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Scouting in Southern Colorado commenced soon
after William D. Boyce, a Chicago businessman who brought Scouting to the United
States from England, established the new program. It was a mail order type of
council, known as a second class council. There was not a local office and all
Scouting items were ordered by mail from the National Office, located then in
New York City.
The Pueblo area had Scouting in early 1914
with the formation of Troop 1. The Scoutmaster was Rev. Arthur W. Hall and the
troop met at the Italian mission at the corner of Mesa and Elm streets. During
the organization process, Troop 2 was organized at the First Methodist Church,
located at 9th and Main Street with Homer C. Thompson as Scoutmaster and Don
Morton as Assistant.
In about the same time-frame, the Trinidad /
Las Animas County/Colorado Council was chartered in May, 1917. Troop 9 of
Trinidad, Colorado, was chartered and Judge J. T. Torres became Scoutmaster. At
about the same time, a troop at Jansen Colorado Public School was organized and
Judge Torres was Scoutmaster of this troop also.
The Pueblo Council was the initial first
class council in the area, chartered on March 3, 1920, with Oscar C. Alverson as
Council Executive and Frank J. Burch as Council President. The total budget of
the new council as ~3,778 and notation was made of a troop at Canon City
sponsored by the Lions Club. This indicates the Pueblo Council was extending
into nearby cities.
The Arkansas Valley Area Council was
reorganized in about 1923 as a first-class council and the "father" of
activity was Dr. R. S. Johnston, Chief Surgeon, Santa Fe Hospital who received
the Scouting "spirit" from Dr. Menninger of Topeka, Kansas. The
council's operating funds came mostly from Dr. Johnston, and he served many
offices in the council as well as later in the Rocky Mountain Council.
May 17, 1927, the Spanish Peaks Council
resulted from the combined mergers of the Las Animas County Council and the
Arkansas Valley Council. The new council covered the counties of Otero, Bent,
Prowers, Baca, Huerfano, Las Animas, and later, Costilla, Alamosa, Rio Grande,
and Conejos. The council camp was located south of Monument Lake near Whiskey
Creek and was named Camp San Isabel. J. F. "Buck" Burshears, founder
of the Koshare Indian Dancers, remembers going to the camp with Troop 4, La
Junta, supposedly as a Scout. Since there was no adult leadership, he became
Scoutmaster in charge.
Early in 1929, Roland E. Stimson was called
as Scout Executive to Trinidad. The council had maintained membership but had
financial difficulties and was about $5,000 in debt. When Mr. Stimson arrived,
there was no money in the bank to pay his salary, moving expenses, travel
expenses, or office administration and he tendered his resignation, but the
Executive Board would not accept it.
The Rocky Mountain Council was formed
September 1, 1928 bringing the area of Pueblo County westward together and
included the counties of Archuleta, Gunnison, Chaffee, Custer, Delta, Delores,
Hinsdale, La Plata, Mesa, Montezuma, Montrose, Ouray, Sagauache, San Miguel, San
Juan, Fremont, Lake and Mineral and the southern half of Park. The council
covered 43,000 square miles. Thomas J. Downen was President and Board Members
included William V. Codding, H. E. French, John D. Price, Frank J. Burch, Grey
H.
Holt, Evarts C. Fox, and Earl M. Kouns.
In 1932, the Spanish Peaks Council merged
with the Rocky Mountain Council creating an area of 55,730 square miles (35
counties). Roland Stimson became field executive under William C. Souder but
left after one year and Souder had to serve the entire area with only a
secretary in the office which was located in room 4 of the Pueblo County
Courthouse. In 1942, the westernmost counties withdrew and formed the present
day Western Colorado Council.
The council territory has remained virtually
the same since that time. Thomas Downen served the council from 1920 to 1958 in
many positions. He willed $10,000 from his estate at the death of his wife,
Eileen, in 1959. Funds from this estate were used in various ways such as the
purchase of the San Isabel Scout Ranch, which opened in 1965. In 2003, San
Isabel Scout Ranch received a significant upgrade to the camp infrastructure,
and plans for further improvement are under active development. Programs at San
Isabel Scout Ranch include aquatics, ecology, first-year camper, handicraft,
mountain biking, outdoor skills, shooting sports, and a new outpost camping
program started in 2008.
The High
Adventure Whitewater program (River Assault Group), inaugurated on
1976, operated out of the Freeman back yard in Salida for the first
few years; then, thanks to support from
the Packard Foundation, property on a lease arrangement with Salida resulted
in the Packard High Adventure Base. In 2007, the lease for the base was
terminated and new property was acquired to continue the program.
The new Rocky Mountain High Adventure Base (RMHAB) opened in 2008,
thanks to the untiring efforts of Dave Taliaferro and Steve Best
plus a host of hard working volunteers. RMHAB programs have expanded
to include whitewater rafting, rock climbing, high altitude
backpacking, mountain biking, and high lake fishing.
The present council office, the "Estes
Scout Service Center", is located at 411 South Pueblo Boulevard. The
building and land were the result of a generous endowment from Vernon Estes Jr.
and are owned by the Rocky Mountain Council, Inc., with the land having been
deeded to the council by the City of Pueblo in December, 1995.
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