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Bessemer Scouts at Fort Macinac

FORT MACKINAC - In 1929 the first Governor's Honor Guard was organized and the future president Gerald Ford was part of the Eagle Scout Contingent that served as the first honor guard at Fort Mackinac on Mackinac Island.

Today Scouts carry on that tradition by raising and lowing 22 flags at Fort Mackinac, the Visitor's Center in downtown and several other historic buildings. The emphasis is service. Besides flag duty, scouts serve as guides for tourists visiting Fort Mackinac throughout the day.

The Troop of 56 scouts and 8 leaders come from across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. They stayed at the Scout barracks behind the fort. Recreational activities include sight seeing on the island, bike riding, swimming at the Grand Hotel pool, tennis, baseball and horseshoes at the barracks. Plus there was nightly programs such as campfires, pie eating contests, and scavenger hunts. Also there were two Eagle Scout board of reviews, and numerous other rank advancement and merit badges earned. The activity that most Scouts say was one of the high points was a trip to the Grand Hotel's mile long lunch buffet. There the scouts are treated to a lavish salad bar, seafood, prime rib, many different vegetables, 27 different deserts, and of course the legendary raw oyster bar where every Scout has to test his ability to swallow one of these delicacies. Some can and some just can't handle the idea, no matter what, they all walk away with an oyster shell for a neckerchief slide.

The program is different than most Scouting activities and a great opportunity for service and experiencing the patrol method. Many Scouts list this experience as their most memorable event during their Scouting career.

This year Bessemer, Ontonagon, and Larium from the Western end of the U.P. was represented in the contingent. There, the Scouts learned about close order marching, flag raising and lowering in perfect unison, and being able to stand at attention with nobody being able to distract them. Before they arrived on the island, they went to two weekends of intense training to learn all of the duties and functions they were to perform.

The scouts did an excellent job, being recognized as very friendly, helpful, and one them from the Bessemer troop was selected as the Rookie of the Year for Governor's Honor Guard. All in all the scouts did themselves proud and we should be very proud of them for their efforts

In the picture with the troop flag was from left to right Cody Isabel Troop 209 Ontonagon, James Jendrusina Troop 337 Bessemer, Zack and Alec Mongeau Troop 232 Laurium, Daniel Trekas and Bruce Jendrusina, Scoutmater, both of Troop 337 Bessemer.