West Central Florida Council

(Redirected from Pinellas Area Council)

West Central Florida Council was the former Boy Scouts of America Council serving Pinellas County and west Pasco County in Florida, between 1917–2016. It merged with Gulf Ridge Council to form the Greater Tampa Bay Area Council on May 1, 2016.

West Central Florida Council
OwnerBoy Scouts of America
HeadquartersSeminole, Florida
LocationPinellas County, FL, west Pasco County, FL
CountryUnited States
Founded1917
DefunctMay 1, 2016
Website
www.wcfcbsa.org
 Scouting portal

At the time of its merger, over 6,000 youth and 4,000 adult volunteers were served by the West Central Florida Council. More than 100 young men earned the rank of Eagle Scout in 2012. The West Central Florida Council earned the prestigious 2008 Centennial Quality Council Award from the Boy Scouts of America.

History

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West Central Florida Council was originally chartered as the Pinellas Council in 1917. Pinellas Area Council changed its name to West Central Florida Council in the late 1970s to recognize that west Pasco County had been a part of the Council for many years.[1]

Organization

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The West Central Florida Council was divided into three distinct geographical Districts to best serve the youth of Pinellas and west Pasco Counties.

Camps

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Its two main Scout camps were Sand Hill Scout Reservation in Spring Hill and Camp Soule in Clearwater. There was also a smaller facility at Bigfoot Wilderness Camp near Dade City.

Order of the Arrow

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The Timuquan Lodge delegation in Washington, D. C., en route to the National Order of the Arrow Conference at Central Michigan University (1986)

The West Central Florida Council's Order of the Arrow Lodge was Timuquan Lodge, founded in 1946. The Order of the Arrow is Scouting's National Honor Society that recognizes youth and adult leaders who best exemplify the Scout Oath and Scout Law in their daily lives. The lodge was named in honor of the extinct Timucua Native American tribe of northern and central Florida. Timuquan Lodge hosted the S-4 OA Section Conference at Sand Hill Scout Reservation from April 17–19, 2009. Nearly 1,100 Scouts and leaders from throughout Florida and southern Georgia attended the event.

With the merger of the two councils in 2016, Timuquan Lodge joined the Gulf Ridge Council's Seminole Lodge to form the newly named Uh-To-Yeh-Hut-Tee Lodge.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "ABOUT SCOUTING". West Central Florida Council. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011 – via doubleknot.com.
  2. ^ "Miccosukee District". West Central Florida Council. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016 – via doubleknot.com.
  3. ^ "Uh-To-Yeh-Hut-Tee Lodge".
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