivers Council

Twin Rivers Council is based in
Albany, New York Albany ( ) is the capital of the U.S. state of New York, also the seat and largest city of Albany County. Albany is on the west bank of the Hudson River, about south of its confluence with the Mohawk River, and about north of New York C ...
. It serves a large geographic area that encompasses 13 counties of Northeastern New York. The original portion of Twin Rivers was formed in 1991 by a merger of the former Governor Clinton Council (Columbia, Rensselaer and Albany Counties), the Sir William Johnson Council (Hamilton, Fulton & Montgomery counties) and the Saratoga Council (Saratoga County). A year or so later the Schenectady County Council (Schenectady County) was added after working out issues between the entities. Then in 1999, the Mohican (Warren and Washington counties) consolidated into the council. On February 14, 2006 the Adirondack Council (Franklin, Clinton and Essex Counties) and the Twin Rivers Council merged to form the current boundaries of the Twin Rivers Council #364.


=Organization

= The council has 5 Districts. *Fort Orange District (Albany County) *Adirondack District (Clinton, Franklin, and Northern Essex counties) *Mohawk District (Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Schenectady Counties and the Town of Clifton Park) *Yankee Doodle District (Columbia and Rensselaer Counties as well as the communities of Mechanicville and Stillwater)
Home Page
*Turning Point District (Northern Saratoga, Washington, and Warren Counties)


=Camps

=


Rotary Scout Reservation

RSR's totem is the
Thunderbird Thunderbird, thunder bird or thunderbirds may refer to: * Thunderbird (mythology), a legendary creature in certain North American indigenous peoples' history and culture * Ford Thunderbird, a car Birds * Dromornithidae, extinct flightless birds ...
. Rotary Scout Reservation is a camp of the
Twin Rivers Council 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. The first National Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Headquarters was in New York City, an ...
, located in
Poestenkill, New York Poestenkill is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. The population was 4,530 at the 2010 census. The town is southeast of Troy and is centrally located in the county. The town is named after the Poesten Kill, an important strea ...
. The original part of the camp was donated by the
Troy Troy ( el, Τροία and Latin: Troia, Hittite: 𒋫𒊒𒄿𒊭 ''Truwiša'') or Ilion ( el, Ίλιον and Latin: Ilium, Hittite: 𒃾𒇻𒊭 ''Wiluša'') was an ancient city located at Hisarlik in present-day Turkey, south-west of Ç ...
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. Following the introduction of the Kayaking and Traffic Safety merit badges for the 2012 summer camp season. As of the 2019 season RSR offers 45 merit badges in 9 program areas. In addition to the merit badge options, 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 The cope (known in Latin as ''pluviale'' 'rain coat' or ''cappa'' 'cape') is a liturgical vestment, more precisely a long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour. A c ...
, Mountain Biking, and Chillicothe. 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, blacksmithing 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. Prior to the 2019 Camp season it was decided that the Chillicothe program area was in need of some repair, so the area itself is currently closed and the badges that were offered have been moved to other program areas. This temporary closure is expected to be only until the New Nature Science Center Pavilion is opened, at which point any new additional donations and funding will go into the rebuilding of the Chillicothe Program area. In 2012, RSR introduced Venturing Week, a week of resident camp for youth in the Venturing Program. In addition to various open programming opportunities, offerings included a full-week half-day COPE course, American Red Cross
Wilderness First Aid A wilderness medical emergency is a medical emergency that takes place in a wilderness or remote setting affinitive care (hospital, clinic, etc.). Such an emergency can require specialized skills, treatment techniques, and knowledge in order to m ...
, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Hunter Education course, and more. Since the venture program started gaining popularity in
Twin Rivers Council 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. The first National Boy Scouts of America (BSA) Headquarters was in New York City, an ...
in 2015, the venture week itself has been canceled and venture crews have been welcomed into the normal week to week program. During the 2014 Year the camp decided to experiment with a STEM program dedicated to the last week of the season. Keeping with the style of the camp to try and only offer badges that scouts can't typically earn in a normal troop setting, the same has gone for STEM week. Past offerings have been the Robotics, Space Exploration, and Nuclear Sciences meritbadges. Each year the camp might have a different selection o
"Supernova" Badges
depending on available Volunteers or available skill sets of current staff members. In addition to adding merit badges during the week the camp has also offered sessions to for scouts to try and earn selec
BSA NOVA Awards
The Camp has also offered a few session in the past for STEM themed hobbies as well, most notable the ability for scouts to earn their Technician Ham Radio License.


Camp Wakpominee

Camp Wakpominee is a 1,200-acre camp located in Fort Ann, NY. It is completely within the boundaries of the Adirondack Park, providing a base for Council trekking programs. The camp contains Sly Pond, a 42-acre lake.


Woodworth Lake Scout Reservation

Woodworth Lake Scout Reservation, was located in Gloversville, New York. The 1500 acre camp began operation in 1949. As of 2013, the camp has been sold to a private investor.


Camp Boyhaven

Camp Boyhaven was a 300-acre camp located in Middle Grove, New York. It was founded as a Boy Scout camp in 1924 with a purchase of approximately 20 acres from the Frink family for Schenectady Council. Over the years, the camp grew to encompass most of the old Frink family farm. With the merger of Schenectady Council with Twin Rivers Council in 1991, it was converted to a Cub Scout and Webelos long term camp. The totem of the camp is the "Toonerville Trolley," based on the trolley line that ran across the creek from the camp. Each summer, the camp ran Cub Scout and Webelos resident and day camps. The camp program and facilities are specially designed for Cub Scouts, Webelos scouts, and their families. Lean-to cabins and indoor plumbing make the transition to overnight camping easier for Cub Scouts and Webelos Scouts. An archery range, BB gun range, vertical climbing wall, water slide, and movie night are all provided to appeal to younger Scouts who are spending their first nights away from home. As of 2017, summer camp programs are no longer being held and the camp is in the process of being sold. The Camp was officially converted t
Camp Stomping Ground
(a Non-BSA Summer Camp) at the beginning of 2020.


Camp Bedford

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 , 2 large ponds for boating and fishing, and over of State Wild Forests border the camp. Charles E. Bedford donated 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 US.


=Order of the Arrow

= 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 Go ...
Lodge for Twin Rivers Council is Kittan Lodge 364.


Westchester-Putnam Council

Westchester-Putnam Council serves Scouts in southeastern New York State. In 2021, it merged with the Hudson Valley Council to become the Greater Hudson Valley Council.


Girl Scouts

New York state is served by eight Girl Scouts councils. In addition, the Edith Macy Conference Center belonging to the national organization is in
Briarcliff Manor Briarcliff Manor () is a suburban village in Westchester County, New York, north of New York City. It is on of land on the east bank of the Hudson River, geographically shared by the towns of Mount Pleasant and Ossining. Briarcliff Manor inc ...
, and the national headquarters is in New York City.


National headquarters

The national headquarters has been in various places in New York City since 1916 when it moved there from
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
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 a focus group meeting.


Edith Macy Conference Center

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. 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.


Girl Scouts of Connecticut

Fishers Island Fishers Island (Pequot: ''Munnawtawkit'') is an island that is part of Southold, New York, United States at the eastern end of Long Island Sound, off the southeastern coast of Connecticut across Fishers Island Sound. About long and wide, it ...
in Suffolk County, New York is served by the Girl Scouts of Connecticut due to the close ties between the island and Connecticut.


Girl Scout Council of Greater New York

Girl Scouts of Greater New York serves some 25,000 girls and has over 8,700 volunteers in New York City. The council camp is Camp Henry Kaufmann in Holmes, NY.


Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson

Girl Scouts Heart of the Hudson serves over 34,000 girls. The council was formed through the merger of five counties: Dutchess, Rockland, Orange, Putnam and Westchester.


