Western Massachusetts Council
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| Western Massachusetts Council (#234) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Headquarters | One Arch Rd., Suite 5, Westfield, MA | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Founded | 2008 | ||
| President | Jeffrey Glaze | ||
| Council Commissioner | Joshua Hall | ||
| Scout Executive | Gary Savignano | ||
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| Website www | |||
The Western Massachusetts Council was created on June 28, 2008, with the merger of Great Trails Council and Pioneer Valley Council. It is the largest BSA council in Massachusetts by geography, and serves Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire counties and the town of Stamford, Vermont.
The council operates service centers in Westfield and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and year-round camping facilities at Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation in Russell. It formerly operated Chesterfield Scout Reservation in Chesterfield.[1]
History[edit]
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The council was created in 2008 with the merger of Great Trails Council and Pioneer Valley Council.[citation needed]
The Springfield Council (234) was founded in 1915, changing its name to Hampden County Council (234) in 1923. The Holyoke Area Council (236) was founded in 1923, changing its name to Mount Tom Council (236) in 1949. In 1960, the Hampden County and Mount Tom councils merged to become the Pioneer Valley Council (234).[2]
The Pittsfield Council (226) was founded in 1915, changing its name to Southern Berkshire County Council (226) in 1922, changing its name again in 1923 to Berkshire County (226). In 1923 Southern Berkshire County changed its name to Berkshire County Council (226), finally changing it to Berkshire Council (226). The Hampshire County Council (235) was founded in 1922, changing its name to Hampshire-Franklin Council (235) in 1930. In 1969 the Berkshire and Hampshire-Franklin councils merged to become the Great Trails Council (243). [2]
Organization[edit]
The council is divided into the following districts:[3]
- Appalachian Trail District - serving all the communities of Berkshire County, as well as Cummington, Worthington, Middlefield, Blandford, Chester, Huntington, Montgomery, Russell, and Stamford, VT.
- General Knox District - serving Tolland, Granville, Southwick, Westfield, Agawam, Longmeadow, East Longmeadow, Ludlow, Wilbraham, Hampden, Palmer, Monson, Brimfield, Wales, Holland, Springfield, West Springfield, and Chicopee.
- Metacomet District - serving all the communities of Hampshire County and Franklin County, as well as Holyoke.
Camps[edit]
| Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Owner | Western Massachusetts Council | ||
| Location | 310 Birch Hill Rd., Russell, MA | ||
| Country | United States | ||
| Coordinates | 42°09′28″N 72°52′21″W / 42.1579°N 72.8724°W ⧼validator-fatal-error⧽ | ||
| Founded | 1947 | ||
| Ranger | Tim Vogel | ||
| Camp Director | Greg Williams | ||
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| Website www | |||
The Horace A. Moses Scout Reservation is located on more than 1,200 acres (490 ha) of land surrounding Russell Pond in the south quarter section of Russell, Massachusetts.[4]
The property was originally the summer estate of noted industrialist and philanthropist Horace A. Moses and is available for year-round use by both scouting and non-scouting groups.[5]
Summer camp operations were briefly suspended in 2011 due to council financial hardships, but returned to full operation by June, 2012.[6]
New additions to the property include an ATV program and a 68-foot climbing tower, believed to be the tallest in the country.[7]
Order of the Arrow[edit]
The Pocumtuc Lodge serves nearly 300 arrowmen in the council. It was formed in 2009 by the merger of Allogagan Lodge and Memsochet Lodge, shortly following the merger of the Pioneer Valley Council and Great Trails Council.[8]
See also[edit]
Further eading[edit]
- Lampshire, Edwin; Ellis, Ralph W. (1923). The early history of the Boy Scouts of America in Springfield, Mass. Springfield, Mass. Search this book on
References[edit]
- ↑ "Our Council History". wmascouting.org. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Hook, James; Franck, Dave; Austin, Steve (1982). An Aid to Collecting Selected Council Shoulder Patches with Valuation. Search this book on
- ↑ "Districts | Western Massachusetts Council". wmascouting.org. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ "H. A. Moses Scout Reservation". wmascouting.org. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ "H. A. Moses Reservation History". wmascouting.org. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ DeForge, Jeanette (2012-07-31). "Western Massachusetts Boy Scout camp reopens at Moses Reservation in Russell". masslive.com. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ DeForge, Jeanette (2015-08-23). "WMass Boy Scout camp rebounding after nearly closing". masslive.com. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ↑ "Pocumtuc Lodge". wmascouting.org. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
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