Greater Saint Louis Area Council

The Greater Saint Louis Area Council (312) was formed in 1911 and is based in Saint Louis, Missouri. It is the compilation of several former councils that have merged with the council over the years. Currently, the council serves Scouts in the Saint Louis Metro area, southeast Missouri, and southern Illinois. The two southern Illinois districts, Egyptian and Kaskaskia, comprised the former Egyptian Council (1941-1994).

Districts

*Boone Trails District is located in Saint Charles, Lincoln, and Warren counties in Missouri.
*Cherokee District is located in Southern Scott, Eastern Stoddard, New Madrid, Mississippi, Dunklin, and Pemiscot counties in Missouri.
*Egyptian District is located in Hamilton, Franklin, Williamson, and Saline counties in Illinois.
*Grand Towers District is located in Saint Louis, Missouri.
*Gravois Trail District is located in south Saint Louis County, Missouri.
*Kaskaskia District is located in Perry, Jackson, Union, Alexander, Pulaski, and Johnson counties in Illinois.
*New Horizons District is located in west Saint Louis County, Missouri.
* [http://ns.ods.org North Star District] is located in north Saint Louis County, Missouri
*Osage District is located in Franklin and Crawford counties in Missouri.
*Ozark Trailblazers District is located in Washington, Iron, Reynolds, Madison, Saint Francois, and Sainte Genevieve counties in Missouri.
*Pathfinder District is located in mid Saint Louis County, Missouri.
*River Trails District is located in Jefferson County, Missouri.
*Shawnee District is located in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Madison, Perry, and Northern Scott counties in Missouri.
*Sioux District is located in Southern Reynolds, Wayne, Western Stoddard, Carter, Butler, and Ripley counties in Missouri.
*Thunderbird District is located in South Saint Louis, Missouri.

Camps

The Council operates Beaumont Scout Reservation, S-F Scout Ranch, Camp Lewallen, and Camp Pine Ridge.

The council once had a Boy Scout camp, called Irondale Scout Reservation in Irondale, MO. It was opened in 1920 and closed in the fall of 1965. Legend has it that Camp Irondale built the first Olympic sized swimming pool not built for the Olympics. Scouts first started camping in the area in 1913, but the Camp Irondale name was adopted in 1920, when land was donated to the Saint Louis Area Council by Clarance Howard. Sadly, a crack formed in the pool in the 1970s(?), and the pool was rendered unusable, and today an 8 to 10-foot-tall (est.) cedar tree growing in the huge crack. Camp Irondale also had a chapel called Inspiration Hall to serve the Scouts' religious needs. It has beautiful red granite walls and a dirt floor bordered with flagstone. A state grant of approximately $30,000 will be needed to fix the Olympic-sized pool. The city of Irondale can't afford to fix it by itself. The Chapel at Irondale has recently been remodeled and rededicated to the city by the Cub Scouts of Pack 697 and Boy Scouts of Troop 697. The camp is now a small subdivision, but many parts of the camp remain. The climbing tower, water towers, two lakes, many cabins, the chapel, a post office building, a small pavilion, the parade grounds and flag pole, the old pool that opened in the 1940s, and the springs that were used as swimming pools. As well as 5-15 old buildings including cabins, and the scoutmasters quarters. The old camp is currently under a very slow renovation. The Camp closed and was replaced by the S-F Scout Ranch in August 1965. [ [http://www.bigrivermo.net/local/irondale/history/boyscout/joy-boyscouts.html Irondale Boy Scout Reservation] ]

Beaumont Scout Reservation

Infobox WorldScouting
type = campsite
name = Beaumont Scout Reservation


image-size =
caption =
headquarters =
location = High Ridge, Missouri
country = United States of America
f-date = 1954
coords=coord|38.4886|-90.5448
founder =
award-for =
members =
chiefscouttitle =
chiefscout =
owner = Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of AmericaThe Beaumont Scout Reservation is convert|2400|acre|km2 of Scout property operated by the Greater Saint Louis Area Council. It is located in High Ridge, Missouri. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Greater Saint Louis Area Council Website | work = | publisher = Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America | date = | url =http://www.stlbsa.org | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-11-04 ]

History

The property for Beaumont was acquired during the early 1950s. It was dedicated in 1954. The property was the beginning of the period of transition for the Saint Louis Council that would continue to 1965 with the dedication of the S-F Scout Ranch and the sale of the Irondale Scout Reservation, Lion's Den, and Bereton Explorer Base. Beaumont was opened as a Boy Scout Camp and served in that capacity until the mid-1980s when its summer programs were redesigned to primarily serve Cub Scouts.

