Camp Tahquitz has run on volunteers for 100 years. These are the volunteers.
The Tahquitz Community is Camp Tahquitz’s honor camping society and all-volunteer staff. Founded in 1925 as the Tribe of Tahquitz, it has inducted more than 6,600+ Scouts and Scouters. Their example and mythos have spread far beyond Southern California and shine as a testament to the power of servant leadership, youth led stewardship, and generational endowment.
How They Serve
Run summer camp
Camp Tahquitz’s summer staff is all volunteers, and most of them are members.
Build what’s next
Projects like the centennial Campfire Bowl improvements.
Serve the council
You’ll find us at Camporee, Youth Adventure Festival, Freeze-O-Ree, and countless other activities. The Archon is a voting member of the Long Beach Area Council Board of Directors.
How They Thrive
Up the hill
- Summers on staff with your best friends
- Teach the skills someone once taught you
- A vote on who joins next
Down the hill
- Youth members elect five youth officers to lead
- Year-round events, capped by the Broken Arrow hike
- The Annual Banquet and The Runner
- Fenton Feeney Scholarships for summer camp volunteers headed to college
In their life
- Become an Honorary member after 21 and advise the next generation
- Give back through the Fenton Feeney Scholarship and Camp Development
- One of 6,600+ members selected since 1925
- Leadership you carry into college, career, and family
Who Can Join
The choice is yours, what will you choose…
Stay with the system OR Join us in the Mountains!
To be eligible, a Scout must:
- Be 14, or have finished 8th grade, by December 31st of the year invited. Scouts can be inducted at 13.
- Be First Class or higher in a ScoutsBSA troop (Alternate requirements for Venturing, Sea Scout, Exploring)
- Hold two of these five merit badges: Backpacking · Camping · Cooking · Hiking · Wilderness Survival
- Spend one week at Camp Tahquitz
- Participate in one other week long camping experience
How you’re selected
- Late in your troop’s week at camp, the youth staff and Scoutmasters meet at Tribe Rock.
- They discuss the true honor Scouts in camp, and the youth members vote.
- New members are invited at the Friday night awards campfire.
- Induction follows at Camp Tahquitz over Labor Day weekend.
Dues
$30 a year, or $15 for Neophytes, our junior members. Induction Weekend with dues is $105.
2026–27 Officers
- Archon: Ethan Cochran, Troop 74 & Post 279
- Minor Archon: Sean McDermott, Troop 117
- Envoy: Julian Escobedo, Troop 371
- Mountaineer: Jayden Millares, Troop 724
- Keeper: Bridget Farrelly, Troop 75
Adult leadership: Logan Delp, Advisory Committee Chairman (chairman@tahquitz.org); Jeff Tylicki, Registrar (registration@tahquitz.org); Paul Muehlebach, Business Manager & Webmaster (business@tahquitz.org).
FAQ
What is the Tahquitz Community?
The Tahquitz Community is Camp Tahquitz’s honor camping society and all-volunteer staff, and it serves as an honor society for the Long Beach Area Council. It was founded in 1925 as the Tribe of Tahquitz.
Is the Tahquitz Community the same as the Tribe of Tahquitz?
Yes. Founded in 1925 as the Tribe of Tahquitz, the organization became the Tahquitz Community at its 96th Annual Meeting on December 19, 2020. A 2020 review concluded that parts of the program included elements of cultural appropriation and stereotyping, so members amended the constitution to change the name, purpose, officer titles, and rank titles, and to use gender-neutral wording. The Chief became the Archon, and the Little Chief the Minor Archon. The all-volunteer summer camp staff continues.
What are the requirements to join the Tahquitz Community?
A Scout must be 14, or have finished 8th grade, by December 31 of the year inducted; be First Class or higher in a Scouts BSA troop; and hold two of the Backpacking, Camping, Cooking, Hiking, and Wilderness Survival merit badges. Scouts can be inducted at 13 if they turn 14 by December 31.
How are new members selected?
Late in a troop’s summer camp week, the youth staff and Scoutmasters meet at Tribe Rock and the youth members vote. New members are invited at the Friday night awards campfire and inducted at Camp Tahquitz over Labor Day weekend.
How much are Tahquitz Community dues?
Dues are $30 a year, or $15 for Neophytes. Pay on Tahquitz.org.
What happens when a member turns 21?
Nothing changes on their birthday. At the start of the next Annual Meeting on Labor Day weekend, they become Honorary members and serve as advisers. Honorary members no longer vote or hold office.
Help write the next 100 years
Send summer camp volunteers to college through the Fenton Feeney Scholarship, or help camp grow through Camp Development.
