View source for Scouting in Illinois

{{short description|none}} <!-- "none" is preferred when the title is sufficiently descriptive; see [[WP:SDNONE]] -->
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Scouting in Illinois 
|image=File:Ida B. Wells Cubs.png
|caption=A meeting of the Cub Scouts in the community center of the [[Ida B. Wells Homes]] in Chicago
|image2= File:Girl Scouts Eagle Watching on the Mississippi at the National Great Rivers Museum.jpg
|caption2= Girl Scouts eagle watching on the Mississippi River at the {{ill|National Great Rivers Museum |qid=Q113406977}}

}}

'''Scouting in Illinois''' has served youth since 1909. The state was the home of the [[Boy Scouts of America]] (BSA) founder, [[William D. Boyce]].

==Early history (1910 – 1950)==
In 1946, the National Order of the Arrow Lodge Meeting was held at [[Rantoul, Illinois|Chanute Field]].

==Recent history (1950 – Present)==
[[File:Camp Joy Sign.JPG|thumb|Sign at the entrance to Camp Joy]]
The 1963 and 1971 [[List of Order of the Arrow national events|National Order of the Arrow Conferences]] were held at the [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]].

In 2007, Lincoln Trails Council ran a [[Boy Scouts of America|Scoutreach]] program in inner city areas.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Wells |first=Valerie |date=2007-07-21 |title=Inner-city youths scout new ways to enjoy life through outreach program |url=http://www.herald-review.com/articles/2007/07/22/news/local_news/1025142.txt |access-date=2007-07-23 |publisher=Herald & Review}}</ref> Boys are offered constructive, fun activities and learn about scouting.

The Lewis and Clark Council was formed from the 2009 merger of Okaw Valley Council (OVC) and Trails West Council (TWC). The Lewis & Clark council had its headquarters in Belleville, Illinois. The council owned four camps: Camp Joy in [[Carlyle, Illinois]], Camp Sunnen in [[Potosi, Missouri]], Camp Warren Levis in [[Godfrey, Illinois]], and Camp Vandeventer in [[Waterloo, Illinois]]. There were six districts in the Lewis & Clark Council: the Illini District, Black Gold District, Kaskaskia District, Cahokia Mounds District, Piasa Bird District, and St. Clair District. Okaw Valley Council and the Trails West Council merged in 2009 to create the Lewis & Clark Council.

The two councils from which Lewis & Clark was formed were themselves the product of mergers. The Trails West Council was founded in 1991 when the Piasa Bird Council and the Cahokia Mounds Council joined. The Okaw Valley Council was somewhat older at the time of the merger; it was formed in 1965 following the consolidation of the Kaskaskia Council and the Mississippi Valley Council.

In April 2014, the following councils announced that they would merge:
* Calumet Council
* Chicago Area Council
* Des Plaines Valley Council
* Northwest Suburban Council
The merged council was named the Pathway to Adventure Council.

In September 2016 the Lewis and Clark Council voted to merge with the [[Greater St. Louis Area Council]], effective January 1, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mueller |first=Angela |date=September 29, 2016 |title=St. Louis, Metro East Boy Scouts councils to merge |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/news/2016/09/29/st-louis-metro-east-boy-scouts-councils-to-merge.html |access-date=November 11, 2017 |website=St. Louis Business Journal}}</ref>

The Lincoln Trails Council had its headquarters in [[Decatur, Illinois]], and was served by Woapink Lodge #167 (founded in 1955). The council merged into the Greater Saint Louis Area Council on January 1, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-09-27 |title=ST. LOUIS AND DECATUR, ILLINOIS BOY SCOUT COUNCILS APPROVE MERGER |url=https://stlbsa.org/blog/2018/09/27/st-louis-and-decatur-illinois-boy-scout-councils-approve-merger/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180928044202/https://stlbsa.org/blog/2018/09/27/st-louis-and-decatur-illinois-boy-scout-councils-approve-merger/ |archive-date=28 September 2018 |website=stlbsa.org}}</ref>

==Boy Scouts of America Today==
[[File:Illinois BSA Councils.png|thumbnail|BSA Councils serving Illinois circa 2018]]
There are 14 [[Boy Scouts of America]] (BSA) local councils in [[Illinois]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=13 July 2022 |title=US National Service Territories |url=https://www.scouting.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/US-National-Service-Territories-July2022.jpg |access-date=15 January 2024 |website=scouting.org}}</ref>

