Evening star., 1927-10-09
SCHOOLBOY PATROL
READY FOR ACTION
Organization of Protective
System for Children to
Start This Week.

The schoolboy patrol. a volunteer
student orga nization for the protec-
tion of boys and girls from traffic
dangers around school buildings. will
be placed in the process of Organi-
zation for the second year this week
by the District of Columbia Division
Of the American Automobile AsSocia-
tion, it was announced last night.
School authorities have indicated
that they are particularly anxious to
cooperate in the formation and func-
tioning Of this organization. They
look upon the patrol as fulfilling q
twofold purpose.
First, it provides additional means
Of controlling the movements of very
young children on the city streets.
with the particular advantage of
exercising this control in and around
the schoo; buildings where the chill
iren are present in the greatest num-
bers.
The second benefit conferred by the
patrol is that it offers the children
special training in the safety lessons
which they are taught in school and
at home. They are cautioned not to
cross streets until traffic clears and
this is just what the boy patrolmen
insist upon when they stand at the
curb and hold back their young
charges until it is safe for them to
so across.
Superintendent Approves.
DIR. Frank w. Ballou, superintend-
ent of schools. has given the move
ment his approval also. because he
believes it has peculiarly worthwhile
educational advantages.
THE schoolboy patrol" said DR..
RallOn ypStpr6aU s'iQ pcnnciallv VAL
liable in that 1t gives the boys who
take part in it an opportunity to as
sumo responsibility, not only for them
selves. but for others as well. It be-
comes necessary for them to show
consideration for others, and this is
something that is highly desirable in
giving our boys a well rounded train
ing.
I'm serving on the patrol, they are
assisting in the performance Of a
public duty. The boys in patrol work
are rendering a real public service and
the activity is fine example of actual
participation in something worth
while"
There is no intention whatsoever to
organize the patrol as an auxiliary to
police traffic regulation. The school
boy patrolmen will be impressed with
! the fact that they are not traffic po.
| policemen in any sense of the word.
Theirs is a preventive function rather
than having the purpose of snatching
children from the dangers Of street
| traffic.
For this reason the patrolmen stand
on the sidewalk and are not to be
posted in the streets. Nor are they
10 halt traffic. Instead, they wait
| until traffic clears sufficiently for the
children to cross. Every effort will
be made to protect the patrolmen in
performing their duty, as we'll as their
younger charges.
Selected by Principals.
More than 600 pupils of the public
schools have been selected SO far for
| patrol duty. They will be distributed
| among 80 elementary school buildings.
| Selection is made by the principal,
| partly on the basis Of scholarship and
also for the qualification for leader
snip shown by the boys. After organi-
zat1on Is completed In the public
SCHOOLS, similar patrols, will be estab-
llshed this year by the A. A. A. in
parochiai and private schools.
Two organization assemblies will be
neid during the next week for public
scnool pupils. Candidates from the
f1rst nine divisions will receive their
S~AA0 CHAAPiAiCit,
OF Sam Browne belts and badges, at an
assembly at o'clock tomorrow at
Thomson School. The patrolmen I'm
divisions 10 to 13 will be organized at
8 o'clock Tuesday at Armstrong High
School,
Participating in these assemblies
VIII be DR.. Ballou and Supervising
Principal Selden NJ. Ely on behalf of
the schools and Lieut.. B. A. Lamb,
who has been designated by Mai. Ed.
win B. Hesse. superintendent of po.
lice, as the officer detailed on school.
boy patrol work. T. F. Behler will
personally supervise the organization
OF the patrol for the A. A. A., working
under the direction of Charles p.
Clark. assistant general manager of
the motoring body.
Members Of the patrol will report to
their schools Is minutes before the
regular time of assembly in the morn.
ing and in the afternoon. They will
be dismissed five minutes early. and
VIII remain on duty after school is
dismissed until the majority of the
pupils have left their buildings.