SOUTH PLAINS COUNCIL BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA
HISTORY

Written by W. R. Postma

In the fall of 1924 Mr. L. S. Harkey approached K. N. Clapp with the idea of organizing an Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. Mr. Clapp agreed to help and they gathered a group of men together including Sam Henry, Sr. of Lubbock, Marshall Mason of Post, Joe N. Spikes and Dr. J. C. Loveless of Lamesa and made an application for local Council Charter.

The National Council chartered the South Plains Council, Boy Scouts of America in January 1925. The first president of the Council was Mr. Sim O'Neal, Vice-President , Mr. K. N. Clapp and the first Scout Executive was Mr. H. B. Palmer. Mr. Clapp organized a Scout Troop and this Scout Troop was used as an exhibition Troop. The Troop was taken from town to town throughout the area of the Council where they put on demonstrations of Scouting Skills and Camped in the City Square. This troop was followed up a few days later and Troops were organized throughout the Area Council by this procedure.

The first camp of the Council was held in July 1925, 80 miles west of Roswell, New Mexico. The camping spot was at Ruidoso Springs, New Mexico, nearly 300 miles from Lubbock. 142 boys and 34 men camped for 10 days. The trip was made by truck.

The budget for the first year's operation was originally set at $9,000.00 but was finally cut to $6,500.00. The first Council Commissioner was Mr. L. S. Harkey. The first record that can be found of the meeting of the Council's Executive Board was a luncheon held on October 30, 1925 in Lamesa. At this time there were 12 Troops within the Council with a membership of 306 boys.

The first Annual Meeting of the Council was held at O'Donnell, Texas on January 19, 1926, at which time officers were elected for the New Year and a budget of $11,200.00, was adopted.

In the fall, following the first camping trip to Ruidoso Springs, L. S. Harkey, H. B. Palmer, K. N. Clapp, and Marshall Mason toured the entire Council Area looking for a suitable campsite for the Council. None was found to please them and a short time later Marshall Mason called Mr.Clapp and asked him to come to Post because there was a site on the Double U Ranch that they had overlooked; Mr. Harkey, Mr. Clapp and Mr. Mason went out to look at the site and liked what they saw. In conference with Mr. Sam B. Bardwell, Manager of the Post Estate, they made application to the Post Estate for a portion of the ranch as a Camp. Mr. Clapp said they only expected about 160 acres so they asked for 300 acres and after Mr. Bardwell had swapped a piece of tillable land for another canyon. Mr. Bardwell told Mr. Clapp to go on back to Lubbock and write his own ticket on 400.77 acres of land. Mr. Clapp reports that no gift was ever given more graciously to the Council than the land by the Post Estate for the new C. W. Post Memorial Scout Camp. The paper work was completed on the gift of the Camp Property about three months before the summer camp of 1926. Mr. L. S. Harkey made Mr. Clapp the proposition the he would go raise the money to develop the Camp if Mr. Clapp would go build the camp. That's the way it turned out.

The budget of the second year was cut form $11,200.00 to $6,500.00. The outstanding Board Meeting of 1926 was held on April 5th at Texas Tech College as guests of Dr. Paul Horn. The first record I find of completed Training Courses was in May 1926 when 3 training courses in Tahoka, O'Donnell and Lamesa were competed.

The highlight of the year 1926 was the celebration Jubilee at the C.W. Post Memorial Boy Scout Camp where a free dinner was given to all who were present for the Dedicatory Ceremony. Approximately 2000 people were present. The Council, at this time, had a total of 29 Troops and 720 Scouts. The first session of Camp held at C. W. Post Memorial Scout Camp was held in August 1926. In September of the same year the Boy Scouts had their first Exhibits at the South Plains-Panhandle Fair. Seven troops set up Service Units that interested thousands of people into inquiring about Scouting. An interesting side light in September 1926 was the present price of cotton and excessive rains had delayed the collection of all Council Finances at that time. The first Field meets of the Council was held on December 29th and 7 troops from Lubbock attended. Courts of Honor were set up and held in Crosbyton and at Ralls during this month.

1927

In February, Dickens County was added to the South Plains Council. Mr. H. B. Palmer, the first Scout Executive of the Council left in February 1927 and MR. W. B. Knox who came in October followed him. During the interval a school man from Dallas came out and helped the Council during the summer months as their acting Scout Executive by the name of W. B. Yates. Mr. L. S. Harkey was president, during this year and Mr. L. G. H. Williams was the Council Commissioner. Dr. Paul V. Horn, Chairman of the Council Leadership Training Committee, organized the Training Courses for the Council in November. In December the Council President, National Council Committeemen, Scout Executive and several others represented the South Plains Council at it's first Regional Conference in Dallas.

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FOUNDERS OF THE
SOUTH PLAINS COUNCIL 

KENNEDY N. CLAPP 
DR. J. C. LOVELESS 
L. S. HARKEY 
MARSHALL MASON 
SAM A. HENRY 
JOE N. SPIKES 
DR. PAUL V. HORN 
H. B. PALMER 

THE CENTRAL PLAINS
COUNCIL 

In 1922, a second class
council was organized with
an office in Plainview.
Comprised of the following
counties: Briscoe, Castro,
Floyd, Hale, Lamb, Motley
and Swisher. 

1922-1930 ? ? E. L. Roberts 
1931 transferred to Direct
Service - to South Plains
Council in 1936. 

Researched by:
Harry B. Massingill, Jr.,
District Executive - April 1987. 
Revised: 1/91