User:Mokgamen/draft

Alameda Council is one of the three smallest Boy Scout councils in the United States, serving youth in the city of Alameda. It was first organized in December 1916, shortly after the organization of BSA councils in Berkeley and Oakland, making it the third oldest BSA council in Northern California. It is one of six BSA councils that serve the San Francisco Bay area.

History
In 1916, a group of community leaders led by Barclay Stephens, approached the Boy Scouts about having a council for their community. This occurred at the same time that the Oakland-Piedmont Council (#021) was chartered. The residents of Alameda felt that they should have their own council separate from Oakland. The council was founded with seven troops.

The council no longer has any camps of its own, having relinquished both camp leases (Camp Stephens in 1971, Camp Cedarbrook in 2005). Given its small size, the council has focused on its youth programs and developing adult leaders. In addition to the Order of the Arrow lodge, the council has a special honor society, the Order of the Solo Hiker, which honors dedicated camp volunteers.

Camps

 * Camp Stephens.  (operated by Alameda Council as a annual summer camp from 1925 to 1971, now Camp Oski operated by the CAA) - Pinecrest Lake  38.18267°N, -120.00371°W
 * Camp Cedarbrook. Camp Cedarbrook was originally a BSA council camp known as Camp Contra Costa when operated by the Contra Costa County Council before its 1930-31 merger with the Berkeley Council.  The Berkeley-Contra Costa Council of BSA sold it to the Alameda Girl Scout Council in 1942, which used it for its summer camps under its council merger with the San Francisco Bay Area Girl Scout Council in 1964.  It was transferred to a local Alameda citizens foundation, Cedarbrook Trustees, who leased it to the Alameda Boy Scout Council from 1971 to 1999 for their summer camp program.  The camp was transferred by Cedarbrook Trustees to the Alameda Boy Scout Foundation, who sold the property in 2005. The camp buildings near Long Barn 38.07445°N, -120.15158°W have sign been removed by the current owners, the Odd Fellows Homeowners Association

Today, all troops in Alameda Council attend other council's summer camps. The council runs an annual Cub Scout day camp and an annual family camp weekend at leased local camp facilities

Order of the Arrow
The Kaweah Lodge was organized by then Scout Executive Harold Arnold, with Ken Hargreaves and Art Pierce, both Camp Stephens staff leaders and Alameda troop leaders, as the initial adult advisers. In July 1947, the first candidates were tapped out and inducted into the Order by members of Yo-Se-Mite Lodge at Camp MacBride (located on the other side of Pinecrest Lake from Camp Stephens). The executive board approved the application for an OA Lodge charter in November 1947, the National OA Lodge issued the first lodge charter in spring 1948, some of the council's troops held their first OA member elections, and the 1948 member candidates were inducted at Camp Stephens.

The Kaweah lodge has been continuously chartered for over 72 years, and has earned several E. Urner Goodman Camping Awards from the National OA Committee, and numerous recognitions from the local OA Section.