=Camps

= * Camp Addisone Boyce is in
Tomkins Cove Tomkins Cove is a hamlet in the Town of Stony Point, Rockland County, New York, United States, located north of Stony Point; east of Harriman State Park; south of Doodletown and west of the Hudson River. It is located north-northwest of New Yo ...
next to Harriman State Park. It was founded in 1951 and named for Dr. Addisone Boyce who had been active in finding a suitable camp. * Camp Birch Ridge is in
Otisville, New York Otisville is a village in Orange County, New York, United States. The population was 969 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Poughkeepsie– Newburgh– Middletown, NY Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the larger New York– ...
. * Camp Ludington is in
Holmes, New York Holmes is a hamlet in the town of Pawling, Dutchess County, New York, United States. History Formerly Reynoldsville, the decision was made to change the name upon the discovery that there was already a post office with the same name in New Y ...
and was opened in 1954. * Camp Wendy is (including a lake) in Wallkill, New York. It was given to the Girl Scouts of Ulster County in 1926 by the Borden family. * Rock Hill Camp is in
Mahopac, New York Mahopac ( or ) is a hamlet (and census-designated place) in the town of Carmel in Putnam County, New York, United States. Also known as Lake Mahopac, the exurb is located some north of New York City, on US Route 6 at the county's southern centr ...
. It has been used by the Girl Scouts since 1922 (initially leased and then purchased in 1927). * Rocky Brook Camp is in
Eastchester, New York Eastchester is a town in southern Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was over 34,641 at the 2020 United States census over 32,363 at the 2010 census. There are two villages within the town: Bronxville and Tuckahoe. The ...
.


Girl Scouts of Nassau County

Girl Scouting In Nassau County started in 1917.It is chartered by GSUSA to develop, maintain and administer Girl Scouting in Nassau County.


=Camps

= Camp Blue Bay in
East Hampton, New York The Town of East Hampton is located in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, at the eastern end of the South Shore of Long Island. It is the easternmost town in the state of New York. At the time of the 2020 United States census, it had a tot ...
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

Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York (GSNENY) was created in June 2007 from the union of four Girl Scout Councils: Hudson Valley, Mohawk Pathways, Adirondack and North Country. GSNENY serves the following counties: Albany, Clinton, Columbia, Greene, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Montgomery, Hamilton, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington Counties; along with, a portion of St. Lawrence County. With Service Centers in Albany, Queensbury, and Plattsburgh; GSNENY serves over 10,000 girls and has more than 4,500 adults and volunteers.


=Camps

= Girl Scouts of Northeastern New York owns five camp properties in the Adirondack region, to include two overnight camps: * Hidden Lake Camp is in Adirondack Park, 3 miles from Lake George Village. * Lake Clear Camp is situated on on a peninsula, on Lake Clear, in
Lake Clear, New York Lake Clear is a hamlet and a lake in Franklin County, New York, United States. The area is named for Lake Clear, part of the original Seven Carries canoe route. It is located in the town of Harrietstown. In the late 19th century, Lake Clear wa ...
. * Camp Is-Sho-Da is in
East Greenbush, New York East Greenbush is a town in Rensselaer County, New York, United States. It is a suburb of Albany. The population was 16,473 at the 2010 census. The word Greenbush is derived from the Dutch ''het groen bosch,'' referring to the pine woods that ori ...
. * Camp Meadowbrook is located in
Queensbury, New York Queensbury is a town in Warren County, New York, United States. The population was 27,901 at the 2010 census. It contains the county seat of Warren County, located at a municipal center complex on U.S. Route 9 south of the village of Lake George ...
. * Camp Wood Haven is near
Galway, New York Galway () is a town located in Saratoga County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 3,589. The town contains a village also named Galway. Both the town and village are located in the western part o ...
. It features a large playing field, pond, beach, creek, hiking trails, cabins, platform tents, a nature center, and Troop House.


Girl Scouts of NYPENN Pathways

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.


=Organization

= * Binghamton, New York *
Horseheads, New York Horseheads is a town in Chemung County, New York, United States. The population was 19,412 at the 2020 census. The name of the town is derived from the number of bleached horses' skulls once found there. Horseheads is north of the city of Elmira ...
* New Hartford, New York *
Norwich, New York Norwich is a city and county seat of Chenango County, New York, United States. Surrounded on all sides by the Town of Norwich,. The name is taken from Norwich, England. Its population was 7,190 at the 2010 census. Lt. Warren Eaton Airpor ...
* Oneonta, New York *
Phelps, New York Phelps is a town in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 6,637 at the 2020 census. The Town of Phelps contains a village called Phelps. Both are north of Geneva. History The town was part of the Phelps and Gorham Purchas ...
* Syracuse, New York *
Watertown, New York Watertown is a city in, and the county seat of, Jefferson County, New York, United States. It is approximately south of the Thousand Islands, along the Black River about east of where it flows into Lake Ontario. The city is bordered by th ...


