Early history (1910-1950)
In 1918 a council was formed in Selma, only to be dissolved in 1920. That area would be served later by the Tukabatchee Area Council. Until 1948, some councils of theRecent history (1950-1990)
Circa 1960, the BSA renumbered all local Councils in alphabetical order by state and headquarters city. That numbering system remains in use today. In this sequence, Council "Number 1" (not the 'oldest BSA Council') was the Council originally was called the Choccolocco Council that was headquartered inScouts BSA 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. As of Feb 1, 2019, The "Boy Scouts" program under the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) changed its name to "Scouts BSA." This change was reflective of the organization's acceptance of girls as members of the program who wanted to experience the outdoor leadership program enjoyed by boys for over 100 years, including the coveted rank of Eagle Scout.Councils
Alabama-Florida Council
The eponymously named Alabama-Florida Council serves Scouts in Alabama andOrganization
* Menawa District * Muskoke DistrictCamps
*Camp AlafloOrder of the Arrow
*Cowikee Lodge #224Black Warrior Council
The Black Warrior Council office is located inOrganization
* 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 CountiesCamps
*Camp Horne *Camp O'Rear *White Bluff Scout ReservationOrder of the Arrow
*Aracoma Lodge #481Chattahoochee Council
Chattahoochee Council serves Scouts in Georgia andChoctaw Area Council
Choctaw Area Council serves Scouts inGreater Alabama Council
The Greater Alabama Council is located in northern and central Alabama. The new council is a supercouncil. The council office is located in Birmingham, Alabama.History
The Greater Alabama Council was formed by a merger of the Choccolocco Council, Tennessee Valley Council and the Central Alabama Council in 1998. The Choccolocco Council was formed in 1921. The Etowah County Council was formed in 1919 and changed its name to Northeastern Alabama in 1925; the council merged into Choccolocco in 1933. The Central Alabama council was formed as the Birmingham Area Council in 1915, changing its name in 1996. The Tennessee Valley Council was formed in 1924. Tennessee Valley absorbed Muscle Shoals Council in 1928 and the Andrew Jackson Council in 1930.Organization
The Greater Alabama Council is divided into 13 districts:Camps
Camp Westmoreland, a historic BSA 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. Camp Comer is located four miles South of Mentone, Alabama. According to "Mentone Alabama: A History" by Zora Shay Strayhorn:"The land was purchased in 1962 and named after Hugh Ross Corner of Sylacauga, a longtime scout worker, who was serving as president of the Choccolocco Council at that time. M. M. Beck, council vice-president, suggested the name. In 1965 a fund-raising campaign was successful in developing the lake and camping area. Stumps were removed from the lake and the dam was raised. The lake was named Lake Republic in honor of Republic Steel of Gadsden, a financial supporter of the camp. On June 8, 1965, Camp Comer was officially opened. Work continued on the reservation and a year later 3,000 scouts and leaders attended camp."Camp Sequoyah is nestled among 1,447 acres for woodlands in east central Alabama, near Cheaha State Park. It has been in operation since it was dedicated on June 29, 1972 and is a part of the Frank Spain Scout Reservation, which encompasses 1,447 acres.
Order of the Arrow
Coosa Lodge #50 is theGulf Coast Council
Gulf Coast Council serves Scouts in Florida and Alabama, with the council office located inMobile Area Council
The Mobile Area Council office is located in Mobile, Alabama. The council was formed in 1919 as the Mobile Council. It changed its name to Mobile Area in 1924. In 1926 the name was changed to Mobile and Baldwin Counties, and in 1927 changed back to Mobile Area.Organization
* Baldwin District * Five Rivers DistrictCamps
The council owns and operates one long term summer camp at the Maubila Scout Reservation. This also serves as unit camping, Cub Scout event and training facility. Camp Maubila has and a private lake.Order of the Arrow
*Woa Cholena Lodge #322Tukabatchee Area Council
Formed in 1919 as the Montgomery Council, the council would change its name to Montgomery County in 1923, and then to Tukabatchee Area in 1946.Organization
As of 2015, the Council consists of: * Crane District * Ecunchatee District * Frontier District * Muskogee District In addition, the Council's Exploring program is considered a district for organizational purposes, though it consists solely of Exploring and Venturing units and not traditional Scouting Troops or Packs.Camps
The council is home to two camps, both located on the 1000-acre Warner Scout Reservation in northeast Autauga County.Order of the Arrow
The council's Order of the Arrow LodgeGirl Scouting in Alabama today
There are two Girl Scout councils with headquarters in Alabama. In addition Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia serves Russell County, Alabama.Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama
The Girl Scouts of North-Central Alabama Council serves over 3,500 girls. It owns and operates 4 camps. Camp Gertrude Coleman, established in 1925, is a site located east of Trussville on the Cahaba River in Jefferson County. Kanawahala Program Center (KPC) is a site with a lake, called Lake Alice. KPC is located in Shelby County. Camp Trico is a beautiful wooded lot on the shore of Lake Guntersville. Camp Cottaquilla is located in Calhoun County.Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama
Girl Scouts of Southern Alabama covers 30 counties and serves over 9,000 girl members. GSSA runs three campsites: Camp Scoutshire Woods, 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 of rolling wooded hills about northwest of Mobile. Kamp Kiwanis is located on 45 minutes north of Montgomery, onReferences
External links
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Scouting In Alabama Youth organizations based in Alabama