Buckeye Council

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Buckeye Council Centennial CSP.jpg

The Buckeye Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America located in the state of Ohio and West Virginia.

Council History

Council Patches

Organization

The council headquarters is in Canton, Ohio and is administered through four districts:

Killbuck— Holmes County, Ohio and Wayne County, Ohio

Netawotwes— Tuscarawas County, Ohio and Carroll County, Ohio

Sandy Beaver— Columbiana County, Ohio, Chester, West Virginia and Newell, West Virginia

Hetuck— Stark County, Ohio

Camp McKinley welcome sign

Camp McKinley

Camp McKinley has been owned and operated by various Councils with the Boy Scouts of America since 1934. The camp is located in Columbiana County, just outside the city of Lisbon, Ohio. Camp McKinley currently occupies approximately 300 acres (1.2 km2) and is operated by the Buckeye Council as an off season camp.

In 1807, on the land where Camp McKinley now sits, Gideon Hughes, built the "Rebecca Furnace" (a blast furnace) to supply the needs of the nearby town of Lisbon. A stone mansion was built on site for Mr. Hughes. Later, this became known as the McKinley Homestead, as it was the home of President William McKinley's grandparents.

In 1828, The Sandy & Beaver Canal Company proposed a canal system that would run through Columbiana County joining the Pennsylvania and Ohio Canal, to the Ohio and Erie Canal. The canal was hoped to help the local economy, including the Rebecca Furnace and other local business, but by 1852, the canal was accepted as a failure.

From 1952 to 1991, the Columbiana Council operated Camp McKinley as its full time summer camp. {In the 60's Camp Twin Spruce was used as their Summer camp. Located near Dellroy Ohio on Leesville lake.} The Stone Mansion became the home of the camp ranger, and can be seen at the entrance of camp. In 1991, with the merger of Columbiana and Buckeye Council, Camp McKinley was closed as a Boy Scout summer camp in favor of newly built Seven Ranges Scout Reservation. In 1997 Buckeye Council began operating the Scaroyadii Trail (named for the Order of the Arrow Lodge of the dissolved Columbiana Council). This 18-mile (29 km) trail between Seven Ranges and McKinley follows portions of U.S. Route 30 and the abandoned Sandy Beaver Canal.

Camp McKinley is also known for its close proximity to the "Logtown Quarry", a former limestone quarry, which is currently a popular rock climbing destination. Some non-quarry rock formations are located on camp property and have added to the programs of the camp.

Camp Rodman

Camp Rodman is a small camp on the outskirts of Alliance Ohio. It isn't a large camp. Camp Rodman is owned by the Rodman Foundation but operated and maintained by the Buckeye Council.

7 Ranges Aerial view

Seven Ranges Scout Reservation

Seven Ranges Scout Reservation is a Scout reservation in Kensington, Ohio. This camp is known for its camp honors ceremony know commonly as Pipestone. The Reservation is composed of multiple camps including: Camp Algonkin, Camp Calumet, Camp Akela and Turkey Ridge.

History

Seven Ranges is home to the highest point in Carroll County – 1,381 feet. It stands a mile or so North of 40’38” latitude, the origin of which was a surveyor’s line by the Ordinance of 1785. The land was to be divided for settlers to the South with Native Americans to the North.

In that same ordinance, chief geographer Thomas Hutchins was sent on a long ordeal to survey seven vertical lines six miles apart, from 40’38” to the Ohio River. He then numbered the ranges east from Pennsylvania westward through the present town of Uhrichsville. Each range was six miles wide and then divided into the township pattern. This line extended westward to a proposed for on the Tuscarawas River – Fort Laurens

Later in 1794, after many battles between Native Americas and settlers, General Anthony Wayne defeated them at Fallen Timbers, Indiana. The line was then extended from the original line southwest into Indiana and became the Greenville Treaty Line. The only Native American battles left took place 16 years later in 1810 when Tecumseh revolted into Ohio.

The Algonquins were the first Native Americans to welcome the Dutch, English, and French. They were also the first to shed blood in merciless advance of their settlements.

