The Wilmington morning star., 1947-10-05
JUNIOR CHAMBER
LOCAL SPONSORS
Dogs, Pigeons To Demon
strate Safety To
Children

Presley, traffic officer of the
Charlotte police force, made his
first showing of a unique dog
show. dramatically teaching chill
dren and grown-ups the prin-
ciples of traffic safety. In a few
months this unusual act became
me of the most widely publicized
traffic safety shows in America.
Leaders in police work became
its enthusiastic supporters, in
cluding Walter Anderson, at that
time Chief of Police of Charlotte
and later Chief Frank N. Little
iobn and numerous other promin-
ont men, in and out of North
Carolina, including J. Edgar
Hoover, Chief of the FBI, who
was so impressed with the show
that he directed a full page story
about it be printed in the nation
al FBI publication and read by
all members of that Bureau
throughout the nation.
In December 1916 the North
Carolina State Automobile AS
ISOLATION undertook sponsorship
Of the Presley show in North
Carolina, and is making it avail
able. without charge, for show
ing to all of the school children
in the State, in addition to the
civic clubs and church organiza-
tons who wish to stage the show
during vacation periods.
Dog Stars
The principal actors in Officer
PressIey's show are four highly
trained dogs, Lassie, Elmer, Susie
and Lady, and two pigeons, Oscar
and Pete. These dogs have been
taught the tricks of the vaude-
Vile stage, which have been
cleverly arranged by Officer
Presley himself to dramatic the
fundamentals of traffic safety.
School children are loudly en-
thusiastic over the antics of
Pressley's dogs, and they are
more impressed by the rules they
teach than could possibly be
achieved by any amount of aca-
demic advice.
The Presley show is saving
lives and countless injuries of
school children walking, riding
BICYCLES, and on roller skates.
And it is indellibly creating a
sa consciousness that will
buA a new generation of safe
drivers.
At the conclusion of each show
ing to school children Officer
Presley describes his Junior
Traffic Safety Club. Member
ship requires that each pupil
learn the answers to and pass
with a one hundred per cent
grade an examination on a ques-
tionnaire of forty-eight questions.
Through the teachers all chill
dren are given copies of the ques-
tionnaire and are directed to take
them home and drill themselves
on these questions with the helI
Of their parents. They are Their
given an oral examination by the
teacher, and having passed this
examination, they become mem
bers of the Junior Traffic Safety
Club and receive a Certificate oil
Membership, which is a picture
of Officer Presley and his four
dogs in action.
The response to this club has
been enormous. In less than q
year more than 1904 900 school,
children have passed the test and
become members. By the end OF
l947 this total will be swolled to
some 100000.
To Appear Here
Hundreds of leading news
papers and magazines have pub
hshed articles and pictures de-
scrlbing the Presley show. It
has been widely heralded by such
newspapers as the Knoxville
journal (Which sponsored the
Snow in Knoxville for two weeks
end has requested a return en-
eagement for an additional two
NeekS), the Miami Herald, Palm
peach Daily News, Charlotte
News, Charlotte Observer, and
numerous others.
The safety show is being spon-
Sored in Wilmington and New
hanover county by the Safety
committee of the Wilmington
sunlor Chamber of Commerce.
1t will open at Tileston school
/ FomorroW morning and continue
/ throughout the week. Officer
som Rhodes has been assigned to
escort Presley and his animals
VARS While in this area.
Details of school dates and