Scouting in North Carolina 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.
<h2>Early history (1910-1950)
The Boy Scout program began in England under the leadership of Robert Baden-Powell. Baden-Powell gained fame in Britain through his leadership of British troops during the siege of Mafeking during the Boer War in South Africa in 1899-1900. Following this event a military training manual he wrote called “Aids to Scouting†gained popularity amongst boys in Britain. In the early 1900s Baden-Powell began developing the concepts of scouting and he put his theories to the test during the summer of 1907. He took a group of 22 boys to Brownsea Island where he conducted the first Boy Scout camp. He divided the boys into four groups and established the “patrol methodâ€. In 1908 Baden-Powell published “Scouting for Boysâ€, the first Boy Scout handbook.
Scouting came to the United States a short time later. There were already boy organizations in the US under the leadership of Daniel Carter Beard (Sons of Daniel Boone), Ernest Thompson Seton (Woodcraft Indians) and the YMCA. Chicago publisher William D. Boyce learned about Scouting during a visit to London in 1909. A young boy assisted Mr. Boyce to his destination and declined a tip offered to him saying that he was a Scout. Boyce was impressed by the young man and visited the London headquarters of the Boy Scouts. He studied the British model and felt that boys in the US could benefit from this program. On February 8, 1910 the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) was incorporated. A National Office was established in New York City and James E. West was hired to lead the new organization.
Boy Scout troops were formed in North Carolina as early as 1910. Troops were formed at schools and churches in Greensboro, Raleigh, Burlington, Durham, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and other communities. Adult volunteers in each area worked with boys in teaching outdoor skills, first aid, athletics, swimming, citizenship and leadership. These troops registered with the BSA and as communities established multiple Boy Scout troops the volunteers began seeking professional leadership. Boy Scout Councils were chartered through the BSA as “Scout Executives†were hired.
Initially, Scouting groups in the major cities formed councils. There was the Greensboro Area Council (1918), Winston-Salem Council (1919), Raleigh Council, and Durham Council. Over the next few years as Scouting spread throughout the counties the small councils consolidated and changed their names. By 1950 North Carolina was served by thirteen Boy Scout councils:
Camping was an emphasis for the councils from their formation. Each council purchased or leased land for establishing Boy Scout camps. During the summer each camp was open for several weeks with a trained staff of older boys and adults to teach the Scouts various Scouting skills. In the mid-1930s most councils began holding annual "camporees." These events were held over a weekend with Scouts camping by troop with their patrols competing and demonstrating various Scouting skills.
Recent history (1950-1990)
Boy Scouting in North Carolina today
There are eleven Boy Scouts of America councils in North Carolina.
Cape Fear Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through Klahican Lodge 331
- Coastal District
- Lakes District
- Lumber River District
- Northeast Cape Fear District
Counties served: Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Hoke, New Hanover, Pender, Robeson, and Scotland.
Central North Carolina Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through Itibapishe iti Hollo Lodge 188
- Anson District
- Concord District
- Kannapolis District
- Montgomery District
- Richmond District
- Rowan District
- Stanly District
- Union District
Counties served: Anson, Cabarrus, Montgomery, Richmond, Rowan, Stanly, and Union.
Daniel Boone Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through Tsali Lodge 134
- Nantahala District
- Cataloochee District
- SoQua District
- Terrora District
- Toe River District
Counties served: Avery, Buncombe, Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Macon, Madison, Mitchell, Swain, Transylvania, and Yancey.
East Carolina Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through Croatan Lodge 117
- Blackbeard District
- Caswell District
- Croatan Trails District
- Neuse Basin District
- Pitt District
- Tar River District
- Tri-County District
- White Oak River District
- Wilson District
Counties served: Beaufort, Bertie, Carteret, Craven, Craven, Edgecombe, Greene, Halifax, Hertford, Hyde, Jones, Lenoir, Martin, Nash, Northampton, Onslow, Pamlico, Pitt, Tyrrell, Washington, and Wilson.
Mecklenburg County Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through Catawba Lodge 459
- Apache District
- Etowah District
- Hornets Nest District
- Special Initiatives Districts - Pueblo, Waholi, and Wunita
Counties served: Mecklenburg.
