Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1958-03-06

back to report the effect of these
women and the programs in
itiated by them in the county on
one Mrs. Average Housewife.
Mrs. Average Housewife" is
Nancy Hongell's description of
herself and the effect on her is
something pretty spectacular.
Mrs. Average Housewife" has
become the modern Mrs. Paul
Revere" who goes out into the
highways and byways of the
county to sound the alarm and
spread the word on What to Do
Until the Bomb Drops.
From wide-eyed innocence of
anything to do with civil defense,
tagging after Emma 10 Sweezy
to ask foolish questions" Mrs.
Hongell has become one of the
countys CD experts who goes out
night and day TO show films,
make speeches and arouse the
women of the county.
Her itinerary for January, for
example, had her speaking before
~ HOmemakers Clubs, some
times two or three a day, for two
hours at a time.
Since beginning her lecture
tour last year to convince the
Homemakers that CD should be
more than a "sideline," Nancy
Hongell has only missed seven
out of the county's As Homemade
ers Clubs and has talked to 600
women.
Her itinerary is not limited to
Homemakers as she is willing to
talk to anyone willing to listen,
so she also hits American Legion
Auxiliaries, WIVES, Dandelions,
and she has even given her what
to Do When Someone Is Trapped"
talk to 10 senior Girl Scouts in
Sandy Spring.
Nancy's is the grass roots" ap-
proach of interpreting CD in
terms that the average housewife |
can understand.
She shows the film Survival
Street" in which she and her
family participated for four days
in September, 1856 for the Wide
Wide World televsion program.
At tire same time, she points
out that this film depicts ideal
conditions and isn't the way
things would happen here in the
county If disaster struck anytime
In the near future.
In this way, Nancy dumps the
problem right back in the laps of
Mr.. and Mrs. Montgomery Coun-
ty" and hopes that they will be
impressed enough to seek more
CD information from the adult
education program.
These courses were started last
October and the second session
begins this week in high schools
throughout the county. January
graduates numbered 145.
Nancy also gives information
and answers questions on the CD
set up in the county, defines the
threat, explains radioactive fall.
out, the need for home shelters,
and what every family should
have in its survival stores for
emergencies, including safe food
and water. seven-day supply of
food and what is handy in the
way of a first.aid kit.
The training that went into
creating Mrs. Paul Revere in
cludes the Home Protection
Course at Olney, participation in
all alert practice tests in the
county, attendance at federation
state conferences on Civil De-
Tense, Emergency Welfare Off.
GER in District 8, light duty
rescue course for WON e n, and
finally instructor for instructors
in the Home Protection course
and the adult education program.
The normal routine of this
average housewife would leave
many average housewives gasp
ing for breath. But average" Is
a stretchy word, From my inter.
views around the county ] have
decided that average" anything
In Montgomery Is something
pretty special.
The Hongells as a family,
though, are certainly far from
average. Since 1850, Father, Carl, |
Mother, Nancy and the two older
sons, Andy and Bill, now II and
-, have been engaged in "do-it. |
yourself" project that outdoes any
"do.it.yourself" / have ever seen.
When it is finished it will be an
80 by 81 foot two-level house Of
concrete and cinderblock that
will include foyer, living room,
dining room, family room, kitch.
en- and breakfast nook, utility
room, den, four bedrooms, three |