Wakonda (Youth) Cabin at Wisconsin Camp Meeting

For many years, the furthest cabin on the right (Cabin 7) on Admin Row at Camp Wakonda has been the Pathfinder Museum. It's been full of treasures that remind us of Wisconsin Pathfinders years past: pictures, trophies, and memorabilia galore. It also had a custom-built display for Pathfinder year-end poster boards, which clubs would design to display pictures of various activities throughout the year and show off at Pathfinder Fair. However, the world has gone digital, and more and more emphasis has been placed on making year-end videos. We recently made the decision to move away from poster boards completely as an expectation of the clubs in our conference. For these reasons, and because the cabin hadn't been given a facelift for several years, we decided to redesign the cabin in a big way in preparation for this year's Wisconsin Conference Camp Meeting.

Four years ago, we rebranded the Wisconsin Conference Youth Ministries Department as Wakonda: Wisconsin Conference Youth Evangelism. The word "Wakonda," as you probably know, is a Lakota-Sioux word, which means "Set Apart." Our mission is to let young people know that they have been set apart by God for a special purpose and mission. It's also been our goal to make youth ministries in our conference more integrated. Pathfinders is such an important and well-loved ministry, but it exists in an ecosystem of other crucial and important ministries like Adventurers and Master Guide, Summer Camp, and Public Campus Ministries. With a space like a display cabin at Camp Meeting, we want to convey the exciting things that are going on in, as well as the history of all youth ministries in Wisconsin.

So as we remodel the cabin, it will no longer be called the Pathfinder Museum (although there will still be historical Pathfinder displays), but it will be the Wakonda Cabin, celebrating the various efforts (both historical and current) toward Youth Evangelism in the Wisconsin Conference. That's enough of the philosophy behind the remodel; let's talk about the fun part.

Caden Minett and I had a blast gutting the cabin, and it was fascinating to see the decades of hornets nests, mice droppings, and Asian lady beetles we found in the walls and ceiling. Equipped with respirator masks, safety goggles, and hooded jackets, we got the siding, drop ceiling, and carpet removed, and the cabin cleaned out to reveal beautiful wood underneath.

Larry Lanaville is currently finishing up installing display counters around the cabin. Larry has been responsible for several beautiful carpentry projects around the camp over the years, such as the Homestead stage and backdrops, furniture for cabins, and the new Waterfront shed. He has been one of our local crew of loyal and helpful volunteers over many years. Larry is also installing screens, so that windows can be open to let light and breeze in during visits.

Larry, working on the new Waterfront Shed, three years ago

As far as what to expect in the cabin, the details are still in the works, but here are the broad plans. The back wall and two back corners will still be Pathfinders-/Club Ministries-themed. The right wall will be Summer Camp-themed, and the left wall will be Public Campus Ministries-/Young Adult Ministries-themed. So you'll still be able to come and see Pathfinders history, as well as displays that talk about more recent events, and also information about Adventurers and Master Guide clubs in Wisconsin. You'll be able to view historical pictures and artifacts from Summer Camp, as well as hear about exciting things that have happened at Summer Camp more recently. And you'll be able to learn about what our Public Campus Ministries have been up to, as well as how you can support and get involved.

Outside of the cabin, we're planning to have an informational booth with a staff present so that they can keep the cabin open longer hours, and also answer any questions you might have about Youth Evangelism in Wisconsin. We're planning to have games going on outside of the cabin, so that you can challenge young people and get to know some of our youth volunteers and leaders. There will even be some opportunities to earn honors and trade pins. You'll also remember that there is an all-weather mount for a TV screen outside the cabin, so even if the cabin has to be closed, there will be new and updated videos for all youth ministries--as well as some new historical videos taking you through the past. The hope is that at Camp Meeting, this will become a fun central point for education and recreation regarding Youth Evangelism.

In two years (the Summer of 2027) it will be our 100-year anniversary for Summer Camp in the Wisconsin Conference. Our hope is that this year will be a pilot year--trying out this new approach to using this cabin--and that in two years, it will be the definitive place for young people and those serving in Youth Evangelism to hang out during Camp Meeting.

In the meantime check out these videos, which give nods to our Summer Camp and Pathfinders history. They, along with many other fun and informational videos, will be playing throughout the week at the Wakonda Cabin at Camp Meeting.