Connecticut Yankee Council has a rich history, with roots back to the earliest days of Scouting in the United States, and to the pioneers of our program. On this page are a few links to this history.
Connecticut has had its fair share of Boy Scout councils since 1910, with a total of forty. Connecticut Yankee Council was formed in 1998 through the merger of Quinnipiac Council and Fairfield County Council. The origins of these two Councils are illustrative of Connecticut’s great Scouting history of the earlier councils. Learn more.
See this listing of the Key 3 for Connecticut Yankee Council since inception in 1998.
Read our history in old editions of the Scouter newsletter, available from 1968 through 1993, starting with Mauwehu Council and then Fairfield County Council. If you have old editions of the Scouter sitting in your attic or under your bed, please share them with us, to add to our electronic archive. We would also like to add historical newsletters from Quinnipiac Council. Learn more.
With roots back to 1927, Camp Sequassen is our premier summer camp. Learn more. Also, learn about the origins of the Chi Sigma Society.
Chief of the Quinnipiac indian tribe in the 1600s, namesake of Camp Sequassen. Learn more.
Named after John Sherman Hoyt, one of the founders of the Boy Scouts of America. View the Hoyt deed here. Also location of the General Carter Training Cabin.
Another Council camp, with a long history. Learn more.
One of the origins of Connecticut Yankee Council. Learn more.
US Code, Title 36, Chapter 2. From June 15, 1916. Learn more.
Over 100 years ago, three famous men of the day formed the Boy Scouts of America, and a fourth man helped BSA grow from its infancy. Learn more.
Origins of Owaneco Lodge from 1998. Learn More.
Origins of Owaneco Lodge from 1944. Learn More.
Chi Sigma and Arcoon Lodge History. Learn More.
A listing of KNOWN Wood Badge courses which relate to our Council, either by location or Course Director. Learn more.
Our neighbor, in Greenwich Council, named after another founder of the Boy Scouts, Ernest Thompson Seton. Learn more.
From the National Eagle Scout Association (NESA). Learn More.
Scouting’s pre-eminent artists. Learn more here. And here.
The merger took place in 1998 forming the modern day Connecticut Yankee Council, between the Hamden based Quinnipiac Council (#74) and Fairfield County Council (# 68). Quinnipiac Quinnipiac CouncilCouncil can trace its roots to the earliest council in the state, the New Haven Council (#74), founded in 1913. In 1921 the council name was modified to New Haven Area Council, and in 1929 the council name was changed yet again to Southern New Haven County Council, while still being based in New Haven. New Haven’s hosting duties ended in 1935 when the council changed its name to located in Hamden. With the motto “Cherish the Wide Earth” the council continued operations in Hamden until the 1998 merger. During its run as Quinnipiac Council, it also picked up another council in 1978, Meriden based Central Connecticut Council. This council started in 1915 as Meriden Council # 71 and kept that name until 1929 when the council became known as the Central Connecticut Council # 71.
Stamford Council #078, headquartered in Stamford. An article in the Stamford Advocate, 1941 Tercentenary Edition, stated that on March 22, 1912, the city’s first Boy Scout Troop was being formed at the St. John’s Episcopal Church, Troop 5. By 1918, unofficial Wolf Cub packs appeared in Stamford. As with most early Boy Scout Councils, they usually formed after local organizations started organizing scout troops. Local citizens met on March 23, 1917, to discuss Scouting in both Stamford and Darien. In June, their application to the Boy Scouts of America was accepted and the Stamford Council was born. The council opened its first camp on property in Long Ridge during the summer of 1920. In 1922, the council camp, now named Camp Toquam was located in Hunting Ridge on Holly’s Pond and moved two years later to Lake Mamanasco in Ridgefield. The council incorporated on March 6, 1924. During 1926 and 1927, plans were developed to buy property for a larger camp ground. A new Camp Toquam opened its 1928 season on the Shores of Dog Pond in Goshen. In 1937, Alfred W. Dater died. Dater was council president from the first day and was instrumental in the organization of Boy Scouts in Stamford. On December 2, 1938, the Stamford Council was renamed in his honor as the Alfred W. Dater Council. See above for more information and history on the Dater Council.
Mauwehu Council published Volume 1 Number 1 of the Scouter on October 1, 1968. After the consolidation of the Councils, Fairfield County Council published Volume 1 Number 1 of the Scouter on September 1, 1972. Long time Scouter John O’Hern has an extensive collection of earlier Scouter Newsletters that he generously loaned to the Council for research. Newsletters from 1986 through 1993 are from the Council archives. Thanks to Karen Caiati for her perservation work.
Read about our history; see what Units participated in District and Council events. Remember names from our past. If anyone has missing editions of the Scouter, we’d like to borrow them and post them here.
Special thanks to Rob M from Troop 66 in Easton for locating the missing 09/01/1972 edition of the Scouter Newsletter in his Troop’s archives (11/11/2009).