Michigan Camp Rules & Troop camping trips

[The Blancmange]

Our troop is considering a backpacking trip to Porcupine Mountains State Park for next summer. While reading something entirely unrelated, I came across a reference to the fact that Michigan has some strange definitions of what constitutes a summer camp that must be licensed and think that our trip, if it lasts for 5 or more days, may require a license from the state Department of Human services. If this is true, for practical reasons, we would be selecting a destination outside of Michigan.

 

The DHS website says this: "A children's camp is five or more children, away from their parents, relatives or legal guardians, for five or more days within a 14-day period in a natural environment."

 

I read through the regulations and it certainly sounds like this would apply to a troop camping trip such as what we are considering. Can someone in Michigan or who is familiar with these rules set me straight on this.

[Troop185]

From someone who use owned a children camp in Michigan for 10 years, and have been leading wilderness trips for over 30 years, I can assure you, this rule does not apply for scouts trips. You can contact someone at the Dept. of Health, and they will tell you the same thing.

 

I have been backpacking to the Porcupine Mts. several times. Enjoy your trip!

[NealOnWheels]

If we look at what the actual Michigan law says:

 

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(ek44kcmvp3br5k45zyhe0c55'>http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(ek44kcmvp3br5k45zyhe0c55))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-722-111

 

"Children's camp" means a residential, day, troop, or travel camp that provides care and supervision and is conducted in a natural environment for more than 4 children, apart from the children's parents, relatives, or legal guardians, for 5 or more days in a 14-day period.

 

It is interesting to note the term "troop".

 

Also look at:

 

http://www.legislature.mi.gov/(S(ek44kcmvp3br5k45zyhe0c55))/mileg.aspx?page=getObject&objectName=mcl-722-119

 

Staff members or unsupervised volunteers in children's camps or children's campsites who are 21 years of age or older may not have contact with a child who is in the care of a children's camp until the staff member or volunteer provides the children's camp with documentation from the department that he or she has not been named in a central registry case as the perpetrator of child abuse or child neglect.

 

Sorry cannot get those links to work right but if you are interested lookup CHILD CARE ORGANIZATIONS Act 116 of 1973(This message has been edited by NealOnWheels)

[Beavah]

Yah, hmmm...

 

Yeh just gotta grimace at laws with overbroad language. That havin' been said, without wadin' through their regulations I can't imagine that anyone would interpret this as applyin' to scout unit trips, especially from out of state. Any other Michigan folks out there? They aren't really tryin' to apply their Day Care law to unit scout trips and visiting school groups are they? That would be hysterical. Maybe they're just findin' a new way to make money in taxes/fees.

 

Another question would be whether da state park is askin' yeh for a day care license to obtain a campin' permit. They'd have to be aware of da law if it's really that broad. So I reckon if they tell yeh it's fine to be campin' and issue yeh a permit without demanding a license yeh should be OK.

 

Beavah

 

[BartHumphries]

You know, it's really easy to show that you, as a member of a "children's camp" have not been named in a central registry case as the perpetrator of child abuse of child neglect, because you are a Scouter and your Council is supposed to run that particular background check on all adult Scouters. So that's NealOnWheels' second objection out of the way.

 

That being said, Troop185 said that not only was he from Michigan, he owned a "children's camp" and that it doesn't apply to Scout troops. He suggested the simple expedient of picking up the phone and asking them. I favor that idea.