Occoneechee Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through Occoneechee Lodge 104.
- Cape Fear District
- Crosswinds District (includes portions of former Dan Beard District)
- Great Northern District
- Hemlock District (includes portions of former Dan Beard District)
- Impeesa District (includes former Falls and Baden Powell Districts)
- Kia Kima District
- Mawat District
- Moore District
- Neuse River District
- Orange District
- Three Rivers District
- Tuocs District
Counties served: Chatham, Cumberland, Durham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Lee, Moore, Orange, Vance, Wake, and Warren.
Old Hickory Council
Served by the Order of the Arrow through [1] Wahissa Lodge 118.
- Blue Ridge District
- Dogwood District
- Hanging Rock District
- Laurel District
- Wachovia District
- Wilkes District
Counties served: Alleghany, Ashe, Forsyth, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yadkin. Alleghany District was merged into Laurel District in late 2010. Piedmont and Salem Districts were combined into the new Wachovia District serving Forsyth County in 2015.
Old North State Council
The Old North State Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America that serves the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. The council's name is taken from the state's official song, The Old North State. Old North State Council's Order of the Arrow counterpart is Tsoiotsi Tsogalii Lodge (#70).
- Akela District
- Alamance District
- Cherokee District
- Guilford District
- Uwharrie District
Counties served: Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Davie, Guilford, Person, Randolph, and Rockingham.
Piedmont Council
The Piedmont Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America in the Piedmont Foothills region of North Carolina. The council serves Scouting in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, McDowell, Polk, and Rutherford counties. The mission of the Piedmont Council is to serve youth by instilling Scouting values that will prepare them to make ethical choices in achieving their full potential in life.
Camps
Camp Bud Schiele is a Boy Scout camp owned by the Piedmont Council. Summer camp programs were first officially held on the reservation in 1981 and was called Camp Natomi. In 1982 Camp Bud Schiele opened.
The reservation is settled in rural Rutherford County, North Carolina, and easily accessible from both Highway 64 and 221. Prior to Camp Bud Schiele the Piedmont Council #420 held its summer camps at the Schiele Scout Reservation in Tryon, North Carolina.
Organization
- Battleground
- Chimney Rock
- Foothills
- Gemstone
- Heartland
- Lakeland
- Table Rock / Swamp Fox
- Two Rivers
Order of the Arrow
Served by Eswau Huppeday Lodge, 560
Tidewater Council
Tidewater Council is the local council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) that serves southeastern Virginia and north-eastern North Carolina. This region is often referred to as South Hampton Roads or the Tidewater or Tidewater Virginia area; hence the name of the council. Its Order of the Arrow counterpart is the Blue Heron Lodge, which was founded in 1946 when a team from Octoraro Lodge in Pennsylvania inducted the first members of Blue Heron Lodge.
Counties served: Camden, Chowan, Dare, Gates, Perquimans, and Pasquotank.
Tuscarora Council
316 E. Walnut Street Goldsboro, North Carolina (919) 734-1714
Visit the Tuscarora Council online http://www.bsanc.org
Serving the youth of Duplin, Johnston, Sampson, and Wayne Counties.
Districts:
- Coharie District - Sampson & Duplin Counties
- Neusiok District - Johnston County
- Torhunta District - Wayne County
Served by the Order of the Arrow through [2] Nayawin Rar Lodge 296
Boy Scout Camps in North Carolina
The following Boy Scout camps are in North Carolina:
Girl Scouting in North Carolina
Girl Scouts of the USA was formed in 1912 by Juliette Gordon Low after she met Lord Baden-Powell and was inspired by the Boy Scouts and Girl Guides in England. It is believed that the first Girl Scout troop in North Carolina was started in 1914, though it is not clear where it was located. Another early North Carolinian troop was started in 1918 in Southern Pines, and its main purpose seemed to be aiding the war effort during World War I. Girl Scouts spread quickly throughout North Carolina during the 1930s, and the first councils were organized around urban centers. Eventually, these small councils merged into eight. Because of a nationwide consolidation of Girl Scout councils in the late 2000s, there are now four Girl Scout councils in North Carolina.
