Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-01-02

OIQ dllIilQl, lily 10 OIl6Ny,
isn't any more prepared to fight
rain than it is snow.
Comes a good downpour and
my windshield wiper sticks right
in1ny line of vision. Peering cross
eyed, like ''Eppie in the toal hole"
doesn't help my driving much.
And the steering wheel loosens
up to provide a new kind of free
wheeling.
In spite of all this, l managed
to get lost only once on my dar-
ing trip through Sligo Creek
Parkway to visit Mrs. Rubert L.
Dunn, 1922 Maple Avenue.
That trip was necessary though.
Mrs. Dunn's lovely Scotch burr
doesn't come over the telephone
at all. 1t also takes face to face
meeting to get the full force of
her "spellbinding" personality.
Georgina Dunn, in the past ten
years, has become both "a shining
light in the darkness1 and "the
voice of DOOM throughout Mary
land.
To all handicapped children and
everyone interested in their vel
fare, she is the leading ray of
hope. But those opposing her
must groan at the very sound of
her name.
Combing my notes from a
three-hour interview 1 find only
a handful of facts about Georgina,
herself.
But I am well briefed fora part
in the crusade for Rosewood,
Maryland's training school for
its mentally retarded and physi-
cally handicapped children"
(there is no longer an age limit at
Rosewood).
If l had not already been con-
WINGED of the importance of spe-
cial education in Montgomery
schools, l would have become a
new recruit for that cause after
the interview.
Never underestimate the power
of a Scotch woman with a vision.
Every legislator and politician in
the State could give a testimonial
on that power.
A motflerly sort of person, Mrs
Dunn seems the kind who would
always have a full cookie jar
available for the kids in the neigh
borhood.
However, she is much more
than that. Her "neighborhod'
stops at the State line at present
only because she hasn't won al
of her battles here yet.
When the day comes that the
mentally retarded children OF
Maryland are getting what Geor-
gina considers their just due, let
the men on Capitol Hill beware.
Although they probably won't
know what hit them until it is too
late.
Born in Paisley 1.-THE home of
the shawls), Scotland, Georgina
came to this country before she
was married. She met her hus.
band Rupert when she was sing
ing in the choir at the Plymouth
Church of the Pilgrims in Brook
lyn.
The incident which directed her
crusading spirit into its present
path occurred Fl years ago when
her first son, Billy, was brain.
damaged at birth.
Five years younger, her second
son is healthy, happy young
man whose parents are cutting
short a long-delayed vacation this
week in order to get him back
for an important dance.
Both are fortunate in their par
ents. Rupert Dunn, retired from
the Navy and serving the county
as a deputy sheriff, supports
Georgina in all her activities and
is enormously proud of his ener-
getic wife.
A revealing sidelight on Geor.
gina is her hobby of ceramics
which she took up last Spring to
relax and get her out of the house
and away from her "office."
Last week her living room was
full of ceramics that she had made
and is now selling as gifts with
the profits going for her children
at Rosewood.
The "office" is the Dunn's din
ing room which is the headquar
tiers for the Rosewood Parents
Association of which Georgina has
been president since she organ
lied it six years ago.
Her duties, as Georgina con
ceives them, include personal let
tiers to every legislator at Annap-
oils last New Years to remind
: each of his obligations to Rose
wood.
In 1912 when the Dunns moved
to Montgomery there was moth.
ing here in the way of special ed
ucation for the handicapped. A
few children were sent into the
District for speech therapy and 9