Scouting in Kansas


Scouting in Kansas 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.

Early history (1910−1950)

The Brewer Scout Cabin in Solomon is on the List of [Registered Historic Places in Kansas|National Register of Historic Places].
Mrs. Fern E. Sears was the organizer of the first Kansas City, Kansas council of Girl Scouts and author of a book on Christian symbols, "Let Me Speak". She trained Girl Scout leaders and established troops in Kansas City, Kansas in 1948 when the area qualified for a council, called the Santa Fe Trail council. Mrs. Sears was named first president, and was an honorary life president at the time of her death on August 24, 1959.

Recent history (1950−present)

In 1958 the List of [Order of the Arrow national events|National Order of the Arrow Conference] was held at the University of Kansas.
In the 1990s and 2000s, BTK killer, also known as Dennis Rader, was a part of the Cub Scouts. He was a leader.

Scouting America in Kansas

There are six Scouting America local councils in Kansas.

Coronado Area Council

Coronado Area Council serves north central and northwest Kansas, across 32 counties, with headquarters in Salina.

Heart of America Council

Heart of America Council serves Scouts in Missouri and Kansas.

Jayhawk Area Council

In 1928 the Topeka Council took over 39 counties across northern Kansas and became the Jayhawk Area Council.
  • Bison District
  • Pony Express District
  • Sojadi District
  • Sunflower District

    Camps

The Jayhawk Area Council operates the 340 acre Falley Scout Reservation, which is divided into Camp Jayhawk and Camp Delaware.

Ozark Trails Council

Ozark Trails Council serves Scouts in Missouri and Kansas.

Pony Express Council

The Pony Express Council is based in Saint Joseph, Missouri, and also serves Scouts in Kansas.

Quivira Council

Quivira Council serves youth in south central Kansas, with headquarters in Wichita. Kansa Lodge #198, Order of the Arrow serves local Arrowmen. They currently operate three camps: Camp Kanza, which provides the name for their Lodge; Quivira Scout Ranch, at which they host their largest summer camp program each summer, and offer Black Jack Trail, an introduction to backpacking, twice a year; and Camp Mandan which serves units in the western side of the Council.
  • High Plains District
  • Kanza District
  • Osage Nation District
  • Pawnee District
  • South Winds District
  • White Buffalo District
  • Santa Fe Trail District
The Quivira Council website http://www.quivira.org/ has links to each district.

Girl Scouting in Kansas

There are three Girl Scout councils in Kansas.

Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland

The Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland serves more than 16,000 girls and nearly 5,000 adult volunteers in 80 counties in Kansas.
It was formed by the merger of six councils in 2008:
  • Girl Scouts of Central Kansas,
  • Girl Scout Council of The Flint Hills,
  • Girl Scouts of Sunflower Council,
  • Girl Scouts Wheatbelt Council,
  • Girl Scouts of Tumbleweed Council, and
  • Girl Scouts of The Golden Plains Council
Headquarters: Wichita, Kansas
Website: http://www.girlscoutskansasheartland.org
Camps:
Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland is mostly based in Missouri but serves girls in southeastern Kansas and northeastern Oklahoma. See Scouting in Missouri for more information.
Headquarters: Springfield, Missouri
Website: http://www.girlscoutsrscmo.org
One of its camps is located in Kansas:
Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri supports girls in 47 counties across Kansas and Missouri. Its Kansas counties include Atchison, Anderson, Brown, Clay, Doniphan, Douglas, Geary, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Marshall, Miami, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Washington and Wyandotte counties.
It was established on August 1, 2007, with a merger of three councils: Girl Scouts of Kaw Valley Council, Girl Scouts of the Midland Empire, and Girl Scouts of Mid-Continent Council.
See Scouting in Missouri for more information.
Headquarters: Overland Park, Kansas
Website: http://www.gsksmo.org
Current Properties:
Former Properties:
  • Camp Daisy Hindman, founded in 1929, is in Dover, Kansas near Topeka. In 2008, Camp Daisy ceased its resident camp programs. It was closed in 2017 and sold in 2018 due to low attendance.
  • Camp Cutteru is near Junction City, Kansas. It was purchased by Extreme Kansas Camp, a Christian youth organization.
  • Camp Timberlake was near Stilwell, Kansas, but was sold in 2009 due to terrain issues.
  • Camp ToKaVaCa near Topeka, Kansas. It was closed in 2008 and sold in 2009 as part of a long-range property de-acquisition project following the 2007 merger.