60 Boy Scouts from across the UP (the entire Hiawathaland District) will participate in the 2019 Mackinac Island Service Camp and Governor’s Honor Guard. Scouts of the Mackinac Island Service Camp operate in conjunction with the Michigan State Park personnel, serving as guides throughout historic Fort Mackinac.
Of special note is that this is the 88th season of the Mackinac Island Scout Service Camp as the Troop 411 Contingent, Escanaba, Michigan arrives on the island, to the Scout Barracks which is 85 this year. (Yes, this is the 90th year on the calendar, but there was no camp in 1936 or ’37).
Every summer, Mackinac Island State Park service accommodates up to 60 Michigan Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts and their leaders for their respective week of service. These scouts serve the state as the Mackinac Island Governor’s Honor Guard. The program began in 1929, when the State Park Commission invited eight Eagle Scouts, including young Gerald Ford, to serve as honor guards for the Michigan governor.
Scouts raise and lower twenty-two flags on the island, serve as guides, and complete volunteer service projects during their stay. These scouts live in the Scout Barracks located behind Fort Mackinac. The State Park has a Scout Coordinator who facilitates all of the needs of the Scouts as well as the Park Service. The Scout Barracks serves as the hub of activity for the boys on the island.
The barracks has a large dining hall and kitchen where all of our “meals for 80”, will be prepared and served. These meals are all prepared by the adult leadership accompanying the boys, and again this year Patty Woerpel is our head cook! Upstairs of the dining hall is the sleeping area for the 60 Scouts in open barracks style.
While on Mackinac, the Scouts are always busy doing something. If they are not on guide duty, or barracks duty, or service project duty, there is always a myriad of activities the Scouts could do. During the Scout’s free time on Mackinac, they can go biking, swimming at the Grand Hotel, go explore the island trails, go to the extensive Buffet at the Grand Hotel, go shopping downtown and on.
All activities are done with a “buddy”, or as a Patrol activity such as the Patrol bike ride around the island. Activities for the Scouts will begin right away Saturday evening, as the Scout Patrols challenge each other with the Mackinac Island Poker Run. While on Mackinac Scouts also have the opportunity to earn Merit Badges and Rank advancements.
With the Scouts doing a lot of biking on Mackinac Island, the Hiawatha contingent always brings our own bikes for the scouts. After having nearly 60 boys riding the bikes each year, those bikes are getting pretty well used. To insure the bikes are safe and in good order is no small task, which is done by Gene Williams one of our Assistant Scoutmasters. If you would like to donate a bike (new or used), please contact Mr. Williams at 1-906-399-7602, genepwilliams@gmail.com
This year the Hiawathaland contingent is again hosted by Troop 411 of Escanaba, with Craig Woerpel serving as Scoutmaster.
Mr. Woerpel may be the Scoutmaster, but the contingent will be youth led by the Senior Patrol Leader Austin Kleiman of Bark River and his youth leaders. The Scouts participating in the Service Camp are also required to attend training sessions prior to their deployment to the island. The training that the scouts receive will be everything from learning detailed information about guide duties, to marching practice, to flag raising & lowering and folding, to simply the barracks sleeping. Along with the required training sessions for the youth, there is a considerable amount of behind the scenes planning, which has made the Mackinac Island experience so successful for years now.
The Mackinac Island Service Camp and Honor Guard program is totally funded locally, with most coming from the Scouts registration fees. To help keep the registration fees as low as possible the adult leadership is busy all year long buying items on sale etc. If you wish to donate to the upcoming Mackinac Island Service 2019 Camp please contact Patty Woerpel at 1-906-280-2375, pbworps@gmail.com .
