Scouting in the US state of Washington officially began in the 1910s.
History
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. In 1911, the Girl Scouts of America (not to be confused with the current
Girl Scouts of the USA
Girl Scouts of the United States of America (GSUSA), commonly referred to as Girl Scouts, is a youth organization for girls in the United States and American girls living abroad.
It was founded by Juliette Gordon Low in 1912, a year after she ...
) and the Girl Guides planned to merge with the
Camp Fire Girls
Camp Fire, formerly Camp Fire USA and originally Camp Fire Girls of America, is a co-ed youth development organization. Camp Fire was the first nonsectarian, multicultural organization for girls in America. It is now gender-inclusive, and its p ...
to form the Girl Pioneers of America, but relationships fractured and the merger failed.
Founded in 1919, Camp Parsons is the oldest continuous running Boy Scout camp west of the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
and one of the oldest continually running Boy Scout camp in the United States on its original location. It sits on , part of the
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord-like body of water that lies south of Admiralty Inlet in Washington State that some consider to be the western lobe and one of the five main basins of Puget Sound.Brinnon, Washington, and just south of Quilcene, Washington. The original land for the camp was donated by Reginald Parsons in 1918.
Camp Black Mountain was founded as a campsite near Maple Falls, Washington which served Western Washington since 1929.
Recent history, sale of camp
In 1993, Tumwater Area(#737), Twin Harbors Area (#607), and Mount Rainier (#612) merged to form the Pacific Harbors Council (#612). In 1992, the North Central Washington Council (#613) and the Fort Simcoe Area Council (#614) merged to become the Grand Columbia Council (#614).
In 1987, Inland Empire Council changed its name to the Inland Northwest Council (#611). In 1992, Lewis-Clark (#108) and Idaho Panhandle (#110) councils merged into Inland Northwest. In 1956 the Olympic Area Council was formed, merging into Chief Seattle in 1974. In 1994, the Mount Baker Area (#603) and Evergreen Area (#606) councils merged to become the Mount Baker (#606).
By 2012, the Mount Baker Council was working with an "annual operating loss of about $50,000 for each of the past five years", and was looking to sell the Whatcom County camp, even though that camp, and Camp Fire Mountain
Skagit County
Skagit County is a county in the U.S. state of Washington. As of the 2020 census, the population was 129,523. The county seat and largest city is Mount Vernon. The county was formed in 1883 from Whatcom County and is named for the Upper and ...
, were still profitable. It was purchased by a private company in 2015 which has renovated the site. It is being rented out as of 2023.
Boy Scouts of America in Washington today
There are seven
Boy Scouts of America
Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
(BSA) local councils in
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
.
Blue Mountain Council
With headquarters in Kennewick, Washington, the Blue Mountain Council serves Scouts in
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
and
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
.
History
In 1923, the Blue Mountain Council (#604) was formed. In 1926, the Umatilla Council (#738) (in Oregon) was formed, merging into Blue Mountain in 1927. In 1926, the Eastern Oregon Area Council (#760) (in Oregon) was formed, merging into Blue Mountain in 1932.
Organization
The council has six 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
Camps
The Council does not operate a summer camp.
* Camp Wallowa in Joseph, Oregon
* Martin Scout Camp near Pendleton and Pilot Rock, Oregon
Order of the Arrow lodge
* Wa-La-Moot-Kin Order of the Arrow Lodge
Cascade Pacific Council
Cascade Pacific Council serves Scouts in
Oregon
Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...
and Washington.
Chief Seattle Council
The Chief Seattle Council serves the main parts of
Puget Sound
Puget Sound ( ; ) is a complex estuary, estuarine system of interconnected Marine habitat, marine waterways and basins located on the northwest coast of the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. As a part of the Salish Sea, the sound ...
and
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
areas including the
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is a large peninsula in Western Washington that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle, and contains Olympic National Park. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the ...
.
Grand Columbia Council
Was 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.
History
In 1923, the Columbia District Council (#605) was formed, and ended in 1924.
In 1922, the Wenatchee Council (#613) was formed, and changed its name to North Central Washington (#613) in 1924.
In 1919, the Yakima Council (#614) was formed, and changed its name to Yakima County (#614) in 1924. It changed its name to Yakima Valley Area (#614) in 1925. It changed its name again in 1942 to Central Washington Area (#614), and again in 1954 to Fort Simcoe Area (#614).
