| Scouting in Washington |
Scouting in the US state of Washington officially began in the 1910s.
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.[1] In 1911, the Girl Scouts of America (not to be confused with the current Girl Scouts of the USA) and the Girl Guides planned to merge with the Camp Fire Girls to form the Girl Pioneers of America,[2] 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 and one of the oldest continually running Boy Scout camp in the United States on its original location.[3] It sits on, part of the Hood Canal, on the Olympic Peninsula, just north of 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.
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, were still profitable.[4] It was purchased by a private company in 2015 which has renovated the site. It is being rented out as of 2023.[5] [6]
There are seven Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local councils in Washington.
| Blue Mountain Council (#604) | |
| Type: | council |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 1923 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
With headquarters in Kennewick, Washington, the Blue Mountain Council serves Scouts in Washington and Oregon.
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.
The council has six districts:
The Council does not operate a summer camp.
Cascade Pacific Council serves Scouts in Oregon and Washington.
See main article: Chief Seattle Council.
| Chief Seattle Council (#609) | |
| Type: | council |
| Owner: | Boy Scouts of America |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 1954 |
| Members: | 40,000+ |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
The Chief Seattle Council serves the main parts of Puget Sound and Seattle areas including the Olympic Peninsula.
| Grand Columbia Council (#614) | |
| Type: | council |
| Owner: | Boy Scouts of America |
| Country: | United States |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
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.
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).
The council is now divided into three districts Highland District, Basalt Coulee District, and Simcoe District. It has one service center in Yakima.[10]
The council operates four camps:[11]
| Inland Northwest Council (#611) | |
| Type: | council |
| Owner: | Boy Scouts of America |
| Country: | United States |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
With headquarters in Spokane the Inland Northwest Council serves Scouts in Washington and Idaho.
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.[15]
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.
The council has four districts:[16]
| Mount Baker Council (#606) | |
| Type: | council |
| Owner: | Boy Scouts of America |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 1994 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
The Mount Baker Council of the BSA serves Scouts in the Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties of Washington.
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).
The council is made of the following districts:[21]
The council's Order of the Arrow lodge is Sikhs Mox Lamonti #338.[23] 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 (#612) | |
| Type: | council |
| Owner: | Boy Scouts of America |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 1993 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
The Pacific Harbors Council of serves the scouts in the Pierce, King, Mason, Thurston, Pacific and Grays Harbor 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 and the other is located at Camp thunderbird outside of Tumwater, Washington.
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 Pacific Harbors Council (#612).[24]
| Girl Scouting in Washington | |
| Type: | council |
There are three Girl Scout councils serving Washington.
| Girl Scouts of Western Washington | |
| Type: | council |
| Headquarters: | Seattle, Washington |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 2007 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
This council was formed by the merger of Pacific Peaks and Totem Councils on October 1, 2007. Administrative offices are located in Seattle, Washington. The new council serves over 26,000 girls.
| Girl Scouts Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho | |
| Type: | council |
| Headquarters: | Spokane, Washington |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 2007 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
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 and North Idaho, an area also known as the Inland Empire.
This council was established on October 1, 2008, and serves girls in Clark and Skamania counties.