As Boy Scout in Troop 3 and Explorer Post 3 at New England Congregational Church in Aurora, IL in last half of 1950's, and reading posts on http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/23865-chin-be-gota-revisited-20-years-later/page-1, I felt like old woman at start of Titanic movie, who lived the start of a story, while others told told her tale before she returned Le CÅ“ur de la Mer to the Atlantic at the film's end in the urls' topic and 65 replies.
During those Scouting years, I knew and remember fondly three camps: KeDeKa, Blackhawk and Baker Lake. In Internet search to find more about them to enhance memories, I came to learn how the Baker Lake Wilderness Camp I first visited in April 1958 and then again for two week camp session that summer led to the wonderful tale and memories captured in above Chin-Be-Gota linke, before it's sale after end of 1986 summer.
1958 Two Week Summer Camp at Baker Lake Wilderness Camp Troop 3 Aurora: Waterfront, Troop 3 Campers; Jungle Hammock Camp
2016 Baker Lake Google Satellite View, Former Chin-Be-Gota Camp 1959-86
1958 Baker Lake Summer Wilderness Camp Path; Order of Arrow Wiyapunit Lodge 106 Aurora Council; Richard Noll, Post 503 Leader
What I recall from Aurora Council's new Baker Lake property in 1958 is that it was all wilderness, including the farm in photo above to East. The three photos above the current Baker Lakes aerial view would all be from where the camp buildings shown in the aerial photo were eventually built. The Troop picture is in front of our temporary canvas shelter where meals were prepared, just as waterfront picture at left was downhill to Lake and jungle hammock campsites in woods further from Lake.
For all the wonderful memories of campers and staff during the 1959-86 life of Chin-Go-Beta in the replies of above url, it is not completely clear where Shibonna Wilderness was located. All the replies referred to it being near Chin-Go-Beta, but Little Lake Archibald in other replies, is far away. This is much less significant than the memories recalled and leaders lauded in the 60 plus replies to revisit 20 years after camp closed.
My memories of two weeks in a jungle hammock have augmented now by reading of what Baker Lake Wilderness Camp became in later years and how Scouts and staff remembered their years at Chin-Go-Beta. Those memories make all the work clearing and building trails to campsites and waterfront seem more important now than then. Most remembered respites were waterfront at day's end to wash away dust and dirt of day followed by dinner and campfire. I also recall blazing trail around lake through often thick underbrush to lake's edge. After swimming out to raft of beautiful warm night, I continued to swim across lake and back, only to be chastised on return about whether that was a very good and responsible decision that was an undue risk.
Since post wouldn't allow photos, I will try to include them with other Scout Camp memories in email to Rich and Cliff Golden if their emails are still operable.
CHIN-BE-GOTA revisited 20 years later
in Scouting History
Posted
As Boy Scout in Troop 3 and Explorer Post 3 at New England Congregational Church in Aurora, IL in last half of 1950's, and reading posts on http://scouter.com/index.php/topic/23865-chin-be-gota-revisited-20-years-later/page-1, I felt like old woman at start of Titanic movie, who lived the start of a story, while others told told her tale before she returned Le CÅ“ur de la Mer to the Atlantic at the film's end in the urls' topic and 65 replies.
During those Scouting years, I knew and remember fondly three camps: KeDeKa, Blackhawk and Baker Lake. In Internet search to find more about them to enhance memories, I came to learn how the Baker Lake Wilderness Camp I first visited in April 1958 and then again for two week camp session that summer led to the wonderful tale and memories captured in above Chin-Be-Gota linke, before it's sale after end of 1986 summer.
1958 Two Week Summer Camp at Baker Lake Wilderness Camp Troop 3 Aurora: Waterfront, Troop 3 Campers; Jungle Hammock Camp
2016 Baker Lake Google Satellite View, Former Chin-Be-Gota Camp 1959-86
1958 Baker Lake Summer Wilderness Camp Path; Order of Arrow Wiyapunit Lodge 106 Aurora Council; Richard Noll, Post 503 Leader
What I recall from Aurora Council's new Baker Lake property in 1958 is that it was all wilderness, including the farm in photo above to East. The three photos above the current Baker Lakes aerial view would all be from where the camp buildings shown in the aerial photo were eventually built. The Troop picture is in front of our temporary canvas shelter where meals were prepared, just as waterfront picture at left was downhill to Lake and jungle hammock campsites in woods further from Lake.
For all the wonderful memories of campers and staff during the 1959-86 life of Chin-Go-Beta in the replies of above url, it is not completely clear where Shibonna Wilderness was located. All the replies referred to it being near Chin-Go-Beta, but Little Lake Archibald in other replies, is far away. This is much less significant than the memories recalled and leaders lauded in the 60 plus replies to revisit 20 years after camp closed.
My memories of two weeks in a jungle hammock have augmented now by reading of what Baker Lake Wilderness Camp became in later years and how Scouts and staff remembered their years at Chin-Go-Beta. Those memories make all the work clearing and building trails to campsites and waterfront seem more important now than then. Most remembered respites were waterfront at day's end to wash away dust and dirt of day followed by dinner and campfire. I also recall blazing trail around lake through often thick underbrush to lake's edge. After swimming out to raft of beautiful warm night, I continued to swim across lake and back, only to be chastised on return about whether that was a very good and responsible decision that was an undue risk.
Since post wouldn't allow photos, I will try to include them with other Scout Camp memories in email to Rich and Cliff Golden if their emails are still operable.
Rod Handeland
rhandeland@gmail.com