Scouting in Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Council (Spanish: Concilio de Puerto Rico) was founded in 1927[1] as the Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands Council, part of the Northeast Region of the Boy Scouts of America. The Virgin Islands District was separated into a new Virgin Islands Council in 1965.[2] Thousands of youth and volunteers participate in four programs, Cub Scouting, Scouts BSA, Venturing and Sea Scouting, with the mission of preparing youth to make correct choices ethically and morally for their future by learning the Scout Law and Scout Promise. According to a statistics report by Scouting Magazine, Puerto Rico had 189 Scouts reach Eagle Scouts in 2016 and 128 in 2017.[3]

Troop 55 from Mayagüez, Puerto Rico

The Puerto Rico Council is divided into six districts, all named based on the Taíno name of each of the districts' base area:

• Arasibo District, based in Arecibo, covers the northern and central area of Puerto Rico, from Quebradillas to Vega Baja.
• Borikén District, based in Caguas, covers the eastern area of Puerto Rico, from Aibonito to Ceiba.
• Caribe District, based in Ponce, covers the southern area of Puerto Rico from Yauco to Patillas.
• Guaitiao District, based in San Juan, covers the northeastern area of Puerto Rico, from Guaynabo to Luquillo.
• Majagua District, based in Bayamón covers the north-northeastern area of Puerto Rico from Vega Alta to Bayamón.[4]
• Yagüeka District, based in Mayagüez, covers the western area of Puerto Rico, from Isabela to Sabana Grande.

Puerto Rico is one of the few councils of the Boy Scouts of America organization that uses Spanish as its main language for all programs, including the Scout Promise and Law.

English: On my honor, I will do my best, to do my duty, to God and my country, and to obey the Scout Law, to help other people at all times, to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.

Spanish: Por mi honor, prometo hacer todo lo posible, para cumplir con mis deberes para con Dios y mi patria, obedecer la Ley del escucha, ayudar a mis semejantes en toda ocasión, mantenerme físicamente fuerte, mentalmente alerta y moralmente recto.

A Scout is: – Un Escucha es:

• Trustworthy – Honrado
• Loyal – Leal
• Helpful – Servicial
• Friendly – Amigable
• Courteous – Cortés
• Kind – Bondadoso
• Obedient – Obediente
• Cheerful – Alegre
• Thrifty – Ahorrativo
• Brave – Valiente
• Clean – Limpio
• Reverent – Reverente

Guajataka Scout Reservation or Camp Guajataka, often simply referred to as Guajataka and nicknamed Santuario de Amistad (English: Sanctuary of Friendship), is the Puerto Rico Council's only scout camp reservation.[5] The camp is located at the northwest part of the island in San Sebastián and partially borders the southern portion of Guajataca Lake, from which the camp takes part of its name.[6][7][8]

Yokahu Lodge 506 is the Order of the Arrow Lodge of the Puerto Rico Council, founded in 1954 by Luis Matías Ferrer and Dr. Frank H. Wadsworth.[9]

Caribe Girl Scout Council
Map of Caribe Girl Scout Council and its campsites
Owner	Girl Scouts of the USA
Headquarters	San Juan, Puerto Rico
Location	All 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico, including Vieques and Culebra
Country	United States
Founded	1926 (1926)
Executive Director	Ness Marie Tollinche
Website cgspr.org

Girl Scouting in Puerto Rico is administered by the Caribe Girl Scout Council of the Girl Scouts of the USA. It is headquartered in San Juan. The first troop was formed in 1926 in Cabo Rojo by Elisa Colberg.

The Council owns Camp Elisa Colberg, established in 1948,[10] in Rio Grande, Camp María Emilia in Añasco and Camp Provi Biaggi in Ponce.[11] The Spanish translation of Girl Scout is Niña Escucha but it is also widely understood and used in English in Puerto Rico.

The council's newsletter is called Niña Escucha.

Girl Scouts earn a uniquely designed badge created by the council called Los Faros de Puerto Rico (The Lighthouses of Puerto Rico).

In 2006, painter Moisés Fragela donated one of his paintings entitled Quedo en Nada (Left in Nothing) to the Caribe Council[12] which was sold in auction for funding part of the renovations and improvements towards the council's campsites.[12]

In 2017, shortly after Hurricane Maria, 2,000 new members joined the Caribe Council.[13]