San Gabriel Valley Council

San Gabriel Valley Council #40
Owner	Boy Scouts of America
Headquarters	Pasadena, California
Location	Los Angeles County
Country	United States
Founded	January 1, 1919
Defunct	July 2015
Website http://www.sgvcbsa.org

Located in Los Angeles County, California's San Gabriel Valley, the Boy Scouts of America's San Gabriel Valley Council (#40) was one of five councils serving Los Angeles County. It was headquartered in Pasadena.

Greater Los Angeles Area Council (GLAAC) is a new Boy Scouts of America Council made from the merger of the Los Angeles Area Council and the San Gabriel Valley Council. The vote to merge was held on March 21, 2015.^[1] The new name for the council, Greater Los Angeles Area Council, was announced on June 11, 2015. The new council will continue with Scouting Service centers in Los Angeles and Pasadena. GLAAC has three Scout shops in Los Angeles, San Pedro and Pasadena.^[2] GLAAC operates eight BSA camps in the greater Los Angeles area.^[3][4] Due to the large size of the two original councils, the merger is a process that will be completed over a time span.

History

With the founding of the BSA in 1910, the first goal of the San Gabriel Valley Scout leaders was to organize as new troops. Paid professionals, many of whom were YMCA leaders, were recruited to help start new Troops and spread the new Scouting program. They were sent out into the San Gabriel Valley towns to organize new troops and recruit leaders. By March 1919, there were nine active troops with 190 boys in the SGV. The Pasadena Council (also known as the Pasadena District Council) of the Boy Scouts of America was organized March 3, 1919, with jurisdiction over Pasadena, Altadena and Lamanda Park.

A charter was granted by the BSA National Headquarters dated April 1, 1919 to the Pasadena District Council. Tallman Trask was hired to be the first Scout Executive. Trask had been a District Executive for the Los Angeles Council. He had also served as Los Angeles' camp director. Prior to joining the BSA, Trask was an executive for the YMCA and had run several camps for them. By October 1, 1919, there were 15 active troops with 299 Scouts.

The council's name was changed in 1929 to Pasadena-San Gabriel Valley Council to better reflect the geographic area served by the council. In 1951 the name was changed to San Gabriel Valley Council to shorten it and better identify the 29 cities and towns that made it up.^[5]

Organization

• Golden Eagle District
  • City of Industry, Hacienda Heights, La Puente, Rowland Heights, West Covina, Valinda, Diamond Bar, Pomona and Walnut.^[6][7][8]
  • The cities of Diamond Bar, Pomona and Walnut were added to Golden Eagle District when Old Baldy Council was split at the Los Angeles–San Bernardino county line on May 1, 2006, and was merged into the San Gabriel Valley Council and California Inland Empire Council.
• Lucky Baldwin District
  • Arcadia, Monrovia, Sierra Madre, Azusa, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, and Temple City.^[7][9]
• Mission Amigos District
  • Alhambra, Monterey Park, El Monte, San Gabriel, South San Gabriel and Rosemead.^[7]
  • The city of Rosemead was part of the former El Camino Real District until 2007.^[10]
• Rose Bowl District
  • Altadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Pasadena and San Marino.^[7]
• Valle De Sol District
  • Covina, Glendora, Charter Oak, La Verne, San Dimas and Claremont.^[7][11]
  • The cities of La Verne, San Dimas and Claremont were added to Valle De Sol District when Old Baldy Council was split at the Los Angeles–San Bernardino county line on May 1, 2006 and was merged into San Gabriel Valley Council and California Inland Empire Council.
• Former district called: Trails of the Valley District was moved into the Lucky Baldwin District and Mission Amigos District in 2010.
  • Azusa, Baldwin Park, Bradbury, Duarte, Irwindale, El Monte and South El Monte.^[7]
  • Formerly known as San Gabriel River District.^[10]
  • The cities of El Monte and South El Monte were part of the former El Camino Real District until 2007.^[10]

