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Safety Patrol In Action
Tribune photo published Nov. 12, 1950

Dennis Fain, on Safety Patrol duty, waits until the road is free from traffic before directing his fellow students from Lincoln school to cross.  He expects motorists to stop at the corner, then proceed cautiously, but never to signal the children to cross in front of a car.  Dennis is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Rex Fain, 213 South Duff.

Each school in Ames has a group of specially trained youngsters who daily guard the lives of their fellow students.  Identified by their white belts and badges, members of the school Safety Patrols guide other pupils across busy intersections, protecting them from the hazards of heavy traffic.

Patrol members do not direct vehicle traffic.  They function from the sidewalk, instructing and controlling school children crossing the street.  Motorists are expected, of course, to cooperate with the Safety Patrols by obeying stop signs, then proceeding carefully while the patrol member holds back other students until the roadway is clear.  Police officials give whole-hearted support to the Safety Patrol units.

Voluntarily sacrificing part of their play-time, Safety Patrol guards are satisfied to know that they are contributing to the welfare of others.  Since 1925, when school patrols were instituted, the accident rate for school children between 5 and 14 years has decreased 17 percent.  During the past year, only five were injured, and none killed.

This week, the Motor Club of Iowa, which sponsors the School Safety Patrol training program, sent Johnny Lange here, from Davenport, to give patrol members any needed help with their vital work.  Johnny has been visiting all the schools showing safety films and talking to student assemblies about safe practices on the streets.  Safety patrols get special attention from him:  Together, they check over duties and review rules for traffic management.

The school safety patrol children of Ames public and parochial schools have been taking part in a special training course Monday and today conducted by Wilson R. Morrison, traffic safety consultant for the AAA Motor club of Iowa.

Fifth and sixth grade students met at Welch auditorium Monday and Meeker auditorium today to hear Morrison give a short demonstration talk on patrol problems.  A safety film was shown with the demonstration.

No instruction was scheduled for Whittier school as it has no fifth and sixth grades.  Ames police patrol this corner.

The purpose of the training program according to Morrison is to assure statewide uniformity of patrol operations and to minimize traffic accidents occuring to school children.

The 133 patrol boys and girls in Ames are charged with the responsibility of protecting 2000 fellow classmates at Welch, Crawford, Meeker, Beardshear, Edwards, Lincoln and St. Cecilia's.

Morrison pointed out that patrols of Ames are an important part of the Iowa Patrol system which numbers over 600 patrols.  Last year, it is estimated that over 65,000,000 crossings were made by school youngsters at patrol-protected corners throughout the State with only seven minor injuries reported.  Iowa entered its 19th year of no deaths reported at school patrol-protected crossings.

The AAA Motor club of Iowa provides the belts, badges....