Voyageurs Area Council

Headquartered in Hermantown, Minnesota, Voyageurs Area Council serves Scouts in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The Ka'niss Ma'ingan Lodge is the local Order of the Arrow Lodge for Voyageurs Council.

Organization

Voyageurs Area Council has a dedicated staff of nine people.

The Council Executive Board through officers are the governing body of the council territory. The board takes action to achieve the purposes of the local council. It establishes the council program, carries out resolutions, establishes and enforces policy and hires a Scout Executive.

The council's geographic territory includes 13 counties in Minnesota, three counties in Wisconsin, and one county in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The council is divided into four administrative districts.

History

Voyageurs Area Council is the successor to the former Lake Superior Council and the Headwaters Area Council.

In 1959, Lake Superior Council was formed from a merger of the North Star Council (northeastern Minnesota) and the Gitchee Gumee Council (northwestern Wisconsin and part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan). Then in 1994, Lake Superior Council merged with the Headwaters Area Council (headquartered in Hibbing, MN) to become Voyageurs Area Council. However, each of those councils had been formed by previous mergers, as depicted below.^[1][2]

Camps

Camp Horace Johnson

Camp Horace Johnson is a 7-acre (28,000 m²) wooded area on Island Lake, 25 miles (40 km) North of Duluth on St. Louis County Road #4 (Rice Lake Road). Thirty people can be accommodated in the Lodge for pack and troop activities.

Camp Barksdale

Camp Barksdale is a 10-acre (40,000 m²) wooded area along the south shore of Lake Superior. The entrance is located along State Highway 13, in between Washburn, WI and Ashland, WI. It is used extensively to accommodate many quality Scouting activities throughout the year.

The camp is quiet and has much to offer, including fishing, hiking, games, swimming, boating, canoeing and exercising Scout skills. The cabin has room for 12 campers, and features an electrical kitchen with stoves and refrigerator, fireplace, and wood heat. Visitors should bring their own water and sleeping pads.

Camping areas are available year-round for a great outdoor experience.

Camp Newman

Camp Newman is 160 acres (1 km²), and located on Newman Lake, 20 miles (32 km) south of Superior, WI on Tri Lakes Road. 24 people can be accommodated in the lodge for pack and troop activities. Camping areas are available year round.

Camp Nushka

Camp Nushka is 26 acres (0 km²) of forest on Cass Lake in the middle of the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. It is located 5.5 miles east of Cass Lake and 4.2 miles (6.8 km) north on the Scenic Highway SR10. One goes west on Cass Bluff Loop Road 1.2 miles to the camp.

The camp is located next to 300 acres (1 km²) of forest land that can be used for hiking, pioneering, orienteering, GPSing, skiing, and snowshoeing. The lake can be used for canoeing, fishing, and other water activities. The lake is part of the Mississippi chain, and outpost forest service campsites can be reached both upstream and downstream. Star Island has campsites and hiking trails across from the camp just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) away.

There are two sites with pavilions available for use. Pit toilets are available on site. Water is not available on site. During the summer water is available at Knutson Dam campsite, 1.4 miles away.

Order of the Arrow

Ka'Niss Ma'Ingan Lodge
Founded	1995
Membership	279
Lodge Chief	Ty Milner
Lodge Adviser	Tina Comstock
Website http://www.vac-bsa.org/KaNissMaIngan/

Ka'niss Ma'ingan Lodge #196 serves youth in Voyageurs Area Council. The Lodge totem is the wolf, which is featured on the lodge pocket flap patch.

The Lodge was formed in 1995 by the merger of Mesabi Lodge (formerly called Little Bear Lodge) and Nahak Lodge #526. Previous to this merger, Nahak Lodge had absorbed Nagadjiwanang Lodge #174 when two councils merged in 1959. ^{[3] [4] [5] [6]}

The leadership of Ka'niss Ma'ingan includes the members of the Lodge Executive Committee. The Committee meets monthly at the council service center, and is composed of the Lodge Chief and all the Lodge officers.

The lodge's main annual events include Winter Banquet, Spring Conclave, Fall Conclave, and Section Conclave. The lodge also holds an annual training event called Lodge Leadership Development (LLD) Training. The course covers topics such as Event Planning, Using Lodge Resources and Talent, Time Management and planning a Service Project.

The Lodge is part of the Order of the Arrow Section C-1A. Currently, one of the three Section C-1A officers are from Ka'niss Ma'Ingan Lodge.^[7] Other lodges in Section C-1A include: Naguonabe Lodge (Central Minnesota Council), Pa-hin Lodge (Northern Lights Council), Tetonwana Lodge (Sioux Council), Totanhan Nakaha Lodge (Northern Star Council), and Wahpekute Lodge (Twin Valley Council).

See also

• Scouting in Michigan
• Scouting in Minnesota
• Scouting in Wisconsin

References