Scouting in Massachusetts
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Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
includes both Girl Scout and
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) organizations. Both were founded in the 1910s in Massachusetts. With a vigorous history, both organizations actively serve thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.


History

By 1910, a scout like group, Boston City Guard, was founded by Frank O. Carpenter of the English High School. In June 1910, the American Boy Scouts started organizing the Department of New England which was operational in August or September under chief department scout General William H. Oakes and based in Boston. On February 1, 2019, Boy Scouts of America started allowing all-girl troops to be formed. A number of all-girl troops have been formed in Massachusetts.


Boy Scouts of America in Massachusetts today


Cape Cod and the Islands Council

The Cape Cod and the Islands Council serves
Cape Cod Cape Cod is a peninsula extending into the Atlantic Ocean from the southeastern corner of mainland Massachusetts, in the northeastern United States. Its historic, maritime character and ample beaches attract heavy tourism during the summer mont ...
,
Martha's Vineyard Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the s ...
, and
Nantucket Nantucket () is an island about south from Cape Cod. Together with the small islands of Tuckernuck and Muskeget, it constitutes the Town and County of Nantucket, a combined county/town government that is part of the U.S. state of Massachuse ...
with their headquarters residing in Yarmouthport, Massachusetts. The Council owns two camps: Greenough Scout Reservation as well as Camp Richard. The Order of the Arrow lodge is Abake Mi-Sa-Na-Ki Lodge #393.


Mayflower Council

On March 28, 2017, Knox Trail Council and Old Colony Council voted to merge and create a new, combined council. The merger was executed on May 10, 2017; with the new council using the name 'Council 251' pending the selection of a new name. On August 30, 2017 members voted to become the Mayflower Council. Mayflower Council was headquartered at the former Knox Trail Council office in Marlborough, Massachusetts. On October 2, 2020, the council moved into its new service center at 83 Cedar Street in Milford. Massachusetts. Mayflower Council comprises five districts covering 62 communities: Post Road, Metacomet. Cranberry Harbors, Sachem, and Headwaters Districts. Mayflower Council owns three camp properties: Camp Resolute, Bolton; Camp Squanto, Plymouth and Nobscot Scout Reservation, Sudbury/Framingham. Camps Resolute and Squanto are summer residential camps while Nobscot is a short-term camping facility. The Order of the Arrow is represented by the new Tantamous Lodge #223; with the Owl as its totem.


Heart of New England Council

The Heart of New England Council was created in 2018 with the merger of the Mohegan Council and the Nashua Valley Council. Mohegan Council and Nashua Valley Councils voted to merge on May 31 and May 30 2018, respectively. The Heart of New England Council consists of two districts and serves 62 communities in Central Massachusetts. On October 20, 2018, the Order of the Arrow lodges from the former Councils merged, creating Catamount Lodge. The Council operates Camp Wanocksett, founded in 1924 in Dublin, New Hampshire. Camp Wanocksett serves as a summer camp for both Scouts BSA and Venturing BSA during seven weeks of program. Camp Wanocksett is over 230 acres of land that borders
Mount Monadnock Mount Monadnock, or Grand Monadnock, is a mountain in the towns of Jaffrey and Dublin, New Hampshire. It is the most prominent mountain peak in southern New Hampshire and is the highest point in Cheshire County. It lies southwest of Concord a ...
, one of the most frequently climbed mountains in the world. The Council operates Treasure Valley Scout Reservation, founded in 1926 in Rutland, Massachusetts. Treasure Valley Scout Reservation serves as a summer camp for both Scouts BSA and Cub Scouts. Treasure Valley Scout Reservation consists of over 1600 acres of land expanding over the towns of Rutland, Spencer, Paxton, and Oakham, Massachusetts. The Council also operates Camp Split Rock, founded in 1945 in Ashburnham, Massachusetts. Camp Split Rock has previously served as a Scouts BSA and Cub Scout camp since its founding. The camp now operates as a weekend retreat location with campsites and cabins available for rent by units.


