Scouting in Indiana facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Scouting in Indiana
Tunnel Mill Entrance
Camp Dellwood Girl Scout Camp Science Center

Crothersville Girl Scouts

Scouting in Indiana has a rich past, starting in the 1910s and continuing strong today. It helps thousands of young people learn and grow through fun activities.

Scouting's Early Days (1910-1950)

Indianapolis is home to Troop 9, one of America's very first Scout troops. It was started in 1910 by a leader known as "Chief" Francis Oliver Belzer.

Chief Belzer also created a special program called Firecrafter in 1920 at Camp Chank-Tun-Un-Gi. This camp is now known as Camp Belzer. Belzer was also the first leader for the Indianapolis Council, which later became the Central Indiana Council.

The first ever National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) was held at Indiana University in 1948. This was a big event for Scouts from all over the country.

Scouting's Recent Past (1950-2010)

Indiana University in Bloomington has hosted the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) many times. It was held there in 1950, 1956, 1961, 1965, 1969, 1990, 2002, 2009, and 2018. This makes Indiana University the most popular place for this event. In 1994, Purdue University in West Lafayette also hosted NOAC.

Boy Scouts of America in Indiana Today

BSA Councils serving Indiana.

Today, there are nine local councils for the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) in Indiana. Most of Indiana is part of the Central Region of BSA. However, some southern counties like Clark, Scott, and Floyd are part of the Southern Region.

Anthony Wayne Area Council

This council is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It serves 11 counties in Northeast Indiana.

Anthony Wayne Scout Reservation

The Anthony Wayne Scout Reservation is a Scouts BSA camp near Ashley, Indiana. It has three main areas for different activities.

• Camp Chief Little Turtle (CCLT) is the main camp. Here, Scouts can enjoy activities like waterfront fun, crafts, outdoor skills, and Project C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience).
• Camp Foellinger is used for special events. These include Cub Scout camps, leadership training, and Order of the Arrow events.
• Camp Wilderness has the Jack Zeiger Ropes Course for climbing and C.O.P.E. It also has an area called Orion for camping and wilderness survival training.

Buffalo Trace Council

The Buffalo Trace Council is located in Evansville, Indiana. It serves Scouts in southwestern Indiana and southeastern Illinois. Their special honor society is called Kiondaga Lodge.

Camps

The Buffalo Trace Council has used four camps over the years. Three of them are still around.

• Camp Arthur, near Vincennes, opened in 1945.
• Old Ben Scout Reservation (OBSR), in Pike County, Indiana, opened in 1985. It was built on the site of an old strip mine. This was the council's main summer camp for a while.
• Camp Carnes, near Jasper, Indiana, is now a city park.
• Camp Pohoka was an older summer camp that closed when OBSR opened.

Pathway to Adventure Council

The Pathway to Adventure Council is based in Chicago, Illinois. It also covers the northwest part of Indiana.

Crossroads of America Council

The Crossroads of America Council (BSA Council #160) has its main office in Indianapolis, Indiana. It serves Scouts in Central Indiana. This council was formed in 1972 when several smaller councils joined together.

Hoosier Trails Council

The Hoosier Trails Council, BSA, serves 18 counties in south-central Indiana. It helps over 6,000 young people each year.

History

The Hoosier Trails Council was formed from several mergers of older councils.

• In 1921, the Bartholomew County Council was founded. It later merged into the Hoosier Hills Area Council in the late 1920s.
• The Lost River Area Council was founded in 1928. It joined the White River Area Council in 1931.
• Finally, in 1973, the White River and Hoosier Hills councils merged to create the Hoosier Trails Council.

Camps

The main summer camp is Maumee Scout Reservation. It is located on Lake Tarzian in the Hoosier National Forest. Maumee opened in 1972. It is about 640 acres (260 ha) near Norman. Lake Tarzian is named after Sarkes Tarzian, who helped raise money to build the camp.

Until 2023, the council also had Camp Louis Ernst in Dupont. This camp was founded in 1928. It was used as a summer camp until 1983, then for primitive camping. In 2023, the camp was given to a group called the Friends of Camp Louis Ernst.

Order of the Arrow

Nischa Chuppecat Lodge (#212) is the Hoosier Trails' Order of the Arrow Lodge. It was formed in 1973 from the merger of two older lodges, Wazi Yata and So-Aka-Gha-Gwa.

The Nischa Chuppecat and So-Aka-Gha-Gwa lodges have hosted the National Order of the Arrow Conference (NOAC) at Indiana University eleven times. This is more than any other lodge in the country.

La Salle Council

The La Salle Council serves Scouts in Indiana and Michigan.

