San Gabriel Valley Council

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.

Organization

Camps

Trask Scout Reservation

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. 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, 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. One Hike offered is to the Big Bear Discovery Center. Cougar Crest hike to Bertha Peak gives an amazing view of Big Bear Lake. 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 public camp ground Holcomb Valley Camp Ground.

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. 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, 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. Bonanza and many other western films and TV shows were shot in Holcomb Valley. 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 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. It also offers non-Scouting programs on a year-round basis.

Ta Tanka Lodge

The San Gabriel Valley Council's Order of the Arrow lodge is the Ta Tanka Lodge (#373). In 2016 the Ta Tanka Lodge merged with the Siwinis OA Lodge to form the new lodge: Tuku'ut and the totem is the Saber-Toothed Cat. 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. 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, Packs and Troops . 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. "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.

Ta Tanka Lodge has four local Chapters: