Seneca Waterways Council

Seneca Waterways Council (SWC) is a local council of the Boy Scouts of America that serves youth in Ontario, Wayne, Seneca, Yates, and Monroe Counties in Western New York. The current Council President is Lew Heisman. The current Council Scout Executive is Stephen Hoitt.

Seneca Waterways Council (#397)
OwnerBoy Scouts of America
Headquarters2320 Brighton-Henrietta Town Line Road, Rochester, New York
CountryUnited States
Founded2009
Website
www.senecawaterways.org

Organization

The council is divided into eight administrative districts, each of which serves one or more towns:

  • Bay Waters District — Serving northeastern Monroe County (towns of Irondequoit, Penfield, and Webster)
  • Black Creek District — Serving southwestern Monroe County (towns of Chili, Churchville, Gates, Henrietta, Scottsville, Riga, Rush, and Wheatland)
  • Genesee Crossroads District —Serving central Monroe County (city of Rochester)
  • Lighthouse District — Serving northwestern Monroe County (towns of Clarkson, Greece, Hamlin, Ogden, Parma and Sweden)
  • Mohawk District — Serving all of Yates and Seneca Counties and the eastern halves of Ontario and Wayne Counties (towns of Clifton Springs, Clyde, Dresden, Dundee, Geneva, Gorham, Lyons, Newark, North Rose, Ovid, Penn Yan, Phelps, Romulus, Rose, Rushville, Savannah, Seneca Falls, Sodus, Waterloo, and Wolcott)
  • Seneca District — Serving the western halves of Ontario and Wayne Counties (towns of Bloomfield, Canandaigua, Farmington, Gananda, Honeoye, Macedon, Manchester, Marion, Naples, Ontario, Palmyra, Shortsville, Victor, and Williamson)
  • Towpath District — Serving southeastern Monroe County (towns of Brighton, East Rochester, Fairport, Honeoye Falls, Mendon, and Pittsford)
  • Turning Point District — Serving the Rochester City School District (after school Scouting program)

History

Seneca Waterways Council was founded in 2009 after the merger of The Finger Lakes Council and Otetiana Council, both in Western New York.[1]

The Finger Lakes Council served the Finger Lakes Region of New York. At the time of the merger with the Otetiana Council the council service center was located in Geneva, New York and it was operating Camp Babcock–Hovey in Ovid, New York.

The Otetiana Council served the Greater Rochester area. At the time of the merger with the Finger Lakes Council the council service center was located in Downtown Rochester, New York and it was operating the Massawepie Scout Camps in the Adirondack Park as well as Camp Cutler in Naples, New York.

The Seneca Waterways Council Scouting Historical Society has a collection of memorabilia relating to the history of Scouting in the Seneca Waterways Council. Exhibits are displayed at the council service center near the entrance to the Scout shop and are changed bi-monthly. The society meets the third or fourth Tuesday of each month at 7:00 pm, visitors are welcome.

Camps

Some of the historical camps maintained by Seneca Waterways Council's predecessors included Camp Otetiana (Canandaigua Lake, 1918–1926); Camp Tarion (Canandaigua Lake, 1925–1933); Camp Pioneer (Seneca Lake, 1927–1938); Camp Three Lakes (Lake Ontario/Durand-Eastman Park 1931–1939); Camp Arrowhead (Sandy Harbor/Hamlin, 1933–1937); Camp Archibald (Point Breeze/Carlton, 1938–1942); Camp EONAC (Cranberry Lake/Wanakena, 1938–1949); Brown Camp (Wolcott, 1938–?); Camp J. Warren Cutler (Lake Ontario/Webster, 1939–1962); Camp Eagle Island (Lake Ontario/Sodus Bay, 1943–1951); Camp Muller (Naples, ?–?); and Horn Farm Camp (1947–?).[2]

Seneca Waterways Council maintains three year-round camps: J. Warren Cutler Scout Reservation in Naples, New York (1963–), The Massawepie Scout Camps in Piercefield, (Adirondack Park) New York (1952–) and Camp Babcock-Hovey in Ovid, New York (1937–).

