Scouting in Illinois has a long and rich tradition, from the 1910s to the present day, serving thousands of youth in programs that suit the environment in which they live. Illinois is the homestate of the BSA founder, W.D. Boyce.

Early history (1910-1950)

---

In 1946, the National Order of the Arrow Lodge Meeting was held at Chanute Field.

Recent history (1950-1990)

---

The 1963 and 1971 National Order of the Arrow Conferences were held at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Scouting in Illinois today

---

There are twenty-two Boy Scouts of America local councils in Illinois. In addition, the headquarters for the Central Region of the BSA is in Naperville, Illinois.

Abraham Lincoln Council

Abraham Lincoln Council is served by Illinek Lodge #132.

• Honest Abe District
• Lincoln Home District
• Log Cabin/Railsplitter District

Blackhawk Area Council

This council is headquartered in Rockford, Illinois and serves southwestern Wisconsin and northwestern Illinois. It runs Canyon Camp, located between Stockton and Apple River, Illinois, as well as 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. Some older members of the former Wetassa Lodge still proudly wear their pre-1973 raccoon Wetassa Lodge flap on their uniforms.

• Arrowhead District
• Sycamore District
• Wanchanagi District
• Wetassa District
• White Eagle District

Buffalo Trace Council

See main article at Scouting in Indiana

The Buffalo Trace Council is a Boy Scout council based in Evansville, Indiana that serves southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. Its affiliated Order of the Arrow lodge is Kiondaga Lodge.

• Algonkian District
• Lincoln Heritage District
• Native Trails District

Calumet Council

• Ashkum District
• Peace Pipe District
• Potawatomi District
• Ridge Trails District
• Sauk Trail District
• Two Waters District

Chicago Area Council

Chicago Area Council operates Owasippe Scout Reservation in Michigan. It is served by Owasippe Lodge #7.

The Bass Lake lone troop Scout camp was part of the Owasippe Scout Reservation operated by the Chicago Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America. The Bass Lake camp was a single camp on a small (approximately 600 feet wide) lake in the Owasippe reservation. A single troop would take over the entire camp, usually for a two week period, preparing all their own food and overseeing all aspects of the camp life. Active in the 1950s and 1960s, Bass Lake camp is no longer in use.

• Arrowhead District
• Fort Dearborn District
• Greater Southside District
• Indian Trails District
• Iroquois District
• River Trails District
• Western Trails District

Des Plaines Valley Council

DPVC's council service center is in La Grange, Illinois. The council operates Camp Tomo-Chi-Chi-Knolls in Huntley, Illinois, Camp Shin-Go-Beek near Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Camp Mach-Kin-O-Siew near Rhinelander, Wisconsin. Des Plaines Valley Council is served by Pachsegink Lodge #246.

• Tall Grass District
• Twin Lakes District
• Voyageur Trace District

Greater Saint Louis Area Council

The Greater Saint Louis Area Council is based in St. Louis, Missouri, and serves Scouts in the St. Louis Metro Area, Southeast Missouri, and Southern Illinois. The two Southern Illinois Districts, Egyptian and Kaskaskia, comprised the former Egyptian Council (1941-1994). The Council operates Beaumont Scout Reservation, S-F Scout Ranch, Camp Lewallen, and Camp Pine Ridge. The council is served by two Order of the Arrow Lodges: Shawnee #51, which serves the greater St. Louis Metro area, and Anpetu-we 100, which serves Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois.

• Boone Trails District
• Cherokee District
• Egyptian District
• Grand Towers District
• Gravois Trail District
• Kaskaskia District
• New Horizons District
• North Star District
• Osage District
• Ozark Trailblazers District
• Pathfinder District
• River Trails District
• Shawnee District
• Sioux District
• Thunderbird District

Illowa Council

• Hoover District
• Kittan District
• Medicine Lodge District
• Mesquakie District
• Saukenuk District
• Sha-Bo-Na District

Lincoln Trails Council

Lincoln Trails Council has its headquarters in Decatur, Illinois, and is served by Woapink Lodge #167.

• Railsplitter District
• Two Rivers District
• Redhawk District

Mississippi Valley Council

This council is headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, and is served by Black Hawk Lodge #67.

• Cherokee District
• Fox District
• River Valley District
• Shoquoquon District

Northeast Illinois Council

Northeast Illinois Council has its headquarters in Highland Park, Illinois. It runs Camp Sol R. Crown in Wilmot, Wisconsin, Camp Oakarro near Wadsworth, Illinois, and Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation near Antigo, Wisconsin. The council is served by Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Lodge #40.

Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Scout Reservation is a Boy Scouts of America property located in Northern Wisconsin and serves the Scouts of the Northeast Illinois Council based in Highland Park, Illinois. Originally a logging camp, the Scouts purchased the land and first had campers in 1929. The camp is 1560 acres in size.

• Aptakisic District
• North Star District
• Potawatomi District

Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan Lodge 40's Website is ^*

Northwest Suburban Council

This council is headquartered in Mount Prospect, Illinois. It operates Camp Lakota outside Woodstock, Illinois and Camp Napowan near Wild Rose, Wisconsin. Northwest Suburban Council is served by Lakota Lodge #175. Council President for 2006 is Richard Politowicz along with Council Commissioner Ray Okigawa, and Scout Executive Stephen J. Taylor, CFRE.

The Northwest Suburban National Scout Shop is located within the NWSC Volunteer Service Center located at 600 N. Wheeling Road in Mount Prospect, IL. In 2006 the Northwest Suburban Council will serve as host to the National Endowment Art Tour, the Biennial Meeting of the National Catholic Committee on Scouting, and the National Jewish Committee on Scouting.