In 1992, the North Central Washington Council (#613) and the Fort Simcoe Area Council (#614) merged to become the Grand Columbia Council (#614).
In 2023, the Grand Columbia Council (#614) merged with Chief Seattle Council (#502).
Organization
The council is now divided into three districts Highland District, Basalt Coulee District, and Simcoe District. It has one service center in Yakima.
Camps
The council operates four camps:
* Camp Fife off of Highway 410 near Bumping Lake
* Camp Bonaparte between Tonasket and Republic on Highway 20
* Camp Scout-A-Vista outside Wenatchee
Order of the Arrow lodge
*Tataliya Lodge 614
Inland Northwest Council
With headquarters in Spokane the Inland Northwest Council serves Scouts in
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...
and
Idaho
Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...
.
The Inland Northwest Council provides the communities and volunteers with a council service center. The 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.
In 2009, the council sponsored a statue in Spokane. Titled ''Footsteps To The Future'', it honors community mentors.
History
In 1919 the Nez Perce County Council (#108) (In Idaho) was founded. It changed its name to Lewiston (#108) in 1922. In 1925, it changed its name to Lewis-Clark Area (#108). In 1928 it merged into Spokane Area (#611). In 1922 the Bonner-Boundary Council (#106) (In Idaho) was founded. It merged into the Shoshone County Council (#110) in 1926. In 1918 the Shoshone County Council (#110) (In Idaho) was founded. In 1923, it became the Shoshone-Kootenai Council (#110). In 1928, it changed its name to the Idaho Panhandle Council (#110).
In 1915 the Spokane Council (#611) was founded. It changed its name in 1925 to Spokane Area (#611) in 1925. In 1921 the Palouse Council (#611) was founded, and it merged into the Spokane Area Council (#611) in 1927. In 1931, Spokane Area changed its name to the Inland Empire Council (#611).
In 1987, Inland Empire Council changed its name to the Inland Northwest Council (#611). In 1992, Lewis-Clark (#108) and Idaho Panhandle (#110) councils merged into Inland Northwest.
Organization
The council has four districts:
* Three Rivers District - Northern Spokane, Stevens and Pend Orielle counties
* Bigfoot District - South Spokane County, Lincoln County, Adams County
* Mountain Lakes District - Kootenai, Bonner, Boundary, Northern Shoshone, and Benewah counties in Idaho
* Appaloosa District - Whitman, Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Idaho, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and Clearwater counties
Camps
* Camp Easton in Harrison, Idaho
* Camp Grizzly in Harvard, Idaho
* Cowles Scout Reservation in Newport, Washington
Order of the Arrow
* The Es-Kaielgu Order of the Arrow Lodge serves the council
Island
An island or isle is a piece of land, distinct from a continent, completely surrounded by water. There are continental islands, which were formed by being split from a continent by plate tectonics, and oceanic islands, which have never been ...
and
San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John (disambiguation), Saint John, most commonly refers to:
* San Juan, Puerto Rico
* San Juan, Argentina
* San Juan, Metro Manila, a highly urbanized city in the Philippines
San Juan may also refer to:
Places Arge ...
counties of Washington.
History
In 1918, the Bellingham Council (#603) was formed. It changed its name to Whatcom County (#603) in 1926. In 1923, the Skagit County Council (#610) was formed. In 1929, Whatcom County and Skagit County councils merged to become the Mount Baker Area Council (#603). In 1918, the Everett Council (#606) was formed. It changed its name to Evergreen Area (#606) in 1941. In 1994, the Mount Baker Area (#603) and Evergreen Area (#606) councils merged to become the Mount Baker (#606).
Organization
The council is made of the following districts:
*Pilchuck District: Serves Arlington, Camano Island, Clearview, Darrington, Gold Bar, Granite Falls, Index, Lake Stevens, Lakewood, Maltbey, Marysville, Monroe, Snohomish, and Stanwood.
*Salish Sea District: Serves Bothell, Brier, Edmonds, Everett, Lynnwood, Mill Creek, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, and Silver Firs.
*North Cascade District: Serves Skagit County, Whatcom County, the islands of Whidbey, Fidalgo, and the San Juans.
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.
Order of the Arrow
The council's
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of Scouting America, composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Promise, Scout Oath and Scout Law, Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. It was founded as a camp fr ...
lodge is Sikhs Mox Lamonti #338. 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.