==Councils==

===Abraham Lincoln Council===
'''Abraham Lincoln Council''' is headquartered in Springfield, Illinois and serves central [[Illinois]]. It operates Camp Bunn in [[Hettick, Illinois]], Camp Illinek in [[Springfield, Illinois]] and is served by the Illinek Order of the Arrow Lodge #132.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-04-06 |title=Illinek Lodge – Order of the Arrow |url=https://www.illineklodge.org/ |access-date=2024-01-15 |language=en-US}}</ref>

The three districts in the council are:
* '''Honest Abe District''' (serving Cass, Morgan, Scott & northern half of Green Counties)
* '''Lincoln Home District''' (serving Sangamon & Menard Counties)
* '''Log Cabin / Railsplitter District''' (serving Montgomery and the western 3/4 of Christian County & the northern half of Macoupin County)

The [[U.S. Scouting Service Project]] maintains the ScoutCamp.org website which provides general information and a place for leader comments on the two camps operated by the Abraham Lincoln Council at Camp Bunn and Camp Illinek.

===Blackhawk Area Council===
'''Blackhawk Area Council''' is headquartered in [[Rockford, Illinois]] and serves southwestern [[Wisconsin]] and northwestern [[Illinois]].  It operates Canyon Camp, located between [[Stockton, Illinois|Stockton]] and [[Apple River, Illinois]], and Camp Lowden near [[Oregon, Illinois]], and is served by [[Order of the Arrow|Wulapeju Lodge #140]]. The Council was formed by the merging of the U.S. Grant Council in the west and Blackhawk Council in the east portion of what is now the Blackhawk Area Council. Formerly, the two councils each had one camp. The council also owns a cabin in [[Mount Carroll, Illinois]]. The word Wulapeju (one spirit) refers to the merger of the Ma-ka-tai-me-she-kia-kiak (Chief Blackhawk's name) Lodge and Wetassa Lodge #227 as part of the council merger.
* Pioneer District (merge of Arrowhead and Wetassa Districts in 2022)
* Sycamore District
* Wanchanagi District
* White Eagle District

===Buffalo Trace Council===
{{Main article|Scouting in Indiana}}
'''Buffalo Trace Council''' is based in [[Evansville, Indiana]] that serves southwestern [[Indiana]] and southeastern [[Illinois]].  Its affiliated Order of the Arrow lodge is Kiondaga Lodge.

===Glacier's Edge Council===
{{Main article|Scouting in Wisconsin}}
'''Sinnissippi Council''' served Scouts in [[Wisconsin]] and Illinois, before it merged with '''Four Lakes Council'''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Sinnissippicsp |url=http://www.thecouncilguide.com/Sinnissippicsp.htm |access-date=2024-01-15 |website=www.thecouncilguide.com}}</ref> It is now called '''Glacier's Edge Council''' and is headquartered in [[Madison, Wisconsin]].

===Greater Saint Louis Area Council===
{{Main article|Greater St. Louis Area Council}}
The '''Greater Saint Louis Area Council''' is headquartered in [[Saint Louis, Missouri]], and serves almost 70,000 Scouts in the Saint Louis metro area, southeast Missouri, southern Illinois,  central Illinois, and eastern Illinois. The Greater Saint Louis Area Council merged with the Lewis and Clark Council in January 2017 and the Lincoln Trails Council in January 2019.

===Illowa Council===
{{Main|Scouting in Iowa}}

The '''Illowa Council''' serves Scouts in western [[Illinois]] and eastern Iowa in the [[Quad Cities]] area. Konepaka Ketiwa Lodge #38 (part of Section C-3A) is the Order of the Arrow lodge that serves this council.

* Hoover District
* Inali District
* Kittan District
* Mesquakie District
* Saukenuk District

=== Lincoln Heritage Council ===
{{Main article|Scouting in Kentucky}}

'''Lincoln Heritage Council''' serves Scouts in [[Kentucky]], [[Indiana]], Illinois (Hardin, Massac, and Pope counties), and [[Tennessee]].

===Mississippi Valley Council===
{{Main article|Mississippi Valley Council}}
'''Mississippi Valley Council''', headquartered in [[Quincy, Illinois]], is served by Black Hawk Lodge 67. This council serves Scouts in [[Illinois]], [[Missouri]], and [[Iowa]] with two camps, Camp Saukenauk and Camp Eastman. The council merged in 1993 with the Saukee Area Council and the Southeastern Iowa Council.

