Associated Press Published

Boy Scouts OK Merger of Two W.Va.-Based Councils

Boy Scouts sit under pipe at 2013 Scout Jamboree

  A merger of two West Virginia-based Boy Scouts of America councils has received the national organization’s approval.

The merger combines the Charleston-based Buckskin Council and the Huntington-based Tri-State Area Council. The new council serves about 7,000 scouts in 32 counties in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and Ohio.

Jeff Purdy with the Buckskin Council tells the Charleston Gazette that national Boy Scout leaders approved the merger on July 1. He says the new council will retain the Buckskin Council name.

Purdy says the merger will provide more opportunities for scouts, including