Scouting in South Dakota has a long history, from the 1910s to the present, and serves thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live.
In 1917 the Centerville Council was founded. It folded in 1918. In 1917 the Mitchell Council was founded. It folded in 1920. In 1920 the Yankton Council was founded. It folded in 1924. In 1930 the Black Hills Area Council was founded. In 1920 the Huron Council was founded. It reformed as the Huron Area Council in 1925, changing its name to the Central South Dakota Council in 1928. In 1942 it changed its name to Pheasant Council. In 1925 the Southern South Dakota Council was founded. In 1927 it merged into the Sioux Council. In 1926 the Hiawatha Council was founded. In 1927 it merged into the Sioux Council. In 1925 the Aberdeen Area Council was founded. In 1928 it changed its name to Northern South Dakota Council, changing the name again in 1931 to the Dasota Council. In 1933, the Dasota Council splt, with half of the council going to Central South Dakota and half going to Arrowhead. In 1934 the Arrowhead Council was founded. In 1942 the Pheasant Council was founded. In 1943 Arrowhead merged into Pheasant. In 1927 the Sioux Council was founded.
Recent history (1950-1990)
In 1978, the Pheasant Council merged into the Sioux Council.
There are two Boy Scouts of America local councils serving South Dakota. All of South Dakota lies within Central Region as part of Area C1A
Black Hills Area Council
The Black Hills Area Council was granted a charter by the National Council, Boy Scouts of America in 1930. It serves over 3,700 youth members in Western South Dakota and Eastern Wyoming.
Organization
The Black Hills Area Council has one district, the Rushmore District.
Camps
In 1976 the Black Hills Area Council established Medicine Mountain Scout Ranch, its year-round camping facility which hosts both unit and family groups.
Mid America Council
The Mid-America Council offers programs in 58 counties in Nebraska, Iowa and South Dakota. The Mid-America Council was formed from a merger of the Covered Wagon Council and the Southwest Iowa Council in 1965. The first recorded Scouting in the area was in 1918 as the Omaha Council. In 2000 the council merged with the Prairie Gold Council in Sioux City, Iowa.
Northern Lights Council
The Northern Lights Council serves North Dakota, and counties in South Dakota, northwest Minnesota and northeast Montana.
Sioux Council
Sioux Council serves Scouts in South Dakota, Iowa and Minnesota.
Tetonwana Lodge is the local lodge of the Order of the Arrow for Sioux Council. The Tetonwana Lodge was chartered in 1937 and serves Scouts in the states of South Dakota, Minnesota. and Iowa. On January 1, 1978, Tetonwana Lodge #105 and Iyatonka Lodge #460 merged. This merger was the result of a merger between Sioux Council and Pheasant Council.
Girl Scouts - Dakota Horizons serves 11,000 girls and has 4,100 adult volunteers in North and South Dakota and in thirteen counties in north-western Minnesota and Lyon County, Iowa. The council is divided into four geographic areas and has seven offices. Girl Scouts—Dakota Horizons is headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
History
On July 1, 2007 the three Girl Scout councils of South Dakota and the three in North Dakota merged to form the current council. The councils it replaces are:
