Mackinac Rendezvous XX
September 2025 | Mackinaw Mill Creek Campground

MRXIX Highlights

Mackinac Rendezvous

In the summer of 1986, Scout Executive Dick Miller and the council’s Activities Committee were searching for a place to hold a council fall camporee. Miller had visited Mackinac Island and suggested it as a challenging but rewarding destination. The committee agreed, and the very first Mackinac Rendezvous took place in 1987. From the start, the idea was to run a simpler, smarter, better fall camping event. It needed to have stellar programming and be a financial success.

That inaugural year, Scouts camped at St. Ignace State Park in the Upper Peninsula. The Michigan National Guard provided manned army field kitchens to prepare all the meals for the Rendezvous.  Many Mackinac Island storefronts displayed “Welcome Boy Scouts” signs and Scouts enjoyed a grand and glorious day on the island. After the ferry ride back to St. Ignace, buses took Scouts back to camp. That evening, the Scouts marched across I-75, where traffic was stopped both ways, to Father Marquette State Park for a campfire program. The event was such a success, participating unit leaders all but demanded a return engagement in 1989! And the biannual tradition has continued ever since.

At Mackinac Rendezvous XIX, Scouts of all ages will camp with their unit for two nights on the idyllic shores of Lake Huron in sight of the Mackinac Bridge. This iconic event boasts three distinct programs – Scouts BSA & Venturing, Island Adventure IV, and Mackinac Cub Scout Family Camp.

The Island Adventure IV program will depart immediately for Mackinac Island, spending approximately 17 hours over the course of two days hiking, biking, sailing, and flying on, over, and around the Island!

Events for Cub Scouts and Scouts BSA/Venturers/Sea Scouts will revolve around an old-timey circus and dark sky experiences.  Fireworks will end the day on Saturday.

Mackinac Cub Scout Family Camp débuted in 2019 and is back by popular demand! Participants will experience an action-packed weekend, beginning Friday afternoon and evening with a Cub Scout Rendezvous Relay and fabulous inflatables. The fun will continue Saturday with a fun trip to Mackinac Island! Saturday evening all attendees are invited to a live concert.

The entire Rendezvous will culminate with a closing ceremony Sunday morning!

2023 EVENT CONTACTS:

Team Email:
macrenteam@gmail.com

Russ Kolski
Event Chair
rkolski@charter.net

Daniel Hill
Program Director
daniel.hill@scouting.org

RESOURCES:
Annual Health and Medical Form A & B

Leaders Guides:
Promo Flyers: