OA Section List: Eastern Region Updates

1993 - 2021

1973 - 1992

1949 - 1972

1938 - 1948

Mergers and Changes:

The Mountaineer Area and Ohio River Valley councils recently announced they will merge to create one council. The new council will operate under the Mountaineer Area Council name with the headquarters located in Wheeling, WV. "Leaders anticipate formally recognizing and chartering the combined Council by the national Scouting America organization over the coming months, based on the approval of the West Virginia Secretary of State." Special thanks to Bro. Andrew Kosmowski for forwarding this.
Effective: pending
Reference: "Two Major Scouting Councils To Merge," The Intelligencer Wheeling-News-Register, 10/12/2024

Rip Van Winkle to merge by May 2025:

Update: Rip Van Winkle Council will be issued a Transitional Charter that expires May 2025. They will have to decide on a merger before then, but it is too soon to speculate on which one(s):

"Based on a recent conversation with the leadership of [Council Service Territory] #10, it is official, the Rip Van Winkle Council will be issued a TRANSITIONAL CHARTER for June 2024 to May 2025. This decision has been reviewed and approved by the National Key 3 of the Boy Scouts of America. This decision is final, there is no appeal for this decision.
This decision means the Rip Van Winkle Council needs establish a plan to merge with another nearby council or councils.
Anticipating this outcome, our Executive Board had started to organize a volunteer committee to consider and plan our transition. The Transition committee will be looking into various analytics for each of the councils being considered. Those analytics may include:
The Transition committee has been tasked with selecting the best council for us to merge with in order to continue to meet the needs of our youth."
David Gagnon, Council President, Elise Anderson, Council Commissioner, and Dana Kuhns, Scout Executive/CEO

Letter from Rip Van Winkle Council, 5/29/2024

Update: Since then, the council has balanced their budget, paid off all of their debt, increased their youth membership and increased the number of units compared to the prior year.

"For all we have gone through in the last four years, we have weathered the storm. We have been resilient. Call it pluck. Call it motivation or drive. It is that part of each of us the refuses to quit. It’s that part that is continuing to provide a quality Scouting program to the youth of Ulster and Greene Counties.

At this point, I am not sure what the future of the Rip Van Winkle Council holds. What I do know is that we should not quit. Delivery of the Scouting program is too important for the youth of Ulster and Greene Counties."
Dana E. Kuhns
Scout Executive/CEO

Reference: Council's March 2024 newsletter
- "During a meeting last month with the National Service Territory #10 (the state of NY) leadership, we were informed the Council would be receiving a Conditional Charter for the upcoming year. The territory cited concerns about our Council’s sustainability. They cited specifically the declining membership of the Council for the last few years.
  
  Last month, at our monthly Executive Board meeting, the Council Key 3 signed a document that gave the Rip Van Winkle Council a Conditional Charter for the year 2023 to 2024. It also outlined the expectations the Council is to meet in order to maintain that Conditional Charter.
  If we do not meet the expectations of the Conditional Charter, the Council will be forced to begin a plan to merge with another Council."
  References: Council's October 2023 newsletter

Shenshawpotoo #276 and Guneukitschik #317 have merged to form Onerahtokha #297. The name means April in the Mohawk language, and is pronounced honor-ah-toe-kah. Its totem is the fisher, a member of the weasel family (Mustelidae). The number, 297, is the result of both numbers being combined, divided in half, and rounded up. This also keeps the legacy of 2 for Shenshawpotoo, 7 for Guneukitschik, and 9 symbolizing their combination. As Shenshawpotoo and Guneukitschik where scheduled to co-host the 2025 E9 Conclave, Onerahtokha Lodge will now host the event.
Effective: July 16, 2024
Reference: AJ Kelly, E9 Associate Section Adviser, and Onerahtokha Lodge Chief's Letter Merger Announcement

Five Rivers Council recently announced that they will be merging with Western New York Council to form Great Falls Council. "It will continue to operate Scout service centers in Cheektowaga, Elmira, and Oakfield, as well as Camp Gorton, Camp Scouthaven, and Camp Sam Wood." This will be exactly 18 months after Western New York was formed from the merger of Iroquois Trail and Greater Niagara Frontier councils. Special thanks to Bro. Andrew Kosmowski for forwarding this.
Effective: Nov 1, 2024
Reference: Five Rivers Council and Western NY Council to Merge, and Five Rivers Council and Western NY Council Merger Update.

Section Changes:

At the conclusion of it's conclave on Aug 18th, Section E16 will be dissolved, with Ohkwaliha·Ká 34 and Otahnagon 172 being transferred to Section E15, while Ajapeu 351 and Kittan 364 being transferred to Section E20.
Effective: Aug. 18, 2024
Reference: Realignment Memo: Sections E15, E16, and E20 for August 2024. Special thanks to AJ Kelly, E9 Associate Section Adviser, for notifying me of this change.

Old E16

E15

E20

Ohkwaliha·Ká 34 (to E15)

Otahnagon 172 (to E15)

Ajapeu 351 (to E20)

Kittan 364 (to E20)

TKäen DōD 30

Tschipey Achtu [95]

Erie Canal 159

Lowanne Nimat 219

Ohkwaliha·Ká 34 (from E15)

Otahnagon 172 (from E16)

Tschitani 10

Half Moon 28

Pocumtuc [83]

Owaneco 313

Paugassett 553

Ajapeu 351 (from E16)

Kittan 364 (from E16)

Wyona 18 and Woapeu Sisilija 343 will be transferred to from E14 to E11, while E12 and the remainder of E14 will be merged into an as yet unnamed section.
Effective: after the June 2025 conclaves
Reference: Realignment Memo: Sections E11, E12, and E14 for June 2025. Special thanks to AJ Kelly, E9 Associate Section Adviser, for notifying me of this change.

Old E12

Old E14

Wagion 6 (to new E?)

Allohak Menewi 57 (to new E?)

Monaken 103 (to new E?)

Kuskitannee 168 (to new E?)

Langundowi 46 (to new E?)

Ah'Tic 139 (to new E?)

Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont 165 (to new E?)

Gyantwachia 255 (to new E?)

Wyona 18 (to E11)

Woapeu Sisilija 343 (to E11)

new section (name pending)

Wagion 6 (from E12)

Allohak Menewi 57 (from E12)

Monaken 103 (from E12)

Kuskitannee 168 (from E12)

Langundowi 46 (from E14)

Ah'Tic 139 (from E14)

Ho-Nan-Ne-Ho-Ont 165 (from E14)

Gyantwachia 255 (from E14)

New E11

Kittatinny 5

Sasquesahanough 11

Octoraro 22

Wunita Gokhos 39

Wyona 18 (from E14)

Woapeu Sisilija 343 (from E14)

This change will reunite the lodge brothers of the old Section NE-5.