Scouting in Washington has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

Early history (1910–1950)

Camp Black Mountain, located on the beautiful shores of Silver Lake an hour drive east of Bellingham, is the oldest existing camp in Washington State. Interviews with Hugh Eldridge Carr and General Floyd Hansen, Bellingham Eagle Scouts from the early 1920s, indicate the camp was active prior to 1919. The land was used by permission of owner H. P. Jukes (the council treasurer) prior to transferring ownership to the BSA in 1927. It was originally used by the Bellingham Council as Camp H. P. Jukes and has been in continuous use since that time with the exception of two seasons during WWII (1943 and 1944). Upon first use the camp was used for troop and district events, but became a fully organized resort in 1925. During the 1920s, the camp was supported by the Order of the Blue Knot, an honor camper's society that later became Quilshan Lodge, Order of the Arrow. Programs from the 1925 and 1926 seasons provide insight into early camp activities and vintage photographs of this cherished property. In 1910, a Spokane, Washington Boy Scout leader, the Reverend David Ferry, created a troop under the name of Girl Guides of America. The Girl Guides did not expand much beyond the local area. In 1911, the

Girl Scouts of America Besides the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and Girl Scouts USA, both of which still exist, there were other Scouting and Scout-like organizations that arose over the years in the United States. Many are now defunct, including these examples. Bee-Hiv ...

(Des Moines, Iowa and to be confused with the current Girl Scouts of the USA) and the Girl Guides planned to merge with the

Camp Fire Girls 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 gender inclusive, and its prog ...

to form the Girl Pioneers of America, but relationships fractured and the merger failed. Founded in 1919,

Camp Parsons Chief Seattle Council (originally called Seattle Area Council) is the local council governing the scouting activities of the Boy Scouts of America in a large part of the Puget Sound and Seattle area, including almost all of the Olympic Peninsula. ...

is the oldest continuous running Boy Scout camp west of the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it fl ...

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 forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins,Brinnon, Washington Brinnon is a census-designated place (CDP) in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 797 at the 2010 census. The community is named for Ewell P. Brinnon, who in 1860 took a donation land claim at the mouth of the Duckab ...

, and just south of Quilcene, Washington. The original land for the camp was donated by Reginald Parsons in 1918. Thousands of Scouts come to Camp Parsons every summer.

Recent history (1950–present)

In 1993, Tumwater Area(#737), Twin Harbors Area (#607), and Mount Rainier (#612) merged to form the

Pacific Harbors Council Scouting in Washington has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Early history (1910–1950) Camp Black Mountain, located on the beautiful shores o ...

(#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).

Boy Scouts of America in Washington today

There are seven

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

Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...

Blue Mountain Council

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

and

Oregon Oregon () is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. The Columbia River delineates much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington, while the Snake River delineates much of its eastern boundary with Idaho. 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

and Washington.

Chief Seattle Council

The Chief Seattle Council serves the main parts of

Puget Sound Puget Sound ( ) is a sound of the Pacific Northwest, an inlet of the Pacific Ocean, and part of the Salish Sea. It is located along the northwestern coast of the U.S. state of Washington. It is a complex estuarine system of interconnected ma ...

and

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...

areas including the

Olympic Peninsula The Olympic Peninsula is a large arm of land 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 th ...

Grand Columbia Council

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

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).

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, and

Order of the Arrow lodge

*Tataliya Lodge 614

Inland Northwest Council

With headquarters in Spokane the Inland Northwest Council serves Scouts in

and

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. To the north, it shares a small portion of the Canada–United States border with the province of British Columbia. It borders the states of Montana and Wyomi ...

. 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 six districts: * Thunderbird District - North Spokane County * Chinook District - South Spokane County and Lincoln County * Mountain Lakes District - Kootenai, Bonner and Boundary counties in Idaho * Grizzly District - Spokane Valley * Stevens District - Stevens County * Appaloosa District - Latah, Whitman, Asotin, Garfield, Nez Perce, Clearwater, and Idaho 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

Mount Baker Council

The Mount Baker Council of the BSA serves Scouts in the Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom,

Island An island (or isle) is an isolated piece of habitat that is surrounded by a dramatically different habitat, such as water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, skerries, cays or keys. An island ...

and San Juan 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 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 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 Pierce may refer to: Places Canada * Pierce Range, a mountain range on Vancouver Island, British Columbia United States * Pierce, Colorado * Pierce, Idaho * Pierce, Illinois * Pierce, Kentucky * Pierce, Nebraska * Pierce, Texas * Pierce, We ...

King King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...

, Mason, Thurston,

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 definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the contine ...

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 of America. It is a ria, which formed at the end of the last ice age, when sea levels flood ...

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, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Pa ...

and the other is located at Camp thunderbird outside of

Tumwater, Washington Tumwater is a town in Thurston County, Washington, United States. The population was 25,350 at the 2020 census. It is situated near where the Deschutes River enters Budd Inlet, the southernmost point of Puget Sound; it also borders the state c ...

History

In 1918, the Hoquiam Council formed. It closed in 1919. In 1918, the Chehalis Council formed. It closed in 1921. In 1926, the Tumwater Area Council (#737) formed. In 1923, the Grays Harbor County Council (#607) formed, changing its name to Twin Harbors Area Council (#607) in 1930. In 1918, the Tacoma Council (#612) formed, changing its name to Pierce County Council (#612) in 1924. It changed its name again in 1927 to the Tacoma Area Council (#612), and once more in 1948 to Mount Rainier Council (#612). In 1993, Tumwater Area(#737), Twin Harbors Area (#607), and Mount Rainier (#612) merged to form the

(#612).

