Crowell Hilaka Memories - Ele Wenzel Richardson  ("Tiger Lilly") 

The following two stories were published March 2021 in "The Daisy Chain";  539 Elk Grove Blvd, Elk Grove Village, 60007-4429

When Ele was still a new trainer,  she attended a gathering of other trainers at Amity House and made herself comfortable with a seat on the floor.  At one point, she shared her concern that although she was leading the Basic Outdoor Skills courses,  she didn't know if she was actually doing a good enough job.  One of the Troop Camp Trainers said. "I've had some of your trainees in my overnights.  They know what they're doing."  A very good feeling!  
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Driving home from camp one weekend and not really knowing the way. She found Rt 303 and decided that if she took it east,  sooner or later she would bump into something familiar.  Sure enough, she came upon the entrance ramp of I-271, which was brand new at the time.  That got her straight back to Maple Hts. 
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She took her troop hiking to the cemetery to make grave rubbings.  Afterwards, they hiked down to the drugstore at the corner of Broadview & Rt. 303.  The girls all got ice cream cones and grabbed seats along the counter.  Out the window, they could see a woman in the parking lot, trying to get into her car.  But she was too inebriated to figure out how to open the door.  They were all very amused.  Elem wondered what the parents would think of her if any of them asked their daughters, ? what  did you do at camp?" "We went on a field trip to a graveyard and we watched a drunk" 

                                                     

Historian's note:  Ele is not only my mother-in-law, she was my mentor as a "Greenblood".  She recruited me at the age of 18 into being her camp assistant, which eventually led to my becoming a troop leader  She encouraged me to volunteer in council wide committees, which led to becoming a council delegate and national delegate. When I would meet Girl Scout volunteers from anywhere Lake Erie council,  they would invariable ask if I was Ele Richardson's daughter. Later,  when I because notorious through Trefoil Integrity, new delegates  meeting Mom for the first time would ask if she was related to me.   

Her girlhood camps were near Pittsburg. I'm including them because she describes so well how Girl Scouting in those distant days was a culture unto itself.  Gypsy Hikes were known to have taken place from Camp Julia Crowell.  The singing through chores and hikes as well as campfires is also very well documented at Crowell Hilaka.  But no one tells song stories like Mom.  LSR

Lois, Ele, Flame & Ben dancing Paul and his Chickens. 1947

The councilors had to stuff the mattresses with straw and sew the openings shut before the beginning of summer camp.  Ele was sitting on a tent platform,  using her grandmother's gold thimble to do her sewing.  When she was called away, she set the thimble on the ground. But when she returned , it was nowhere to be found.  

Ele is standing in the back row, third from the right . Her life-long best friend Lois in seated on the front row, second from the left.