with the Kalamazoo-Fruit Belt Area Council. The town of Dowagiac had a council (#263) from 1917 to 1927 before merging with the Benton Harbor & Saint Joseph Council. In 2012 the Southwest Michigan Council was merged with the Great Sauk Trail Council to form the Southern Shores Field Service Council as a part of the Area 2 Project, which created four Field Service Councils in the lower peninsula of Michigan, under the Michigan Crossroads Council Organization The council is administratively divided into districts: Nottawa Trails District Pathfinder District Wabano District Properties Rota-Kiwan Scout Reservation was a 199-acre property located in Texas Township just outside of the Kalamazoo city limits. Rota-Kiwan was developed in 1921, and was the third-oldest camp in Michigan. Rota-Kiwan was composed of two camps, Camp Madron, which is the Boy Scout and Webelos camp, and Camp T. Ben Johnson, which is the Cub Scout camp. The camp served Scouts and Scouters from throughout the state -- many from Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Canada. The Michigan Crossroads Council (MCC) closed the camp in December 2019 against the wishes of local scouts, volunteers and residents of Texas Township. Kalamazoo County had planned to develop the property into a county park. Order of the Arrow Nacha-Mawat served as the council Order of the Arrow lodge. The name means "three into one." The name was adopted after the merging of the Carcajou, Mandoka, and Wakazoo Lodges. At this time, to foster brotherhood and reduce strife, the fleur de lis was chosen as the lodge totem. The Lodge adopted a policy that each member will get two lifetime lodge flaps for each honor in the OA: red for ordeal, blue for brotherhood, and silver Mylar for vigil. This policy was adopted in 2006 and was suspended in (approximately) 2009 when the lodge supply of these flaps ended. There are also trader flaps which are unrestricted; these 'trader flaps' are now the only flaps issued by the lodge. The Nacha-Mawat totem is now the Blue Heron. The Lodge has achieved quality lodge in 2010, and 2011. It brings outstanding service projects to Rota-Kiwan Scout Reservation. See also Scouting in Michigan References External links http://Scoutcamp.org/oldestcamps.asp By David L. Eby Central Region (Boy Scouts of America) Youth organizations based in Michigan Defunct local councils of the Boy Scouts of America