Girl Scout Council of Colonial Coast
This council serves over 15,000 girls in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina, and has 6,500 volunteers. In North Carolina, it serves the counties of Hertford, Gates, Camden, Currituck, Pasquotank, Chowan, Bertie, Washington, Tyrrell, Manteo, Perquimans, Hyde, and Dare. This council's only camps are located in Virginia.
Headquarters: Chesapeake, Virginia
Website: http://www.gsccc.org/
Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines
Girl Scouts - North Carolina Coastal Pines was formed by the merger of Girl Scout Council of Coastal Carolina and Pines of Carolina Girl Scout Council on October 1, 2007. It serves over 32,000 girls and has nearly 10,000 adult volunteers in the counties of Beaufort, Bladen, Brunswick, Carteret, Chatham, Columbus, Craven, Cumberland, Duplin, Durham, Edgecombe, Franklin, Granville, Greene, Halifax, Harnett, Hoke, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Moore, Nash, New Hanover, Northampton, Onslow, Orange, Pamlico, Pender, Person, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Sampson, Scotland, Vance, Wake, Warren, Wayne, and Wilson. It operates service centers in Raleigh, NC, Fayetteville, NC, Goldsboro, NC, and Wilmington, NC.
Headquarters: Raleigh, North Carolina
Website: http://www.nccoastalpines.org/
Camps:
- Camp Graham is 155 acres (0.63Â km2) on Kerr Lake
- Camp Hardee is 95 acres (380,000Â m2) on the Pamlico River near Washington, NC
- Camp Mary Atkinson is 262 acres (1.06Â km2) in Johnston County, NC
- Camp Mu-Sha-Ni is 843 acres (3.41Â km2) in Richmond County, NC
Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont
Girl Scouts Carolinas Peaks to Piedmont officially began on October 1, 2009. It was created from the merger of four councils in western North Carolina: Girl Scout Council of the Catawba Valley Area, Girl Scouts, Tarheel Triad Council, Girl Scouts of the Pioneer Council, and Girl Scouts of Western North Carolina, Pisgah Council. The council operates service centers in Asheville, NC, Colfax, NC, Gastonia, NC and Hickory, NC. It serves the counties of Alamance, Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Caswell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie, Forsyth, Gaston, Graham, Guilford, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Randolph, Rockingham, Rutherford, Stokes, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin, and Yancey.
Website: https://www.girlscoutsp2p.org
Camps:
- Keyauwee Program Center is 350 acres (1.4Â km2) and is located in Randolph County in Sophia, North Carolina. It was established in 1945.
- Camp Pisgah is 160 acres (0.65Â km2) and is located in Transylvania County in Brevard, NC. It was established in 1953.
- Camp Ginger Cascades is 600 acres (2.4Â km2) and is located in Caldwell County near Lenoir, NC. It was established in 1963.
Girl Scouts, Hornets' Nest Council
The Girl Scouts, Hornets' Nest Council is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was chartered in 1935. It serves 19,000 girls in the counties of Anson, Cabarrus, Mecklenburg, Montgomery, Rowan, Stanly, Union and York, South Carolina.
Website: http://www.hngirlscouts.org
Camps:
- Camp Holly Hut is located in Dan Nicholas Park near Salisbury, North Carolina
- Dale Earnhardt Environmental Leadership Campus at Oak Springs is 700 acres and is located 45 minutes north of Charlotte, North Carolina. It was named after the Dale Earnhardt Foundation because of its contributions to the property.
- POD Village is located just behind the GSHNC Service Center in Charlotte, North Carolina and consists of 5 "pods", or octagonal buildings.
See also
- Mounted Boy Scout Troop 290
References
External links
- Cape Fear Council
- Central North Carolina Council
- East Carolina Council
- Daniel Boone Council
- Mecklenburg Council
- Occoneechee Council
- Old Hickory Council
- Old North State Council
- Piedmont Council
- Tidewater Council
- Tuscarora Council
- East Carolina Council