Camp Babcock-Hovey

Camp Babcock-Hovey is the premier Boy Scout camp in the Finger Lakes Region. Camp Babcock-Hovey sits on the east shore of Seneca Lake and spans 283 acres (1.15 km2) of woodlands and fields. Babcock-Hovey accommodates every type of camper and meets all ability levels. The camp is fully handicap accessible; because of this it is the site of the annual Rotary Camp Onseyawa summer camp. The camp has a lakeside waterfront, hiking trails and 10 campsites equipped with tent platforms and lean-tos. In 2007 a gravel road was put in from the entrance to the Dining Hall and in 2008 a new Science and Tech Building was built to promote Science and Technology for 14- to 18-year-olds.[2] In 2010 Pooler's Pond was added for Cub Scout fishing and boating. In 2017 an ATV safety program was added, in partnership with Honda and the ATV Safety Institute, for summer and off season use by individual 14 and older. They have a very active alumni association. [3]

J. Warren Cutler Scout Reservation

The J. Warren Cutler Scout Reservation, also known as Camp Cutler, is a 1,200-acre (4.9 km2) camp located in the heart of the Finger Lakes Region of western New York State. It is named after Joseph Warren Cutler (1857–1934), a prominent Rochester businessman who ran the Cutler Manufacturing Company with his brother James Goold Cutler (1848–1927). Joseph Cutler was an avid supporter of Scouting and served as the treasurer of the Rochester Council. After the younger Cutler's death, his widow, Mrs. Amy Jenkins Cutler (1874–1958), donated their family summer home on Lake Road in Webster, New York, to form part of the original Camp Cutler, which was dedicated in 1939. Chief Scout Executive James E. West was present for the event. In the early 1960s Monroe County purchased the property along with additional acreage that had been obtained by the council and added the property to Webster Park. During the same time, negotiations began with the Keenan family to purchase their lands for a new camp. An agreement was reached and the first portion of the new camp was purchased in January 1962. Five years later, in 1966, a dedication ceremony was held. The new Camp J. Warren Cutler has been in continual operation since that time.

Camp Cutler is a year-round facility. The camp offers many camping opportunities for Scouts. Campsites range from primitive to rustic sites with lean-tos, to buildings with wood-burning stoves, winterized buildings, training centers with kitchen equipment that can support large groups, and the theme buildings that house the Cub Scout Adventure Camp.

The camp is staffed by professional forest rangers, assisted on week-ends by BSA volunteers known as "Camp Masters".

The Cub Scout Adventure Camp, also known as "CSAC," was dedicated in 1993 and operates at Camp Cutler in July and August. Cub Scout Adventure Camp is a three-day, two night Cub Scout summer camp based on five adventure themes: the ships of the High Seas, a fort of the old west, a castle of medieval times, a mountain man encampment and a Native American village.

Massawepie Scout Camps
Massawepie Lake

Massawepie Scout Camps (the MSC) is a Boy Scout reservation, owned by Seneca Waterways Council, situated around Massawepie Lake in St. Lawrence County of New York. Otetiana Council purchased the Massawepie property in 1951, and opened the first summer camp in 1952. The area is divided into 4 camps: Mountaineer, Pioneer, Forester, and Voyager. As of 2016 only Pioneer is in use as an active campground (With campsites from Voyager incorporated into Pioneer); Camp Mountaineer is in use for ancillary activities. The size of the entire reservation is approximately 5,000 acres (2,000 ha). The reservation includes all of Massawepie Lake and nine other freshwater ponds (Catamount, Long, Round, Horseshoe, Boot Tree, Deer, Town Line, Pine and Lost). The camp is one of the largest Boy Scout reservations in the Northeastern United States, and attracts visiting Boy Scout troops from throughout the region and the country, including California, and New Jersey.

Massawepie means "the beaver's lake" in Iroquois.[4]

Tschipey Achtu Lodge

The Order of the Arrow is represented by Tschipey Achtu Lodge. The lodge was formed in 2010 by a merger of Ty-Ohni Lodge, founded in 1936, and Ganeodiyo Lodge, founded in 1949. Tschipey Achtu means Ghost Deer. The Lodge membership voted to use the official name Tschipey Achtu Lodge No. 397, but the ability to use 397 as a lodge number is under some debate, and Tschipey Achtu is operating without a lodge number.

See also

References
  1. "History".
  2. Cunningham, Robert (September 8, 2009). Along the Trail of Otetiana. Otetiana Council Scouting Historical Society. ASIN B005D2ZU82.
  3. "Babcock-Hovey Alumni Association". Babcock-Hovey Alumni Association.
  4. "September 2019 - CANOEING, KAYAKING & SUP". Adirondack Sports.
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