Raritan Council #356
1927 to 1969

Raritan Council was chartered in 1927. In 1969, Raritan Council merged with Middlesex Council #344 to to form Thomas A. Edison Council #352. Later, in 1999, Thomas A. Edison Council merged with the George Washington Council to create the Central New Jersey Council. The Raritan Council office was located on the second floor at 175 Smith Street, Perth Amboy.

Some of the early leaders were:
19?? to 1945: Chief Scout Executive was William H. Watson
1946 to 19??: Chief Scout Executive was William A. Wright
1947:to 1945: Cowaw Camp Director was Michael Shyne
1947:to 1945: Chief of the Order of the Arrow was Lyle VanDorn

Some Scoutmasters from the 1940s:
Carl Gilsdorf Troop 51 Fords, NJ
Arthur H. Fedderson Troop 52 Fords, NJ
Michael "Coach" Sabo Troop 53 Fords, NJ
Joseph Sakmyster Troop 11 Perth Amboy, NJ
John Williamson Troop 15 Perth Amboy, NJ

Some of the troops:
Troop 51 held its meetings in School #7 on Fords Avenue
Troop 52 held its meetings in School #14 on King George Road
Troop 53 held its meetings in Our Lady of Peace Church

Some memories:
Scouting in Raritan Council. Provided by Joe Sakmyster
Troop 51 in Raritan Council. Provided by Clinton Gilsdorf

Order of the Arrow
Cowaw Lodge 9 History
Cowaw Lodge 9 Patches
Links to Camp Cowaw history and patches are listed on the Camping in Thomas A. Edison Council page. TAEC acquired the Camp Cowaw facility as part of the merger of Raritan Council and Middlesex Council.

Council Patches
The history of Raritan Council seen through its patchs. We welcome your help toward completing this collection.

note:
This text was supplied by Jules Sabo. I appreciate his participation and wish there were more information. Do you have some memories of Raritan Council or Thomas A. Edison Council that you would like to share?

Thomas A. Edison Council
Historical Site Home Page
March 1, 2004