Camps and facilities

Within Beaumont, there are many camps and camporee areas that are for scout use, as well as a set of hiking trails that go throughout the reservation, a climbing tower, a low and high ropes course, a scoutmaster's chapel, a maintenance building and ranger's station, houses that the rangers live in, a mud cave, multiple cabins, and Sverdrup lodge, which is used for training and Wood Badge.

;Camp GrizzlyCamp Grizzly is a Cub Scout area which includes a program hall, multiple pavilions and campsites, an activity field, a council ring, and Cub World.

;Camp MayCamp May is a Webelos camp that conducts Webelos week-long and Webelos Mini-camp each summer. Some of the facilities are used for other purposes in the off-season. Camp May contains numerous campsites, a pool and shower houses, a dining facility, a council ring, a trading post, an activity field, a gazebo, a scoutcraft cabin, an archery an BB gun range, a nature lodge, and a parade field.

;Nagel Explorer Base;Nagel Explorer Base is a camp in the back of Beaumont that is primarily used for Exploring and Venturing programs, but it also host's the council's horse camp for 1 week every-other summer. It's facilities include adirondacks, a program hall, a horse stable, a program field, a horse corral, and an equipment building.

S-F Scout Ranch

Infobox WorldScouting
type = campsite
name = S-F Scout Ranch


image-size =
caption =
headquarters =
location = Knob Lick, Missouri
coords= coord|37.650|-90.344
country = United States of America
f-date = September 11, 1965
founder =
award-for =
members =
chiefscouttitle =
chiefscout =
owner = Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America

The S-F Scout Ranch or The Ranch as it is commonly known, is owned and operated by the Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America. It is located in Knob Lick, Missouri, which is about convert|12|mi|km south of Farmington, Missouri. The property sits in Saint Francois County, Missouri and Madison County, Missouri. In its center sits Nim's Lake, and running through it is the Little St. Francis River. [Cite web | url = http://www.stlbsa.org/Camping/Properties/S-F/ | title = S-F — BSA | work = Greater St. Louis Council | accessdate = 2007-08-20]

History

The property was dedicated on September 11, 1965 and opened for summer camp in 1966. The property replaced the Irondale Scout Reservation in nearby Irondale, Missouri which had become too small to serve the needs of the growing Scout Council. Three of the four camps that operate on the property today were a part of the original dedication. Camp Gamble was dedicated on June 17, 1970.

;Camp Famous EagleCamp Famous Eagle was the first camp to be built. It opened in the summer of 1966. It was named for Morton D. May who was the chairman of the committee to develop the ranch. May had been a huge force in developing the Beaumont Scout Reservation ten years earlier. Because of his efforts the main camp at Beaumont was named Camp May. Due to this fact the first camp at S-F took the name Camp Famous Eagle, Famous for Famous-Barr (part of the May Department Stores) and Eagle for Eagle Trading Stamps, an in store promotion from the time.

;Camp SakimaCamp Sakima was the second camp to be built, finishing just in time for the first week of campers in the summer of 1966. Camp Sakima is named in recognition of Leif J. Sverdrup who headed the campaign to raise the funds for the Ranch to be built. The Camp was named Sakima, the Indian word for chief which was his nickname, after concern arose about young Scout's perceived inability to pronounce his last name.

;John S. Swift BaseThe John S. Swift Base also opened in the summer of 1966. It is the only camp on the property that has a dining hall to serve meals to the campers. It was designed for a high adventure based camp to implement the year long exploring program, which would later become the Venturing Program. It is named for John S. Swift, who was the owner of Swift printing company. He believed in the value of the Scouting program so much that when approached by the committee to create the ranch for funds, he happily donated the amount needed for the base. [cite book
last = Brittain
first = William
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = The spirit of scouting '76: Challenge and triumph: 65 years of St. Louis area Scouting: The story of the St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
publisher = St. Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
date = 1976
location =
pages = 181
url =
doi =
id =
isbn = ]

;Camp Theodore R. GambleCamp Gamble was dedicated on June 17, 1970. It was built to meet the ever growing need of space for Scouts that was a result of the Post-World War II baby boom. It was named in memory of Theodore R Gamble who was serving as president of the council when he died suddenly. He was also president of the Pet Milk Company.

