Mackinac Island Scout Service Program - Troop 623

Mackinac Island Scout Service Program - Troop 623 Providing Service, Creating Leaders

Scout Troop 623 is one of the oldest troops providing service to Mackinac Island, serving as Fort Mackinac Guides.

One week ago we left the island with scout shirt tan lines, sore feet from marching, and bellies full of fudge and islan...
08/01/2026

One week ago we left the island with scout shirt tan lines, sore feet from marching, and bellies full of fudge and island snacks. But we also left with full hearts, memories of Mackinac, and new friendships.

The Scouts and the families that support them are the reason we have been invited back by the State Historic Parks for the last 65 years. And the adult leaders working behind the scenes to make sure the Scouts are prepared for their week of service are the reason our Scouts have such a great experience each year.

A huge thank you to all of the adults who spent the last year in committee meetings, junior leadership retreats, scouring Southwest Michigan for the best food prices, planning activities, and coordinating with the Mackinac State Historic Parks to make sure the Scouts could shine with the best support possible.

Our Scouts spend roughly 2 and a half hours each day on guide duty. With 11 guide duty posts, and 3 guide shifts, combin...
07/27/2026

Our Scouts spend roughly 2 and a half hours each day on guide duty. With 11 guide duty posts, and 3 guide shifts, combined with Scouts providing relief for those on post, we provide almost 100 service hours to Fort Mackinac in a single day just on Guide Duty.

Several of the island visitors and Fort Mackinac staff commented on how friendly, welcoming, and helpful our Scouts were this year. It was encouraging to hear, and we're excited to share that the Mackinac State Historic Parks recommended us for returning next summer! We are proud of our Scouts, and look forward to serving the island for our 66th year in 2027!

What does it take to keep 54 Scouts and 10 adults fed for our Troop all week on Mackinac? Some of the most dedicated ind...
07/25/2026

What does it take to keep 54 Scouts and 10 adults fed for our Troop all week on Mackinac? Some of the most dedicated individuals we have! Cooks are up at 5:00 am each day to start meal prep. 9 Scouts rotate into the kitchen from our patrols each day, earning them a special place of honor among the troop.

After months of preparation, everything comes together in a culinary feat worthy of the best summer camp meals. Hamburgers, Pot Roast, Pancake, French Toast, Sausages, and Steak Night are among the troops favorite meals. We love our cooks, and they love feeding us!

Desserts for every lunch and dinner are well earned!

What do our Scouts do when they aren't performing flag or guide service? Group bike rides in the evening, volleyball, hi...
07/24/2026

What do our Scouts do when they aren't performing flag or guide service? Group bike rides in the evening, volleyball, hiking, kickball, trips downtown, and our Thursday evening marching competition against the Fort soldiers are just a few of our more active free time opportunities for Scouts. This year was unusually cold in the evenings, so we also enjoyed card games, Euchre, and corn hole, and other games close to the barracks.

Our service to the island also extends to off-duty time as well. Patrol leaders are given potential service projects by the Scout Coordinator at the start of the week, and our Scouts tackled them with excitement. This year's service projects included weeding at the Biddle House gardens, and building a brand new cardboard recycling shed for the barracks to replace the old rotten pallet and plywood box that served as the cardboard receptacle. Friday evening will also include the entire troop making the trip to Great Turtle park to pick up litter, and leave the island a little better than we found it.

Serving for a week with a Mackinac Island Scout Service Troop is a high honor. The Scout Barracks has limited space, whi...
07/23/2026

Serving for a week with a Mackinac Island Scout Service Troop is a high honor. The Scout Barracks has limited space, which means we must be selective with the scouts and adults that join us each summer. There are fourteen different Scouting America and Girl Scout troops that are selected to serve on the island each year. Each troop selected may bring 54 scouts and 10 adult leaders.

Troop 623 has been serving Mackinac Island for 65 years. We are proud to have offered the opportunity for hundreds of scouts from across southwest Michigan to serve on the island. While Troop 623 is the host troop for coordinating our week on the island, there is an ever rotating group of scouts and adults from other troops that we invite up with us. We are fortunate to be joined this year by scouts from 9 different Scout Troops across Berrien, Van Buren, Kalamazoo, Calhoun, and Cass counties.

Thank you to the scouts, adult leaders, and the families that support us in preparing for our week of service. And thank you to the scouts who chose to serve on Mackinac Island with us this year.

Troop 161 - Mattawan, MI
Troop 244 - Portage, MI
Troop 287 - Portage, MI
Troop 325 - Battle Creek, MI
Troop 579 - Niles, MI
Troop 593 - Edwardsburg, MI
Troop 603 - Stevensville, MI
Troop 623 - St. Joseph, MI
Troop 624 - St. Joseph, MI

A Scout is Clean. The eleventh point of the Scout Law teaches us to be mindful of our own cleanliness and the cleanlines...
07/22/2026

A Scout is Clean. The eleventh point of the Scout Law teaches us to be mindful of our own cleanliness and the cleanliness of our surroundings. On Mackinac, that means morning duty chores for our troop. Each Patrol spends the first hour of each day rotating through cleaning duties.

Shower tiles must be scrubbed, stainless steel is polished, and bathrooms are wiped down. Windows through the barracks are washed, spider webs are cleared out, and floors are swept. Finally each floor gets a good mopping, clean laundry is taken upstairs, and the tool shed is cleaned up before the troop is allowed to enjoy a well earned breakfast. Today's breakfast is scrambled eggs, hash browns, and sausage. We could go on and on about the amazing food, but that's for another post.

There are 31 flags on the island that we're responsible for raising and lowering each day. Flag duty is one of the most ...
07/21/2026

There are 31 flags on the island that we're responsible for raising and lowering each day. Flag duty is one of the most visible and closely observed services we perform on the island as Scouts.

Visitors know something worth watching is about to happen when a patrol of Scouts marches down the ramp, prepares the ropes, and stand at attention before the morning or evening salute. Tourists relaxing in the park will stand in anticipation of watching the Visitor Center flags go down. A few lucky island guests get to watch the Fort Mackinac Garrison Flag come down and be folded in the evening.

For each flag raising and lowering, we are on full display to the public. Are the flags going up and down in unison? Are the scouts folding them properly before marching back to the barracks? We spend extra time early in the week practicing in the evening to make sure we're perfect by the end of the week. By our final Saturday morning we will have performed flag duty 14 times in front of thousands of Island Visitors.

A successful week on Mackinac Island is all about routine. Flags must go up and down on schedule. Scouts need to report ...
07/20/2026

A successful week on Mackinac Island is all about routine. Flags must go up and down on schedule. Scouts need to report for Guide Service at their appointed time. Scouts on kitchen duty need to figure out their early schedule to make sure breakfast is ready. The junior leaders have to make a lot of decisions during their evening meeting to help set the tone for the rest of the week.

If we don't establish that routine early, it makes for a much longer week with unanticipated struggles. For our Troop, the routine on Saturday and Sunday includes a lot of opportunities for first year Scouts. Our junior leaders help Scouts understand that practice makes perfect when it comes to flags and marching. They gather materials and set the schedule for service projects later in the week. Run club heads out early so Scouts will be prepared for their run around the island later in the week.

And perhaps most importantly, our junior leaders always make sure that Scouts eat dessert.

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Saint Joseph, MI
49085

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