Growing up in Kenilworth in the 1950-60's was pretty uncomplicated. We walked or rode our bikes everywhere -- our parents wouldn't dream of driving us anywhere. There were 5 TV channels - 2, 5, 7, 9 and 11. Most families had one phone line and one TV. We rarely had scheduled activities -- we just played with our friends.
Oh, for a few years I took ballet lessons at the Community Center in Winnetka and had piano lessons once a week and swimming lessons over at New Trier on Saturday mornings. But our lives much revolved pretty much around school, home and church. Uncomplicated.
Everyone was in Scouts. My "Uncle"
Charlie (Barnes) was the troop leader for the Boy Scouts. Our Girl Scout leaders changed every two years -- my mom was eventually one of the leaders of my troop. Even being in Scouting revolved around the school. I think it was Mondays that were Scout days and all the girls would wear their Brownie/Girl Scout uniforms to school. They even assigned our troops in the third grade based on our teachers: Miss Huck's 3rd grade class became Troop 5 and Mrs. Johnson's 3rd grade class became Troop 6. I was in Miss Huck's class.
From what I can tell, things have changed and things seem to be a lot more complicated in Kenilworth. Given that Abbotsford Road is now a one way street to accommodate the traffic, kids no longer seem to get to school on their power. I know there are other changes that have come with technology and modern parenting, but one thing remains the same: Scamper Night.
On
Friday, January 27th at 7:15 p.m. the Girl Scouts will perform at the Annual Girl Scout
Scamper Night at Joseph Sears School as they have since 1943. Scamper Night includes 3rd through 8th grade Kenilworth Girl Scout Troops putting on skits, singing songs and dancing their way across the stage.
I asked my mother's friend, Kayi Hummel, for her memories of Scamper Night and this is what she shared with me. Her dates are little different, but I thought it was fun to hear what she remembers.
"I was in the first Scamper Night in 1945 when I was in sixth grade, the first year we moved to Kenilworth. It was started by Mrs. Wayne King and Mrs. Stevenson. Their girls Penny and Sally were in my grade. They felt that children needed to develop stage presence and one eighth grade play didn't do that for the majority. Therefore, they started the Scout program of Scamper Night. It was probably a badge project."
Like all of the other Kenilworth Girl Scouts I performed in Scamper Night every year for six years. Every year,
Mrs. Wells would create, direct and produce our show. Because her daughter was in our class, she would take charge of the performances for Troops 5 and 6. I don't remember all the shows -- there was one where we sang "By the Sea" and were dressed up with bloomers as 1920's bathers at the ocean. There was one that was arranged to the tunes of Flower Drum Song. I can't remember all the others.
After the dress rehearsal every class would line up on the stage and get our pictures taken with Violet Wild -- an interesting Kenilworth character. I would imagine these pictures are somewhere available at the
Kenilworth Historical Society.
If you are in Kenilworth or nearby, I encourage you to attend Scamper Night. I think it's fun to see something that has been a North Shore tradition. (A dress rehearsal, also open to the community, is scheduled for Thursday, January 26th at 3:30 p.m.)
