Upon official incorporation of the Knoxville Council, Dr. Charles H. Gordon, associate state geologist of the University of Tennessee, was elected its president.

Mooney was treasurer, Miss Leah Fletcher, principal of the Rose Avenue school, was the secretary, and Prof. W.J.

An article in the August 28, 1916, edition of The Journal and Tribune reported that the encampment was under the supervision of Commissioner Toms and scouts received instruction in swimming, first-aid, Scoutcraft, and camp hygiene.

A total of over $10,000 was quickly raised and a scout headquarters was established in the Merchant’s National Bank building.

In January 1917, Robert John Charles, director of the boys department of the Norfolk, Va. YMCA, was hired as the Scout Executive for the Knox County Council.

The Council included approximately 225 officially registered Boy Scouts, 10 scoutmasters, and 15 asst.

Their actions won praise locally from the Park City Schools Superintendent J.R. Lowry, as well as from BSA Headquarters in New York.

A classified add in the June 18, 1917, issue of The Journal and Tribune requested property containing 10-50 acres, on a body of water with good swimming facilities, and within 10-12 miles from Knoxville.

While Boy Scouting certainly helped to promote character development and citizenship in the lives of millions of mostly white youth in the decades before World War II, its impact in the black community is much less understood and poorly documented by Scouting historians.

Scouting was implemented in the black community in and around Knoxville with a focus on the establishment and operation of the black Scouting division in the Knoxville Area Council (later renamed the Great Smoky Mountain Council), beginning in the early 1930s.

[10] In 1936, the Knoxville Council leased a patch of property on Norris Lake from the Tennessee Valley Authority.

1994 saw the renovation of Buck Toms with the addition of several buildings, including a dining hall that greatly increased the camp's capacity.

In 2022, the Council completed construction of a third dining hall on the Camp Buck Toms property.

The council's Vice President of Strategic Planning, led a committee of 40+ diverse and seasoned volunteers.

This year-long process culminated at the September 15, 2020, Executive Board meeting and positions the council to provide their programs equitably across the 21 counties we serve in of East Tennessee.

The Order of the Arrow is an organization that is dedicated to cheerful service and brotherhood, and is the honor society of the Boy Scouts of America.

During his time as National Chief, Moser was instrumental in promoting the values of the Order of the Arrow, including service to others and the importance of scouting.

The Lodge has hosted a number of National Order of the Arrow Conferences at the University of Tennessee, including NOACs in 1977, 1992, 2000, and 2022.

These include: Fall and Spring Fellowship, Summer Bash, Winter Banquet, and Conclave The lodge also holds two Ordeals (May and August) to induct elected candidates for membership.