Scouting and Guiding in Tennessee
Scouting in Tennessee has a long history, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
Early history (1910-1950)
Until 1948, some southern councils of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) were racially segregated. Colored Troops, as they were officially known, were given little support from Districts and Councils. Some Scouting executives and leaders believed that Colored Scouts and Leaders would be less able to live up to the ideals of the Boy Scouts. The National Office began a program of integrating local councils in 1940, which was largely complete in 1948.
Most Girl Scouts of the USA units were originally segregated by race according to state and local laws and customs. In 1933, Josephine Groves Holloway founded unofficial African American troops in Tennessee. She also fully desegregated the Cumberland Valley council in 1962.
Boy Scouting in Tennessee
There are seven BSA local councils in Tennessee.
- Cherokee Area Council GA
- Chickasaw Council
- Great Smoky Mountain Council
- Middle Tennessee Council
- Sequoyah Council
- Shawnee Trails Council
- West Tennessee Area Council
Girl Scouting in Tennessee today
There are six Girl Scout council offices in Tennessee.
- Girl Scouts of The Appalachian Council, Inc., Johnson City, TN http://www.girlscoutsappalachian.org
- Girl Scout Council of Cumberland Valley, Nashville, TN http://www.girlscoutsofcv.org
- Girl Scout Council of The Mid-South, Memphis, TN http://www.gsmid-south.org
- Girl Scouts of Moccasin Bend Council, Inc., Chattanooga, TN http://www.mbgsc.org
- Reelfoot Girl Scout Council, Jackson, TN http://www.gsreelfoot.org
- Girl Scouts of Tanasi Council, Inc., Knoxville, TN http://www.tanasi.org
Scouting museums in Tennessee
- Peregrine International Museum of Scouting http://usscouts.org/usscouts/profbvr/scouts_on_tour/tennessee.html
Scout Activities by County
Davidson / Hamilton / Knox / Putnam / Rutherford / Shelby / Sullivan / Warren / Williamson /
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