Scouting in Alabama - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Scouting in Alabama 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)

Until 1948, some southern councils of the Boy Scouts of America

Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...

were racially segregated

Racial segregation

Racial segregation is the separation of humans into racial groups in daily life. It may apply to activities such as eating in a restaurant, drinking from a water fountain, using a public toilet, attending school, going to the movies, or in the rental or purchase of a home...

. 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. The National Office began a program of integrating local councils in 1940, which was largely complete in 1948.

Scouting in Alabama 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 new Greater Alabama Council is an example of such a supercouncil.
There are eight BSA local councils serving Scouts in Alabama today.

Alabama-Florida Council

Alabama-Florida Council #3 serves Scouts in Alabama and Florida

Florida

Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...

, as the name implies, with the council office located in Dothan, Alabama

Dothan, Alabama

Dothan is a city located in the southeastern corner of the US state of Alabama, situated approximately west of the Georgia state line and north of Florida. It is the seat of Houston County, with portions extending into nearby Dale County and Henry County...

Big River District
Chipola District
Creek District
Menawa
Menawa
Menawa , was a Muscogee chief and military leader, known as Great Warrior. Like many of the Creek leaders of his era, his mother was Creek and his father was mostly Scots ancestry, a fur trader...

District

OA lodge

Order of the Arrow

The Order of the Arrow is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America . It uses American Indian-styled traditions and ceremonies to bestow recognition on scouts selected by their peers as best exemplifying the ideals of Scouting. The society was created by E. Urner Goodman, with the...

: Cowikee Lodge #224

Black Warrior Council

The Black Warrior Council office is located in Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...

, and the council's name refers to Chief Tuskaloosa whose name means Black Warrior

Black Warrior

Black Warrior is the name of a Confederate two-masted schooner that participated in the defense of Roanoke Island in North Carolina during the Civil War. Its brief wartime career ended with its burning at Elizabeth City, North Carolina.- History :...

.Black Warrior Council #6

Council districts are:

Chickasaw District - Tuscaloosa County (North of the River), Fayette, Pickens and Lamar Counties
Choctaw District - Tuscaloosa County (South of the River), Bibb County and the City of Moundville
Mountain District - Walker, Winston and Marion Counties
Prairie District - Marengo, Sumter, Hale and Greene Counties

OA lodge

Order of the Arrow

: Aracoma Lodge #481

Chattahoochee Council

Chattahoochee Council serves Scouts in Georgia and Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

, with the Council office located in Columbus, Georgia

Columbus, Georgia

Columbus is a city in and the county seat of Muscogee County, Georgia, United States, with which it is consolidated. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 189,885. It is the principal city of the Columbus, Georgia metropolitan area, which, in 2009, had an estimated population of 292,795...

. The council's name refers to the Chattahoochee River

Chattahoochee River

The Chattahoochee River flows through or along the borders of the U.S. states of Georgia, Alabama, and Florida. It is a tributary of the Apalachicola River, a relatively short river formed by the confluence of the Chattahoochee and Flint Rivers and emptying into Apalachicola Bay in the Gulf of...

, which flows through Georgia, Alabama, and Florida.

OA lodge

Order of the Arrow

: Chattahoochee Lodge #204

Choctaw Area Council

Choctaw Area Council serves Scouts in Mississippi

Mississippi

Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...

and Alabama, with the council office located in Meridian, Mississippi

Meridian, Mississippi

Meridian is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Mississippi. It is the sixth largest city in the state and the principal city of the Meridian, Mississippi Micropolitan Statistical Area...

. The council's name refers to the Choctaw

Choctaw

The Choctaw are a Native American people originally from the Southeastern United States...

nation.

OA lodge

Order of the Arrow

: Ashwanchi Kinta Lodge #193

Greater Alabama Council

The Greater Alabama Council is located in northern and central Alabama. 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 new council is an example of such a supercouncil. The council office is located in Birmingham, Alabama.

