57-695: Scouting in Arkansas has a long history, from 1913 to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. The Boy Scouts of America (BSA) began in Arkansas in 1913, when the Little Rock Council was chartered by the National Boy Scout Council and was directed by a volunteer commissioner. In 1920, the Little Rock Council was reclassified and W. G. Moseley became
114-795: A Scout camp was purchased and developed in Camp Orr. It has been in use since 1955 and covers nearly 600 acres of the Buffalo National River Wilderness Area. It is located south of Harrison, and is the only Boy Scout Camp situated within a National Park. In 1973 the Arkansas State Legislature permitted the Westark Area Council to purchase 2,842 acres of the Booneville Sanatorium , just south of Booneville, for
171-535: A contribution to the major pattern of American history". The Boy Scout Hut was constructed from 1938 to 1939 as a National Youth Administration (NYA) project. It is an example of the typical type of buildings constructed by the New Deal's Works Progress Administration (WPA), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) and NYA during the Great Depression . However, it is the only known building constructed by
228-695: A council office in El Dorado (Union County). In May 2001, after years of struggling, it was decided that the Eastern Arkansas Area Council was no longer able to continue service. On October 8, 2001, the board of Quapaw Area Council voted to accept the merger proposal of the former EAAC, and the EAAC ceased to function, effective January 10, 2002. This merger enlarged the Council from seventeen counties to thirty-three counties. In 2011
285-570: A council office in El Dorado (Union County). In 2002 and 2012 respectively, the Eastern Arkansas Area Council and Ouachita Area Council merged with the Quapaw Area Council. These mergers enlarged the Quapaw Area Council from seventeen counties to thirty-nine. On October 26, 2023, the Quapaw Area Council Executive Board and voting membership held a special meeting and voted in favor of merging with
342-507: A future camp development. The land development began in 1975 and completed in May 1976. Construction of the camp started in the spring of 1976. The Scout camp is now known as Rogers Scout Reservation. The council also owns Camp Spencer, a 100-acre primitive camping facility, located on the shore of Lake Norfork, east of Mountain Home. There is one High Adventure Scouting event in Arkansas. There
399-502: A large fireplace, 2 large terraced areas and additional camping on the adjacent property. In 1975, the council acquired Camp Kiwanis, in order to accommodate more Scouts and camping activities. Camp Kiwanis was an unimproved site which included over 2,900 acres west of Damascus, Arkansas. It was renamed the Cove Creek Scout Reservation and opened in 1976. Camp Quapaw was then closed and later sold. In 1981,
456-594: A previous scout executive. The lake was named Lake Butler, for Richard C. Butler Sr., a supporter of the local scouting program. In 2001, the Cove Creek Scout Reservation and Camp Nile Montgomery were renamed the Gus Blass Scout Reservation and Camp Rockefeller in honor of Gus Blass II and Lieutenant Governor Winthrop P. Rockefeller, both of whom were supporters of the Boy Scout program for many years. The Gus Blass Scout Reservation also includes
513-580: A second chance to those young adults who are willing to accept responsibility and move forward. Through structured activities, this program aims to reduce the recidivism rate among these youth. The council is supported by the Wachtschu Mawachpo Lodge 559. The Lodge began in 1963 with 103 members. The first Lodge chapters were Butterfield, Northwest, Ozark, and Magazine Mountain. It now has five chapters: Butterfield Trail, Magazine Mountain, Ozark, Razorback and Cornerstone. In 1953, land for
570-445: A section of the camp. In 1975, the council acquired Camp Kiwanis in order to accommodate more Scouts and camping activities. This was an unimproved site which included over 2,900 acres west of Damascus. It was renamed the Cove Creek Scout Reservation and opened in 1976. Camp Quapaw was then closed and later sold. In 1981, the portion of Cove Creek that was used as a permanent summer camp was named Camp Montgomery, after Nile Montgomery,
627-665: Is also home to the Order of the Arrow Ahoalan-Nachpikin Lodge 558. The De Soto Area Council serves youth in eleven counties in southeastern Arkansas. The council is divided into three districts. The council is supported by the Abooikpaagun Lodge (#399). The lodge's headquarters is located in El Dorado and was founded in 1948, the same year the Order of the Arrow became officially integrated into
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#1732791260707684-870: Is also one regional High Adventure Base within Arkansas. Camp ORR High Adventure Base located in Jasper Ar off of the Buffalo National River. Camp ORR Is the first and only camp or proprietary within a National Park. http://www.westarkbsa.org/camping There are two Girl Scout councils in Arkansas. The Girl Scouts - Diamonds of Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas serves girls in Adair, LeFlore, and Sequoyah counties in Oklahoma , girls in Bowie and Cass counties in Texas , and all of Arkansas except Crittenden county. It
