| Tidewater Council (#596) | |
| Type: | council |
| Owner: | Boy Scouts of America |
| Headquarters: | Virginia Beach, Virginia |
| Country: | United States |
| F-Date: | 1911 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | President |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council Commissioner |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Scout Executive |
| Chiefscout3: | James Parnell |
| Website: | http://www.tidewaterbsa.com/ |
Tidewater Council is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). It serves the region of southeastern Virginia and north-eastern North Carolina. This region is often referred to as South Hampton Roads or the Tidewater or Tidewater Virginia area; hence the name of the council. Its Order of the Arrow counterpart is the Blue Heron Lodge; which was founded in 1946 when a team from Octoraro Lodge in Pennsylvania inducted the first members of Blue Heron Lodge.[1]
Tidewater Council is divided into four districts:
| District | Area served |
|---|---|
| Bayside | All areas of Virginia Beach north of I-264, and Norfolk excluding Southside Norfolk |
| Princess Anne | All areas of Virginia Beach lying south of I-264 and Knotts Island, NC |
| Three Rivers | All of Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Southside Norfolk |
| Albemarle | Gates, Chowan, Perquimans, Perquimans, Pasquotank, Dare and Currituck (less Knotts Island) Counties, North Carolina |
The Tidewater Council was founded in 1911 as the Norfolk Council, changing its name in 1935 to its current name.[2] In 1916, the Portsmouth Council (#597) was founded, changing its name to the Portsmouth Area Council in 1924. Portsmouth merged with the Norfolk Council in 1930.
| Pipsico Scout Reservation | |
| Type: | campsite |
| Location: | Spring Grove, VA |
| F-Date: | 1958 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | Reservation Director |
| Chiefscout: | Evan Sommerfeld |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Vice President of Camping |
| Chiefscout2: | Wes Parker |
| Website: | http://www.PipsicoBSA.com |
| Portal: | no |
Pipsico Scout Reservation is located in Surry County, Virginia between Surry and Spring Grove on the banks of the James River. Pipsico is subdivided into four camps: Camp Lions, Camp Kiwanis, Camp Rotary and Camp Powhatan.[3]
Pipsico offers year-round Scouting opportunities in one of our four Scout camps as well as a summer camp and high adventure experience during the summer. Summer camp activities include: Scoutcraft, climbing and rappelling tower, shooting sports, aquatics, hiking trails, a 17th-century archaeological dig site and handicrafts. In October 2008, Pipsico celebrated its 50th anniversary and included staff members from 1958 to 2008 as part of the celebration.
The James River Adventure Base at Pipsico Scout Reservation programs include a week-long scuba diving program, a week-long sailing program, and the ultimate experience of a week-long adventure program called PEX.
| Blue Heron Lodge | |
| F-Date: | 1946 |
| Chiefscouttitle: | Council of Chiefs |
| Chiefscout: | Colten Courtwright, David Shepherd, Anwen Sheedy, Jacob W., Will Klunk, Grayson Richardson |
| Chiefscouttitle2: | Council of Chief Advisers |
| Chiefscout2: | Mike Maruska, Noel Falcon, Karen Algier |
| Chiefscouttitle3: | Staff Adviser |
| Chiefscout3: | Wes Sherman |
| Website: | https://www.blueheronlodge.org/ |
| Portal: | no |
Blue Heron Lodge #349 is the local chapter of the Order of the Arrow affiliated with Tidewater Council. In 1946, the council formed an Order of the Arrow lodge when ceremonialists from Octoraro Lodge #22 inducted the first members. In 1947, the totem of a blue heron was selected and the lodge was named Blue Heron Lodge #349.[4]
On October 1st, 2024, Blue Heron Lodge transitioned from the traditional Lodge Chief leadership model to a new Council of Chiefs model. In this new model, the chiefs from each of the lodge's six chapters have equal powers and responsibilities. The Council of Chiefs retain their chapter advisors but also have three Council of Chief Advisor's which replaced the traditional Lodge advisor position.