SARASOTA COUNTY COUNCIL 1928 to 1933 (Sarasota)
rejoined SARASOTA COUNCIL 1933
separated from SUNNY LAND COUNCIL 1928
Seven years after the creation of Sarasota County by the Florida Legislature, several leading businessmen created Sarasota County Council, separating from Sunny Land Council in Bradenton. With the support of a Region 6 representative that had visited the area, the committee determined that an entity separate from the council in Bradenton would better serve the youth of the Sarasota area. The first charter was issued April 1, 1928, with the support of the executive from Sunny Land Council. By 1930, the council had been ranked 17th nationally, based on member recruitment, retention, and ranks earned (Tenderfoot, First Class) statistics. In 1931, the council was ranked first over 600 councils for the previous year. Despite these accomplishments, the council was almost always financially unstable. Council executive Russell Woodfin publicly announced his resignation in September 1930, due to the lack of community support, as well as the failure to pay his salary. The council refused to accept his resignation, and caught up with the back payments. But by 1933, the council became insolvent again, and after the conclusion of summer camp, Sarasota Council was merged back into Sunny Land.
CAMP TONKAWA 1928 to 1933
The first camp program for Sarasota Council was held in June 1928, at a site owned by Louis Combs, located on Philipi Creek, east of the Tamiami Trail Bridge. The name taken for the summer program was "Camp Tonkawa", which was also used for its new location beginning in 1929. Camp was open for three two-week periods in the first year, for Scouts and non-Scouts. For 1929 and 1930, Camp Tonkawa was held at a property located nine miles south of the town of Siesta Key, at the winter home of Frank R Hyne of Michigan. In 1931, a permanent location was secured, eleven acres at another location at the southern end of Siesta Key, bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on the west, and the bay on the east. The location was described in a local newspaper as "formerly the Navanod estate." The original agreement was a lease, and an obligation to complete the purchase by July 19, 1931. The Sarasota Kiwanis Club provided the funding to purchase the property on behalf of the council, including a donation of $3,000 from circus magnate Samuel Gumpertz. The tract was held under a trust account administered by "The Trust Company of Sarasota", and other youth and civic groups could use the property. Large contingents of Cuban Scouts camped for a few weeks at Tonkawa in 1930 and 1931, as part of tours of southwest Florida. The opening of camp in 1932 was not a forgone conclusion, due to the financial issues of the council. In 1933, camp was open for only two weeks before it was closed for long-term camping.