741-685: Is headquartered in Fort Smith . It serves over 6,500 youth in seventeen counties located in northwestern Arkansas. Starting in July 1920, the council originally included only the city of Fort Smith and was named the Fort Smith Council. From 1922 to 1937 the council underwent a number of name changes and expansions. In 1922, the council expanded to include the city of Van Buren and was named the Fort Smith – Van Buren Council. Then in 1927,
798-471: Is headquartered in Little Rock . The council serves over 18,000 youth and 3,600 adults in thirty-nine counties divided into ten districts, and approximately 100 boys become Eagle Scouts each year. The Boy Scouts of America began in Arkansas in 1913, when the Little Rock Council was chartered by the National Boy Scout Council and was directed by a volunteer commissioner. In 1920, the Little Rock Council
855-588: The Boy Scouts of America that serves Scouts in Shelby County, Tennessee , as well as Crittenden county in eastern Arkansas and fifteen counties in northwest Mississippi . It was founded on February 22, 1916, to oversee the many Boy Scout troops already present in Memphis, Tennessee . The Chickasaw Council has two camps: Kia Kima Scout Reservation and Camp Currier. The Chickasaw Council is also home to
912-846: The Fayetteville Council (#015) was formed; it changed its name to the Eastern Arkansas Area Council (#015) in 1935. In 1924, the Crowley Ridge Council (#677) was formed; it changed its name to the Mohawk Council (#677) in 1926. In 1930, the Kanawha Area Council was formed; it disbanded in 1934. The council disbanded in 1930, with half of the council moving to the De Soto Area Council (#013) and
969-863: The Fort Smith Council (#016) was formed; it changed its name to the Fort Smith-Van Buren Council (#016) in 1924. In 1928 the council merged into the Northwest Arkansas Council (#016). In 1926, the Ozark Council (#753) was formed; it merged into Northwest Arkansas in 1928. In 1930, the council changed its name to the Fort Smith Area Council , changing again in 1936 to the Westark Area Council (#016) . In 1922,
1026-777: The Jonesboro Council (#019) was formed; it changed its name to the Saint Francis Valley Council (#019) in 1923. The council disbanded in 1930. In 1918, the Hot Springs Council (#014) was formed; it changed its name to the Ouachita Area Council (#014) in 1925. In 1919, the Jefferson County Council (#017) was formed; it changed its name to the Kanawha Area Council (#017) in 1930. In 1920,
1083-659: The Justice Department . A search of the residence uncovered a German-made shortwave radio in the attic. The purported radio operator (whose occupation was listed only as "traveler") was arrested. The Chickasaw Council became a leader in racial integration in Scouting. Bolton Smith, the first Council President, became the Vice President of the National Boy Scouts of America and helped form
1140-551: The Order of the Arrow Ahoalan-Nachpikin Lodge 558. The council is divided into 8 districts; as well as the Exploring programs. Scouting came to Memphis in 1910 with the founding of Troop 1 by the YMCA at the newly constructed Central YMCA Building at 245 Madison Avenue. Several other troops formed including Troop 25 of Temple Israel, which is still in operation. For the first five years, Memphis area groups affiliated with either
1197-588: The 1950s Currier was used for the Chickasaw Council summer camp program due to its proximity to Memphis while Kia Kima was closed. The Delta Area Council opened Camp Tallaha in 1925. The camp had two artesian wells that were 3000 feet deep. After the Delta Area Council merged into the Chickasaw Council in 1993, Tallaha continued to operate as a second summer camp program in addition to Kia Kima Scout Reservation. The camp closed in 2002 and
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#17327912607071254-536: The Arrow Conference, similar to NOAC ), Fall Fellowship, and Induction Weekends. The Chickasaw Council first began its honor society as the Order of Kamp Kia Kima or Council Scouts . Every week at summer camp the campers who best exemplified the Scout Oath and Law were led to a secret campfire circle in the woods and given an Indian name. They would then meet periodically throughout the year. In 1948
1311-596: The Boy Scout program for many years. The first permanent camping facilities for the Quapaw council was Camp Quapaw, opened in 1925. It was located on the Saline River west of Benton in Saline County . This early facility was limited so between 1930 and 1931, fifty-five additional acres were purchased, and a mess hall was constructed. The numbers of Scouts attending camp increased which led to an overuse of
1368-565: The Boy Scouts of America or the American Boy Scouts operated independently of each other. The local board was formed in 1915 which was then organized as the Chickasaw Council of the Boy Scouts of America on February 22, 1916, led by Council President Bolton Smith and Scout Executive Edward Everett. During World War I the Boy Scouts of America undertook selling war bonds to help the effort and 30 Chickasaw troops took up