=Camps

= * Camp Agaliha (Cherokee for 'sunshine') is a summer camp located on Camp Kingsley near
Rome, New York Rome is a city in Oneida County, New York, United States, located in the central part of the state. The population was 32,127 at the 2020 census. Rome is one of two principal cities in the Utica–Rome Metropolitan Statistical Area, which li ...
* Camp Amadaha (Located at Gulf Summit, N.Y. 1920-1925, relocated to Camp Arrowhead) * Amahami Outdoor Center is including a lake near Deposit, New York * Bayberry Program Center, near
Geneva, New York Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake; all land portions of the city are within Ontario County; the water portions are in Seneca County. The population was 13, ...
* Camp Hoover is (including an island) on Song Lake near
Preble, New York Preble is a town in Cortland County, New York, United States. The population was 1,393 at the 2010 census. The town is named after Commodore Edward Preble, a naval hero. Preble is on the northern border of Cortland County and is north of the cit ...
* Camp Near Wilderness near West Monroe, New York is currently closed. * Camp Trefoil is near
Harrisville, New York Harrisville is a hamlet and former village in Lewis County, New York, United States. The community is now a census-designated place. The population was 628 at the 2010 census. Harrisville is in the northeastern part of the town of Diana and is s ...
. It was acquired in 1949 * Comstock Program Center, on
Cayuga Lake Cayuga Lake (,,) is the longest of central New York's glacial Finger Lakes, and is the second largest in surface area (marginally smaller than Seneca Lake) and second largest in volume. It is just under long. Its average width is , and it is ...
, New York * Misty Hollow Program Center, near
Corning, New York Corning is a city in Steuben County, New York, United States, on the Chemung River. The population was 10,551 at the 2020 census. It is named for Erastus Corning, an Albany financier and railroad executive who was an investor in the company t ...
* Sugar Creek Program Center, near
Troy, Pennsylvania Troy is a borough in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. It is part of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The population was 1,354 at the 2010 census. Children residing in the borough are assigned to attend the Troy Area School District. History The borough ...
* Yaiewano Program Center, on
Owasco Lake Owasco Lake is the sixth largest and third easternmost of the Finger Lakes of New York in the United States. It is part of the traditional territory of the Cayuga nation. History Owasco Lake's name may have been derived from the Iroquois word ...
, New York


=NYPenn Pathway's Original Five Councils

= * Central New York Council served Cortland, Onondaga, Oswego and portions of Madison County * Foothills Council served Herkimer and Oneida Counties, most of Madison County and parts of Otsego, Lewis, and Hamilton counties * Indian Hills Council served Broome, Chenango, Delaware, parts of Otsego County * Seven Lakes Council, the largest of the original five, served Allegany, Cayuga, Chemung, Ontario, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Yates and Wayne Counties; and in Pennsylvania: Bradford and Tioga Counties * Thousand Islands Council served Lewis, Jefferson, and St. Lawrence Counties


Girl Scouts of Suffolk County

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.


=Camps

= * Camp Edey is in
Bayport, New York Bayport is a hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Islip, Suffolk County, New York, United States, on Long Island. The population was 8,609 at the 2020 census. Bayport is in the southeast part of the Town of Islip. Geography ...
* Camp Sobaco is in
Yaphank, New York Yaphank () is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in Suffolk County, New York, Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 5,945 at the time of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Yaphank is locate ...


Girl Scouts of Western New York

Girl Scouts of Western New York was created on July 1, 2008, from legacy councils: Girl Scout Council of Buffalo & Erie County, Inc., Girl Scouts of Genesee Valley, Inc., Girl Scouts of Niagara County, Inc., Chautauqua Area Girl Scout Council, Inc., and Girl Scouts of Southwestern New York, Inc. The council serves some 15,000 girls within Erie, Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Genesee, Livingston, Niagara, Orleans, Monroe, and Wyoming counties.


=Camps

= * Camp Piperwood in
Perinton, New York Perinton (originally Perrinton (in federal censuses) and sometimes Perrington when still part of Ontario County) is a town in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 46,462 at the 2010 census. The village of Fairport is with ...
* Camp Windy Meadows in
Lockport, New York Lockport is both a city and the town that surrounds it in Niagara County, New York. The city is the Niagara county seat, with a population of 21,165 according to 2010 census figures, and an estimated population of 20,305 as of 2019. Its name d ...
is . * Camp Seven Hills in
Holland, New York Holland is a town in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 3,401 at the 2010 census. The name is derived from the Holland Land Company, the original title-holder to most of the land of Western New York. Holland is one of the ...
is including two lakes. * Camp Timbercrest in
Randolph, New York Randolph is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,470 at the 2020 census. The town was named after Randolph, Vermont. The town of Randolph contains a former village called Randolph. The town also contains m ...
is including a lake.


