Since it's our 50th anniversary, I thought I'd give you all a little history lesson:

The founding members were part of The Prairie Club, which is still a going enterprise.  The Prairie Club was founded as a volunteer organization in 1908 and organized hikes in this tri-state area as a way for people to get out of crowded Chicago.  It evolved over the years to include other outdoor activities and acquired several properties for camps.  The Prairie Club had a key role in establishing the Lake Cook Forest Preserve system, Indiana Dunes State Park, and Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. 

In 1970 a group from The Prairie Club who had a strong preference for paddling versus all the other outdoor activities, plus an aversion to The Prairie Club’s growing physical assets, formed their own breakaway group.  They were incorporated in 1971 as Prairie State Canoeists.  The original members numbered no more than fifty but grew over the years.  At one time there were around 500 members.

So now you know - "the rest of the story"