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Visit the Viking Council and Many Point Virtual Patch Museum!
Virtual Patch Museum

DID YOU KNOW?

 

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Scouts answered the call during World War II by collecting scrap metal and selling war bonds and stamps.      Click for Larger Image

By the year 1944, Hennepin County Scouts were still contributing war service and in that year 4,200,000 pounds of clothes had been collected.  Over 10,800 Scouts were now enrolled in the Minneapolis Area Council.  The Scouts unveiled plans in 1944 for a new camp property located on Many Point Lake near Park Rapids, Minnesota, which offered a new concept in Scout Camps - the "Family Camp" located nearby to accommodate Scoutmasters' families.

Elected to membership in the Council that year were:  Howard G. Wiley, executive secretary of the Minneapolis Church Federation;  W.C. Coffey, President of the University of Minnesota;  and Mayor Marvin L. Kline.  During this period the Scout headquarters were located at 15 Eighth Street North.

In 1947, Whitney Eastman of Minneapolis was elected President of the Minneapolis Area Council.  Membership was now up to 16,000 in 470 different Scout Units throughout Hennepin County.

The Boy Scouts Headquarters moved to 225 Clifton Avenue, at the former home of Charles D. Velie, in 1950.  They remained there for many years until the land was condemned for Interstate 90 and then were moved to 314 Clifton Avenue.

During 1950 a National Jamboree was held at Valley Forge, and the Minneapolis Council sent six Troops totaling 210 Scouts under the leadership of Luther Ford, a member of the Council's Executive Board.

The Boy Scout organization had grown to such an extent by 1952, that it was felt the name should reflect coverage of a larger area than just Hennepin County, so the name was officially changed to "Viking Council - Boy Scouts of America," and the territory extended from Hennepin County to the South Dakota border.

By 1953, the Council purchased a truck equipped to provide emergency service, and this program continued for many years with the Scouts providing assistance at fires and other emergencies throughout the city.  Much of the equipment for this truck had been donated by City merchants.  Scouting had now grown to almost 20,000 in Hennepin County.

The '60s were ushered in with a big Golden Jubilee Celebration for Scouts throughout the country, and Viking Council was no exception.  Another Jamboree was held at Colorado Springs and 250 Scouts from the Viking Council participated.

Scouts have been members of the United Way organization since the earliest days of the War Chest, Red Feather and United Fund.  In 1964,  1,500 Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts assembled into the shape of a huge

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The ScoutingBSA.org web site is a legacy site of the Viking Council BSA, now Northern Star Council.  
This site was the original council site and was active from 1996 to 2002 and run by volunteers.  As the web became more important to Scouting, the council took over with paid staff.  This site is no longer maintained but is an interesting snapshot of an early Scouting web site.    You can share your comments
using our on-line form or send a message to the Webmaster.   Thank you for visiting!

 

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Last Update May 15, 2023