Cimarron Council

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Scouting in Oklahoma

The Boy Scouts of America Cimarron Council maintains an office in Enid, Oklahoma, and serves youth and their families in northwestern and north central Oklahoma. The Cimarron Council provides a web presence for its membership and other interested persons. Cimarron Council was established in June of 2005 following the mergers of the Great Salt Plains Council (Enid) and the Will Rogers Council (Ponca City). At the time of the merger there were also discussions with Cherokee Council (Bartlesville) but they opted out of further discussions.

Districts

Colonel George W. Miller founded the 101 Ranch in northern Oklahoma in 1893. He and his wife Molly, sons Joe, Zack and George Jr. along with daughter, Alma helped establish what became known as the "Largest Diversified Farm and Ranch in America".

The Miller family also fielded the 101 Wild West Show and traveled the United States and the world from 1905 to 1931. Pioneers in movie making, some of the first western movies were filmed on the 101 Ranch located in north central Oklahoma. Presidents and celebrities from around the world were entertained at the ranch and the family home, known as the "White House" which in addition to headquarters for the vast empire of more than 110,000 acres (440 km²) was a palace on the Oklahoma prairie.

The headquarters site was listed as an Oklahoma Historical Site, placed on the National Register of Historic Places and became a National Historic Landmark in 1975.

Enid is home to Vance Air Force Base and is said to have been named by a railroad official after a character in Tennyson's "The Idylls of the King." It is a town that was born overnight as the result of the largest land run in history. At noon on Sept 16, 1893, hundreds of thousands of land seekers charged into the Cherokee Outlet seeking free land and a new start in life. They came on horseback and in horse-drawn wagons and buggies. Some rode trains into the Outlet. There were even a few who made the race on bicycles or on foot. Droves of settlers lined up at the land office that afternoon and for days afterwards to file their claims for land in a place to be called Enid.

The Pawnee Bill District takes its name from Major Gordon W Lillie. Named White Chief of the Pawnee by the Pawnee Indians. Growing up, Buffalo Bill Cody was Pawnee Bill's boyhood hero. From the 1890s to the 1930s, Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show was the biggest and the best of all the touring Wild West Shows. Pawnee Bill's wife, May Lillie, became an expert marksman and she starred in Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show. In the glory days of Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show, they carried a cast and crew of 645 people, over 400 horses and steers, a herd of 20 buffalo, the world's largest power plant or generator, and a 21-foot oven. All of this was loaded on a specially designed train and they toured the world for over 30 years.

Today's Pawnee Bill's Wild West Show is a reenactment of the Original Wild West Show that toured the world from the 1890s to the 1930s. Pawnee Bill's Mansion in Pawnee, Oklahoma is now a Museum and host to the Original Wild West Show. Pawnee Bill was a major supporter of Scouting, offering the Pawnee Bill Ranch in his will to the Boy Scouts of America.

Camp Properties

The Will Rogers Scout Reservation, named for Will Rogers, one of Oklahomas favorite sons, is the premier camping facility of the Cimarron Council. The camp consists of approximately 340 hilly acres of oak and hickory forest with its northern boundary being bluffs overlooking the Arkansas River. The camp features a centralized dining hall with regional shower facilities and program areas. There is an archery range, boat dock and pond, swimming pool, and several camping areas. It is located near Cleveland, Oklahoma.

The camp is mostly developed for a farm operation with no developed campsites although there are some picnic tables out in the fields by the lakes. The lake here has two houses on it, (yes we really mean on top of the lake). One is a three story A frame house that has 3 bedrooms. The other is set up as an office facility. There is a program barn for training and above that is a big room for conferences, banquets, or other ceremonies. There are other lakes but this one is the most improved. The camp has an Airport hangar and runway as well.

Camp Renfrew is located 1 mile north of Boiling Springs State Park 4½ miles east of Woodward, Oklahoma. This camp is named after R. O. Renfrew, the first District Chairman of this part of the council. This 20 acre beautiful, rustic and wooded camp has plenty of firewood. Camp Renfrew makes a great camp for troops needing a base camp for Alabaster Caverns 23 miles away, a stop over to Philmont or for a weekend camp. Currently the camp is only approved for Troop, Team, and Venture Crew use.

Camp Nescatauga is located 4 miles on Highway 64 and north 1½ miles from Alva, Oklahoma. This camp is real rustic with no facilities and should only be used for Wilderness Survival type camping in small groups.

OA Lodge

Ema O' Mahpe