Narragansett Council

Narragansett Council is based in East Providence, Rhode Island and serves part of Massachusetts, as well as all of Rhode Island and part of Connecticut. The council gained a significant foothold in Massachusetts through merger with the former Moby Dick Council in 2001, and increased its area through merger with the former Annawon Council in 2016. Council camps in Massachusetts include Cachalot Scout Reservation (Plymouth), Camp Norse (Kingston), and Camp Buxton (Rehoboth). The council also operates
Yawgoog Scout Reservation Yawgoog Scout Reservation (Camp Yawgoog) is a reservation for scouting located in Rockville, Rhode Island and operated by the Narragansett Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Founded in 1916, Yawgoog is the fifth oldest Boy Scout camp in the ...
in Rhode Island. The Order of the Arrow Lodge is Tulpe Lodge #102.


Spirit of Adventure Council

The Spirit of Adventure Council was formed from a merger of the
Yankee Clipper Council The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Its various senses depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, residents of the Northern United S ...
and
Boston Minuteman Council The Spirit of Adventure Council is a regional council of the Boy Scouts of America. It serves the greater Boston, Massachusetts, area. History The Yankee Clipper Council and Boston Minuteman Council merged on July 1, 2015. As part of this merger, ...
on July 1, 2015. As part of this merger, New Hampshire towns of the former Yankee Clipper Council were transferred to Daniel Webster Council headquartered in Manchester, NH.


Western Massachusetts Council

The Western Massachusetts Council was created on June 28, 2008 with the merger of Great Trails Council and Pioneer Valley Council. Geographically, it is the largest BSA council in Massachusetts serving
Berkshire Berkshire ( ; in the 17th century sometimes spelt phonetically as Barkeshire; abbreviated Berks.) is a historic county in South East England. One of the home counties, Berkshire was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II as the Royal County of Berk ...
,
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
, Hampden, and
Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial county, ceremonial and non-metropolitan county, non-metropolitan counties of England, county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English citi ...
counties and the town of Stamford, Vermont. The council operates Scout office-service centers in Westfield and
Pittsfield, Massachusetts Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Pittsfield ...
, and year-round camping facilities a
Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation
in
Russell Russell may refer to: People * Russell (given name) * Russell (surname) * Lady Russell (disambiguation) * Lord Russell (disambiguation) Places Australia *Russell, Australian Capital Territory *Russell Island, Queensland (disambiguation) **Ru ...
. It formerly operated Chesterfield Scout Reservation in
Chesterfield, Massachusetts Chesterfield is a rural hill town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States, east of Pittsfield and west of Boston. The population was 1,186 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Ar ...
. The Western Massachusetts Council is divided into three districts: *Appalachian Trail District *Metacomet District *General Knox District Order of the Arrow – Th
Pocumtuc Lodge
of the Western Massachusetts Council was formed by the merger of Memsochet Lodge 507 (Great Trails Council) and Allogagan Lodge 83 (Pioneer Valley Council) on September 28, 2008. Pocumtuc Lodge serves the BSA summer camp at Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation, with OA days occurring on Wednesdays during summer weeks. During OA days, Brotherhood conversations are done and there is lodge fellowship.


George W. Magee Memorial Trust Fund

The George W. Magee Memorial Trust Fund is a Massachusetts-based
trust Trust often refers to: * Trust (social science), confidence in or dependence on a person or quality It may also refer to: Business and law * Trust law, a body of law under which one person holds property for the benefit of another * Trust (bus ...
whose proceeds are used to support the purchase and improvement of the camps operated by BSA Councils in Massachusetts.


History

George W. P. Magee was a theatrical agent and manager who most notably managed Boston's Grand Opera House from the 1890s through 1916. Being very involved in the community, he saw Scouting as a program making significant positive impact on the lives of young men. He turned this belief into a permanent commitment to Scouting, by establishing a trust upon his death. George Magee died in 1939, with France Cornell and Frederick W. Cook becoming the original Trustees of the fund. It took nearly 5 years, until 1944, for the fund to reach the minimum level for income to be distributed ($500,000). In 1944, the fund distributed $11,000. Upon the death of Mr. Cornell in 1961, the Old Colony Trust Company became the sole corporate trustee of the fund.


