CPLHS Keepers Sign Up Procedure

Purpose

The purpose of this procedure is to establish a fair and equitable means for all CPLHS Members to sign up to be volunteer keepers at the Crisp Point Lighthouse. Additionally, this affords the CPLHS Board of Directors time to perform necessary functions at the lighthouse and to keep the number of recreational units at a defined limit for compliance with State and local regulations.

Procedure

1. Prospective keepers must be members in good standing of CPLHS when scheduling time to be keepers and at the time you are keepers. Memberships may be processed at the same time as scheduling dates to be keepers. To renew or become a member of CPLHS, go to https://www.crisppointlighthouse.org/member.html. If any person has pleaded guilty to, pleaded no contest to, or has been convicted of any felony charges (except theft), that person shall be prohibited from being a volunteer lighthouse keeper. If any person has pleaded guilty to, pleaded no contest to, or has been convicted of any crime regarding theft, whether the charges are misdemeanor or felony in nature, that person shall be prohibited from being a volunteer keeper, at the discretion of the Board of Directors.  Discretion of the Directors is to be guided by the following, but is not limited to the following: 1. Remoteness of event, 2. References from other volunteer organizations/people, 3. Relationship between crime and being a volunteer keeper, and 4. Perceived level of rehabilitation.
    
2. Reservations for the current year may be scheduled by contacting Bill Beasley (CPLHS Keeper Scheduler) at 989-859-1407 or at brownsfan989@gmail.com (e-mail is the preferred method and only call during normal business hours) starting November 1 at 12:00 am. Beginning November 1st, reservations for the next year will be based on the first-received requests. No reservations will be accepted prior to November 1, for the following year. It is encouraged to list, in order of preference, three different timeframes to increase the probability of receiving your desired date. Once a reservation has been assigned, no changes to the keepers, or their assistant(s), may be made without approval of the CPLHS Keeper Scheduler. You must call or e-mail because only authorized people can update the online keeper calendar. Your membership status will be verified using the latest membership data file prior to being posted online.
    
3. Check the online keeper calendar at http://www.localendar.com/public/crisppointlighthouse to check for available dates. If an opening comes up that needs to be filled due to a cancellation, CPLHS Board Members will get the first chance at reserving the openings. If the openings are not filled, we will post it on our CPLHS Facebook Group Page at https://www.facebook.com/groups/crisppointlighthouse and on the online keeper calendar. If you do not have internet access, call Bill Beasley at 989-859-1407 for available dates.
    
4. There must be two adults (18 years of age or older) but not more than six. All adults must be members of CPLHS, and are considered keepers. Keep in mind you are representing CPLHS as volunteer keepers. You are encouraged to bring your children / grandchildren to share the experience with. An adult must be present in the Visitors Center during the normal business hours of 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM. No one under the age of 18 is permitted to run the Visitor Center alone. You may schedule from one to five days. Incoming keepers are allowed to use one of the cement pads starting the day before their scheduled keeping date. Outgoing keepers may stay the night their duties end but must vacate and remove their equipment from all keepers' areas by 9:00 AM the following morning. It is strongly recommended that incoming keepers contact the outgoing keepers at the visitor center (906-658-3800) during normal business hours to coordinate arrivals and departures from Crisp Point, especially if campers are involved. Some of the county roads are very narrow! Keepers need to adhere to the posted Quiet Hours at the site.
    
5. Keepers may be from different families and occupy both keeper pads with their recreational units providing one pad is vacated for the incoming keepers prior to their arrival. Each keeper group is limited to two recreational units. At no time may there be more than four overnight recreational units, including all incoming keepers, outgoing keepers, and CPLHS Board Members. A recreational unit means a tent or vehicular-type structure, primarily designed as temporary living quarters for recreational, camping, or travel use, which either has its own motive power or is mounted on or drawn by another vehicle which is self-powered. A tent means a collapsible shelter of canvas or other fabric stretched and sustained by poles and used for camping outdoors.
    
6. The first initial and last name of all adults and the number of recreational units will be entered into the online keeper calendar in order to keep track of who is scheduled. No other personal information will be posted online without permission. We encourage but do not require you to allow us to publicize e-mail and/or cell phone numbers to incoming/outgoing keepers so they may contact one another in advance. Once approved as keepers you may become members of the Crisp Point Light Keepers Facebook Group per your request. Please advise on your keeper request if we may share this information with your relief or the people you are relieving.
    
7. There is the potential a CPLHS Board Member or Members may be on the lighthouse grounds to monitor ongoing work projects or perform maintenance as long as the number of overnight recreational units does not exceed four. If Board Members would like to spend the night, they are to contact the CPLHS Keeper Scheduler in advance to verify we do not exceed the maximum of four overnight recreational camping units on the lighthouse grounds and have their name and number of recreation units added to the calendar. Keeper pads will only be available to the Board Member if they are not being used by the scheduled keepers at the time.
    
8. Disclaimers: This procedure is subject to change at any time by vote of the CPLHS Board. Please be aware that there are times when the Board may decide to have a Member's Only Camping Event in which we would likely exceed the four recreational camping units on the lighthouse grounds, in which the CPLHS will obtain a temporary camping license from the LMAS District Health Department. The scheduled keeper(s) will occupy the keeper pads and additional recreational units will be placed according to the temporary campground site map. It is also possible that restoration work by volunteers and contractors may occur as needed during your stay.

General Duties & Information

Information:

You do not have to stay at the lighthouse to be a Keeper.

Drinkable water is not available, so bring your own water and beverages.

Electricity is not available for personal use. A small generator is recommended if you need power.

Phone service (landline) is available at the Visitor Center for emergencies.

There are no refrigerators. The nearest ice available is approximately 24 miles away, at a store near Tahquamenon Falls.

There are no garbage cans or dumpsters available. When your stay is complete, take all trash with you and discard properly.

There is no heat in any of the buildings.

There are flush toilets and hand sanitizer in the restrooms.

Pets need to be on a leash when on lighthouse property and any waste picked up.

There is a small first aid kit available in the Visitor Center. Please contact Cameron or Bill if it needs restocking.

If you will be using a camper or trailer, there is a cement pad for parking near the Visitor Center.

A fire pit is available for a camp fire. Purchase firewood in the Upper Peninsula, firewood is not allowed across the Mackinac Bridge. It is your responsibility to know if there are any DNR restrictions regarding camp fires. Contact a DNR office or visit their website for more information. Fires are not allowed during restricted times.

A barbecue grill is available for use, bring your own lighter fluid and charcoal. Please clean after using.

Duties:

You will be expected to assist visitors to Crisp Point for a minimum of 8 hours per day from 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM.

Open the tower and Visitor Center for guests to access.

Greet visitors, sell Crisp Point related merchandise, answer questions, offer general and/or historical information about the lighthouse and the Historical Society.

Pick up any debris and other items found on the grounds and discard properly.

Sweep and clean lighthouse and Visitor Center building as needed.

Sweep, clean, and restock restrooms as needed.

Sweep boardwalk as needed.

Restock merchandise containers as needed with available extra stock. Extra stock is located under the display cases and upstairs in the Visitor Center.

Consider writing an article about your experience as a volunteer keeper for one of our newsletters. If you are interested, please contact our newletter editor. See our CPLHS Contacts and General Info page for contact info at www.crisppointlighthouse.org/contacts.html.

For a more detailed version of the information and duties, click here.