Three Harbors Council, BSA
330 South 84th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53214-1468
414-774-1776
www.ThreeHarborsScouting.org
     

UPDATE ~ The Scout Heritage Museum is now open on Friday's from 1 -4 pm and on Saturday's from 10 am - 2 pm.  

Scout Heritage Museum

 
Three Harbors Council's Milwaukee office is the home of the Scout Heritage Museum. The museum was organized in July of 1975 with a mission to collect, repair, preserve, and prepare for exhibit Scouting items of historical value and interest. Today, the museum houses items from both Three Harbors legacy councils in one of the finest collections of historic Scouting memorabilia in the United States.

Cub Scout Advancement and Boy Scout Merit Badges. The Scout Heritage Museum provides a number of opportunities for Cub Scouts to fulfill rank requirements.

Cubs can learn about two Scouts who were astronauts.  They can view collections of knives, axes and uniforms and games.  A knot tying board displays most common knots including the bowline and square knot.

Boy Scouts working on Collections or Scouting Heritage Merit Badges can view an extensive collection of Scouting items including handbooks, uniforms, patches and Jamboree flags.  The display of Lord Baden-Powell, Gilwell Park and related items should be of special interest.  Museum guides can share their own experiences as Scouts and adult leaders.


Earn Merit Badges through the Scouting Heritage Museum

  • Are you interested in the Scouting Heritage Merit Badge or the Collections Merit Badge?
  • Three Harbors Council Scout Heritage Museum can help you get there.
  • Any one of the volunteer staff can help you with a portion of either merit badge. Simply coming to the museum covers a requirement.

Current Exhibit Update

A Brief History of Sea Scouts

Sea Scouting in America was founded in 1912. That year, Arthur A. Carey of Waltham, Massachusetts, had Sea Scouts using the schooner Pioneer and was appointed Chairman of the National Council Committee on Sea Scouting.

By 1930 the membership had reached 8,043 young men. In the 1930’s, with the cooperation of other departments in the national office of the Boy Scouts of America, Carey developed training courses for leaders, new registration procedures, and more acceptable Sea Scout equipment and uniforms.

With a membership of more than 27,000, Sea Scouting served its country well in World War II.  Thousands upon thousands of former and active Sea Scouts joined the Navy and made a tremendous impression on Admiral Chester Nimitz, who sincerely believed that Sea Scouts were better trained and better equipped to help the Navy win out over the enemy and the elements.

In May 1949, the National Executive Board made sweeping changes in the older-boy program, as a result of a study made by the Research Service of the Boy Scouts of America. This revision of Senior Scouting recognized as Explorers all young men who were 14 years of age or older and registered with the Boy Scouts of America.

So, on September 1, 1949, the Sea Scouts officially became Sea Explorers. This was primarily a change in terminology since the old Sea Scout program continued much the same is it had in the past.

In 1998, the Boy Scouts of America reorganized the Exploring program into the Learning for Life Exploring program and the new Venturing Division. Sea Exploring was placed in the Venturing Division and was renamed Sea Scouts.

The move is a “significant milestone for Sea Scouts, BSA,” according to a release from the National Sea Scout Support Committee. The change provides “Sea Scouting with access to the full range of attention and support at the National Council and throughout the BSA organization.”

Sea Scouting is a coed program for those 13–21 years of age, designed to teach leadership and responsibility through a boating program. While it has changed over the years, it continues to uphold the traditions of the sea under the auspices of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA).

Sea Scouting includes a rigorous advancement program that leads our youth through the skills necessary to be a very competent sailor and mature leader. In fact, recipients of the Quartermaster Award, Sea Scouting’s highest rank, can qualify for a higher entry enlisted rank and pay scale if they later join the U.S. Navy or U.S. Coast Guard. The Quartermaster rank is equivalent to the Boy Scout’s Eagle Scout rank but is less well known due to the smaller number of Sea Scout Ships in existence.


Trade-O-Ree

The Scout Heritage Museum invites you to the 43rd Annual Trade-O-Ree, Saturday, November 4, 2023 from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. at the Milwaukee Scout Service Center, 330 South 84th Street, Milwaukee. This event makes a great field trip for packs and troops. See thousands of Scout memorabilia, artifacts and collector items. Admission is FREE!
 


The official 40th Anniversary Scout Heritage Museum Trade-O-Ree patch


Northwoods Camps
Commemorative Patches

 
Beginning February 1, 2016, sets of the final LeFeber Northwoods Camps and Robert S. Lyle Scout Reservation patches will be available at the Kenosha and Milwaukee Scout Service Centers. The price for the two-patch set will be $10.00 with a limit of no more than three sets per person. The sale of these patches will benefit the Scout Heritage Museum.   

 


LeFeber Camp Staff Paddles

 
A new addition to the museum is a display of LeFeber Northwoods Camps Staff canoe paddles. Each paddle has the names of the staff for a particular year. These staffers helped generations of Scouts earn merit badges, experience nature and build lasting friendships all in the northwoods of Wisconsin. The paddles are hanging from the ceiling...You have to look up!
 

Museum Tours


The Scout Heritage Museum is managed and staffed by a group of dedicated volunteers who can provide you and your unit with a guided tour, as well as answer your questions if you just want to stop in for a few minutes during your visit to the Milwaukee Scout Service Center or the National Scout Shop. Posted museum hours are Friday's from 1 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. and on Saturday's from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. The museum is closed on Saturday's from June through August. Since volunteers staff the museum it is best to call ahead.  Please contact Marianne Mikush Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at (414) 443-2870 or by clicking here. Tours are free.

Museum Committee Membership


If you have an interest and want to learn about joining the museum's volunteer team, please contact Marianne Mikush at (414) 443-2870 or by clicking here.
 

Advancements Available

By visiting the Museum and speaking to one of our staff the following can be earned: 
 
Cub Scout Advancements

Tigers: Tigers: Sky is the Limit 

  • Find out about 2 astronauts who were Scouts
  • James Lovell display 
  • Tiger Tales
  • Visit a historical museum

Wolfs: Collections and Hobbies

  • Visit a museum that displays different collections or models 

Bears: 

  • Bear claws 
  • Knife Safety -Knife display 

Webelos:

  • Scouting Adventure -Tie a square knot, 2 half inches 
  • Art Explosion -Visit an art museum -Ben Hunt tie slides 
  • Looking Back, Looking Forward -Create a record of the history of Scouting 

 

Boy Scout Advancements

Scouting Heritage Merit Badge:  1, 2b, 3, 4c, 5,  8 partial
Collections Merit Badge: 

Three Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America  I  330 South 84th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214-1468

414.774.1776