Camps

• Holt Scout Ranch (now closed) was an SGVC camp located in the San Bernardino Mountains. The camp was named in honor of Herbert Brayton Holt on June 15, 1968. Prior to that time, the camp was known as Camp Cedar Canyon and opened in 1955. In 1975, the camp was sold to a private party. The camp was located off SR-38. 34°05′27″N 116°58′01″W / 34.0907°N 116.96684°W The fire access road, which started at the hairpin curve on SR-38 connected to the camp entrance road. Just before the camp entrance (where the camp director's home was located), the fire access road forked to the left to make its way up the mountain. A picture of Old Dobbs is on many Holt Scout Ranch items.^[12][13][14]
• Camp Eaton, (now closed) was formerly called Camp Cumorah Crest.^[15] It had five conference rooms, dining hall, winterized dormitories for 125, pool, softball, basketball in the San Gabriel Mountains, part of the Angeles National Forest, off Hwy 2, the Angeles Crest Highway, on Sulphur Spring Road near Mt. Wilson. It was more of conference center than a camp. It as sold when the SGVC started operating the camp at Holcomb Valley in 2005. It was called Camp Eaton for the support of the camp from the Eaton Family operators of the Forest Lawn Memorial Parks in Southern California.^[16]34°20′55″N 117°59′02″W / 34.3485°N 117.984°W
• Camp Huntington (now closed) opened in 1920 was at the mouth of Rubio Canyon. Many Scouts would take the Pacific Electric street cars (the Red Car) and then hike to camp. The camp was started by Henry Huntington.^[17] The camp was near entrance Rubio Pavilion of the Mount Lowe Railway, closed in 1938. By the early 1960s, the city's population had expanded and there were now houses built right up to the camp's fence line. So, it was decided to close the camp, as it was now in the town of Altadena.^[18][19]34°12′11″N 118°07′22″W / 34.203025°N 118.122883°W
• Camp San Antonio (now closed) was opened on Mount Baldy till 1970. Because of the closing of Catalina Island during World War II, there was a need for a summer camp close to the council, so Camp San Antonio was opened. Camp San Antonio was located just South of the current Manker Flats Campground at 6,300 feet. Camp San Antonio was closed in the 1970s.34°15′44″N 117°38′01″W / 34.2622272°N 117.6336658°W^[20][21][22]

Trask Scout Reservation

Trask Scout Reservation
Location	Monrovia, California
Coordinates	34°11′31″N 117°57′45″W / 34.1919°N 117.9625°W
Website http://www.sgvcbsa.org/programs/camping/camp-trask

Trask Scout Reservation is in the City of Monrovia, Ca. in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains. It is located above the sawpit dam off of Monrovia Canyon Park.^[23] Camp Trask offers, Cub Scout Programs, Family Camp programs and Boy Scout Programs on a year-round basis. The camp has a full size fort used for many program activities, called Fort Rotary. The camp is in a riparian zone ecosystem. Canyon stream and the camp are shaded by deciduous trees, white alders and bigleaf maples, evergreen canyon and coast live oaks.

History

Originally known as Monrovia Scout Reservation, Camp Trask was purchased in 1966. The camp was dedicated as Tallman H. Trask Scout Reservation on May 13, 1972.

Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch

Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch
Location	Fawnskin, California
Coordinates	34°18′10″N 116°53′46″W / 34.3028°N 116.8960°W
Website http://www.sgvcbsa.org/programs/camping/holcomb-valley-scout-reservation

Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch, 7,500 feet (2,300 m) elevation, is located north of Big Bear Lake in the old mining district of Belleville in the Holcomb Valley on the site of the old Hitchcock Ranch. Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch is North of the town of Fawnskin. The road from Fawnskin to Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch the 2N09, Polique Canyon Rd, has improved in 2011. Van Dusen Canyon Rd can also be used get to the Ranch. The camp offers a week-long Oak Badge-National Youth Leadership Training class and offered a Boy Scout summer resident camp until 2012 when the program was suspended indefinitely.^[24] One Hike offered is to the Big Bear Discovery Center.^[25] Cougar Crest hike to Bertha Peak gives an amazing view of Big Bear Lake.^[26] Spring creek trail offers a more level long hike. South of the camp, not far away is the Pacific Crest Trail. To the East and near the camp is a USFS^[27] public camp ground Holcomb Valley Camp Ground.^[28]

History

Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch was formerly part of Old Baldy Council. The Scout Ranch was turned over to the San Gabriel Valley Council in 2005. The Old Baldy Council took title to the property in 1965 from William Hitchcock. The Hitchcock Ranch is still part of the Holcomb Valley Scout Ranch.^[29] Guy Reide, Old Baldy's Scout Executive(1949 to 1966) in 1965 had the vision and worked with William Hitchcock to have the ranch turned into a Scout camp. Loren Baldwin became the first camp ranger and Holcomb Valley held its first Boy Scout summer resident camp in 1974. Holcomb Valley is named after William F. Holcomb,^[30] who discovered gold there and staked a claim in May 1860 with his partner. Holcomb became known for his marksmanship. After 10 years of prospecting he still had no major success. As food sources were diminishing, some of the prospectors hired Holcomb to hunt for grizzly bear to provide food for the long winter months. While trailing a bear up Polique Canyon he found Holcomb Valley. Tracking the injured animal, he passed a quartz ledge shining with gold.^[31] Bonanza and many other western films and TV shows were shot in Holcomb Valley.^[32][33] For a short time under Old Baldy Council the camp was called "Camp Lipscomb" after US Congressman Glenard P. Lipscomb.

