Evening star., 1948-05-16
Safety Floats, Bands
'Highlight Parade Of
5chooIboy Patrols

pdIOt mcIHDcTS ldSt IllRQI were
headed home after a two-day visit
to Washington as guests of the
American Automobile Association.
Actually, 1888 school children
marched In the long parade which
featured yesterdays festivities, but
5719 Of them came from the WASH
ington area.
The colorful parade, which took
more than three hours to pass the
reviewing stand at Sixteenth street
and Constitution avenue NV, was
the twelfth and largest sponsored
here by the AAA in cooperation
with Metropolitan Police and the
District Public Schools.
The yearly visit to the Nations
Capital is given as reward to the
students who serve as "watchmen"
at street crossings near schools. The
school patrol, which now numbers
some 500,0 members throughout
the country, was started 80 years
ago by the AAA.
Drill Competition Held.
The boys marched down Consti-
tuition avenue from Fourth street
to the reviewing stand. During inter-
walls between the Is bands, the
Quantico Marine Base Band, seated
at one side of the stand, and the
Roosevelt Wilson High School Band
of Clarksburg, w. Va, seated across
the way, furnished martial music.
An announced identified each unit
as 1t paced by.
Prior to the parade, drill compe-
tition was held for eight 16-member
teams. Ten were entered in the
event, which was judged by three
Army officers ST Gabriels Parochial
School of Washington were first
place in the contest for elementary
school boys.
Top school band in the parade,
according to the band contest
judges, was that of Westinghouse
High School, Arlington. In win
ming this award, the local band
nosed out the Pennsylvania State
championship unit from the Potts
town Senior High School.
Washington area schools swept
the contest for the best floats. A
first place tie was declared between
the St. Michaels School of Mont
gomery County and Arlington
County's Henry Clay School. The
st. Michaels entry depicted
prisoner" in Jail cell with the
inscription, Capture Carelessness-
He's a Killer" on the float. The
Virginia school entered a float with
head on a wagon, eyes rolling,
and a sign which said, Keep Eyes
on Safety" Second place was
awarded darlington School,, and
third to st. Gabriels.
Slogan Contest Winners.
The three top places and two
honorable mentions in the slogan
contest also went to Metropolitan
area schools. To Stuart Junior High
School went first place for their
slogan, carried on a sign in the
middle of the marchers, which read,
Gross at corners or meet the coro-
ner" For Look both ways, live
more days" second place was
awarded to the -Four Corners
School, Four Corners, Md. District
Heights School, District Heights,
Md, won third with Cut accidents,
don't let accidents cut you Hon.
orable mentions went to the Gath
ersburg School and the Benning
School of Washington.
An award for being the most un-
usual attraction in the parade was
won by the Fairfax Elementary
School. It's delegation was dressed
in kits.
AS the lengthy parade neared an
end. the announcer urged all patrols
to hurry up, close up ranks" so the
presentation of prizes and enter
tainment by Comedian Edwar Ber
gen could take place in the Sylvan
Theater.
Most OF the marchers stood in
tightly packed group as Mr.. Bergen
joked for about 10 minutes with his
famous dummy, Charlie Mccarthy.
Mccarthy was, at the end OF the
session, made an honorary safety
school patrolman by Lou E. Holland,
AAA vice president and chairman
of the organizations traffic safety
committee.
Belt Upside Down.
When the white Sam Browne belt.
accepted uniform of a schoolboy
safety of1icer. was placed upside
down on the dummy, scores of chill
dren set up a clamor. They did not
subside until it was put on correctly
The ambulance of Fire-Rescue
Squad No. l patroled the avenue
during the parade. but no casual
ties among the children were re-
ported.
Acting Police Superintendent
Floyd Truscott was grand marshal
OF the parade. The representatives
of the seven schools in the Third
Police Precinct were led by Pvt.
Arthur S. Miskell, who was named
the February policeman of the
Month" for his many years of work
among school DatrOlS