Scouting in Georgia (U.S. state)

Scouting in Georgia 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. The state is home to many milestones for the Scouting movement. The Girl Scout Birthplace is located in Savannah, and President Jimmy Carter served as a Scoutmaster in Plains.

Boy Scouts of America

History

Until 1974, some southern councils of the Boy Scouts of America were racially segregated. (The Old Hickory council did not integrate until 1974.) Colored Troops, as they were officially known, were given little support from Districts and Councils. Some Scouting executives and leaders believed that Colored Scouts and Leaders would be less able to live up to the ideals of the Boy Scouts.

Historic Councils

Council Name Active dates Notes
Start End
Augusta Council 1920 1925 Changed name to Richmond County Council #93
Augusta Area Council 1929 1941 Changed name to Georgia-Carolina #93
Aumuckalie Council 1921 1922 Disbanded 1922. Believed based in Americus, Georgia and absorbed by Nochaway #100 (later Chehaw in 1922.
Chatham County Council 1923 1942 Changed name to Coastal Empire #99 in 1942.
Chattahoochee Council 1923 1950 Changed name to George H. Lanier #94 in 1950.
Cherokee Council 1923 1923 Changed name to Floyd County #95 in 1923.
Columbus Council 1919 1923 Changed name to Muscogee County #98 in 1923.
Columbus Area Council 1925 1930 Function merged into Direct Service 1930.
Coastal Empire Council 1921 1922 Merged with Okefenokee Area Council to become the Coastal Georgia Council in 2014[1]
Floyd County Council 1919 1923 Changed name to Cherokee #95 in 1923.
Floyd County Council 1923 1925 Disbanded in 1925. Absorbed into Atlanta 92 in 1929.
Gainesville Area Council 1928 1932 Function merged into Direct Service July 1933.
George H. Lanier Council 1950 1989 Merged into Chattahoochee #91 in 1989.
Georgia-Alabama Council 1934 1964 Merged into Chattahoochee #91 in 1964.
Griffin Area Council 1927 1930 Changed name to Flint River #95 in 1930.
Macon Council 1919 1923 Changed name to Central Georgia #96 in 1923.
Mcintosh County Council 1922 1923 Disbanded in 1923. Merged into Chatham County #99 in 1930.
Muscogee County Council 1923 1925 Changed name to Columbus Area #98 in 1925.
Nochaway Council 1921 1929 Disbanded in 1929 & the counties were run from the national office then in New York City. Rechartered as Chehaw #97 in 1939. Spelled Notchoway in some BSA records and Notchaway in some other places but Nochaway in actual records of the council.
Northeast Georgia Council 1922 1931 Changed name to Gainesville Area #428 in 1931.
Ococah Council 1922 1924 Changed name to Northeast Georgia #101 in 1924.
Okefenokee Council 1921 1922 Disbanded 1922.
Okefenokee Area Council 1921 1922 Merged with Coastal Empire Council to become Coastal Georgia Council in 2014[2]
Richmond County Council 1925 1929 Changed name to Augusta Area #93 in 1929.
Savannah Council 1920 1923 Merged into Chatham County #99 in 1923.
West Georgia Council 1946 1964 Merged into Chattahoochee #91 in 1964.
Withlacocchee Council 1926 1930 Changed name to Okefenokee Area #758 in 1930.

Boy Scouts of America in Georgia today

There are twelve active Boy Scouts of America local councils that serve Scouts in Georgia.
Active councils, districts, and lodges are shown in green.

Atlanta Area Council

Main article: Atlanta Area Council

The Atlanta Area Council encompasses 13 counties in northern Georgia. The council office is currently located in Atlanta, Georgia.

Central Georgia Council

The Central Georgia Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America, serving 24 counties in central Georgia.[3]

Chattahoochee Council

Chattahoochee Council serves Scouts in Georgia and Alabama, with the Council office located in Columbus, Georgia. Active from 1964 to present, the council's name refers to the Chattahoochee River, which flows through Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

OA lodge: Chattahoochee Lodge #204 chartered 1941 and still active. Absorbed Hiawassee Lodge #333 (West Georgia Council) in 1963. Absorbed Wehadkee Lodge #273 (George H. Lanier Council, West Point) in both 1964 and 1990.

Cherokee Area Council

CherokeeAreaBSA.com

Cherokee Area Council serves Scouts in Tennessee and Georgia, with the council office located in Chattanooga, Tennessee. The John Ross District serves Northwest Georgia Walker, Catoosa and Dade Counties. Website: www.CherokeeAreaBSA.com. Skymont Scout Reservation offers year-round and summer camping opportunities, www.Skymont.org.

Coastal Georgia Council

The Council office of the Coastal Empire Council is located in Savannah, GA.. It was formed on March 1, 2014 when the Coastal Empire Council and the Okefenokee Area Council merged to form a new Coastal Georgia Council.

OA lodge: Tomo-Chi-Chi Lodge #119 chartered 1938 and still active.

Flint River Council

Main article: Flint River Council

Flint River Council is headquartered in Griffin, Georgia.