Camp Cherry Valley

Camp Cherry Valley
Location	Santa Catalina Island, California
Coordinates	33°27′01″N 118°30′11″W / 33.4503°N 118.503°W
Website http://www.sgvcbsa.org/programs/camping/camp-cherry-valley

Camp Cherry Valley is a summer camp on the leeward side of Catalina Island, California, which is owned and operated by the Greater Los Angeles Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. It is located two coves north of Two Harbors at Cherry Cove. The camp, valley and cove get their name from the Catalina cherry trees native to the island.^[34] It also offers non-Scouting programs on a year-round basis.

Ta Tanka Lodge

Ta Tanka Lodge
Headquarters	Pasadena, California
Location	Los Angeles County
Country	United States
Founded	May 31, 1952
Website http://www.tatankalodge.org/

The San Gabriel Valley Council's Order of the Arrow lodge^[35][36] is the Ta Tanka Lodge (#373). Ta Tanka Lodge started with 120 members who chose the Sioux word ta tanka meaning "bull buffalo" as its name and as their totem a white buffalo.^[37] The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). The OA's Ta Tanka Lodge as three goals: recognize outstanding Scouts, promote BSA camping and provide cheerful service to the SGVC, including its Districts,^[38] Packs and Troops .^[39] Since 1933 the Ta Tanka Lodge has hosted a weekend camp out the weekend after Thanksgiving call Desert Caravan, held in the various campgrounds in the Mojave Desert.^[40] "Caravan" was move to Labor Day weekend camp at Camp Holcomb Valley. Caravan is open to Troops and families of the SGVC with events like treasure hunt, Branding Irons, team games-fun competitive events, dutch oven cobbler cook-off, chili cook-off and a campfire program.^[41]

Ta Tanka Lodge has four local Chapters:

• Hunkpapa^[42]— Lucky Baldwin and Mission Amigos Districts
• Kiowa — Golden Eagle District^[43]
• Oglala Lakota — Rose Bowl District.^[44]
• Teton Dakota — Valle Del Sol District.^[45]
• On March 16, 2016 the Ta Tanka OA Lodge of the San Gabriel Valley Council and the Siwinis OA Lodge of the Los Angeles Area Council voted and agreed on a new Lodge name and totem for the new Lodge of the Greater Los Angeles Area Council. The new Lodge is Tuku'ut and the totem is the Saber-Toothed Cat.^[46] The Order of the Arrow (OA) is the national honor society of the Boy Scouts of America. The OA provides leadership and service experience to OA Scouts.

See also

• Scouting in California
• Boy Scouts of America centennial

External links

• SGVC Venturing
• Woodbadge
• BSA E-Learning Courses
• Leave No Trace
• Boys Life

References

1. scoutsunited.org, SGVC/LAAC UNITED - UPDATES
2. Los Angeles, San Pedro Scout Shops
3. SGVC BSA camps
4. LACC BSA Camps
5. Hook, James; Franck, Dave; Austin, Steve (1982). An Aid to Collecting Selected Council Shoulder Patches with Valuation.
6. Golden Eagle District Web site
7. "San Gabriel Valley Council | Boy Scouts of America". Retrieved January 7, 2009.
8. Golden Eagle District history
9. Lucky Baldwin District Web site
10. "San Gabriel Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America: 2006-2007 Council Calendar, Activity Planning Guide, and Business Directory". Pasadena, CA: San Gabriel Valley Council, Boy Scouts of America. 2006.
11. Valle Del Sol District web site
12. "Holt Scout Ranch". Retrieved April 23, 2011.
13. Holt Scout Ranch Camp staff 1966
14. Holt Scout Ranch, camp patch, Old Dobbs
15. roadonmap.com, Camp Cumorah Crest
16. Forest Lawn Foundation
17. Mt.Lowe History
18. ALTADENA: The official Timeline of Altadena History, compiled by Mike Manning
19. Map of CAMP HUNTINGTON Rd, Altadena, CA 91001
20. getmap Camp San Antonio
21. Cal. Hometown map Camp San Antonio
22. Topo Zone Camp San Antonio
23. The Sawpit Canyon Fire Road (2N30)
24. "Holcomb Valley Scout Reservation". Archived from the original on December 7, 2012. Retrieved December 19, 2012.
25. Big Bear Discovery Center Web site
26. modernhiker.com on Bertha Peak
27. USFS camps
28. Holcomb Valley Camp Ground map
29. Big Bear historical timeline
30. Holcomb Valley Gold Discovery by L. Burr Belden
31. Big Bear Country - Holcomb Valley
32. Topo Quest map of Holcomb Valley
33. Filming locations for "Bonanza" (1959) from imdb.com
34. Prunus lyonii, CATALINA CHERRY
35. tatankalodge.org Lodge_History
36. OA history from U. S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. Website
37. tatankalodge.org history
38. Organization of the Boy Scouts of America from U. S. Scouting Service Project, Inc. Website
39. BSA OA web site
40. tatankalodge.org, Desert Caravan 2011
41. Caravan 2013
42. Hunkpapa Web site
43. Kiowa Web site
44. Oglala Lakota Web site
45. Teton Dakota Web site
46. GLAAC Order of the Arrow