The council's service area includes 34 communities in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with Skokie as the eastern border, Barrington on the west, Lake Zurich on the north, and O'Hare International Airport on the south with the council territory remaining unchanged since its founding in 1926. The population served by Northwest Suburban council is quite diverse, as it is composed of 15% Latino/Hispanic, 8% Asian, 3% Eastern European, 1% African-American, and 73% Caucasian.

Its local districts are:

• Blackhawk District
• North Woods District
• Pathfinder District
• Signal Hill District
• Aguila/Scoutreach District
• Learning for Life

Okaw Valley Council

This council is headquartered in Belleville, Illinois, and is served by Taleka Lodge 81.

• Black Gold District
• Crooked Creek District
• Kaskaskia District
• Saint Clair District

Prairielands Council

Prairielands Council, previously the short-lived Illiana Council, has its headquarters in Champaign, Illinois. It operates Camp Drake near Oakwood, Illinois. The camp was founded in 1932 and named after a previous Scout Executive. The council is served by Illini Lodge #55.

• Prairie Fire District
• Indian Trails District
• Many Streams District

Rainbow Council

This council is headquartered in Morris, Illinois, and the council's Rainbow Scout Reservation is located there. The other camp operated by the council is Camp Theakiki near Kankakee, Illinois. Rainbow Council is served by Waupecan Lodge #197.

• Greater Five Rivers District
• Kankakee District
• Tomahawk District

Shawnee Trails Council

• Audubon District
• Chickasaw District
• Four Rivers District
• Green River District
• Lost River District
• Mammoth Cave District
• Tradewater District
• Whitepath District

Sinnissippi Council

• Arrowhead District
• Koshkonong District
• Tomahawk District

Three Fires Council

This council formed from the merger of Two Rivers Council and Dupage Area Council. Its council service center is located in St. Charles, Illinois. Three Fires operates Camp Big Timber near Elgin, Illinois, Three Fires Council Ranch near Rochelle, Illinois, and Camp Freeland Leslie near Oxford, Wisconsin. It is served by Lowaneu Allanque Lodge #41.

• Chanonee District
• Chippewa District
• Fox Valley District
• Foxfire District
• Indian Prairie District
• Kishwaukee District
• Maramech Hill District
• Northern Trail District
• Potawatomi Trails District
• Shabbona District
• Thunderbird District

Trails West Council

This council has its headquarters in Wood River, Illinois, and is served by Kishkakon Lodge #32.

• Cahokia Mound District
• Piasa Bird District

W.D. Boyce Council

Formerly the Starved Rock Area Council, W.D. Boyce Council was renamed in 1972 in honor of the founder of the BSA. Its headquarters is in Peoria, Illinois. The council runs Ingersoll Scout Reservation west of Peoria and Cache Lake Scout Camp in Ontario, Canada. W.D. Boyce Council is served by Wenasa Quenhotan Lodge #23.

Camp Wokanda is a former Boy Scout camp located just north of the city of Peoria, Illinois. The grounds are set on the edge of the Illinois River Valley and are bordered by Mossville Road, Mossville proper (and the natural gas pipeline) Colony Point and Deerbrook Subdivisions, and Cedar Hills Road.

The Boy Scouts sold the property to the Peoria Park District in the 1990s and built a new camp farther north of the city. The Park District rents out the main meeting house for parties and created a few new trails that cross from the Camp over to Robinson Park, which abuts the campgrounds.

• Crossroads District
• Heartland District
• Lowenau District
• Wotomalo District

Girl Scouting in Illinois

---

There are 18 Girl Scout council offices in Illinois.

Girl Scouts of Centrillio Council Bloomington, Illinois Web Site: http://www.centrillio.com

Girl Scouts of Chicago Chicago, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscouts-chicago.org

Girl Scouts - Fox Valley Council, Inc. Aurora, Illinois Web Site: http://www.fvgsc.org

Girl Scouts of Green Hills Council, Inc. Freeport, Illinois Web Site: http://www.gsgreenhills.org

Girl Scouts - Green Meadows Council Urbana, Illinois Web Site: http://www.gsgmc.org

Girl Scouts - Illinois Crossroads Council, Inc. Vernon Hills, Illinois Web Site: http://www.ilcrossroads.org

Girl Scouts-Kickapoo Council Peoria, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscouts-kickapoocouncil.org

Girl Scouts, Land of Lincoln Council, Inc. Springfield, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscoutsllc.org

Girl Scouts of The Mississippi Valley, Inc. Rock Island, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscouts-mvc.org

Girl Scouts - Prairie Winds, Inc. Lisle, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscoutspw.org

Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council Glen Carbon, Illinois Web Site: http://www.riverbluffs.org

Girl Scouts - Rock River Valley Council Rockford, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscoutsrrv.org

Girl Scouts of Shagbark Council Herrin, Illinois Web Site: http://www.shagbark.org

Shemamo Girl Scout Council of Illinois Decatur, Illinois Web Site: http://www.shemamo.org

Girl Scouts of South Cook County, Inc. Homewood, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscouts-scc.org

Girl Scouts - Sybaquay Council, Inc. Elgin, Illinois Web Site: http://www.gs-sybaquay.org

Girl Scouts of Trailways Council, Inc. Joliet, Illinois Web Site: http://www.girlscoutstrailways.org

Girl Scouts of Two Rivers Council, Inc. Quincy, Illinois Web Site: http://www.gstworivers.org

External links

---

• Northeast Illinois Council, BSA ^*
• Camp Ma-Ka-Ja-Wan -- The Unofficial Camp Site ^*

Youth Organizations of Illinois | Boy Scouts of America Local Councils | Girl Scouts of America Local Councils | Camping