Georgia-Carolina Council

Name active from 1941 to currently active. Council office located in Augusta, Georgia, includes districts in South Carolina and Georgia. Website:

OA lodge: Bob White Lodge #87 chartered 1936 and still active.

Northeast Georgia Council

Name active from 1935 to currently active. Council office located in Pendergrass, Georgia.

Camp Rainey Mountain

Camp Rainey Mountain is a Boy Scout camp near Clayton, Georgia. It has 24 campsites, and is owned by the Northeast Georgia Council. The camp is centered around Lake Toccoa, and has a large dining hall, trading post, and a stone amphitheater. There is also a trail leading to Big Rock, a granite cliff used for rappelling. Summer camps are offered from June to August, but the area is available for Scouts to camp all year round. The Mowogo Lodge of the Order of the Arrow is based from Rainey Mountain.

Typically, the camp runs for eight weeks out of the summer, with one week as Staff Week when staff members are trained and camp is prepared, and seven weeks for campers (occasionally, the camp will run for a ninth week for campers). Service around the camp is provided by the Mowogo Lodge.

The main activity during camp is the merit badge classes. Classes are typically one hour long, but many classes must cover more material and may take two or three hours. There are currently 43 different merit badge class (two of which cover two merit badges). Rather than focusing on traditional merit badges, Camp Rainey mountain also offers some lesser-known merit badges, including many science, technology, and culture related badges. Also, a program called TNT (The New Trail) is also offered. This program focuses on rank advancement (Tenderfoot, Second Class, First Class) rather than a specific merit badge. There is also a swimming class that focuses on the swimming merit badge, and a class to train and certify lifeguards with the BSA. High Adventure Classes available as well; some of which are hosted week-long by North East Georgia's other camp Scoutland. A newer Program called Gold Rush is Held at Camp Rainey Mountain. Gold Rush Focuses on more pioneering type lifestyle, you spend the week (Excluding Sunday and the Campfires)in Adirondack type cabins And eat meals from a huge cast iron skillet. There is an opportunity to blacksmith to learn Knife throwing tomahawk throwing and more.

The staff hosts organized campfires every Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday nights at the stone amphitheater. Every Sunday night, the staff introduces themselves and put on skits for entertainment. Wednesday night hosts the Order of the Arrow campfire, in which many troops conduct skits for camp. Afterwords scouts of the Order of the Arrow give a short speech about the order and its meaning to scouts. On Friday nights, awards are given out by the staff to the exemplary scouts of the week, and troops give out staff awards. The Senior patrol leaders (SPLs) of the troops get together and vote on the "Staffer of the Week".

Scoutland

Scoutland in Gainesville, Georgia on Lake Lanier is Camp Rainey Mountain's High Adventure Outpost. Scoutland Outpost features mainly Aquatic activities as well as Cub Scout Activities.

Mowogo Lodge

OA lodge: Mowogo Lodge #243 chartered in 1943 and still active.

Current Lodge Chapters

Northwest Georgia Council

Northwest Georgia Council serves Scouts in northwest Georgia.

South Georgia Council

Main article: South Georgia Council

Suwannee River Area Council

Main article: Scouting in Florida

The Suwannee River Area Council, active from 1924 to present, encompasses 13 counties in north Florida and south Georgia. The Council Service Center and central headquarters are in Tallahassee, Florida.

Girl Scouting in Georgia

The Girl Scout Birthplace is located in Savannah, Georgia, which was the Gordon family home that now provides tours to thousands of Scouts every year. Upon Juliette Gordon Low's death in 1927, she willed her carriage house, eventually named The Girl Scout First Headquarters, to the local Savannah Girl Scouts for continued use.

In 2008 the eight Girl Scout Councils in Georgia merged to form two councils. In addition Girl Scouts of Moccasin Bend headquartered in Tennessee covers Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade and Walker Counties in northwestern Georgia.

Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia

Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia was formed on May 1, 2008 by the merger of eight previous councils: Girl Scouts, Central Savannah River Council; Girl Scouts of Concharty Council; Girl Scouts of Middle Georgia; Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia; Girl Scouts of Southwest Georgia; and The Girl Scout Council of Savannah, Georgia. Though some counties in these old councils were moved to Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta. This council also covers part of South Carolina and Russell County in Alabama.

Headquarters: Lizella, Georgia
Website: http://www.gshg.org/

Camps:

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta

Girl Scouts of Greater Atlanta serves about 42,000 girls and 17,000 adult volunteers in 34 counties of Greater Atlanta and a portion of Polk County Tennessee. It was formed in 2008 by the merger of Girl Scout Council of Northwest Georgia and Girl Scouts of Pine Valley Council.

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia
Website: http://www.girlscoutsatl.org/

Camps:


See also

Troop 527 - Richmond Hills, GA

References

  1. ↑ "Two Boy Scouts councils merge". WTOC News. March 4, 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  2. ↑ "Two Boy Scouts councils merge". WTOC News. March 4, 2014. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
  3. ↑ "About Us". Central Georgia Council. Retrieved 29 July 2014.
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