Suffolk, Nassau Scouting councils merge, consolidating membership, fundraising and volunteer efforts

Long Island’s two Scouting councils have merged, culminating a nearly two-year effort Wednesday to consolidate following leadership changes and pandemic-era membership challenges.

The Theodore Roosevelt Council of Nassau County and the Suffolk County Council, each of which provided Long Island youths with outdoor programs and camping facilities separately for more than 100 years, consolidated as Scouting America Long Island in May, said Michael Malloy, Scouting America Long Island's president. An official announcement, along with the unveiling of a new logo and website, is scheduled for noon Wednesday at the Doucette Scout Leadership Center in Massapequa, Scouting America Long Island's headquarters.

Scouting America Long Island will combine programs and expand Scout access to three camp properties in Suffolk and Sullivan counties. For instance, Nassau County Scouts will be able to attend Cub Scout Day Camp in Baiting Hollow next week, an opportunity not previously available to them. And Suffolk Scouts will be able to attend summer camp in Livingston Manor, formerly run by the Theodore Roosevelt council.

Access to those properties will provide year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure, leadership development and personal growth, according to Scouting America Long Island CEO Christopher Coscia. Last year, more than 10,000 youths participated in Long Island Scouting programs alongside 4,200 adult volunteers.

"We certainly realized that by doing this, we would be creating an even stronger organization that would provide even greater opportunities for the young people of Long Island, the families we serve and the volunteers that give their time," Coscia, formerly the CEO of the Theodore Roosevelt Council, said in an interview with Newsday.

Merger discussions initially began after the retirement of the Suffolk County Council's CEO in November 2024. Malloy, the former president of the Theodore Roosevelt Council, said that when Scout executives change, it’s customary to ask that council if it would consider merging with neighboring councils. The Suffolk CEO's retirement prompted further discussions and the creation of what Matthew Bollerman, Scouting America Long Island's council commissioner, described as an exploratory team.

"Throughout this whole discussion that we had, we all agreed in the very beginning that we had to do what was best for the youth, for those scouters on Long Island ... and every decision we made, we kind of went back to that," Malloy said.

Bollerman, who served as the commissioner for the Suffolk County Council, said the merger eliminates competition between councils and ensures fundraising is consolidated so Scouting remains a vital part of youth lives. Although the two councils had collaborated on different initiatives and programs before the merger, he said, those are now easier to schedule and implement. Volunteer resources also can be used better to reach more adults.

"Right now, we can schedule things that make sense for one whole group, one big geographic region, where before we might have been in competition because we weren’t paying attention as closely to each other’s schedules," Bollerman said.

Scouting America Long Island said in a statement to Newsday that the coronavirus pandemic’s effects on the councils continue to be felt. Registered membership in the two councils' core programs declined by half over the past 10 years, with the pandemic causing a drop in youth recruitment of over 5,000 Scouts and the closing of 50 Cub Scout packs.

"Over the past few years, our membership has been more stable," the statement said. "The merger will allow us to shift significant resources from administrative costs to recruitment efforts."

Coscia said both organizations were in good financial condition before the move and that the merger will allow for greater efficiency.

"Bringing our two premier Scout councils together really makes us one of the top ... councils in the nation," Coscia said. "We’ll be serving more than 10,000 youth, we’ll have 4,000 volunteers ... so the organization will be stronger."