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 Chanute Field. The 1963 and 1971 National Order of the Arrow Conferences were held at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign.
Recent history (1950–1990)
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.
The Order of the Arrow is represented in this Council by the Nisha Kittan Lodge, part of the regional section C3-B. The Nisha Kittan lodge #114 replaced Kishkakon Lodge #32 (TWC) and Taleka Lodge 81 (OVC).
In September 2016 the Lewis and Clark Council voted to merge with the Greater St. Louis Area Council, effective January 1, 2017.
Boy Scouts of America Today
There are 13 Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local councils in Illinois. Six councils in neighboring states also serve parts of Illinois.
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.
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.
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 and Apple River, Illinois, and Camp Lowden near Oregon, Illinois, and is served by 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
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
Sinnissippi Council served Scouts in Wisconsin and Illinois, before it merged with Four Lakes Council. It is now called Glacier's Edge Council and is headquartered in Madison, Wisconsin. Glacier's Edge Council