Today

As of 2004, the fund had a market value of approximately $7.3 million, with an annual distribution of $210,000. Over its lifetime, the fund has contributed over $6.2 million to hundreds of projects, impacting over a million youth, at various Boy Scout camps. Funds are held by the Private Bank at Bank of America, the current successor of the Old Colony Trust Company, and they are advised by a committee composed of local Scouting professionals and volunteers. Many Massachusetts camps conduct a "Magee Night" competition or other similar event to celebrate Mr. Magee's contribution, and it is quite easy to find buildings named after Mr. Magee or with plaques bearing his name. Councils requesting money typically make proposals to the advisory committee, stating the purpose of the project, the amount being requested, and any moneys being provided through other sources. Only Councils located in Massachusetts are eligible, although as the will reads the camps that benefit may be located elsewhere in New England.


Girl Scout Councils in Massachusetts

There are three Girl Scout councils serving Massachusetts, one of which is headquartered in Rhode Island.


Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts

Girl Scouts of Central and Western Massachusetts serves 15,000 girls in 186 communities. It was formed by a merger in early 2008 of three councils: Girl Scouts of Montachusett Council, Girl Scouts of Pioneer Valley, Girl Scouts of Western Massachusetts. Headquarters:
Holyoke, Massachusetts Holyoke is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, that lies between the western bank of the Connecticut River and the Mount Tom Range. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 38,238. Located north of Springfield ...
and
Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

website: Camps * Bonnie Brae,
East Otis, Massachusetts East Otis is part of the town of Otis in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2000 census, East Otis had a total population of 572. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, East Otis has a total area of 14 ...
* Green Eyrie,
Harvard, Massachusetts Harvard is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town is located 25 miles west-northwest of Boston, in eastern Massachusetts. A farming community settled in 1658 and incorporated in 1732, it has been home to several ...
* Laurel Wood,
Spencer, Massachusetts Spencer is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,992 at the 2020 census. For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Spencer, please see the article Spencer (CDP), Massach ...
* Lewis Perkins,
South Hadley, Massachusetts South Hadley (, ) is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 18,150 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. South Hadley is home to Mount Holyoke Colleg ...


Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts

Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts serves more than 45,000 girls and 17,000 adults in 177 Massachusetts communities and
South Hampton, New Hampshire South Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 894 at the 2020 census. South Hampton is home to Cowden State Forest and Powwow River State Forest. History South Hampton was one of the first town ...
. It was formed February 1, 2008 by a merger of three councils: Girls Scouts, Patriots' Trail; Girl Scout Council of Southeastern Massachusetts; Girl Scouts of Spar and Spindle Council. Headquarters: Boston, Massachusetts
website:


Service Centers

*
Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...
*
Middleboro, Massachusetts Middleborough (frequently written as Middleboro) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 24,245 at the 2020 census. History The town was first settled by Europeans in 1661 as Nemasket, later changed to M ...
*
Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...


Camps

* Camp Maude Eaton,
Andover, Massachusetts Andover is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. It was settled in 1642 and incorporated in 1646."Andover" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ed., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 387. As of th ...
* Camp Favorite, Brewster, Massachusetts Available activities include sailing and accommodations are usually platform tents. * Camp Rice Moody,
Reading, Massachusetts Reading ( ) is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, north of central Boston. The population was 25,518 at the 2020 census. History Settlement and American independence Many of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's original settler ...
* Camp Wabasso,
Bradford, New Hampshire Bradford is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,662 at the 2020 census. The main village of the town, where 372 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Bradford census-designated place (CDP) ...
* Camp Menotomy, Meredith, New Hampshire * Camp Runels,
Pelham, New Hampshire Pelham is a New England town, town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,222 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, up from 12,897 at the 2010 United States Census ...
* Camp Wind-in-the-Pines,
Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...
* Camp Cedar Hill,
Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...
* Friendship House,
Gloucester, Massachusetts Gloucester () is a city in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It sits on Cape Ann and is a part of Massachusetts's North Shore. The population was 29,729 at the 2020 U.S. Census. An important center of the fishing industry and a ...
* Wampanoag Girl Scout Center (Chilmark),
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts Martha's Vineyard, often simply called the Vineyard, is an island in the Northeastern United States, located south of Cape Cod in Dukes County, Massachusetts, known for being a popular, affluent summer colony. Martha's Vineyard includes the ...
* Cedar Hill Program Center,
Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...