;Eugene D. Nims LakeThe S-F Scout Ranch is home to the largest privately owned man-made lake in the state of Missouri. The lake is an essential part of the aquatic program and was a primary goal held by the ranch founders. This may be because of the failed attempt to create a lake at the Beaumont Scout Reservation. When the land for the ranch was discovered it did not have a lake. Fortunately, Mrs. Nims stepped in and donated the $55,000 dollars needed to dam up the Wills Branch of the Little St. Francis River. She donated the money in memory of her husband Eugene D. Nims. He was the founder of Southwestern Bell Telephone and the lake bears his name. The first attempt to dam the river failed and some Sverdurp engineers came in and redesigned a second dam that created the convert|270|acre|km2|sing=on lake. The lake has six miles (10 km) of shore line and 7 coves. It is home to many aquatic program features.

;The Water Treatment PlantThe drinking water on the property comes from the lake. It is treated in a plant located at the Swift Base. The plant is considered a Class C plant by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. If operated at capacity, the plant to serve a town of 10-15,000 people. The treatment process has undergone many renovations in recent years. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Water System Details
work =
publisher = Missouri Department of Natural Resources
date =
url =http://www.dnr.mo.gov/DWW/JSP/WaterSystemDetail.jsp?tinwsys_is_number=1780&tinwsys_st_code=MO&wsnumber=MO4240120
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-02 ]

;Other AreasS-F has a number of other areas available for scout use, including a camporee area, cabins, adirondacks, treehouses, a climbing and rappelling area, a high and low ropes course, and many hiking trails.

Program Offerings

Boy Scout Week-Long Residential Camp

The three Boy Scout camps (Camp Theodore R. Gamble, Camp Famous Eagle, and Camp Sakima) are open on a rotating basis and only two of them open each summer for Boy Scout Summer Camp. The two camps that are open operate a traditional patrol method based residential camp program. The week offers Scouts the chance to earn merit badges, participate in aquatics programs (including a trip to huck's cove), spend time in the field sports area, and participate in many other activities. The core of the program is the use of the patrol method to cook meals. For each meal, Scouts must go to the commissary to pick up the ingredients for their meal. The meal is then cooked on site in an outdoor kitchen over fires built by other members of the patrol.

Venturing Week-Long Adventure Camp

The Ranch is also home to the Swift Base which runs programs for venturers, the BSA's co-ed program for individuals between the ages of 14-21. A typical week for a Swift camper might include rock climbing and rappelling, challenge course, horseback riding, water skiing and tubing, mountain biking, shotgun shooting, and many other fun activities.

Webelo's Mini Camp

Two session's of a three day — two night experience for webelos are offered at the end of the summer at Swift Base. This allows participants an introduction to the camping program in a slightly longer setting than the Dad N' Lad experience.

Dad N' Lad

A short program lasting about 22 hours that provides a brief introduction to outdoor Scout camping for young Cub Scouts. Held twice every summer at all of the camps at the Ranch.

National Youth Leadership Training (NYLT)

A week long training program held at the "closed" Boy Scout Camp. It is run three weeks out of every summer by the Council Training Department. It is based on a national syllabus. Starting in the summer of 2008 it will be held at Camp Sakima and will be offered for 4 weeks. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Greater Saint Louis Area Council Website
work =
publisher = Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
date =
url =http://www.stlbsa.org
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-02 ]

The Ranger Program

A traditional program for older scouts, the Ranger program gets Scouts deep into the backwoods of the property. Scouts are given the opportunity to see parts of the property that they would never get to see while participating in mountain man style programming. Activities include blacksmithing, black powder rifle shooting, tomahawk throwing, and many others. In the summer of 2007 the ranger program introduced a new program called River Ranger. Scouts were given the chance to go with the ranger staff on a week-long river float trip on the Eleven Point River in southern Missouri. The program was very successful and will most likely be back in the summer of 2008.

