Scouting in New Jersey 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. The second Boy Scouts of America National Headquarters was in North Brunswick, although it was referred to in BSA publications as being in neighboring New Brunswick.
In 1915, the East Orange Council (#337) was formed. In 1917, the Orange (#353) and West Orange (#363) councils were formed. In 1917, the South Orange Council (#345) was formed, changing its name to the Orange Mountain Council (#345) in 1919. In 1933, the East Orange, Orange, West Orange, and Orange Mountain councils merged to form the Oranges and Maplewood Area Council (#337). Oranges and Maplewood Area Council changed its name to Orange Mountain (#337) in 1949.[1]
Cumberland County Council (#336) existed from 1919 to 1944 became [a part of] South Jersey Council (#336) which formed in 1944.
Lenape Area Council #339 (1929-1932) eventually became [a part of] Atlantic Area Council (#331).
Atlantic Area Council (#331) formed in 1926 and Ocean County Council (#341) formed in 1940, merged in 1992 creating Jersey Shore Council#341.
Burlington County Council (#690) formed in 1925.
Gloucester-Salem Council (#678) formed in 1924 and South Jersey Council (#336) formed in 1944, merged in 1967 to become Southern New Jersey Council (#334).
Southern New Jersey Council (#334) and Burlington County Council (#690) merged to form Garden State Council (#690) in 2013.
Camp Glen Gray, located in Bergen County, New Jersey (Northern New Jersey Council) has been continually active since 1917, and was originally 150 acres (0.61 km2) located in a valley in the Ramapo Mountains in New Jersey. Camp Glen Gray is named after Frank Fellows Gray, (1869–1935) a well known early professional Scouter of that area. It was selected and developed by Gray to give a permanent summer camp for Scouts, and the camp is the first purpose-built Scout camp in New Jersey. Prior Scout summer camping experiments were typically temporary affairs at farm fields or church camps. Frank Gray was one of America's earliest Scoutmasters, having started Troop 4 in Montclair, New Jersey, known as the "Lord Baden-Powell Troop" in March 1909.[3] He also created an honor program that was used in New Jersey and in the Brooklyn Council called "Senior Division". The camp ultimately reached a size of about 840 acres (3.4 km2) and was operated by Eagle Rock Council, then Essex Council, and finally Northern New Jersey Council. In 2003, the camp was sold to the Bergen County Parks Commission and operated through a management agreement by the non-profit group Friends of Glen Gray, and is supported by a group of volunteers known as the "Old Guard". While no longer an "official" Boy Scout Camp, it does continue to host a large number of Scouting groups and activities throughout the year, as well as hosting a summer day camp for an area special-needs school.
Notable Scout Walter Marty Schirra, Jr. (March 12, 1923 – May 3, 2007) earned the rank of First Class in Troop 36 in Oradell, New Jersey. He was one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts. He was also the only person to fly in all of America's first three space programs (Mercury, Gemini and Apollo).
Cub Scouting Origins – To begin including younger boys to Scouting, James E. West approved the formation of the Boy Rangers of America, a separate organization for boys eight through twelve based on an American Indian theme. The Boy Rangers used the Scout Law and Chief Guide Emerson Brooks was a Boy Scout commissioner in Montclair, New Jersey. The BSA finally began some experimental Cubbing units in 1928 and in 1930 the BSA began registering the first Cubbing packs, and the Boy Rangers were absorbed. The Cub Scouting program used elements of Rudyard Kipling's Jungle Book series, with the Cubmaster taking the role of Akela and the assistant Cubmaster the role of Baloo. The American program also syncretizedAmerican Indian elements, with all Cub Scouts belonging to the Webelos tribe, symbolized by the Arrow of Light and led by Akela. Webelos was also an acronym meaning Wolf, Bear, Lion, Scout. The initial rank structure was Wolf, Bear and Lion, with ages of 9, 10 and 11. Dens of six to eight Cubs were entirely led by a Boy Scout holding the position of den chief.
Mortimer L. Schiff – After a long tenure as vice-president of the BSA beginning in 1910, during which he also appeared on the cover of Time magazine on February 14, 1927, Mortimer L. Schiff was elected as president in 1931, but died after serving one month and Walter Head returned until 1946. Schiff's mother purchased and donated 400 acres (1.6 km2) of land in New Jersey and donated it to the BSA, thus creating Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation as a national training center. Both Mortimer and his son, John M. Schiff, received the Silver Buffalo Award from the BSA.
