The Perfect Partner
A Match To Benefit All
Blue Ridge Council, meet your next door neighbor - the Palmetto Council. Serving Spartanburg, Cherokee, Union, York, Chester, and Lancaster Counties, they have more youth than the Blue Ridge Council and cover the balance of the Upstate of South Carolina and a portion of the Midlands, headquartered in downtown Spartanburg.
Youth Membership Comparison as of July 1st, 2026:
2,465 (Palmetto Council) and 2,440 (Blue Ridge Council)
103 units (Palmetto Council) and 123 (Blue Ridge Counicl)
This metric indicates larger average unit size within the Palmetto Council, which can lead to units that are more stable and less likely to collapse
The Blue Ridge Council lost 8% of their units compared to the Palmetto Council’s 4% rate compared to the same time in 2025
1.8% market share (Palmetto Council) and 1.4% (Blue Ridge Council)
National’s minimum market share is 2%, indicating that the Blue Ridge Council is well below this threshold, with the Palmetto Council much closer to the minimum requirement for all Councils.
65% retention rate (Palmetto Council) and 59% (Blue Ridge Council)
National’s retention goal is 70%
Facilities Overview and Comparisons
The Palmetto Council operates:
Council office located in downtown Spartanburg, SC
Glendale Outdoor Leadership School (GOLS) in Spartanburg which offers camping, STEM, kayaking, rock climbing
Camp Conley Clarke covering 450 acres in Cherokee County, SC
Formerly operated as Camp Bob Hardin, this 250 acre property in Saluda, NC was irreparably damaged by flash flooding in 2018. The property is for sale for $4.5 million at this listing
The Blue Ridge Council operates:
Council office of nearly located in Mauldin, SC along I-385
Camp Old Indian and Camp White Pines in northern Greenville County covering nearly 550 acres and offering all types of camping and outdoor activities
Camp Arrowhead near Iva, South Carolina, this 25 acre lakefront property is excellent for unit camping and aquatics activities
Permanent Employee Comparison
The Palmetto Council operates serves more scouts than the Blue Ridge Council with seven full-time employees according to their website.
One Scout Executive and one Assistant Scout Executive
One Marketing Coordinator
One Program Specialist
Two District Executives
One Office Manager
The Blue Ridge Council serves fewer scouts than the Palmetto Council, yet has four more employees than the Palmetto Council with 11 full-time employees according to their website.
One Scout Executive (vacant position) and one Assistant Scout Executive
One Membership/Marketing Coordinator
One Development Director
Three District Executives
One District Associate
One Camp Ranger
One Registrar/Program Assistant
One Finance Assistant
