Scouting in Ohio


Scouting in Ohio has a long history, from the 1908 to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

Early history (1910–1950)

Recent history (1950–1990)

In 1952 and again in 1975 the National Order of the Arrow Conference was held at Miami University.

Present Day (2016-)

In 2016, an effort was started to consolidate councils in Northeast Ohio as of January 1, 2017. Heart of Ohio and Greater Western Reserve Councils' northern districts merged with Greater Cleveland Council. Heart of Ohio's southern districts have merged with Buckeye Council. Greater Western Reserve Councils southern districts have merged with Great Trail Council.
Order of the Arrow Lodge mergers will be completed following the Section C-4A conclave in May at Camp Manatoc

Boy Scouts of America in Ohio today

In the 1990s, the Boy Scouts of America went through a restructuring in an attempt to reduce manpower, and in several states small historic Councils were merged into a larger supercouncil. The Simon Kenton Council is an example of such a supercouncil.
There are twelve Boy Scouts of America local councils in Ohio.

Allohak Council

Allohak Council was founded in 1991. It was composed of six districts and served parts of West Virginia and Ohio. The council headquarters was in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
The Allohak Council was disbanded on December 31, 2018.

Black Swamp Area Council

Black Swamp Area Council was created in 1992. It is composed of six districts and covers thirteen counties in Ohio. The council headquarters is in Findlay.

History

In 1920, the Defiance Council was formed, in 1922 the Van Wert Council was formed, and in 1919 the Lima Council was formed. In 1926 Defiance, Lima and Van wert merged to form the Shawnee Area Council. In 1923, the Hancock County Council was formed, and in 1915 the Tiffin Council was formed. In 1930, Hancock County and Tiffin merged to become the Put-Han-Sen Area Council. In 1992, Shawnee Area and Put-Han-Sen Area merged to become the Black Swamp Area Council.

Organization

Buckeye Council serves Ohio and parts of northern West Virginia.

Dan Beard Council

Dan Beard Council was created in 1956. It is composed of seven districts and serves Scouts in twelve counties in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky. The council is served by the Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge of the Order of the Arrow.