1425-639: The Chickasaw Council adopted the Order of the Arrow as a part of its camping program. Chickasah Lodge of the Order of the Arrow was founded at Kia Kima and held its first Ordeal Ceremony there on August 7, 1948, by a ceremonial team from Ittawamba Lodge 235 of the West Tennessee Area Council . It adopted the Thunderbird as its lodge totem as the thunderbird was already the emblem of Kia Kima. Chickasah held its first Brotherhood Ceremony in
1482-705: The Cossatot, Double Eagle and Longhorn districts. The council is supported by the Akela Wahinapay Lodge #232. 4,135 adults The Chickasaw Council serves Scouts in Crittenden County, Arkansas , as well as in Shelby County, Tennessee , and fifteen counties in northwest Mississippi . It was founded on February 22, 1916, to oversee the many Boy Scout troops already present in Memphis, Tennessee . The Chickasaw Council has two camps: Kia Kima Scout Reservation and Camp Currier. The Chickasaw Council
1539-481: The Donald W. Reynolds Scout Training Center. This facility includes a 320-seat dining hall with commercial kitchen, 88 person/28 room sleeping wing including two ADA compliant rooms, three large classrooms, an area with a large fireplace, two large terraced areas and additional camping on the adjacent property. The WestArk Area Council was originally organized in July 1920. The council is divided into five districts and
1596-647: The Eagles" in the Zuni language . Summer camp at Kia Kima generally begins during the 2nd week of June and runs through the second week of July. A Cub and Webelos Resident Camp is generally offered during the first week in June. There is also a winter camp offered which starts after Christmas and lasts several days. The reservation is split into three camps: Camp Osage, Camp Cherokee, and Ozark Venture Base. The original 206.28-acre (0.8348 km2) property now known as " Old Kia Kima "
1653-830: The NYA and the only building designed in a Rustic style that remains standing in Arkadelphia that was designed and constructed during the New Deal era. Aubrey Williams , Executive Director of the National Youth Administration, stated in a press release on 24 September 1937: City Recreation Departments, children's agencies, YMCA's, YWCA's, Settlement Houses, institutions for the blind, public schools, orphanages, hospitals for handicapped and crippled children, Boy's clubs, Boy Scouts, community centers and churches were reported as cooperating agencies in supervising
1710-469: The National Committee on Interracial Activities in 1926. When Gordon Morris became Scout Executive in 1928 (in that position from 1928 to 1959), he brought J.A. Beauchamp to Memphis to organize the first African-American Troop, Troop 100 at Centenary Methodist Church. Beauchamp was the first African-American Scouting professional and was later hired by the Council in 1934. By 1943 the Council
1767-727: The Ouachita Area Council prior to the merger. On October 26, 2023, the Quapaw Area Council Executive Board and voting membership held a special meeting and voted in favor of merging with the Westark Area Council to create the "Natural State Council". Westark Area Council's Executive Board and Membership held a similar meeting and vote on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, and also voted in favor of the resolution. The Natural State Council will be officially formed on December 1, 2023. https://www.quapawbsa.org/merger Council members who have received national honors include Dr. Raymond V. Biondo and Dr. David Briscoe , both of whom received
Scouting in Arkansas - Misplaced Pages Continue
1824-405: The Ouachita Area Council, founded in 1938, proposed that it merge into the Quapaw Area Council. On October 26, 2011, Quapaw’s executive board approved a request and the Ouachita Area Council ceased to function, effective January 11, 2012. This merger enlarged the Council from thirty-three counties to its current size of thirty-nine counties. The Diamond Lake and Nischa Sipo districts were part of
1881-527: The Silver Buffalo Award. The council is divided into 10 districts. Currently the Quapaw Area Council owns and operates the Gus Blass Scout Reservation, west of Damascus , Arkansas. The Gus Blass Scout Reservation also includes the Donald W. Reynolds Scout Training Center. This facilities include a 320-seat dining hall with commercial kitchen, 88 person/28 room sleeping wing including two ADA compliant rooms, 3 large classrooms, an area with
1938-485: The Silver Buffalo Award. The Order of the Arrow Quapaw Lodge 160 was formed with fifteen members in June 1939 and inducted sixty-two members during the summer of 1939. Today, the lodge has about 500 members. Currently the Quapaw Area Council owns and operates the Gus Blass Scout Reservation, west of Damascus . The first permanent camping facility for the Quapaw council was Camp Quapaw, opened in 1925. It