A Century of Service
Past Chiefs & Archons
A century of youth leaders, 1926 to today. Chiefs of the Tribe of Tahquitz through 2020, Archons of the Tahquitz Community since. * Has passed away.
106 leaders
103 years
Randolph Richards
first Chief, 1926
Ethan Cochran
Archon, 2026–27
2020s Archons
- 2026–27 Ethan Cochran
- 2025–26 Benjamin Viveros
- 2024–25 Brandon Cruz
- 2023–24 Grant Zandvliet
- 2022–23 Jacob Millett
- 2021–22 Charlie Benedict
- 2020–21 Jack Jones
2010s Chiefs
- 2019–20 Tyler Lansdell
- 2018–19 Jason Millett
- 2017–18 Derek Delp
- 2016–17 Ben Steidl
- 2015–16 Calvin Belcher
- 2014–15 Luke Higbee
- 2013–14 Matthew Downs
- 2012–13 Sean Gray
- 2011–12 Ryan Long
- 2010–11 Kevin Folkerts
2000s Chiefs
- 2009–10 Anthony J. Nickelatti
- 2008–09 Andrew Chambers
- 2007–08 Timothy Gilleland
- 2006–07 Shawn Long
- 2005–06 Tyler Eisenhower
- 2004–05 Robert Lund
- 2003–04 Thomas L. (TJ) Kendall, Jr.
- 2002–03 Ryan Cochran
- 2001–02 Andy Long
- 2000–01 Joseph Johnson
1990s Chiefs
- 1999–2000 James “Packy” Crowell
- 1998–99 Trevor Crowell
- 1997–98 Keith Dixon
- 1996–97 Ryan Shotwell
- 1995–96 James Russell
- 1994–95 Scott Willis
- 1993–94 David K. Kerns
- 1992–93 Brandon A. Gray
- 1991–92 Johnny Gunde
- 1990–91 Eric Sherman
1980s Chiefs
- 1989–90 Cory Kemp
- 1988–89 Matt Murray
- 1987–88 Eric Johnson
- 1986–87 Marty Killebrew*
- 1985–86 Mark Voykovic
- 1984–85 Scott Fremgen
- 1983–84 Timothy E. Howes*
- 1982–83 Randy Miller
- 1981–82 Jeffery S. Tylicki
- 1980–81 Scott Affre
1970s Chiefs
- 1979–80 Mark Ledbetter
- 1978–79 Michael Dermody
- 1977–78 Paul Sheppard
- 1977 Mike Cox
- 1976–77 John Coveney
- 1975–76 Mike Emling
- 1974–75 Keith S. Molle’
- 1973–74 John Payne
- 1972–73 Pete Alwinson
- 1971–72 Scott Heule
- 1970–71 Rick Van Stralen
1960s Chiefs
- 1969–70 Chris Marks*
- 1968–69 Tom Greene
- 1967–68 Mike Tippetts
- 1966–67 Jim Davy*
- 1965–66 Ron Griffen*
- 1964–65 Robbin Schellhous
- 1963–64 Bill Wenger
- 1962–63 Jim Delong*
- 1961–62 Terry Baker*
- 1960–61 Dick Leevers*
1950s Chiefs
- 1959–60 Jerry Smith
- 1958–59 Roy McBride*
- 1957–58 Gil Walker*
- 1956–57 Jim Byrne*
- 1955–56 Paul Jones*
- 1954–55 Ron Korman
- 1953–54 Tom Herren*
- 1952–53 Dave Short*
- 1951–52 Larry Strom*
- 1950–51 Herman Zittel
1940s Chiefs
- 1949–50 Dick Aschieris*
- 1949 John Thornton
- 1948–49 Steve Ramos*
- 1947–48 Jim Moor*
- 1946–47 Leland Reeve*
- 1946 Dick Shannon*
- 1945–46 Vince Jones*
- 1944–45 Gordon Douglass*
- 1944 Eugene Reid*
- 1943–44 Bob Campbell*
- 1943 John Kortz*
- 1942–43 Allan Taylor*
- 1942 Dan Angell*
- 1941 Spencer Jennison*
- 1940 Charles B. Miller*
1930s Chiefs
- 1939 Oran Lowery*
- 1938 Warren Proctor*
- 1937 Al Schlecht*
- 1936 H. Wilson Albright*
- 1935 Allan Gilliam*
- 1934 Eugene Talbott*
- 1933 Howard Ulrich*
- 1932 Comly Palmer*
- 1931 Idris Owen*
- 1930 Don Randall*
1920s The first Chiefs
- 1929 Charles Wade*
- 1928 Dick Killen*
- 1926 & 1927 Randolph Richards*