Baden-Powell Service Association

New York is home to six chartered groups of the Baden-Powell Service Association. The BPSA is an all-inclusive, "back to basics" organization that welcomes boys and girls, men and women from 5 years of age through adulthood, "regardless of race, gender identity, sexual orientation, class, ability, religion (or no religion), or other differentiating factors".


91st Sojourners

The 91st Sojourners group is based in greater Kingston, NY. The group was named after 19th-century abolitionist (and
Ulster County Ulster County is a county in the U.S. state of New York. It is situated along the Hudson River. As of the 2020 census, the population was 181,851. The county seat is Kingston. The county is named after the Irish province of Ulster. History ...
native) Sojourner Truth.


5th Prospect Park

5th Prospect Park was the first BPSA group in New York City. It was founded in 2013 as the "5th Brooklyn Scouts" by Todd Schweikert, a former Eagle Scout who was looking for a more inclusive experience for his son. When new BPSA groups were spun off in 2016, the name was changed to " Prospect Park".


67th Wallabout Bay

67th Wallabout Bay is one of two groups that spun off from 5th Prospect Park in 2016. It is based in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, and takes its name from the curved bay between the Williamsburg and Manhattan Bridges, where the
Brooklyn Navy Yard The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex located in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a semicircular bend ...
sits.


234th Stuy Rangers

234th Stuy Rangers is one of two groups that spun off from 5th Prospect Park in 2016. It serves the Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood.


89th Flatbush

90th Flatbush was formed in 2017, representing the Flatbush neighborhood.


1213th Lookout Hill

1213th Lookout Hill was formed in 2017. Based in the neighborhood of Windsor Terrace, on the south edge of Prospect Park, it was named after one of the highest points in the park.


International Scouting units

In addition, there are Armenian Scouts and Estonian Scouts in Exile in New York City, and
Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség (''Hungarian Scout Association in Exteris'') is a Scouts-in-Exile organization created for youth of Hungarian descent. Scouting makes it possible for young men and women to learn more about their Hungarian ...
Hungarian Scouting maintains two troops in New York City and one in Buffalo. Also, there are large contingents of active
Plast The Plast National Scout Organization of Ukraine ( uk, Пласт Національна Скаутська Організація України, ''Plast Natsionalna Skautska Orhanizatsiia Ukrayiny''), commonly called Ukrainian Plast or simply P ...
Ukrainian Scouts in New York City.


West Point Camporee

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 Lake Frederick. Cadets are allowed to invite their home Scouting Units. Managed by the Scoutmasters' Council.


Scouting museums


Camp Boyhaven Scouting Museum
Middle Grove, New York Middle Grove is a hamlet in the town of Greenfield, New York. The community is west of Saratoga Springs. Middle Grove has a post office with ZIP code 12850. Middle Grove is located along the Kayaderosseras The Kayaderosseras Creek, usually sh ...

Ten Mile River Scout Museum
Narrowsburg, New York Narrowsburg is a hamlet (and a census-designated place) in Sullivan County, New York, United States. The population was 431 at the 2010 census. Narrowsburg is in the western part of the Town of Tusten at the junction of Routes 52 and 97. His ...

William Hillcourt Scout Museum and Carson Buck Memorial Library
named for
William Hillcourt William Hillcourt (August 6, 1900 – November 9, 1992), known within the Scouting movement as "Green Bar Bill", was an influential leader in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) organization from 1927 to 1992. Hillcourt was a prolific writer and ...
, and Carson Buck, Constantia, New York


See also

* Scouting in Ontario *
Scouting in Québec Scouting in Quebec has a long history, from the 1900s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Anglophone Scouting in Quebec Quebec is administered by the Quebec Council of Scouts ...
*
Knickerbocker Greys The Knickerbocker Greys is a youth cadet corps located in Manhattan. Founded in 1881, it is the oldest after school activity in the United States. History The Knickerbocker Greys was founded by Mrs. Augusta Lawler Stacey Curtis, the wife of Dr. E ...


References


External links


William Hillcourt Scout Museum and Carson Buck Memorial Library
{{Scouting in the United States New York