1995-577: The Spring of 1950. It then held its first Vigil Ceremony on December 14, 1952, at Camp Currier. In 1994, the last Chickasah lodge chief was Ken Kimble. Koi Hatachie was founded in 1946 by the Delta Area Council under the original name White Panther . The first Tap Out ceremony was at summer camp in July 1946 with the first meeting of the Lodge in December 1947. During Camp Tallaha's campfire programs, there
2052-608: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Ross Foundation, but is it available for use by the Troops of the Quapaw Area Council The Order of the Arrow Quapaw Lodge 160 was formed with fifteen members in June 1939 and inducted sixty-two members during the summer of 1939. Today, the lodge has about 500 members. Chickasaw Council 4,135 adults The Chickasaw Council is a local council of
2109-629: The Westark Area Council to create the "Natural State Council". Westark Area Council's Executive Board and Membership held a similar meeting and vote on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, and also voted in favor of the resolution. The Natural State Council will be officially formed on December 1, 2023. https://www.quapawbsa.org/merger The council serves over 18,000 youth and 3,600 adults in thirty-nine counties divided into nine districts, and approximately 100 boys become Eagle Scouts each year. Council members who have received national honors include Dr. Raymond V. Biondo and Dr. David Briscoe , both of whom received
2166-739: The building. Currently Cub Scout Pack 3024 and Girl Scout Troop 454 use the building. Currently, all BSA Scouts in the State of Arkansas are served by four area councils: the Caddo Area Council, the De Soto Area Council, the Natural State Council, and the Chickasaw Council . The Caddo Area Council serves youth in ten counties in southwest Arkansas and northeast Texas. The council is divided into
2223-461: The cause. Troop 22, led by its top salesman/scout Charles Wailes, sold the most in the country and was recognized by President Woodrow Wilson . Young Wailes' support for the war effort did not end with bond sales. He also helped to identify a potential spy ring working for the German Empire . As a radio-telegraphy hobbyist, Wailes frequently monitored railroad and Mississippi River riverboat radio Morse code signals with his shortwave radio set. In
2280-399: The council incorporating all of Crawford and Sebastian Counties, and the portion of Franklin County south of the Arkansas River. In 1928, the council took over an additional 13 counties, 10 of which had previously been part of the Ozark Council. From 1922 to 1930 the council was named the Northwest Arkansas Council, and from 1922 to 1937 it was named the Fort Smith Area Council. Finally, in 1937
2337-420: The facilities. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers was considering a dam on the Saline River. This would have flooded a section of the camp. In 1976 when Camp Kiwanis was purchases, Camp Quapaw was then closed and later sold. In 2002, after the merger of the Eastern Arkansas Council, the council gained control of Camp Cedar Valley, which it promptly sold to a private owner. It is situated on 777 acres in
Scouting in Arkansas - Misplaced Pages Continue
2394-409: The first council executive in 1921. Two years later, the Little Rock Council was renamed to the Pulaski County Council . In 1916, the De Soto Area Council was formed (#013). In 1916, the Blytheville Council was formed; it disbanded in 1917. In 1916, the Westark Area Council (#016) was formed. In 1916, Kia Kima Scout Reservation was opened in Hardy by the Chickasaw Council (#558). In 1917,
2451-446: The foothills of the Ozark Mountains, 2-1/2 miles south of Viola , Arkansas. It remains an active camp and is available for use by Scouts. Then in 2012, after the merger of Ouachita Area Council, the council gained control of The Rhodes Scout Reservation, a 16,000 + acre camp on Lake DeGray, located in Bismarck, Arkansas near Arkadelphia. Again, this camp was promptly sold, this time to the Ouachita Camp Foundation, in partnership with
2508-428: The name changed to the Westark Area Council. The Westark Area Council currently serves over 6,500 youth in seventeen counties in northwestern Arkansas. The Council Scout Service Center is located at 1401 Old Greenwood Road, Fort Smith, Arkansas, 72901 and was built in 1963. In 2003, the council began a Youth Diversion Program that provides an alternative to the formal court proceedings for first-time offenders and gives
2565-414: The national camping program of the Boy Scouts of America. The Quapaw Area Council is the largest in Arkansas in both area and members, and is headquartered in Little Rock . In 1927, the Pulaski County Council was renamed the Quapaw Area Council and covered several counties. In 1934, the Kanawha Area Council of Jefferson County was split between the Quapaw Area Council and the De Soto Area Council, which had
2622-404: The other half to the Quapaw Area Council (#018). The Arkadelphia Boy Scout Hut, located in Central Park, Arkadelphia , is on the National Register of Historic Places . Since the roof and the original shutters and windows were replaced in 1953, the Hut is precluded from being listed on the National Register under Criterion C . However, it is listed under Criterion A as a "property that made