===Northeast Illinois Council===
{{Main article|Northeast Illinois Council}}
'''Northeast Illinois Council''' has its headquarters in [[Vernon Hills, Illinois]]. It runs Camp Sol R. Crown in [[Trevor, Wisconsin]], Camp Oakarro near [[Wadsworth, Illinois]], and Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation near [[Pearson, Wisconsin]]. The council is served by Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Lodge #40.

The Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation is located in northern Wisconsin and serves the Scouts of the Northeast Illinois Council based in [[Vernon Hills, Illinois]]. Originally a logging camp, the scouts purchased the land and first had campers in 1929. The {{convert|1560|acre|km2|0}} camp serves over 2,300 scouts each summer. Scouts attending Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan have the opportunity to work on merit badges, attend programs, and boat, swim, or fish on [[Lake Killian]]. Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan also operates a nationally accredited high adventure base that offers units 11 trek opportunities. Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan, as of 2014, had a perfect BSA accreditation rating.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan website |url=http://www.makajawan.com/ |access-date=May 23, 2014 |publisher=NEIC}}</ref>

Northeast Illinois Council is composed of three districts:
* Aptakisic District
* North Star District
* Potawatomi District

In addition, the council's Order of the Arrow lodge is split into three chapters with the same boundaries as its districts:
* Yakwahay Chapter (North Star)
* Namachani Chapter (Potawatomi)
* Aptakisic Chapter (Aptakisic)

===Pathway to Adventure Council===
{{Main article|Pathway to Adventure Council}}
[[File:Chicago BSA Councils.png|thumbnail|BSA Councils serving the Chicago area in early 2014]]
'''Pathway to Adventure Council''' is headquartered in [[Chicago, Illinois]].
On January 1, 2015 the Chicago Area Council, Des Plaines Valley Council, Northwest Suburban Council, and Calumet Council merged.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Better Stronger Scouting |url=http://www.pathwaytoadventure.org}}</ref> Each of the predecessor councils have been reorganized as "Communities" with each maintaining their service centers as well as event and training schedules.

====Camps====
The council operates two camps: Camp Frank S. Betz in [[Berrien Springs, Michigan]], and [[Owasippe Scout Reservation]] in [[Twin Lake, Michigan]].

===Prairielands Council===
{{Main article|Prairielands Council}}
'''Prairielands Council''' serves Scouts in east central Illinois and western Indiana.

===Rainbow Council===
'''Rainbow Council''' is headquartered in [[Lockport, Illinois]]. It serves communities in Will, Grundy, and Kankakee counties. Rainbow Council operates Rainbow Scout Reservation (RSR) near Morris, Illinois. This over 600-acre property hosts year-round camping, including Scouts BSA and Cub Scout resident camping. RSR runs a Scouts BSA summer camp and Cub Scout resident camps each summer. Programs at RSR include a camper program, expanded programs for older scouts, and over 50 merit badges.

The council used to own and operated Camp Theakiki(sold 2023) near [[Kankakee, Illinois]].  

Rainbow Council is served by Waupecan Lodge #197.<ref name="Waupecan">{{Cite web |title=Waupecan Lodge #197 |url=http://www.oa197.org}}</ref>

* Ishkote District (South I 80)<ref name="districts" />
* Waapi Lenaswa District (North I 80)<ref name="districts">{{Cite web |title=Districts |url=http://www.rainbowcouncil.org/about/districts |website=Rainbow Council}}</ref>

===Three Fires Council===
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Three Fires Council
|image=
|type=council
|owner=[[Boy Scouts of America]]
|location=[[St. Charles, Illinois]]
|country=United States
|coords=
|f-date=
|defunct=
|founders=
|founder=
|members=
|chiefscouttitle=President
|chiefscout=Brian W. Caputo Ph.D.
|chiefscouttitle2=Council Commissioner
|chiefscout2= David George
|chiefscouttitle3=Scout Executive
|chiefscout3=Ron Wentzell
|website= {{url |http://www.threefirescouncil.org}}
}}
{{Main article|Three Fires Council}}Three Fires Council is located in [[St. Charles, Illinois]]. In 1992, it was formed from the merger of Two Rivers Council and DuPage Area Council (named for [[DuPage County]]); it was briefly called "Two Rivers-DuPage Area Council." Its council service center is located in [[St. Charles, Illinois]]. Three Fires operates Camp Big Timber near Elgin, Illinois, and Scout Shops in St. Charles, Illinois, and [[Naperville, Illinois]]. The council is divided into 3 districts based on location.