They were a powerful family holding most of the land East of the Mississippi River from Tennessee on the South to the Hudson Bay on the North. They traveled anywhere with birch bark canoes and were nomadic. The Algonquin and French were close friends until the warring Iroquois trying to move North met them in battle on Lake Champlain.

The Algonquin and French defeated them because of something new – guns. The Iroquois never forgave them and joined the English in wars against the French, eventually destroying and defeating the Algonquin.

The Algonquin lived in oval homes of poles covered with elm bark called wigwams. Each family or clan had a totem symbol of good fortune. These were animals or other symbols and were carried with them on journeys.

Religious philosophy tells us much about these people. Their supernatural person or god was called Manabus or Manitou because he remade the world after a great flood. Manabus gave them direction for life and living. Since he lived in the sky, they elevated lightning and thunder to the level of a god. They believed this god took the form of a great bird because birds were closer to the heavens and to Manabus. The white people gave this bird the name of Thunderbird. Often in storms, the Algonquins would go to high places to be close to their God and the Thunderbird.

These were beliefs found in all tribes or clans of the Great Algonquin – Wakashan stock or family tree. Here in the old Northwest Territory were Shawnee, Kickapoo, Miami, Potowatomi, Menominee, Chippewa, Ottawa, and Cree. In the prehistoric times there existed the Adena Indians.

Later in the 1700s, glaciers that had created high, gentle, rolling plateaus became main trails or gateways into Ohio for Native Americans, settlers, and missionaries. They would portage their canoes across the “Great Trail” which is still in use as U.S. Route 30. You may have heard of it.

“Painted Post”, now called Dungannon, is located in the intersection of the:

-Great Trail – to the West and Northwest -Moravian Trail – to Shoenbrunn and Gnadenhutten -Muskingum Trail -Mingo Trail – to the South -Salty Springs Trail – located near Lisbon and Salem Little Sandy Spur on the Ohio canal is still visible along U.S. Route 30 toward Canton. This stretched form the Tuscarawas River to the Erie canal.

Programs

Programs The camping program in the Buckeye Council began in 1921 with Wilderness Camp. Camp lasted for two weeks. You traveled by railroad to get there and the cost of two weeks of camp was only $7.50!

Camp Tuscazoar opened in 1924 just North of the town of Zoar. The Council Executive at the time was George M. Deaver. He also served as the Camp Director. He was instrumental in the founding of not only the camping program but also the Pipestone Camp Honors Program, a tradition that still continues today. “Chief” Deaver is a big part of where our camping program is today. Many of our Dining Hall traditions and weekly programs have their foundations at Camp Tuscazoar because of Chief Deaver. In honor of George M. Deaver, we sing the Chief’s Song every Sunday in the Dining Hall.

At that time there existed the Buckeye Council in what is now Massillon, and the McKinley Council in Canton. They merged and we then had two camps, Camp Tuscazoar and Camp Buckeye. The decision was later made to close Camp Buckeye and several years later we outgrew Camp Tuscazoar.

The move to Seven Ranges was made in 1987. This was not an easy move for several reasons. The strong tradition and love of Tuscazoar along with the movement of everything from telephones to tents made the move a difficult one. There was a dedicated group of staffers that made this move possible – “The Bridgebuilders.”

The Bridgebuilders were a group of staff members that agreed in 1986 to work for not one, but two summers. They dedicated themselves to the camping program they helped to build at Camp Tuscazoar in order to make the move to Seven Ranges as smooth as possible. Not only did they have the task of moving all the supplies and equipment, but the Spirit that keeps us all together, as well. This was not an easy task, and we honor the Bridgebuilders at each Sunday Night Campfire by visiting the Bridgebuilders’ Amphitheater. The Bridgebuilders brought the spirit with them at the start of summer camping at Seven Ranges, and we remind Scouts and Scouters of that Spirit at the start of camp each week

5th Year Pipestone

Camp Honors Ceremony

The Pipestone Camp Honor Program began in Camp Tuscazoar, Zoar, Ohio in the summer of 1926. The founders of the Ceremony and related camp advancement program which, by tradition, has become the heart of the Summer Camp Program of the council, were George M. Deaver, Scout Executive of the Council; C. L. Riley, a teacher at Canton McKinley High School, who was serving as Camp Director at the time; I. W. Delp, Principal of Lehman High School in Canton; and Charles E. Mills, a Scouter who was skilled in theatrical production.

