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the glencoe anchor | November 14, 2019 | 13
New Trier scouts feed community at pancake breakfast fundraiser
Alexa Burnell
Freelance Reporter
Pancakes, sausage and
coffee may have been
the focus of the 73rd Annual
Boy Scout/Girl Scout
Troop 5/Crew 5 Pancake
Breakfast, held on Nov.
2, but the real icing on
the cake was the valuable
life skills troop members
gained while feeding
nearly 1,000 people.
Held at First Presbyterian
Church in Wilmette,
the long-standing event
is the troop’s largest fundraiser,
meaning yearlong
adventures remain
possible. Proceeds from
the breakfast fund highlyanticipated
trips to popular
scout camps, such as
Philmont Scout Ranch
in New Mexico and Sea
Base Scout Camp near
St. Thomas, just to name
a few.
Along with earning
Annual Lake Forest Regatta draws sailors from Great Lakes region
New Trier earns
qualifying spot for
championships
Katie Copenhaver
Freelance Reporter
More than 220 young
sailors from Illinois, Wisconsin
and Minnesota competed
in the annual Spectacular
Halloween Regatta
at Forest Park Beach from
Oct. 26-27.
The high school division
races served as a qualifying
event for the MISSA (Midwest
Interscholastic Sailing
Association) Great Lakes
Championship Regatta,
their chance to participate
in such adventures, the act
of hosting an event of this
magnitude, from start to
finish, is a learning lesson
in and of itself.
“Teamwork, leadership
skills, organization, preparing
and planning are
all part of what the breakfast
teaches the troop,”
Scoutmaster Ray Macika
said. “Each member must
sell a certain amount of
tickets, so the prep work
begins months before the
actual event.”
As the event nears,
scouts must prepare the
space, advertise and ensure
that they have all they
need to feed the masses,
according to Macika.
“On the day of, they
work on their social
skills, greeting customers,
serving food, answering
questions,” Macika
said. “There is so much
that come from this one
which was held Nov. 9 and
10 at Monroe Harbor, hosted
by the Chicago Yacht
Club. The elementary and
middle school kids raced
in the “opti” green, white,
blue and red fleets in optimist
sailboats. For most of
them, this was their final
competition of the year.
New Trier High School
earned the qualifying spot
for the ISSA Atlantic Coast
Championships, which
were held Nov. 9-10 at
Tom’s River YC in New
Jersey.
The Halloween Regatta
is hosted by Lake Forest
Sailing, a program of the
city’s Parks and Recreation
New Trier student Rita McCarthy, 16, fills up cups of orange juice during the 73rd
Annual Boy Scout/Girl Scout Troop 5/Crew 5 Pancake Breakfast on Nov. 2 at First
Presbyterian Church in Wilmette. Rhonda Holcomb/22nd Century Media
Division. Will Howard has
served as the head coach
and program director for
four years.
A Lake Forest High
School alum, Howard said
he grew up in this sailing
program, starting with the
Green Fleet, the first competitive
level, and advancing
through the other levels
to the high school division.
This regatta has been running
for about 20 years.
“It’s lovely how everyone
jumps in to help [each
other],” said Beth Bower,
mother of Teddy Bower, a
12-year-old in Lake Forest
Sailing. “That’s the spirit
of the program. It’s a really
event.”
Over the years, the
troop has learned to take
different factors into consideration.
For example,
they now offer glutenfree
batter, ensuring that
everyone has the chance
cooperative team effort.”
“I love the camaraderie
and respect that the kids
have for each other,” said
Stacy Keane, mother of
Avery Keane, a 10-yearold,
and Mason Keane, a
9-year-old, both in Lake
Forest Sailing.
“Rule No. 1 of sailing is
safety of yourself and your
competitors,” added Keane.
Both Lake Bluff resident
Beth Bower and Lake Forest
resident Stacy Keane
grew up sailing and introduced
the sport to their
kids. They currently volunteer
for the sailing club and
were helping to enter race
scores before the award
2
to enjoy some hot flapjacks
on a cool, fall morning.
In addition, the event
has evolved into a zerowaste
day. Scouts rely on
environmentally-friendly
products and teach guests
how to properly recycle,
compost and dispose of
waste.
One of the newest additions
to the 2019 breakfast
was the inclusion of female
troop mates. In February
2019, the Boy Scout
national organization
opened their doors to female
members and Troop
5 has proudly welcomed
15 girls to the team, adding
a new dynamic to the
troop and to the pancake
breakfast.
Sofia Ali and Katie Myerholtz,
of Winnetka, are
both freshman at New
Trier. They joined Troop
5 the minute they were allowed
to do so, happy to
be so accepted by the already
close-knit group.
“I’ve met some of my
Please see pancake, 15
A spectator watches through his binoculars as sailors
participating in the Lake Forest Halloween Spectacular
Regatta cast off on Lake Michigan Sunday, Oct. 27. Alex
Newman/22nd Century Media
3
presentation on Sunday.
“This facility is top
notch,” said Bower, who
has seen a lot of harbors
from her childhood in upstate
New York to her collegiate
days at Connecticut
College to the waterfronts
where competition has taken
her and her family.