2679-489: The portion of Cove Creek that was used as a permanent summer camp was named Camp Montgomery, after Nile Montgomery, a previous Scout executive. The lake was named Lake Butler, for Richard C. Butler Sr., a supporter of the local Scouting program. In 2001, the Cove Creek Scout Reservation and Camp Nile Montgomery where renamed the Gus Blass Scout Reservation and Camp Rockefeller in honor of Gus Blass II and Lieutenant Governor Winthrop P. Rockefeller both of whom were supporters of
2736-443: The property as well as the funds for the original swimming pool, original Mess Hall, and the dam. Elizabeth Currier was from Memphis and moved to Geneva, Switzerland in her later years. Camp Currier is a 300-acre (1.2 km ) property owned and operated by the Chickasaw Council for many years. It was started as a full-year camping ground as opposed to Kia Kima which was only open during the summer. Beginning in 1940 and lasting into
2793-406: The spring of 1917, Wailes began to hear seemingly random characters being broadcast via a very clear signal. He also owned a portable station-finder and carried it around the streets of Memphis, attempting to locate the mysterious signal. After several attempts, Wailes believed he had pinpointed the signal's source at a home on Vance Avenue and notified his scoutmaster, who phoned the Memphis office of
2850-403: The students and providing facilities for increased recreational programs to all young people in the community. [sic] While the Boy Scout Hut was constructed specifically as a meeting place for two local Boy Scout troops, and its use is controlled by the Boy Scouts, the building is actually owned by the city of Arkadelphia. Starting around 1958, the Boy Scouts allowed local Girl Scout troops to use
2907-520: Was a legend of an old Choctaw Indian Chief and his constant companion, a white panther . After the Chief was killed, his white panther was said to continue to roam the land around the camp looking for his old master. The legend was so central to the camp that when the lodge was founded, the white panther was adopted as the totem and name. White Panther was used from 1946 to 1956 when the lodge changed its name to Koi Hatachie . Most Lodges had adopted Indian names and Lodge 345 wanted to conform. Koi Hatachie
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#17327912607072964-415: Was commended by the National Director of Interracial Activities for becoming the sixth Council in the nation with more than 1000 African-American Scouts. The Delta Area Council of Mississippi merged into the Chickasaw Council in January 1993. Kia Kima Scout Reservation is a nationally accredited Boy Scout summer camp in the foothills of the Ozarks in Hardy, Arkansas . The name "Kia Kima" means "Nest of
3021-415: Was donated by Bolton Smith in 1916. The site is located on a bluff overlooking the South Fork Spring River, near Hardy (in present-day Cherokee Village). Old Kia Kima is listed on the Arkansas Register of Historic Places. Camp Currier first opened in 1925 in Eudora, Mississippi. The camp was named for the late Charles C. Currier. Currier's wife, Elizabeth B. Currier donated the funds for the first payment on
3078-441: Was formed on October 1, 2008, by the merger of Arkansas Post Girl Scout Council, Girl Scouts of Conifer Council, Girl Scouts of Crowley's Ridge Council, Girl Scout Council of Mount Magazine Area, Noark Girl Scout Council, and Girl Scouts of Ouachita Council. Little Rock Council The Quapaw Area Council is a regional council of the Boy Scouts of America . It is the largest council in Arkansas in both area and members and
3135-400: Was located on the Saline River west of Benton in Saline County. This early facility was limited, so between 1930 and 1931, fifty-five additional acres were purchased, and a mess hall was constructed. The numbers of scouts attending camp increased, which led to overuse of the facilities. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers was considering a dam on the Saline River. This would have flooded
3192-403: Was reclassified and W. G. Moseley became the first council executive in 1921. Two years later, the Little Rock Council was renamed to the Pulaski County Council. In 1927, the Pulaski County Council was renamed the Quapaw Area Council and covered several counties. In 1934, the Kanawha Area Council of Jefferson County was split between the Quapaw Area Council and the De Soto Area Council, which had
3249-471: Was sold in 2004. The Order of the Arrow is represented in Chickasaw Council by Ahoalan-Nachpikin Lodge No. 558 / ɒ h oʊ ɒ l ɪ n n ɒ tʃ p ɪ k ɪ n / . This arm of Scouting's National Honor Society claims over 300 members and is one of the lodges in Section E3. Ahoalan-Nachpikin is composed of four primary officers, 6-7 Committee Chairman, and their respective advisers. Ahoalan-Nachpikin promotes and hosts such events as LOAC (Lodge Order of
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