Akelaland

Akelaland is a Cub Scout resident camp located on Trexler Scout Reservation, along with Settlers Camp, a Boy Scout resident camp. Akelaland is one of the very few week-long resident Cub Scout camps in the North East. Part of Minsi Trails Council, Akelaland is home to both Pennsylvania and New Jersey Scouts. It is run and maintained during the summer by Akelaland staff- Venture Crew 1629.

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Akelaland Camp Staff Patch

History

Akelaland was once land belonging to General Harry Clay Trexler, who bought the abandoned land as hunting ground. Trexler later donated the land to the Boy Scouts in 1927, and it became what is now known today as Trexler Scout Reservation, a vast 900 acre reservation belonging to Minsi Trails Council.

Pioneer Camp was the original camp before Akelaland, but in the mid 1980's was converted into a Cub Scout camp. The Pioneer building -a small one-room building with a wood burning stove- still stands today, as well as other parts of the original camp.

Today

The Dining Hall at Akelaland is currently under-going renovations -doubling its size- and will be completed by this summer, in time for resident camp.

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Back of the Dining Hall

The summer of '06 introduced two new campsites to Akelaland, Iroquoi and Algonquin.

Akelaland Program

Program areas at Akelaland include:

• Waterfront at Trexler Lake (shared with Settlers Camp)

• Outdoor Skills Center at the Clint Frantz pavillion (OSC)

• Shooting Sports at the Shooting Range [Archery & BB]

Akelaland has Evening Program after dinner. Activities and events include theme hike, water carnival, cooking, geology, movie night, and the shooting sports pin.

Akelaland is also home to TSR's 18-hole miniature golf course and climbing cube.

Themes

Each summer Akelaland has a new theme. A Theme Hike is done one night for the Scouts, where characters (staff members) from the theme perform scenes that develope the plot. The plot of the theme is continued during meals when characters perform skits and other scenes.

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'06 CSP

Themes from the past include:

• Colonial '04
• Riddle of the Spinx '05
• Pirates of Akela's Cove '06

Outpost

Wednesday nights are Outpost nights at Akelaland. The Outdoor Skills Center staff allows Webelo II's to stay overnight at the Outpost site, a camp site in the corner of the woods along Middle Creek Field.

Order of the Arrow

Wednesday nights are also Order of the Arrow nights on the Trexler Scout Reservation. Anyone from the camps is welcome to come and watch Call-Outs. The ceremony is held over at Settlers Camp. Scouts and Masters are Called-Out to do their Ordeal. After completing their Ordeal, Ordeal members can then go on for their Brotherhood Membership, and then onto their Vigil Honor. [1]

More info about the Order of the Arrow and our Lodge: Minsi Trails Council

Locations

The A & B building is located closest to the entrance of the camp (the mini-golf course is on the opposite side of the road). Pioneer is located further up the road from Camp Master. The Health Lodge and Trading Post are located at center camp, along with Fort James, the Dining Hall, the Parade Field, shower houses, and the Silver Tarp. Down the road past the Parade Field will bring you to Trexler Lake. Up the road past the shower houses will bring you to the Shooting Ranges and Action Archery range. OSC is found behind the Parade Field. Renovations to the Dining Hall this year will bring changes to these locations however.

A&B Building

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Map of Akelaland

References

1. Order of the Arrow basics

External Links

• Minsi Trails Council
• Boy Scouts of America