Order of the Arrow Summer Camp

A week — long program run by the Shawnee Lodge that specializes in native American activities such as dance and ceremonies. The program is typically run in non-NOAC summers. It has been held at Swift Explorer Base in the past. [cite web
last =
first =
authorlink =
coauthors =
title = Order of the Arrow Summer Camp
work =
publisher = Shawnee Lodge-Order of the Arrow
date =
url =http://shawneelodge.org/Programs/events/oasummer/index.html
format =
doi =
accessdate = 2007-11-03 ]

Other Programs

Occasionally other older scout programs will be held. Past examples include, Catholic Adventure Week, LDS Scout Camp, Shooting Sports Camp, Fishing Camp, and Horse Camp.

Ranch Administrative Structure

The Ranch is lead by the Ranch Director. The Ranch Director is a professional Scouter who also serves as the Director of Camping overseeing operations at the council's other properties. In its history, the Ranch has been served by six directors. The NYLT program is directed by the council's director of training and advancement. The rest of the Ranch staff are seasonal contract employees that manage all of the program aspects of the Ranches program, as well as many of the administrative aspects.

Camp Operation

Each of the Ranch's camps has a camp director who is also a professional who usually works in the department of field service. Each camp has a program director that is the second in command to the camp director. The program director oversees merit badge instruction, campsite program, as well as evening programs that are put on by the staff. The business manager oversees the administration of the camp. There are two commissioners that oversee campsite programs put on by the troop counselors, run leaders meetings, and facilitate problems as they come up. The Commissary manager and his assistant run the food service operation in the camp, and the trading post manager and his assistant run the camp store. In addition, the trading post staff assists with food service for the staff. The rest of the staff is divided into program areas. Each area has a director and a certain number of counselors.

;Swift OperationThe Swift Base runs similarly to the Scout Camps. However, due to its smaller camp capacity, it has a smaller staff, normally numbering around 18.

;Ranch Administrative StaffThe central administrative staff for the Ranch includes the food service staff, the rangers, and the staff that works in the Rand Building. The food service staff works in Astronauts hall, and makes the ranches extensive patrol feeding system possible. The Ranch has two rangers who live on the property year round and are responsible for the maintenance of the property, in addition to the operation of the water treatment plant. The rand staff is responsible for delivery of supplies to the various camps, as well as the operation of the horse program and huck's cove.

Camp Lewallen

Infobox WorldScouting
type = campsite
name = Camp Lewallen


image-size =
caption =
headquarters =
location = Silva, Missouri
coords=coord|37.235|-90.487
country = United States of America
f-date = 1935
founder =
award-for =
members =
chiefscouttitle =
chiefscout =
owner = Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America
website=http://www.stlbsa.orgCamp Lewallen is 580 acres of Boy Scout summer camp property owned and operated by the Greater Saint Louis Area Council. It is located in Silva, Missouri. Camp Lewallen opened in 1936, and was built on land owned by the William Lee Lewallen Family. According to the family, Mrs. Lewallen wanted an adequate road built to their farm, and the best way to do that was to allow the boy scouts to have a camp there. The property includes the Roy Jarvis Dining Hall, the towering Mount Logan, Scoutcraft, nature and voyageur areas. The Trading Post overlooks the pool for you to relax and have a snack. At the shooting sports area scouts have the chance to shoot a shotgun, .22 rifle and bow and arrow. At Lake Potashnik, Scouts can canoe, row, fish and kayak. Originally a part of the Southeastern Missouri Council, the Greater Saint Louis Area Council took over operation of the property and its programs in 1993. The staff of the camp operates the weeklong Boy Scout Residential Camp with dining hall cooking. [cite web | last = | first = | authorlink = | coauthors = | title = Greater Saint Louis Area Council Website | work = | publisher = Greater Saint Louis Area Council, Boy Scouts of America | date = | url =http://www.stlbsa.org | format = | doi = | accessdate = 2007-11-04 ]

Order of the Arrow

The council is served by two Order of the Arrow lodges: Shawnee Lodge #51, which serves the greater Saint Louis Metro area, and Anpetu-We #100, which serves southeast Missouri and southern Illinois.
* [http://www.stlbsa.org Official website]

References