Organization

*Olympic District *Rainier District

Camps

*Camp Thunderbird in

Olympia, Washington Olympia is the capital of the U.S. state of Washington and the county seat and largest city of Thurston County. It is southwest of the state's most populous city, Seattle, and is a cultural center of the southern Puget Sound region. Europea ...

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

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

, Washington. The new council serves over 26,000 girls. ;Regional Offices: *DuPont Girl Scout Center, serving South Puget Sound, in

DuPont, Washington DuPont is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,151 at the 2020 census. Originally a company town, the city is named after the DuPont chemical company which operated an explosives manufacturing plant in the a ...

*Snohomish County Regional Office in

Marysville, Washington Marysville is a city in Snohomish County, Washington, United States, part of the Seattle metropolitan area. The city is located north of Seattle, adjacent to Everett on the north side of the Snohomish River delta. It is the second-largest ci ...

*East King County Regional Office in

Bellevue, Washington Bellevue ( ) is a city in the Eastside region of King County, Washington, United States, located across Lake Washington from Seattle. It is the third-largest city in the Seattle metropolitan area and has variously been characterized as ...

*Peninsula Regional Office in

Bremerton, Washington Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington. The population was 37,729 at the 2010 census and an estimated 41,405 in 2019, making it the largest city on the Kitsap Peninsula. Bremerton is home to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and the Bremer ...

*Greater Seattle Regional Office in

, Washington *Southern Counties Regional Office in

Longview, Washington Longview is a city in Cowlitz County, Washington, United States. It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 37,818 at the time of the 2 ...

*South King County Regional Office in Renton, Washington ;Camps: *Girl Scout Camp Evergreen is near

*Girl Scout Camp Klahanee is near

Hoquiam, Washington Hoquiam ( ) is a city in Grays Harbor County, Washington, United States. It borders the city of Aberdeen at Myrtle Street, with Hoquiam to the west. The two cities share a common economic history in lumbering and exporting, but Hoquiam has maintai ...

*Girl Scout Camp Lyle McLeod is near

Belfair, Washington Belfair is a census-designated place in Mason County, Washington, United States. Located at the mouth of the Union River at Hood Canal, it serves as the commercial center of North Mason County. The population of the surrounding area grows in t ...

*Girl Scout Camp River Ranch is 430 forested acres in

Carnation, Washington Carnation is a city in King County, Washington, United States. The population was 2,158 at the 2020 census. It was historically known as Tolt () and lies at the confluence of the Snoqualmie and Tolt rivers. The city is located east of Redmon ...

including Lake Langlois and is by the

Tolt River The Tolt River is located in the western foothills of the Cascade Mountains in north central King County in the U.S. state of Washington. The river begins at the confluence of the North Fork Tolt and South Fork Tolt rivers. It flows southwest joi ...

*Girl Scout Camp Robbinswold is on the

Hood Canal Hood Canal is a fjord forming the western lobe, and one of the four main basins,Lilliwaup, Washington *Girl Scout Camp St. Albans is near

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 Hanf ...

and

North Idaho The Idaho Panhandle—locally known as North Idaho—is a salient region of the U.S. state of Idaho encompassing the state's 10 northernmost counties: Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Clearwater, Idaho, Kootenai, Latah, Lewis, Nez Perce, and S ...

, an area also known as the Inland Empire. ;Service Centers: *

Sandpoint, Idaho Sandpoint (Kutenai language: kamanqukuⱡ) is the largest city in, and the county seat of, Bonner County, Idaho. Its population was 8,639 at the 2020 census. Sandpoint's major economic contributors include forest products, light manufacturing, ...

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Coeur d'Alene ( ; french: Cœur d'Alène, lit=Heart of an Awl ) is a city and the county seat of Kootenai County, Idaho, United States. It is the largest city in North Idaho and the principal city of the Coeur d'Alene Metropolitan Statistica ...

* Lewiston, Idaho *

Tri-Cities, Washington The Tri-Cities are three closely linked cities ( Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland) at the confluence of the Yakima, Snake, and Columbia Rivers in the Columbia Basin of Eastern Washington. The cities border one another, making the Tri-Cities se ...

Yakima, Washington Yakima ( or ) is a city in and the county seat of Yakima County, Washington, and the state's 11th-largest city by population. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 96,968 and a metropolitan population of 256,728. The uninc ...

;Camps: *Camp 4 Echos is on

Lake Coeur d'Alene Lake Coeur d'Alene, officially 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 rang ...

in Idaho.

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

This council was established on October 1, 2008, and serves girls in

Clark Clark is an English language surname, ultimately derived from the Latin with historical links to England, Scotland, and Ireland ''clericus'' meaning "scribe", "secretary" or a scholar within a religious order, referring to someone who was educate ...

and Skamania counties.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scouting In Washington Youth organizations based in Washington (state)

Western Region (Boy Scouts of America)

Early history (1910–1950)

Recent history (1950–present)

Boy Scouts of America in Washington today

Blue Mountain Council

History

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow lodge

Cascade Pacific Council

Chief Seattle Council

Grand Columbia Council

History

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow lodge

Inland Northwest Council

History

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow

Mount Baker Council

History

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow

Pacific Harbors Council

History

Organization

Camps

Order of the Arrow lodge

Girl Scouting in Washington

Girl Scouts of Western Washington

Girl Scouts of Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

See also

References

External links