The Rip Van Winkle Council of the Boy Scouts of America serves the youth of Ulster and Greene counties in the state of New York. The Rip Van Winkle Council is headquartered in Kingston, New York. Camp Tri-Mount, the council’s camp, is a 500-acre camp located in East Jewett, New York.

Rip Van Winkle Council, Boy Scouts of America

The Boy Scouts of America, now known as Scouting America, was founded in 1910 with a purpose “to teach patriotism, courage, self-reliance, and kindred values.” It remains one of the largest youth organizations in the United States.

The Kingston Council (#405) of the Boy Scouts of America was founded in 1916, changing its name to the Ulster County Council (#405) in 1919 as the organization continued to grow. The Greene County Council (#766) was founded in 1926. In 1930 the Ulster County Council (#405) and the Greene County Council (#766) merged to form the Ulster-Greene Council (#405). In March 1950, the Ulster-Greene Council changed its name to the Rip Van Winkle Council (#405).

Within the current Rip Van Winkle Council, there are two districts. One is the Algonquin District, which is comprised of Ulster County with the exception of the town of Saugerties. The second is the Mohican District, which is comprised of Greene County plus the town of Saugerties.

By 1919, only three years after its founding, the local council had 283 active scouts in 10 different troops. There were approximately 400,000 members of the Boy Scouts of America in the United States at that time.

The Council Shoulder Patch (CSP) was first introduced by the Boy Scouts of America as official uniform insignia in early 1970s. They are worn on the top of your shirt sleeve to identify your local council. The Jamboree Shoulder Patch (JSP) is a special patch produced by local councils for its members attending a National or World Jamboree.

Each council has its own custom design for its patches that relate to the community in which it operates. Many of the historic patches for the Rip Van Winkle Council feature the beloved Rip Van Winkle character who, according to the story written by Washington Irving, lived in the Catskill Mountains. Rip can be seen on several council patches in the rugged Catskill Mountains in a variety of scenes, including sleeping on the ground, holding his trusty rifle or standing outside his simple home.

Rip Van Winkle Council, NY

Rip Van Winkle Council, National Scout Jamboree

Rip Van Winkle Council, B. S. A.

In 2025, it was announced on the council website that the Rip Van Winkle Council would merge with the Twin Rivers Council, and operate under the name of Twin Rivers Council. The Rip Van Winkle Council would become the Rip Van Winkle District. The Twin Rivers Council is based in Albany, New York and would serve, after the merger, 15 counties in northeastern New York.

For more information about the Rip Van Winkle Council, visit their website at www.rvwbsa.org.