At the local level, lodges exist to serve BSA councils and individual units. Each Lodge Chief is a member of the Section’s Council of Chiefs and is able to attend and vote at quarterly section meetings. Sections work closely with lodges to provide support when they need it.
Nanuk Lodge #355 was established July 1, 1947, with the inception of the Alaska Council of the Boy Scouts of America, based out of the State Capital of Juneau. Initially the Council was responsible for the entire State of Alaska.
The Lodge Totem is the great Alaskan Polar Bear, which the Inuit people call Nanuk. By 1957, scouting was developed enough in the Anchorage area to support a new council. The Western Alaska Area Council was formed on July 1, 1955 and retained the original lodge name. Southeast Alaska formed a new lodge, named Kootz, which merged into Nanuk Lodge in 2005.
Representatives from Kcum Kum #285, Tahoma #348, and Tillicum #392 Lodges met on November 6th and the 21st in 1993 to discuss the merger of the three lodges.
According to the delegates, all of the issues and concerns were dealt with quickly and it was a relatively painless process. It was decided that the merger would occur during the weekend of the Section W1-B Conclave held April 22-24, 1994 at Camp Fire Mountain. Troy Young’s suggestion of “Nisqually” for the lodge name was selected over the original proposed name of “Kalai Kallakala,” which translates as “black raven.” The raven was kept as the lodge totem and Young was elected as the first Lodge Chief.
Sikhs Mox Lamonti #338 was formed in 1995 with the merger of two powerful lodges – Kelcema #305 and Quilshan #325. Prior to that, only one lodge had ever used the number 338 – that was Nisjaw, disbanded in 1947. Immediately following the merger of Evergreen Area Council #603 and Mt. Baker Area Council #606, the members of both Quilshan and Kelcema started meeting to discuss the future of the lodge. Both groups were extrememly proud of their lodge’s immense history, and so both groups wanted their lodge name carried forward.
In October of 1953, the Chief Seattle Camping Committee officially adopted the Order of the Arrow as the highest camping honor in the Council. Charter members were those members of the Order of the Silver Marmot who wished to transfer to the Order of the Arrow.
Toontuk Lodge
- Lodge Chief – James H.
- Lodge Adviser – Joanne Gilman
- Lodge Staff Adviser – Jerome Burkett Jr
Midnight Sun Council was chartered August 1, 1960, a few years after the Alaska Council was broken into 3 separate Councils.
Toontuk Lodge #549 was chartered on December 31, 1961. The Lodge Totem is the Toontuk, or barren ground caribou, taken from the Native Athabascan Language of Interior Alaska.