Camp Mach-Kin-O-Siew, "Mach" for short, is outside of a little town called Elcho in Northern Wisconsin. Located on a small bay of Lake Enterprise, Camp Mach is a pristine wilderness formed when glaciers drove south across Wisconsin. Scouts can marvel at the beautiful forests, and glacial lakes, as well as the acres of bog that make up Camp Mach.
At Camp Mach, scouts will cook their meals in their campsites after picking their food up from the commissary. During the day, scouts can take a variety of merit badges, including Waterskiing on Lake Enterprise, or take part in other activities like Call of the Wild, the Pioneer themed program for scouts 15 and older. On Tuesday nights, Scouts will assemble out in the Deer Field for the Order of the Arrow Callout ceremony performed by the Pachsegink Lodge ceremonies team. Scouts and Leaders alike will love the beauty of the camp, and the dedication of our topnotch staff.
A little history:
Camp Mach was once owned by the Kraft Family, of Kraft Foods fame. The Kraft Family used the land as a private hunting ground. The fireplace in the Scoutmaster's Pit used to be for cooking the day's hunt, and the Program Building was built around the fireplace after the sale of the land to the Boy Scouts. This BBQ “Pit” is what gives the Scoutmaster's Pit its name. The land that is now Camp Mach-Kin-O-Siew was taken over by the West Suburban Council in 1954.
Camp Shin-Go-Beek, SGB for short, is located twelve miles outside of the small Wisconsin town of Waupaca. Formed by the passage of the glaciers, Shin-Go-Beek is nestled on two glacial lakes. Shin-Go-Beek is 504 acres of verdant pine forest.
At SGB, Scouts and Scouters eat with the staff in the camp dining hall. During meals, campers will be entertained by the antics and songs of our wonderful staff. During the day, campers can take a variety of merit badges, and take part in our older boy program, the Call of the Wild, a pioneer themed adventure program for scouts 15 and older. Scouts can also earn Astronomy merit badge in our historic Observatory.
A little history:
Camp Shin-Go-Beek was once a tree farm which provided lumber to the markets of the United States. In the 1800’s it was believed that once the trees were removed the land could be used for farming. Camp Shin-Go-Beek is a prime example of this thought. The Barn on the property was built in the 1860’s and the surrounding land was leveled and farmed up until the land was acquired by the Thatcher Woods Area Council in 1947.
At first the camp only consisted of the lakefront property across 24th Lane from the Barn. SGB used to be a cabin campground, with numerous cabins located along the lakefront. Later, many of those cabins were dismantled and rebuilt into the camp's trading post. The old farm house was located where the present parking lot is, and the stones of its foundation were used to build the fireplace in the Administration Building.