Scouting in Kansas

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Scouting in Kansas has a long history, from the 1910s[citation needed] to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.

## Early history (1910−1950)

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Brewer Scout Cabin in Solomon

The Brewer Scout Cabin in Solomon is on the 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.[1]

## Recent history (1950−present)

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In 1958 the 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.[2]

## Scouting America in Kansas

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BSA Councils serving Kansas.

There are seven Scouting America (formerly the Boy Scouts of America) local councils in Kansas.

### Coronado Area Council

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Main article: Coronado Area Council

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

### Heart of America Council

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Main article: Scouting in Missouri

Heart of America Council serves Scouts in Missouri and Kansas.

### Jayhawk Area Council

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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

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The Jayhawk Area Council operates the 340 acre Falley Scout Reservation, which is divided into Camp Jayhawk (Scouts BSA Summer Camp) and Camp Delaware (Cub Scout Programs).

### Ozark Trails Council

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Main article: Scouting in Missouri

Ozark Trails Council serves Scouts in Missouri and Kansas.

### Pony Express Council

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Main article: Scouting in Missouri

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

### Quivira Council

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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 two camps: Camp Kanza (Cub Scouts and Webelos), which provides the name for their Lodge; and Quivira Scout Ranch (Scouts BSA and Venturers), at which they host their largest summer camp program each summer, and offer Black Jack Trail, an introduction to backpacking, twice a year.

* High Plains District
* Kanza District
* Osage Nation District
* Pawnee District
* South Winds District
* White Buffalo District

The Quivira Council website http://www.quivira.org/ has links to each district.

### Santa Fe Trail Council

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Santa Fe Trail Council includes nineteen counties in southwestern Kansas, with headquarters in Garden City.[3]

#### Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch

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The Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch (SPSR) is located near Walsenburg, Colorado and borders the Spanish Peaks Wilderness. It is a local council camp of the Santa Fe Trail Council based out of Garden City. The camp gives program geared toward outdoor education such as wilderness backpacking, climbing, and outdoor skills.

##### Spanish Peaks Staff Association

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Spanish Peaks Staff Association (SPSA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting current, former, and honorary staffers of Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch (SPSR). The organization was formed by like-minded staff alumni committed to the continued support of SPSR and the love of outdoor education for youth. Although the Spanish Peaks Staff Association is not an alumni association the members have all worked with this Scout camp and are dedicated toward outdoor education for youth.

##### Purpose

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The Spanish Peaks Staff Association, although still in their infant stages, has adapted the purposes of:

(a) Demonstrating support for Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch and its continued value in the future.
(b) Providing vision and leadership for Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch.
(c) Raising volunteer and financial support for Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch improvement endeavors.
(d) Establishing an endowment that will guarantee the future stability of the SPSR independently of Santa Fe Trail Council operations.
(e) Establishing an endowment that insures continued funding of a full-time ranger at Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch.
(f) Providing a forum for past, present, and future staffers to gather, share ideas, and stay in contact.

##### Structure

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The Spanish Peaks Staff Association (SPSA) is independent of the Santa Fe Trail Council and Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch. They are, however, dedicated to the youth of southwest Kansas and promotion of outdoor education. The organization was chartered in 2006 as a response to a struggling economy and the Santa Fe Trail Council's Board deficit. The lack of the council's ability to secure funds for operating expenses led to SPSA's motivation and primary goal of securing funds separate of the council.

* Buffalo Range District
* Cimarron District
* High Plains District

## Girl Scouting in Kansas

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Map of Girl Scout Councils in Kansas

There are three Girl Scout councils in Kansas.

### Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland

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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:

* Starwoods Outdoor Center is 160 acres (0.65 km2) in Clearwater, Kansas
* Camp Four Winds near Leon, Kansas. It has a 13-acre (53,000 m2) lake.
* Camp Double E is 8.3 acres (34,000 m2) northwest of Emporia, Kansas

### Girl Scouts Missouri Heartland

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Girl Scouts of Missouri Heartland is mostly based in Missouri but serves girls in southeastern Kansas (Bourbon, Cherokee, and Crawford counties) 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:

* Camp Friendship Fields in Crawford County

### Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri

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Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri (GSKSMO) 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.[4]

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.[5]

See Scouting in Missouri for more information.

Headquarters: Overland Park, Kansas[4]

Website: http://www.gsksmo.org

Current Properties:

* Camp Tongawood is 80 acres (320,000 m2) near Tonganoxie, Kansas
* Camp Prairie Schooner is 176 acres (710,000 m2) in Kansas City, Missouri[6]

Former Properties:

* Camp Daisy Hindman, founded in 1929, is 160 acres (650,000 m2) in Dover, Kansas near Topeka. In 2008, Camp Daisy ceased its resident camp programs.[7] It was closed in 2017 and sold in 2018 due to low attendance.[8][9]
* Camp Cutteru is near Junction City, Kansas. It was purchased by Extreme Kansas Camp, a Christian youth organization.[10]
* Camp Timberlake was 72 acres (290,000 m2) near Stilwell, Kansas, but was sold in 2009 due to terrain issues.[11]
* 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.[7]

## See also

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* Scouting portal

* Roy Williams (Scouting)
* Tribe of Mic-O-Say

## References

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1. ^ Kansas City Star, Kansas City, Missouri
2. ^ https://web.archive.org/web/20121231133739/http://investigation.discovery.com/criminals/serial-killers/dennis-rader.html
3. ^ Santa Fe Trail Council
4. ^ a b "Our Council | Girl Scouts". Girl Scouts of the USA. Archived from the original on 2025-02-09. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
5. ^ "A History of Girl Scouts in NE Kansas & NW Missouri". Girl Scouts of NE Kansas & NW Missouri. Archived from the original on 2008-09-05.
6. ^ "Camp Properties | Girl Scouts". Girl Scouts of the USA. Archived from the original on 2025-01-25. Retrieved 2025-05-09.
7. ^ a b Hansen, Christina. "Girl Scout Camp ToKaVaCa sold". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
8. ^ "Kansas Girl Scout camp to cease operations". AP News. 2017-09-28. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
9. ^ Foster, Samantha. "Girl Scouts sell Camp Daisy". The Topeka Capital-Journal. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
10. ^ "About". extremeencounters. Retrieved 2025-05-10.
11. ^ "Girl Scouts to close 2 camps, including one in Overland Park". 2009-08-19.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Scouting in Kansas.

* Spanish Peaks Staff Association
* Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch
* Coronado Area Council
* Jayhawk Area Council
* Quivira Council
* Santa Fe Trail Council

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Scouting in the United States

| Scouting organizations|

* Baden-Powell Service Association
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