Promotion of character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness for boys ages 6 to 18 and young men and women ages 14 to 21.

Description:
Hawk Mountain Council is chartered by the Boy Scouts of America to serve Berks County, Schuylkill County, and part of Carbon County [Panther Valley School District] from its Council Service Center at 5027 Pottsville Pike, Reading, PA 19605. The Council Service Center is open from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, Monday through Friday except on Thursdays from 8:00 AM to 7:00 PM. [Summer hours from Memorial Day until Labor Day are 8:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Monday through Friday except on Thursdays from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM] Hawk Mountain Council serves over 14,000 youth members and over 4,000 leaders.
Cub Scouting has program components for boys in the first through fifth grades (or ages 7, 8, 9, or 10). Members join a Cub Scout pack and are assigned to a den, usually a neighborhood group of six to eight boys. First-grade boys (Tiger Cubs) usually meet twice a month, while Wolf Cub Scouts (second graders), Bear Cub Scouts (third graders), and Webelos Scouts (fourth and fifth graders) usually meet weekly.

Cub Scouting has program components for boys in the first through fifth grades (or ages 7, 8, 9, or 10). Members join a Cub Scout pack and are assigned to a den, usually a neighborhood group of six to eight boys. First-grade boys (Tiger Cubs) usually meet twice a month, while Wolf Cub Scouts (second graders), Bear Cub Scouts (third graders), and Webelos Scouts (fourth and fifth graders) usually meet weekly.

Boy Scouting, one of the membership divisions of the BSA, is available to boys who have earned the Arrow of Light Award or have completed the fifth grade, or who are 11 through 17 years old. The program achieves the BSA's objectives of developing character, citizenship, and personal fitness qualities among youth by focusing on a vigorous program of outdoor activities.

Venturing is a youth development program of the Boy Scouts of America for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years of age. Local community organizations establish a Venturing crew by matching their people and program

Exploring is a worksite-based program. It is part of Learning for Life's career education program for young men and women who are 14 (and have completed the eighth grade) through 20 years old. Explorer posts can specialize in a variety of career skills, including the following: Fire Service, Business, Skilled Trades, Law & Government, Law Enforcement, Health, Communications, Engineering, Science, Aviation, Arts & Humanities, and Social Services.

History:
One of the many assets of the Hawk Mountain Council is its beautiful and serviceable Service Center on the Pottsville Pike in Ontelaunee Township.

In 1957, while he was Scout Executive, James Earley made a call on George W. Krick to talk to him about Scouting. "Mr. Krick was very pleasant and wanted to know what he could do to support Scouting. I told him that one of the things the Council needed badly was an office," Mr. Earley stated.

"He was very interested and asked if his house would be acceptable. I told him that it would be great but we didn't have any money to maintain it", he concluded.

As a result of this visit Mr. Krick not only left his house to the Daniel Boone Council but also established a trust fund, the earnings of which continue to pay for the maintenance and upkeep of this building. The will stipulates that "If the B.S.A. should decide at any time not to use the real estate for purposes outlined, the executors are to sell the real estate at public sale and have the proceeds turned over to my trustees."

In 1961 a beautiful addition was put on the back of the office through the generosity of Newton W. Geiss and a number of other Friends of Scouting. This addition has proved invaluable as a conference room for a wide variety of meetings of volunteer groups and committees and a place for the meetings of the professional staff.

Hawk Mountain Council is very fortunate to have such a beautiful and functional Service Center to serve as a focal point of its Scouting activities.

Contact person: Robert Besecker, Volunteer Manager, (484) 248-0230, (email)
Office fax number: (610) 926-4965

Address:

5027 Pottsville Pike Reading, PA 19605 (See a map)

Web Site: http://www.hawkmountaincouncil.org