==== Organization ====

*Chippewa District
*Ottawa District
*Potawatomi District

===W. D. Boyce Council===
{{main article|W. D. Boyce Council}}
The W. D. Boyce Council serves youth in central Illinois, from Lincoln to Ottawa, and Peoria to Bloomington.

==Girl Scouting in Illinois==
There are five councils based in Illinois, though a small part of northern [[Winnebago County, Illinois|Winnebago County]] is served by [[Scouting in Wisconsin#Girl Scouts of Wisconsin - Badgerland Council|Girl Scouts of Wisconsin - Badgerland Council]]

===Girl Scouts of Central Illinois===
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Girl Scouts of Central Illinois
|image=
|type=council
|owner=[[GSUSA]]
|headquarters=[[Springfield, Illinois]]
|location=
|country=United States
|coords=
|f-date=
|defunct=
|founders=
|founder=
|members=
|chiefscouttitle=Chief Executive Officer
|chiefscout=Pam Kovacevich
|chiefscouttitle2=Board Chair
|chiefscout2=Debra Wozniak
|website= {{url |http://www.getyourgirlpower.org}}
}}

Girl Scouts of Central Illinois serves over 20,000 girls and has nearly 5,000 adult volunteers.

It was formed by the merger of Girl Scouts of Centrillio Council, Girl Scouts-Kickapoo Council, Girl Scouts of Two Rivers Council, Shemamo Girl Scout Council of Illinois, Girl Scouts, Land of Lincoln Council, and Girl Scouts of Green Meadows Council.

Regions:
* Bloomington covers Livingston, Logan and McLean counties
* Champaign covers Champaign, Douglas, Ford, Iroquois, and Vermillion counties
* Decatur covers Christian, DeWitt, Macon, Moultries, Piatt, and Shelby counties
* Peoria covers Marshall, Peoria, Stark, Tazewell, and Woodford counties
* Quincy covers Adams, Brown, Pike, and Schulyer counties
* Springfield covers Cass, Greene, Macoupin, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Sangamon, and Scott counties
* Macomb covers Fulton, Hancock, and McDonough counties
* Peru covers Bureau, LaSalle, and Putnam counties

===Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois===
<!---Website uses "&" but Illinois and Iowa secretaries of state show it registered with "and". If title is changed, please fix the redirect to this section--->
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois
|image=
|type=council
|owner=[[GSUSA]]
|headquarters=[[Rock Island, Illinois]]
|location=
|country=United States
|coords=
|f-date=
|defunct=
|founders=
|founder=
|members=
|chiefscouttitle=Chief Executive Officer
|chiefscout=Diane Nelson
|chiefscouttitle2=Board Chair
|chiefscout2=Teresa Colgan
|website= {{url | http://girlscoutstoday.org}}
}}
Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois serves 20,000 girls and has 5,000 adult volunteers in Eastern Iowa and Rock Island, Mercer, Henderson, Warren, Knox, Henry, and Jo Daviess counties in Illinois.

Formed by the merger of Girl Scouts of Conestoga Council, Girl Scouts Little Butt Council, Girl Scouts of the Mississippi Valley, and Girl Scouts of Shining Trail Council.

===Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana===
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana
|image=
|type=council
|owner=[[GSUSA]]
|headquarters=[[Chicago, Illinois]]
|location=
|country=United States
|coords=
|f-date=
|defunct=
|founders=
|founder=
|members=
|chiefscouttitle=Chief Executive Officer
|chiefscout=Nancy Wright
|chiefscouttitle2=President of the Board
|chiefscout2=Karen Layng
|website= {{url | http://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org}}
}}
Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana serves more than 55,000 girls and 21,000 adult volunteers.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2015 Annual Report, Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana |url=http://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/content/dam/girlscouts-girlscoutsgcnwi/documents/FY15_annual_report_web.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160808235753/http://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/content/dam/girlscouts-girlscoutsgcnwi/documents/FY15_annual_report_web.pdf |archive-date=2016-08-08 |url-status=live}}</ref>  It is the largest Girl Scout council by membership in the United States. It includes Cook, DuPage, Grundy, Kankakee, Lake and Will counties in Illinois and Jasper, Lake, Newton, and Porter counties in Indiana.

