Scouting in Oregon


Scouting in the U.S. state of Oregon includes the Boy Scouts of America and Girl Scouts youth organizations, as well as newer organizations like the Baden-Powell Service Association and Vegan Scouts.

Scouting America

History

The Portland Council was founded in 1916. In 1929, it changed its name to the Portland Area Council, and in 1966, it changed its name again to the Columbia Pacific Council. Finally, in 1993, it merged into the Cascade Pacific Council.
The Salem Council was founded in 1918. In 1923, Salem Council changed its name to the Willamette District Council. Then in 1926, it changed its name once again to the Cascade Area Council.
In 1926, the Umatilla Council was formed, and in 1927 it merged with the Blue Mountain Council. In 1926, the Eastern Oregon Area Council was formed, merging with Blue Mountain in 1932.
In 1921, the Lagrande Council was founded. It closed in 1924.
In 1922, the Astoria Council was founded. It changed its name to the Clatsop County Council in 1923. In 1927, the Clatsop County Council merged into the Portland Area Council.
In 1922, the Corvallis Council was founded. It closed in 1924.
In 1922, Linn County Council was formed. It closed in 1924.
In 1924, the Bend Council was founded. It changed its name to the Central Oregon Council in 1925. It merged into Mid-Columbia Council in 1927.
In 1924, the Coos County Council was founded. It merged into the Douglas-Coos Council in 1926.
In 1924, The Dalles Council was founded. It changed its name to the Mid-Columbia Council in 1925. It changed its name to the Mid-Columbia-Deschutes Area Council in 1929. The council disbanded in 1934 and the area was served by Direct Service.
In 1924, the Douglas County Council was founded. It merged into the Douglas-Coos Council in 1926.
In 1924, the Klamath County Council was founded. It merged into Crater Lake Council in 1932.
In 1924, the Medford Council was founded. It changed its name to the Crater Lake Council in 1925.
In 1925, the Lane County Council was founded. It changed its name to the Wallamet Council in 1933. It changed its name again to the Oregon Trail Council in 1944.
In 1926, the Cascade Area Council was founded. It merged into the Cascade Pacific Council in 1993.
In 1926, the Douglas County Council was founded from the merger of the Coos County Council and the Douglas County Council. It merged into the Willamette Council in 1933.
In 1927, the Benlinncoln Council was founded. In 1931 it was split with one half of the council going to the Cascade Area Council and the other half going to the Lane County Council.
In 1936, the Modoc Area Council was founded. It merged into Crater Lake Council in 1993.
The Columbia Pacific Council merged with the Cascade Area Council to make the Cascade Pacific Council in 1993.
On September 20, 2024, it was announced that Crater Lake Council would be merging with the Oregon Trail Council to form the Pacific Crest Council.

Councils

Blue Mountain Council

With headquarters in Kennewick, Washington, the Blue Mountain Council serves Scouts in Washington and Oregon.
History
In 1923, the Blue Mountain Council was formed. In 1926, the Umatilla Council was formed, merging into Blue Mountain in 1927. In 1926, the Eastern Oregon Area Council was formed, merging into Blue Mountain in 1932.
Organization
The council has six districts:
  • Columbia River District serves Kennewick and Finley, Washington
  • Eastern Oregon District serves Baker, Wallowa, Union, Grant, and Wheeler counties, Oregon
  • Oregon Trail District serves Umatilla, Wheeler, Gilliam, and Morrow counties, Oregon
  • Pioneer District serves Walla Walla and Columbia Counties, Washington
  • Rattlesnake Ridge District serves Richland, West Richland, and Benton City, Washington
  • White Bluffs District serves Franklin County, Washington
    Camps
The Council does not operate a summer camp.
In 1932, the Mount Saint Helens Council merged with the Portland Area Council.
Organization
  • Spirit Lake District
  • Pacific Trail District
  • Cascadia District
  • Rivers' Edge District
  • Santiam River District
  • Timberline District
  • Mid Columbia District
  • Pacific Shores District
    Camps
The council operates a number of camps, including;
  • Aubrey Watzek Lodge, a winter recreation lodge on 12 acres of property leased from the US Forest Service
  • Camp Baldwin, 680 acre property west of Dufur in the Mount Hood National Forest
  • Butte Creek Scout Ranch, a 670-acre working horse ranch south of Scotts Mills
  • Camp Clark, a second camp on the Meriwether Reservation near Tillamook
  • Camp Cooper, 240 acres property northwest of Willamina in the coastal forest
  • Camp Ireland, 12-acre property in Hillsboro
  • Camp Meriwether, 790 acre beachfront property south of Cape Lookout near Tillamook
  • Nanitch Lodge, a winter recreation lodge on 8 acres of property leased from the US Forest Service
  • Camp Lewis, 116 acre property near Battle Ground, Washington
  • Camp Pioneer, 48 acre property east of Salem in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness, leased from the US Forest Service
  • Camp Royce-Finel, 17 acre property near Astoria
    Order of the Arrow
  • Wauna La-Mon'tay Lodge #442 Members provide thousands of hours of service every year to Cascade Pacific Council's camps.

    Mountain West Council

Mountain West Council was created with the merger of Ore-Ida Council #106 and Snake River Council #111. It serves Scouts in Idaho, Oregon, Nevada and Utah.
Organization
District
  • Owyhee District
  • Tapawingo District
  • Snake River District
    Camps
  • Camp Morrison
  • Camp Bradley
  • Culimore High Adventure Camp
  • Salmon River High Adventure Base

    Pacific Crest Council

The Pacific Crest Council was formed in 2024 via a merger of the Oregon Trail Council and the Crater Lake Council The Pacific Crest serves scouts in 13 counties in Oregon and Washington.
Organization
There are two Girl Scout councils serving girls in Oregon.

Girl Scouts of Silver Sage

Serves girls in Malheur County, Oregon with headquarters in Boise, Idaho.

Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington

Formed by the merger of Girl Scouts - Columbia River Council, Girl Scouts of Santiam Council, Girl Scouts of Western Rivers Council, and Girl Scouts of Winema Council in October 2008.

Service centers in Oregon

Program centers:
  • Albany Program Center is located in a residential section of Albany.
  • Lebanon Program Center is a converted schoolhouse located in Lebanon.
  • Newport Program Center is located in residential Newport near the beach and the Oregon Coast Aquarium.
  • Seaside Program Center is located in residential Seaside near the beach.

    Summer resident camps

  • Camp Arrowhead is located in the Gorge near Stevenson, Washington. Camp Arrowhead has 260 acres of forest, meadows, trails, and a lake. It was opened in 1948.
  • Camp Cleawox is located two miles south of Florence in the Oregon Dunes National Recreation Area. This site is situated on a freshwater lake. Girl Scouts first started camping there before 1930 and in 1938/1939 substantial work was done by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The property was also leased by other groups until 1949.
  • Camp Whispering Winds is located in the forested hills of Kings Valley. The camp includes and a central lake.
Outdoor Program Centers:
  • The Homestead Outdoor Program Center is located on the historically significant Creighton Homestead in Rhododendron at the base of Mount Hood.
  • Mountaindale Outdoor Program Center is located off Sunset Highway in North Plains. Mountaindale has of woods, a meadow, and a pond.
  • Ruth Hyde Outdoor Program Center is about seven miles west of Grants Pass.

    Baden-Powell Service Association

The Baden-Powell Service Association has six chartered groups in the Portland, Oregon area—more than any other city in the United States.