Districts

The Greater Alabama Council is divided into 12 districts:

Arrowhead District
Birmingham District
Cheaha District
Cherokee District
Choccolocco District
Mountain Lake District
Mulberry District
Three Rivers District
Lookout Mountain District
Shelby District
Talakto District
Vulcan District
Westmoreland District: Encompasses Franklin County
Franklin County, Alabama
Franklin County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of Benjamin Franklin, famous statesman, scientist, and printer. As of 2010, the population was 31,704...

, Colbert County
Colbert County, Alabama
Colbert County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. Its name is in honor of brothers George and Levi Colbert, Chickasaw Indian chiefs. George Colbert operated a ferry across the Tennessee River in 1790 near present day Cherokee....

, and Lauderdale County
Lauderdale County, Alabama
-2010:Whereas according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau:*86.4% White*10.0% Black*0.4% Native American*0.7% Asian*0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander*1.4% Two or more races*2.2% Hispanic or Latino -2000:...

. The district is based in Florence, Alabama in Lauderdale County. Westmoreland District is named after Camp Westmoreland, a historic Boy Scout summer camp located in Lauderdale County. This is one of the oldest operating camps in the Southeastern United States; it first opened in the 1920s. Camp Westmoreland ceased operations as a summer camp in the 1980s, but it is still widely used to this day for both council and district activities. Camp Westmoreland's old Order of the Arrow lodge was once home to Kaskanampo Lodge 310, which merged with Coosa Lodge 50 in the year 1999. Westmoreland District was once a part of the Tennessee Valley Council of the Boy Scouts of America before this council was merged with two other councils to form the Greater Alabama Council.

Order of the Arrow

Coosa Lodge #50 is the Order of the Arrow

Order of the Arrow

lodge associated with the Greater Alabama Council. , the lodge has 12 chapters:

Achunanchi Chapter, Choccolocco District
Cahaba Chapter, Birmingham District
Cheaha Chapter, Cheaha District
Cherokee Chapter, Cherokee District
Kaskanampo Chapter, Talakto District
Koasati Chapter, Mountain Lake District
Lookout Mountain Chapter, Lookout Mountain District
Muscogee Chapter, Shelby District
Nacha Sipo Chapter, Three Rivers District
Nischamawat Chapter, Arrowhead District
Nunne Hi Chapter, Vulcan District
Yuchi Chapter, Westmoreland District

Gulf Coast Council

Gulf Coast Council serves Scouts in Florida and Alabama, with the council office located in Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola, Florida

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...

. The council's name refers to the Gulf Coast of the United States

Gulf Coast of the United States

The Gulf Coast of the United States, sometimes referred to as the Gulf South, South Coast, or 3rd Coast, comprises the coasts of American states that are on the Gulf of Mexico, which includes Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and are known as the Gulf States...

.

OA lodge

Order of the Arrow

: Yustaga Lodge #385 (whose patches are shown here)

Mobile Area Council

The Mobile Area Council office is located in Mobile, Alabama. Camp Pushmataha, the council's weekend primitive facility, was at one time the Council Camp. It is located in Citronelle

Citronelle, Alabama

Citronelle is a city in Mobile County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 3,659. It is included in the Mobile metropolitan statistical area.-History:This was long part of the territory of thousands of years of indigenous peoples...

. The council owns and operates one long term summer camp at the Maubila Scout Reservation. Camp Maubila has 680 acres (2.8 km²) including a swimming pool and private lake. The Mobile Area Council operates both summer camp and winter camp.

Baldwin District
Choctaw District
Maubila District
Spanish Trail District

OA lodge: Woa Cholena Lodge #322

Tukabatchee Area Council

Council office located in Montgomery, AL. The Tukabatchee Area Council's Order of the Arrow Lodge, Alibamu #179, is home to the 2007 National Vice Chief of the Order of the Arrow, Larry Newton.

Bushawlo District
Carver District
Crane District
Creek Nation District
Ecunchatee District
Frontier District
Horseshoe Bend District
Menewa District

OA lodge

Order of the Arrow

: Alibamu Lodge #179

Girl Scouting in Alabama

There are two Girl Scout councils with headquarters in Alabama. In addition Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia

Scouting in Georgia

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...

serves Russell County, Alabama.

Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama

The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Council serves over 15,000 girls. It owns and operates six camps. Camp Gertrude Coleman, established in 1925, is a 140 acre (0.5665604 km²) site located east of Trussville on the Cahaba River in Jefferson County

Jefferson County, Alabama

Jefferson County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Alabama, with its county seat being located in Birmingham.As of the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Jefferson County was 658,466...

. Kanawahala Program Center (KPC) is a 600 acres (2.4 km²) site with a 45 acre (0.1821087 km²) lake, called Lake Alice. KPC is located in Shelby County

Shelby County, Alabama

Shelby County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama and a part of the Birmingham–Hoover–Cullman Combined Statistical Area. It is named in honor of Isaac Shelby, Governor of Kentucky. The county seat of Shelby County is Columbiana. As of 2010 U.S. Census the population was 195,085. Shelby...

. Camp Trico is a beautiful 109 acre (0.44110774 km²) wooded lot on the shore of Lake Guntersville

Guntersville Lake

Guntersville Lake is located in north Alabama between Bridgeport and Guntersville. Created by Guntersville Dam along the Tennessee River, it stretches 75 miles from Guntersville Dam to Nickajack Dam...

. Camp Anderel, near Rogersville

Rogersville, Alabama

Rogersville is a town in Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States. It is part of the Florence - Muscle Shoals Metropolitan Statistical Area known as "The Shoals". As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,199.-History:...

is a wooded 187 acre (0.75676282 km²) site nestled between Anderson Creek and the Elk River. Camp Tombigbee in Greene County was purchased in 2001, and has a beautiful 97 acre (0.39254542 km²) site. Camp Cottaquilla is located in Calhoun County.

The Fehr Fowler Service Center serves as headquarters and include the Council's shop. It is located in the Inverness area of Birmingham. The Council also operates service centers in Anniston

Anniston, Alabama

Anniston is a city in Calhoun County in the state of Alabama, United States.As of the 2000 census, the population of the city is 24,276. According to the 2005 U.S. Census estimates, the city had a population of 23,741...

, Huntsville

Huntsville, Alabama

Huntsville is a city located primarily in Madison County in the central part of the far northern region of the U.S. state of Alabama. Huntsville is the county seat of Madison County. The city extends west into neighboring Limestone County. Huntsville's population was 180,105 as of the 2010 Census....

, Gadsden

Gadsden, Alabama

The city of Gadsden is the county seat of Etowah County in the U.S. state of Alabama, and it is located about 65 miles northeast of Birmingham, Alabama. It is the primary city of the Gadsden Metropolitan Statistical Area, which has a population of 103,459. Gadsden is closely associated with the...

, Florence

Florence, Alabama

Florence is the county seat of Lauderdale County, Alabama, United States, in the northwestern corner of the state.According to the 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 36,721....

and Tuscaloosa.

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama

Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama covers 30 counties and serves over 9,000 girl members.

GSSA runs four campsites: Camp Scoutshire Woods, Camp Humming Hills, Camp Sid Edmonds and Kamp Kiwanis. There are two resident camps in the summer at Kamp Kiwanis and Camp Scoutshire Woods. Camp Scoutshire Woods is located on 56 acre (0.22662416 km²) of rolling wooded hills about 30 miles (48.3 km) northwest of Mobile

Mobile, Alabama

Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...

. Kamp Kiwanis is located on 110 acre (0.4451546 km²) 45 minutes north of Montgomery

Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...

, on Lake Martin

Lake Martin

Lake Martin is located in Tallapoosa, Elmore, and Coosa counties in Alabama. It is a 44,000-acre lake with over 750 miles of wooded shoreline. An artificial reservoir, Lake Martin was formed by the construction of Martin Dam on the Tallapoosa River. The Martin Dam powerhouse is used to generate...

. Both camps have boating and swimming areas.

There are two Service Centers. One is located in Mobile, the other in Montgomery and each has a shop.

Councils

Order of the Arrow Lodges

Girl Scouts

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