Quapaw Area Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America and serves over 18,000 youth and 3,600 adults in thirty-nine counties divided into nine districts, and approximately 100 boys become Eagle Scouts each year. See also Scouting in Arkansas.
History[]
The Quapaw Area Council is the largest in Arkansas in both area and members and is headquartered in Little Rock.[8] In 1927, the Pulaski County Council was renamed the Quapaw Area Council and covered several counties. In 1934, the Kanawha Area Council of Jefferson County was split between the Quapaw Area Council and the De Soto Area Council, which had a council office in El Dorado (Union County).
In 2002 and 2012 respectively, the Eastern Arkansas Area Council and Ouachita Area Council merged with the Quapaw Area Council. These mergers enlarged the Quapaw Area Council from seventeen counties to thirty-nine counties.
The first permanent camping facilities for the Quapaw council was Camp Quapaw, opened in 1925. It was located on the Saline River west of Benton in Saline County. This early facility was limited so between 1930 and 1931, fifty-five additional acres were purchased, and a mess hall was constructed. The numbers of scouts attending camp increased which led to an overuse of the facilities. Additionally, the Army Corps of Engineers was considering a dam on the Saline River. This would have flooded a section of the camp.[8]
In 1975, the council acquired Camp Kiwanis, in order to accommodate more Scouts and camping activities. Camp Kiwanis was an unimproved site which included over 2,900 acres west of Damascus, Arkansas. It was renamed the Cove Creek Scout Reservation and opened in 1976. Camp Quapaw was then closed and later sold.[8]
In 1981, the portion of Cove Creek that was used as a permanent summer camping was names Camp Montgomery, after Nile Montgomery a previous scout executive, and the lake was named Lake Butler, for Richard C. Butler Sr., a supporter of the local scouting program.[8]
In 2001, the Cove Creek Scout Reservation and Camp Nile Montgomery where renamed the Gus Blass Scout Reservation and Camp Rockefeller in honor of Gus Blass II and Lieutenant Governor Winthrop P. Rockefeller both of whom were supporters of the Boy Scout program for many years.
Districts[]
Each District coordinates scout leader training. activities and other resources for community based scouting programs. This council is divided into 2 Districts:
- Cherokee District
- Diamond Lake District
- Mohawk District
- Nischa Sipo District
- Thunderbird District
- Delta District
- Foothills District, Arkansas
- Saracen District
- Three Rivers District
- White River District
Council Camps[]
Quapaw Council Camps feature many resources for organizing exciting outdoor adventure group activities and are available for rental by scout groups, families and other youth groups. Some camps feature an organized week long campership program during summer months.
- Quapaw Area Council owns and operates the Gus Blass Scout Reservation, west of Damascus, Arkansas. It also includes the Donald W. Reynolds Scout Training Center. This facilities include a 320-seat dining hall with commercial kitchen, 88 person/28 room sleeping wing including two ADA compliant rooms, 3 large classrooms, an area with a large fireplace, 2 large terraced areas and additional camping on the adjacent property.
Council Special Events[]
- Council Scout Fair
- Wood Badge
- University of Scouting
Order of the Arrow[]
Order of the Arrow is the National Honor Society of Scouting and recognized those who uphold the scouting ideals of camping, service and citizenship.
- The Order of the Arrow Quapaw Lodge #160 was formed with fifteen members in June 1939 and inducted sixty-two members during the summer of 1939. Today, the lodge has about 500 members
Eagles Nest[]
Noteworthy scouts and service projects of the council:
Council members who have received national honors include Dr. Raymond V. Biondo[10] and Dr. David Briscoe, both of whom received the Silver Buffalo Award
External Links[]
- quapawbsa.org - Official Website of Quapaw Council