Joint Boy Scout / Girl Scout Camps – Camp Tulakes, C.I.E.C.
For those of us who collect camp patches, we know that many camp properties were used by other groups, often the Girl Scouts (although I doubt at the same time π ). We recently received the auction flyer for the California Inland Empire Council, BSA for this fall. It includes a wonderful example of this – Camp Tulakes.
This camp first started in the 1930s and was owned by Old Baldy Council. They sold it to Grayback Council in 1955. Grayback Council eventually merged into California Inland Empire Council in 1973. (From The Camp Book by Minnihan and Sherman).
We often get patches in where we know the name was used as a Boy Scout camp but the patch itself either “just isn’t right” or actually has the logo for another program. Conversely we’ve got patches in, often on merit badge sashes, but its not a Boy Scout camp. Many of these are or were YMCA camps that obviously the boy went to, probably with his troop, and thus put it on his sash.
In the CIEC auction they have the rest of this series of patches which clearly show Camp Tulakes was also used as a Girl Scout camp.
Actually, it was used by two different Girl Scout councils (or maybe it was like the Boy Scouts and the councils merged.)
on December 7th, 2012 at 6:40 am
I was a boy scout and attended Camp Tulakes two summers in a row about 1945/46. There was a girl scout camp about a mile away, but I dont think they called their camp “Tulakes” at the time.
on December 7th, 2012 at 8:10 pm
[…] years ago I blogged about the now California Inland Empire Council Camp Tulakes. A Scouter shared recently some of his memories of that camp and Scouting in CA from the 1940s. […]
on February 22nd, 2015 at 10:29 am
I spent a week at Camp Tulakes as a Girl Scout in the summer of 1959.
on November 13th, 2015 at 4:33 pm
I was on camp staff at tulakes from 1969 to 1975. with Louis flores, bill willis, randy chapman, dave Sherrod, mike weins,bob bishoff, jerrymagnuson, mike macintosh, steve miller, phil miller, ken jeske hired me and I was lucky enough to repay the favor and he worked for my calendar stores in malls, and I spoke at his funeral. besttimes in my life spent up there. I was conservation director mostly. led nature hikes, named plants n birds and astronomy at night. did cremation of sam magee at campfire I am an eagle scout from troop 13 Yucaipa. order of the arrow and had the privalige to work with pop Nye.
on November 13th, 2015 at 5:42 pm
Wonderful piece of history. Any pictures you could share?
on March 21st, 2016 at 10:56 pm
I have a 1972 Girl Scout calendar that says, “Canal Zone Girl Scout Council.” There are no pictures in it. On Nov. 3 it says, “Panama Independence Day Schools Closed.” Is there an organization that collects this sort of memorabilia?
on March 22nd, 2016 at 2:12 pm
Jodi,
There is limited collecting interest in something like that but you might check with a local Girl Scout council. Most have museums/displays in their council office and they might like something like what you have.
on December 15th, 2018 at 8:38 pm
I was on staff at Camp Tulakes 1964-1970, and was there during Girl Scout Camp 1965-1966. I served as Nature Director, Bugler, Program Director and Camp Commissioner. Loved my summers there.
on May 1st, 2020 at 2:34 am
I went to Camp Tulakes for three years, 1969-71, and I remember a bunch of the names that Keith Almind named. I recall that Bob Otis worked the mess hall and we referred to the rolled oats breakfast as βOtis meal.β I went with Troop 16 based at the First Baptist Church in Redlands.
on December 17th, 2020 at 10:18 pm
I have wonderful memories of Camp Tulakes, I was there 1957-1967
on September 20th, 2023 at 3:30 pm
Anyone remember 1960, 1961, or 1962 2 week Tulakes GS camp. Two years before no rain, so NO water in lakes for water sports. Two weeks there nothing but rain. Bored Karens wept. Some of learned archery. HikeD. Framed beds above the mud, and no front flap on 3 person tents. Alot of bored wet girls.
Nowadays our parents would have gotten our money back.