Camps

• Wood Lake Scout Reservation has two main parts:
  • Camp Tamarack is about 250 acres. It is the summer camp with many campsites, lodges, a dining hall, and activity areas like a waterfront and ranges.
  • Camp Will Welber is about 10 acres and is used for training.
• Camp Dan Beard and Jim Bridger are both about 80 acres. They are used for "Leave No Trace" camping, meaning Scouts learn to camp without leaving any signs behind.
• Camp Topenebee
• Rice Woods Camp

Lincoln Heritage Council

The Lincoln Heritage Council serves Scouts in Kentucky and Indiana. It was formed in 1993 when the George Rogers Clark Council merged with the Old Kentucky Home Council. In 2012, it also joined with the Shawnee Trails Council.

Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation

Tunnel Mill Scout Reservation is a Scouts BSA camp near Charlestown, Indiana. It is owned by the Lincoln Heritage Council. Local Troop 3 first used the property as a summer camp in 1917.

The George Rogers Clark Council bought Tunnel Mill after 1927. Many buildings and features were added over the years, like cabins, the McDonald Bridge, and a swimming pool. The camp was very popular in the 1950s and 1960s.

When the George Rogers Clark Council merged, it was agreed that Tunnel Mill would stay open. Since 1993, the camp has been used mainly by Cub Scouts and for winter camping. It has cabins, a swimming pool, and a dining hall built in 2000.

Prairielands Council

The Prairielands Council is based in Champaign, Illinois. It also serves Scouts in Indiana.

Sagamore Council

The Sagamore Council was formed in 1973 by combining three councils. Their main office is in Kokomo, Indiana. The council has two camps: Camp Cary and Camp Buffalo. Some older camp properties were sold.

A few things make Sagamore Council special:

• Purdue University, in West Lafayette, IN, hosted the 1994 National Order of the Arrow Conference.
• Weaver Popcorn (which makes Trail's End Popcorn for Scouts) is produced in Van Buren, Indiana.
• Ramsey Popcorn (which makes Campmasters Popcorn) is produced in Ramsey, Indiana.

Camps

The Sagamore Council currently runs two camps:

• Cary Camp - Lafayette, Indiana
• Camp Buffalo - Buffalo, Indiana

Girl Scouting in Indiana

There are five Girl Scout councils that serve Indiana. In 2006, Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA) decided to combine many smaller councils into larger ones. This was to use resources better and create more opportunities for girls. Girl Scouts of Central Indiana was the first council in the nation to complete this merger.

Girl Scouts of Central Indiana

This council was formed by merging several smaller Girl Scout councils. It also added Howard and Carroll Counties.

Girl Scouts of Central Indiana serves over 36,000 girls in 45 counties in Central Indiana. The main office is in Indianapolis, Indiana. Web Site:

Camps and Cabins

• Camp Sycamore Valley near Lafayette is 160 acres (0.65 km²) on Wildcat Creek.
• Camp Na Wa Ka in Poland, Indiana is 259 acres (1.05 km²).
• Camp Gallahue in Morgantown.
• Camp Dellwood in Indianapolis.
• Camp Ada in Spiceland.

Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana

See Scouting in Illinois for more information. This council includes parts of Indiana.

Girl Scouts of Kentuckiana

See Scouting in Kentucky for more information. This council serves many counties in southern Indiana.

Girl Scouts of Northern Indiana-Michiana

This new council includes over 18,240 Girl Scouts in northern Indiana and two counties in southwest Michigan. It was formed by merging several Girl Scout councils. Website:

Camps

• Camp Logan - 220 acres (0.89 km²) near Syracuse, Indiana.
• Camp Shawadasee — near Lawton, Michigan.
• Camp Singing Hills - 240 acres (0.97 km²) near Middlebury, Indiana.
• Camp Soni Springs - 156 acres (0.63 km²) near Three Oaks, Michigan.
• McMillen Program Center - 103 acres (0.42 km²) in northeast Indiana.
• Wildwood Program Center - 40 acres (160,000 m²) in Logansport, Indiana.

Girl Scouts of River Bluffs Council

Headquarters is Glen Carbon, Illinois. website:

Girl Scouts of Western Ohio

Headquarters is Cincinnati, Ohio. website: See Scouting in Ohio for more information.

Girl Scouts of Southwest Indiana

Headquarters is Evansville, Indiana. It serves several counties in Indiana and a small part of Illinois. This council was formed after a realignment in September 1957. website:

Camps

• Camp Koch in Cannelton, Indiana.
• Carmi Little House in Carmi, Illinois.
• Camp Three Lakes.

Camp Koch has a sycamore tree that is a "Moon tree". This means it grew from a seed that traveled to the Moon on the Apollo 14 mission!