Pacific Harbors Council
The Pacific Harbors Council of serves the scouts in the Pierce,
King
King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...
Pacific
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is bounded by the cont ...
and
Grays Harbor
Grays Harbor is an estuarine bay located north of the mouth of the Columbia River, on the southwest Pacific coast of Washington state, in the United States. It is a ria, which formed at the end of the last ice age, when sea levels flooded the ...
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
Tacoma ( ) is the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. A port city, it is situated along Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, southwest of Bellevue, Washington, Bellevue, northeast of the state capital, Olympia ...
and the other is located at Camp thunderbird outside of
Tumwater, Washington
Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. The city is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the s ...
Olympia, Washington
Olympia is the capital city of the U.S. state of Washington. It had a population of 55,605 at the 2020 census, making it the state of Washington's 23rd-most populous city. Olympia is the county seat of Thurston County, and the central city ...
provides council resident Cub Camp, and serves as a council training center used for NYLT, Wood badge, and Territory training conference.
Order of the Arrow lodge
* Nisqually Lodge
Order of the Arrow
The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the honor society of Scouting America, composed of Scouts and Scouters who best exemplify the Scout Promise, Scout Oath and Scout Law, Law in their daily lives as elected by their peers. It was founded as a camp fr ...
serves the council.
Girl Scouting 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
Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...
, Washington. The new council serves over 26,000 girls.
;Camps:
*Girl Scout Camp Evergreen is near
Longview, Washington
Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, Cowlitz County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longvie ...
*Girl Scout Camp Klahanee is near
Hoquiam, Washington
Hoquiam ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, Grays Harbor County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. It borders the city of Aberdeen, Washington, Aberdeen at Myrtle Street, with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a ...
*Girl Scout Camp Lyle McLeod is near Belfair, Washington
*Girl Scout Camp River Ranch is 430 forested acres in Carnation, Washington including Lake Langlois and is by the Tolt River
*Girl Scout Camp Robbinswold is on the
Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a fjord-like body of water that lies south of Admiralty Inlet in Washington State that some consider to be the western lobe and one of the five main basins of Puget Sound.Lilliwaup, Washington
*Girl Scout Camp St. Albans is near Belfair, Washington
*Girl Scout Camp Towhee is roughly 100 acres (0.4 km2) near Peaceful Valley, Washington
Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho
Girl Scouts Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho was formed on May 1, 2007, by the merger of Girl Scouts Mid-Columbia Council and Girl Scouts Inland Empire Council. It serves
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the region of the U.S. state of Washington located east of the Cascade Range. It contains the city of Spokane (the second largest city in the state), the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the H ...
and
North Idaho
The Idaho panhandle—locally known as North Idaho, Northern Idaho, or simply the Panhandle—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, K ...
, an area also known as the
Inland Empire
The Inland Empire (commonly abbreviated as the IE) is a metropolitan area and region inland of and adjacent to coastal Southern California, centering around the cities of San Bernardino and Riverside, and bordering Los Angeles County and Or ...
.
;Service Centers:
*
Sandpoint, Idaho
Sandpoint is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho, Bonner County, Idaho, United States. Its population was 9,777 as of the 2022 United States census, census.
Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest pr ...
*
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho
Coeur d'Alene ( ; ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the most populous city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 54,628 at th ...
*
Lewiston, Idaho
Lewiston is a city and the county seat of Nez Perce County, Idaho, United States, in the state's North Central Idaho, north central region. It is the third-largest city in the Idaho Panhandle, northern Idaho region, behind Post Falls, Idaho, Pos ...
*
Tri-Cities, Washington
The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities (Kennewick, Washington, Kennewick, Pasco, Washington, Pasco, and Richland, Washington, Richland) at the confluence of the Yakima River, Yakima, Snake River, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the U.S. s ...
*
Yakima, Washington
Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, United States, and the state's 11th most populous city. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The ...
;Camps:
*Camp 4 Echos is on
Lake Coeur d'Alene
Coeur d'Alene Lake ( ), is a natural dam-controlled lake in North Idaho, located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. At its northern end is the city of Coeur d'Alene. It spans in length and ranges from 1 to wide with over ...
in Idaho.
Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington
This council was established on October 1, 2008, and serves girls in Clark and Skamania counties.
Washington
Washington most commonly refers to:
* George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States
* Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A ...