Former Girl Scout Camps

* Camp Edith Reed, Norton, Massachusetts * Greenbrier Girl Scout Center,
Acushnet, Massachusetts Acushnet () is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 10,559 at the 2020 census. History Acushnet was first settled in 1659. It has been included as a part of three separate towns throughout its history. It ...
* Camp Virginia,
Bolton, Massachusetts Bolton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Bolton is in eastern Massachusetts, located 25 miles west-northwest of downtown Boston. The population was 5,665 at the 2020 census. History The town of Bolton was incorpora ...
* Camp Winnetaska, Ashland, Massachusetts * Marion White,
Richmond, Massachusetts Richmond is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 1,407 at the 2020 census. History Present day Richmond was first settled by Micah ...
* Neyati,
Leicester, Massachusetts Leicester ( ) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States Census. History What is now Leicester was originally settled by the Nipmuc people and was known by them as ''Towtaid''. On January 27 ...
* Kinnebrook, Worthington, Massachusetts * Camp Malcolm,
Needham, Massachusetts Needham ( ) is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts. A suburb of Boston, its population was 32,091 at the 2020 U.S. Census. It is home of Olin College. History Early settlement Needham was first settled in 1680 with the purchase of a ...


Girl Scouts of Rhode Island

This council supports Massachusetts girls in Bellingham, Blackstone,
Attleboro Attleboro is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It was once known as "The Jewelry Capital of the World" for its many jewelry manufacturers. According to the 2020 census, Attleboro had a population of 46,461. Attleboro is ...
,
Fall River Fall River is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. The City of Fall River's population was 94,000 at the 2020 United States Census, making it the tenth-largest city in the state. Located along the eastern shore of Mount H ...
, North Attleboro, Plainville,
Somerset ( en, All The People of Somerset) , locator_map = , coordinates = , region = South West England , established_date = Ancient , established_by = , preceded_by = , origin = , lord_lieutenant_office =Lord Lieutenant of Somerset , lord_ ...
,
Swansea Swansea (; cy, Abertawe ) is a coastal city and the second-largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Swansea ( cy, links=no, Dinas a Sir Abertawe). The city is the twenty-fifth largest in ...
, Westport, Wrentham, Millville, Rehoboth and Seekonk.


Former Girl Scout Camps

* Camp Muriel Flagg is a locale in
Williamstown, Massachusetts Williamstown is a town in the northern part of Berkshire County, in the northwest corner of Massachusetts, United States. It shares a border with Vermont to the north and New York to the west. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolit ...
named for Muriel Flagg, a
Girl Scout Girl Guides (known as Girl Scouts in the United States and some other countries) is a worldwide movement, originally and largely still designed for girls and women only. The movement began in 1909 when girls requested to join the then-grassroot ...
leader and teacher. Originally a Girl Scout camp, it opened in June 1964 and probably ceased operations in the late 1970s or early 1980s. It is located at an elevation of and is north of Williamstown in
Berkshire County Berkshire County (pronounced ) is a county on the western edge of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,026. Its largest city and traditional county seat is Pittsfield. The county was founded in ...
Latitude


Scouting museums

* Girl Scout Museum,
Waltham, Massachusetts Waltham ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, and was an early center for the labor movement as well as a major contributor to the American Industrial Revolution. The original home of the Boston Manufacturing Company, th ...

Norman Rockwell Museum
Stockbridge, Massachusetts Stockbridge is a town in Berkshire County in Western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,018 at the 2020 census. A year-round resort area, Stockbridge is h ...
* Girl Scout Museum, Leeds Service Center, Leeds, Massachusetts * Casoni Scout Museum, Camp Sqaunto ,
Plymouth, Massachusetts Plymouth (; historically known as Plimouth and Plimoth) is a town in Plymouth County, Massachusetts, United States. Located in Greater Boston, the town holds a place of great prominence in American history, folklore, and culture, and is known as ...


See also

*
Essex, Massachusetts Essex is a coastal town in Essex County, Massachusetts, 26 miles (42 km) north of Boston and 13 miles (21 km) southeast of Newburyport. It is known for its former role as a center of shipbuilding. The population was 3,675 at the 2020 ce ...
* Shingebiss


References


External links

* * * * * * * * * * {{Scouting in the United States Youth organizations based in Massachusetts
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett language, Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut assachusett writing systems, məhswatʃəwiːsət'' English: , ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is the most populous U.S. state, state in the New England ...
Northeast Region (Boy Scouts of America)