History

The Middletown Area Council was first formed as a provisional council in 1917. In 1920 it was granted full council status. It initially served the city of Middletown. In 1928, the territory of the Middletown Area Council was expanded to include all of Warren County as well as Lemon, Liberty, Madison and Union Townships from Butler County. In 1926, the land for Camp Hook was donated to the council. The camp opened in 1927 and operated until 1991. In 1932 Union Township was transferred to the jurisdiction of the Butler County Council. In 1933 the Middletown Area Council was renamed to the Mound Builders Area Council. In 1955, jurisdiction of Lemon Township was transferred to Fort Hamilton Council, forming the final boundaries of the Mound Builders Area Council. Mound Builders Area Council continued to serve Warren County and the Lemon and Madison Townships of Butler County as well as all of Warren County until July 1, 1985, when it was absorbed into Dan Beard Council #438 and became the Mound Builders District. The current Hopewell District of Dan Beard Council, formed during the 2006 redistricting process when Middletown and Lemon Township were recombined, very closely resembling the lines of the old Mound Builders Area Council territory.
Mound Builders Area Council primarily had only two districts, Fort Ancient and Pokey Griffith. A third district, Wischixin, was formed briefly but lasted for less than 5 years before being discontinued.
The Nachenum Lodge #145 of the Order of the Arrow served Mound Builders Area Council, forming in 1939. Upon the merger with Dan Beard Council in 1985, the Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge #462 merged with Nachenum, forming Ku-Ni-Eh Lodge #145.
Mound Builders Area Council, while no longer an actual council, was represented at the 1985 National Jamboree. The troop contingent from Mound Builders Council attended the jamboree, held beginning July 15, while the council itself ceased to exist on July 1. The contingent was technically now part of Dan Beard Council, though all patches and markings, etc. were already set to the old Mound Builders Area Council and were not altered to note Dan Beard Council.
Organization
In late 2021, the Dan Beard Council announced a district realignment effort, partly based on local school district boundaries. On February 9, 2022, the new district names were announced.
  • Fort Hamilton District
  • Fort Ancient District
  • Trailblazer District
  • East Fork District
And the 4 districts in Hamilton County became
  • Little Miami District
  • Whitewater Trails District
  • Queen City District
    Camps
Camp Michaels is located in Union, KY, on of land, offering primitive outdoor facilities. of additional land was dedicated on September 19, 2008.
The Dan Beard Scout Reservation, in Loveland, OH, consists of three areas on its campus. Camp Friedlander was established in 1919, and reopened in 2002 after renovations to the camp. Friedlander has 23 campsites, a 600-person dining hall, an lake, cabins, and a swimming pool. It has an excellent reputation and attracts Scouts from all over the world. Camp Craig is often used as a training facility. The Program Building at Camp Craig is often rented out for retreats, conferences or training. The swimming pool at Camp Craig is shared with Cub World. Cub Scout Adventure World opened in 2000 as a camp designed exclusively for Cub Scouting. Cub World features two large buildings that offer dorm-like accommodations that offer rooms with bunk-beds, and more primitive areas that offer tent camping. All three camps have access to each other on the Reservation, which is adjacent to the Little Miami River.
Camp Charles R. Hook, founded in 1926, was in operation until 1991. In 1997, the land was purchased by the Five Rivers Metroparks and is now called the Twin Creek Metropark. The land for Camp Hook was donated by the family of Charles R. Hook, who was the President of the American Rolling Mill Company , and son-in-law of the company's founder, George M. Verity. In early 1929 Mr. Hook donated a significant amount of stock to the Middletown Area Council with the instructions to immediately sell it and use the proceeds to put in a swimming pool at the camp. The timing on this event was advantageous considering early in the fall of 1929 was the crash of the stock market and the beginning of the Great Depression. The sale of the stock yielded enough money to put in the swimming pool and purchase more land to the north, expanding the camp's size significantly. The waterfront of the camp was later named Lake George after Charles Hook's son, George Verity Hook. After the camp's closure and sale to the Metroparks system, the majority of the structures were torn down and the swimming pool filled in. Most of the campsites have grown over as well, but many landmarks or signs of the former use of the area remain. The Metroparks system maintains three group campsites for Scout use, and a backcountry camping area was added on the north side of the property near Chamberlain Road. A large rock with embedded plaque thanking the Hooks for the donation remains, as does the amphitheatre campfire bowl, the Administration Lodge, the Maintenance Building, the chapel and a few other structures that are in ruins. The pool pump house and the shelters for the shooting ranges still remain, though it is believed this is due only because the demolition equipment could not safely reach these structures. The park previously held three geocache units that contain historical pictures of the old camp, but as of fall 2013 they have been removed. One point of interest that remains is the Gilwell Tree. A local Scouting family in the 1970s took a vacation to England with his family, during which they visited Gilwell Park, the home of the Scouting movement. A sapling of one of the English Oaks was brought back from Gilwell Park and planted at Camp Hook to signify the ties between Scouting in the US and the worldwide movement. In June, 1986, Camp Hook hosted EC 336 X, an experimental Wood Badge Course directed by William Hillcourt. In 2010 a plaque, and a split rail fence were created to honor the tree and one of the leading, and oldest, scout leaders in the council. It was an Eagle Scout Service Project.
Trails
The Riverwalk Trail spans downtown Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky. The trail can be hiked in 2 configurations: the first meets a requirement for the 2nd Class rank, while the second satisfies one of the requirements for the Hiking Merit Badge. Highlights along the trail include the boyhood home of Dan Beard. There is a patch available from the council for walking the trail. The Trail Guide for the Dan Beard Riverwalk Trail can be found on the Dan Beard Council website.
Image:Silver Moccasin Patch.png|thumb|Silver Moccasin patch for the Silver Moccasin Trail in Lebanon, Ohio
The Silver Moccasin Trail originally started in Lebanon and finished at Fort Ancient. It was long and used to offer a medal and a patch. A portion of the trail was reconstructed from Fort Ancient south to Morgan's Riverside Campground off of Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Rd, then crossing the Little Miami River to join the Little Miami Scenic Trail to complete the loop. This restored loop is long.
The Thunderbird Trail existed as a 6-mile long loop around Camp Hook. It was in use for many years during the camp's time as a part of Mound Builders Area Council and Dan Beard Council. Scouts could earn a patch upon completing the entire trail. After the sale of the camp to the Five Rivers MetroParks system in 1997, the Thunderbird trail stopped being maintained and now no longer exists except to those who remember exactly where it was, although the trail markers and Order of the Arrow fire-rings are still visible and somewhat accessible.