William "Green Bar Bill" Hillcourt – William Hillcourt was one of the BSA's most prolific writers. He wrote numerous articles for Boys' Life and Scouting magazines, including a column aimed at patrol leaders under the by-line of "Patrol Leader Green Bar Bill". At least 12,610,000 copies of his three editions of the Boy Scout Handbook were printed. Hillcourt died in Europe while on a Scouting tour in 1992. He is buried with his wife Grace in St. Joseph's Cemetery in Mendham, New Jersey at Row 8, Block I, to be near Mortimer L. Schiff Scout Reservation as he had lived for so many years. His legacy in Scouting and his influence continue in the programs and training of Scouting. Consequently, his writings are still used within the Scouting movement and his material continues to be reprinted in Scouting magazine.[21] The Hiawatha Seaway Council operates the William Hillcourt Scout Museum at Camp Woodland in New York to "keep the traditions of Scouting alive" through the preservation of the history that is a foundation for today's Scouting movement
In 1968, the Hudson and Alexander Hamilton councils merged to become the Hudson-Hamilton Council (#348). In 1993, the Bayonne (#332) and Hudson-Hamilton (#348) councils merged to become the Hudson Liberty Council (#348).[1] In 1969, the North Bergen County Council (#350) changed its name to the Bergen Council (#350) in 1969. The Ridgewood-Glen Rock Council (#359) merged with the Bergen Council (#350) in 1997.[1]
In 1972, the Aheka (#354) and Alhtaha (#355) councils merged to become the Passaic Valley Council (#353). In 1986 Tamarack Council dissolved, splitting into both the Essex (#336) and Bergen (#338) councils. In 1976, the Orange Mountain (#337), Eagle Rock (#346), and Robert Treat (#349) councils merged to become the Essex Council (#336).[1]
The Garden State Council serves all Scouting units in the following counties: Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, and Salem. The council also serves Buena Vista Township and Buena Borough in Atlantic County.
Southern New Jersey Council and Burlington County Council (formed in 1925) merged to form this new council as of January 1, 2013.
The Northern New Jersey Council serves Scouting in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Passaic counties. The council is divided into three districts: Three Rivers (eastern Bergen County and Hudson County areas), Ramapo Valley (western Bergen and Passaic County areas), and Lenape Trail (Essex County towns). In 2013, this council served over 13,000 youths.
New Jersey is divided into four councils that were created by rearrangement of the previous eleven councils in 2007.
Girl Scouts of Central and Southern New Jersey
The Girl Scouts of Central and Southern NJ covers a bit more than nine counties:
(Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem, and parts of Monmouth) and serves over 27,000 girls and 11,000 adults. The council includes 3 service centers, 6 camps and 2 mobile resource centers. It was formed by the merger of Camden, Delaware-Raritan, and South Jersey Pines Councils on October 1, 2007. Planned merger date was July 1, 2007, but due to Delaware-Raritan's changed vote, the councils merged on October 1, 2007.
Girl Scouts Heart of New Jersey serves 17,000 plus girls in Hudson, Essex, Union, Somerset, Hunterdon, Southern Warren and parts of Middlesex counties. It was formed by the merger of Great Essex and Hudson Counties, Rolling Hills, and Washington Rock councils.
Girl Scouts of the Jersey Shore serves some 16,000 girls and has 6,000
adult volunteers in Ocean and most of Monmouth counties. Created in
July 2007 by the merger of Monmouth and Ocean County Councils.
Girl Scouts of Northern New Jersey serves 20.5% of girls aged 5–17 in
160 municipalities including all of Bergen, Morris, Passaic, and
Sussex counties and the northern half of Warren County. As of 2011 there were
33,795 girl members and 17,395 adult members.[9] It was formed on October 1, 2007, by the
merger of Bergen, Leni-Lenape, and Morris Area Girl Scout Councils.
^Price, Luther Edmonds (1941). Thirty Years of Scout Camping:History of Glen Gray and Other Camps in Northern New Jersey with Memoirs of Frank F. Gray. Glen Ridge, NJ: self-published. p. 112.
