“Have you ever heard of a ‘Cabin in the Woods’ right here in Cook County?” Camp Baden Powell might not be here anymore but its story echoes around these parts. Many forget that before there were sprawling suburbs, the Boy Scouts were making their mark. Imagine, back in the early 1900s, two dads from Wilmette, Mr. Rice and Mr. Coburn, wanted something to keep their sons busy. This was before Little League and all that. They stumbled upon this newfangled idea from England – the Boy Scouts. They formed Troop One right here in Wilmette, making it open to any boy who wanted to join. Scouting had a military feel back then. They even had Captain Harbaugh as their drillmaster. Soon, they had a whole drum and bugle corps! By 1927, several councils merged to form the North Shore Area Council, and that included a swathe of towns. They even had Camp Baden Powell, a special cabin built by the Scouts themselves. They used wood harvested with permission from the Cook County Forest Preserve. It was near the North Branch of the Chicago River. Imagine those Scouts gathering here, learning skills, and dreaming big. Though Camp Baden Powell is gone, the spirit of those early Scouts lives on, reminding us of a time when this area was a hotbed for the Boy Scouts of America.
Congregation Or Torah
Rabbi Zvi Engel’s leadership guides Congregation Or Torah. This impressive Modern Orthodox Synagogue stands proudly in Skokie Illinois. It’s one