The program's intent was the rewarding of Scout campers who excelled in advancement and Scouting spirit during their week in camp with an experience, and a token of that experience which would capture their imaginations. An Indian ceremony was a natural choice of a vehicle to convey this message and token. The valley of the Tuscarawas was a prime area of Indian activity as attested by the history of the area.

The spontaneous enthusiasm for the program led its founders to set it as a five year series, this being the maximum number of years attendance in Summer Camp which could be expected of a Scout in the late 1920s.

The basic theme of the five years' ceremonials have withstood the test of the years, being as viable now as they were in 1926 when the program was conceived.

A significant effect of the Pipestone Program is the encouragement of the return of Scout campers to Summer Camp for three, four, five years and beyond, in percentages which lead the country. Pipestone, however, does not deal in percentages ... its concern is boys!

Traditionally, no Scout Leader has pointedly been required to commit his unit to participation in the Camp Honor Program.

Since its founding, the worth of the Program as an incentive to scouts has been universally apparent to unit and council leadership, eliciting almost unanimous voluntary participation in the program. Likewise, Scouters, responsible for the Pipestone Camp Honor Program share the conviction that Scouting can be eminently successful in exerting a positive influence on young men's lives if they can be kept within the sphere of influence of Scouting between the ages of 14 to 17 years.

The worth of the Program is verified by the fact that, at the time of this writing, 14% of all campers using the Council Summer Camp have attended for 5 or more years.

The Pipestone Camp Honor Program is a five year one of progressively more advanced work in Summer Camp in those areas of Scouting advancement which deal with the safety of a Scout, his ability to deal with emergencies ... emphasizing skills which develop an awareness of nature, and the ability of the Scout to live out-of-doors and be self-sufficient at it. The progression of the requirements is closely related to an acceptable rate of advancement through Scouting ranks with emphasis on development of proficiency in Swimming and Nature, and leadership, which will enable the older Scout to assist his younger brother Scouts.

The Camp Good Turn requirements are intended to foster in each Scout and Leader a sense of sharing in the ownership and care for our Camp through the investment of a responsible share of his time during the week in camp on a group, or individual improvement project on the grounds and facilities of our camp.

The swimming requirements have as their purpose, the same objective which governs Scout Swim Requirements ... the safety of the Scout in the water, by developing in each Scout a confidence and true sense of his own ability. Thus, the rule toward Pipestone Swimming Requirements has been an ever-constant, rigid adherence to the letter of the requirement. To give a boy the "benefit of the doubt" and grant approval of his inadequate performance of a swimming requirement might be the most fateful decision a leader in camp will ever make.

All Pipestone requirements are kept relevant to National Standards in Skill and Merit Badge requirements.

Finally ... the Camp Spirit Requirement in each of the five years challenges each Scout to live with his brother Scouts in camp in a spirit of good fellowship, and good sportsmanship. It requires each Pipestone candidate to exemplify the very qualities which he pledges to uphold in the Oath and Law, and it requires his leader to evaluate his fulfillment of this requirement with equal importance to the Skills, Swim, and other requirements.

Order of the Arrow

The council is served by Sipp-O Lodge #377. The Lodge's totem is a stag and the lodge has made Quality Lodge for 4 years running, as of May 2010. Sipp-O Lodge 377 was originally chartered in 1948 and absorbed Scaroyadii Lodge 472 in 1992 with the merger between Buckeye Council and Columbiana Council and in 2017 dissolution of the Heart of Ohio Council brought in the Johny Appleseed Trails and Harding Area Chapters from the former Portage Lodge 603

Sipp-O Lodge Totem

. The word "Sipp-O" means "river" in Lenni Lenape.