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The Cherokee Area Council BSA's partnership with Good Shepard Presbyterian Church in Bartlesville has created great growth in scouting locally.

Scout Executive Phillip Wright said Pastor Ray Hickman called the Council during the peak of the coronavirus pandemic midway through the year to see how the church could help out. After an hour long conversation, Wright said they came up with a program called Washington County United.

Good Shepard Presbyterian Church hired a community organizer which allows the Cherokee Area Council BSA to go into Jane Phillips Elementary School. Wright said they saw the Jane Phillips as an area that they needed to help and support more.

Wright said the Cherokee Area Council went from seven to 41 scouts in the Washington County United program thanks to the partnership with Good Shepard Presbyterian Church. He said this would not have been possible without the partnership with the church, the program, and other community organizations that support scouting.

Now they're looking to grow the Scout Pack (scouters from the fifth grade and younger) to a Scout Troop. Wright said they hope to have a Scout Troop for the scouters heading into 2021. He said this is just the beginning of a great partnership with Good Shepard Presbyterian Church that has already given hope to more youth in the Bartlesville area.

If you wish to get your child involved in scouting, you can visit the Cherokee Area Council BSA's offices located at 520 S. Quapaw Avenue in Bartlesville or you can call them at 918.336.9170.