It was formed by the merger of Girl Scouts of the Calumet Council Indiana, Girl Scouts of Chicago, Drifting Dunes Girl Scout Council, Girl Scouts of DuPage County Council, Girl Scouts&nbsp;— Illinois Crossroads Council, Girl Scouts&nbsp;— Prairie Winds, Girl Scouts of South Cook County, and Girl Scouts of Trailways Council on July 1, 2008.

===Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois===
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois
|image=
|type=council
|owner=[[GSUSA]]
|headquarters=
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|country=United States
|coords=
|f-date=
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|chiefscouttitle=Chief Executive Officer
|chiefscout=Fiona Cummings
|chiefscouttitle2=Board Chair
|chiefscout2=Lisa Normoyle
|website= {{url | http://www.girlscoutsni.org}}
}}
Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois was formed on October 1, 2009 from a merger of Fox Valley, Rock River Valley, Green Hills, and Sybaquay councils. The council serves Kane, Kendall, McHenry, DeKalb, Boone, Winnebago, Stephenson, Ogle, Lee, Jo Daviess, Carroll and Whiteside counties.

===Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois===
{{Infobox WorldScouting
|name=Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois
|image=
|type=council
|owner=[[GSUSA]]
|headquarters=[[Glen Carbon, Illinois]]
|location=
|country=United States
|coords=
|f-date=
|defunct=
|founders=
|founder=
|members=
|chiefscouttitle=Chief Executive Officer
|chiefscout=Villie M. Appoo
|chiefscouttitle2=Board Chair
|chiefscout2=Dixie Travelstead
|website= {{url | http://www.gsofsi.org}}
}}

The council serves around 14,000 girls in southern Illinois. It was formed in October 2009 from a merger of River Bluffs and Shagbark Councils.

==Scouting museums in Illinois==
* Ottawa Scouting Museum, [[Ottawa, Illinois]]

==International Scouting units in Illinois==
There were [[Scouting in Belarus|Belarusian Scouts in Exile]] in [[Chicago]] through the 1980s, and [[Scouting in Lithuania|Lietuvos skautų sąjunga]] still exists there. [[Külföldi Magyar Cserkészszövetség]] Hungarian Scouting also maintains a troop in Chicago and there are large contingents of active [[Plast]] Ukrainian Scouts in Chicago.{{Portal|Scouting}}

==References==
<references />

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* [https://www.alincolnbsa.org/ Abraham Lincoln Council website]
* [https://blackhawkscouting.org/ Blackhawk Area Council website]
* [https://www.buffalotracecouncil.org/ Buffalo Trace Council website]
* [http://www.napowan.org Camp Napowan site]
* [https://www.getyourgirlpower.org/ Girl Scouts of Central Illinois website]
* [https://www.girlscoutstoday.org/ Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois website]
* [https://www.girlscoutsgcnwi.org/ Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana website]
* [https://www.girlscoutsni.org/ Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois website]
* [https://www.gsofsi.org/ Girl Scouts of Southern Illinois website]
* [https://www.glaciersedge.org/ Glacier's Edge Council website]
* [https://stlbsa.org/ Greater St. Louis Area Council website]
* [https://illowabsa.org/ Illowa Council website]
* [https://lhcbsa.org/ Lincoln Heritage Council website]
* [https://www.mississippivalleybsa.org/ Mississippi Valley Council website]
* [https://neic.org/ Northeast Illinois Council website]
* [https://pathwaytoadventure.org/ Pathway to Adventure Council website]
* [https://prairielandsbsa.org/ Prairielands Council website]
* [https://rainbowcouncil.org/ Rainbow Council website]
* [https://threefirescouncil.org/ Three Fires Council website]
* [https://wdboyce.org/ W.D. Boyce Council website]

<br />{{Scouting in the United States}}
{{Scoutorg BSA}}
{{Scouting}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Scouting In Illinois}}
[[Category:Youth organizations based in Illinois]]
[[Category:Scouting in the United States|Illinois]]
[[Category:Central Region (Boy Scouts of America)]]