Department of Michigan hosts first Scouting camporee at Wilwin Lodge

Department of Michigan hosts first Scouting camporee at Wilwin Lodge

The American Legion Department of Michigan held its first Scouting camporee at Wilwin Lodge last month with more than 200 Scouts from across the state. It's the first of many Scouting camporees that the department has planned at Wilwin Lodge.

The Scouts participated in several activities, including compass work, knot tying, fire building, signaling, first aid and animal trace and tracking. The camporee also coincided with Jamboree-on-the-Air (JOTA), the largest Scouting event held annually the third weekend in October where JOTA uses amateur radio to link Scouts and hams around the world and in their local community. American Legion Sherman-Moore Post 297 in Ravenna, Mich., operated the JOTA station at the camporee. A special radio connection was made with a HAM radio operator named Steve, call sign KB1006P. Steve was broadcasting from a Scouting Jamboree at historic Gilwell Park in London, the birthplace of Scouting in 1910.

Owned by the Department of Michigan, Wilwin Lodge sits on 1,184 acres and is located just 15 miles east of Ludington, Mich., in the beautiful Huron-Manistee National Forest. It serves as a place for veterans to go for rest, relaxation, recuperation and recreation as part of their rehabilitation and provides outdoor experiences for America’s youth.