Scouting in Kansas 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 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 in August 24, 1959.
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, which provides the name for their Lodge; and Quivira Scout Ranch, 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 includes nineteen counties in southwestern Kansas, with headquarters in Garden City.
Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch
The Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch 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
Spanish Peaks Staff Association is a non-profit organization dedicated to connecting current, former, and honorary staffers of Spanish Peaks Scout Ranch. 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
The Spanish Peaks Staff Association, although still in their infant stages, has adapted the purposes of:
Structure
The Spanish Peaks Staff Association 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
There are three Girl Scout councils in Kansas.
Girl Scouts of Kansas Heartland
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 Missouri Heartland is mostly based in Missouri but serves girls in southeastern Kansas 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:
Girl Scouts of Northeast Kansas and Northwest Missouri supports girls in many Kansas counties: Atchison, Anderson, Brown, Clay, Doniphan, Douglas, Geary, Franklin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Leavenworth, Linn, Marshall, Miami, Nemaha, Pottawatomie, Riley, Shawnee, Wabaunsee, Washington and Wyandotte. It was established on August 1, 2007 with a merger of several other councils including Girl Scouts of Kaw Valley Council headquartered in Kansas. See Scouting in Missouri for full information. Headquarters: Kansas City, Missouri Website: http://www.girlscoutsksmo.org Camps in Kansas include:
Camp Daisy Hindman, founded in 1929, is in Dover, Kansas near Topeka
Camp Timberlake was near Stilwell, Kansas, but was sold to private owners in the mid 2010s. It is still used as a scouting camp by reservation with the new owners.
