Features
MEDFORD
Sports
Tribune
SECTION B
MEDFORD. OREGON. SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1963 PAGES 1 to 8
Medford Volunteer
Illustrates Peace
Corps in Action
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' Vountecr Irvan Guss, 24, of Medford, tenches math, general science, biology, history and speech al a naiochi.il secondary school in Puma Uorda,
a fishing village on the southern coast of British Honduras, Punda Gorda can be reached only by sea and air and is tile most isolated spot in
Central America where volunteers are stationed. Here Guss supervises a volleyball game behind the school.
Punta Gorda, British Honduars A young Medford teacher is helping raise the level
of instruction in the schools of this small central American colony of Great Britain.
He is 24 year-old Irvan H. Guss, one of 33 Peace Corps volunteers who have been
working in British Honduras since last September.
About one-twelfth the size of Oregon, British Honduras is a tropical country of
93,000 people. It has been promised its independence as soon as it can staff its civil
service with its- own people, replacing the expatriates who are now on the govern
ment payroll. Education, then, is viewed as a basic means of achieving the goal of
self-government.
Eighteen of the volunteers are stationed in Belize, the country's hot, steamy
capital. The others, including Guss, are scattered throughout the country in rural
districts. They teach a variety of subjects: English, science, biology, chemistry, math,
physical education, metal working, shorthand, typing and bookkeeping.
In addition, 10 volunteers act as teacher-trainers who visit schools and help local
teachers to become more effective in the classroom.
As is true in most undeveloped countries, British Honduras suffers from an
acute shortage of skilled teachers. So great is the need here that apprentice teachers
often start when they are only 14 and fresh out of the eighth grade. When the
plane carrying the contingent of volunteers touched down at Belize airport, the
number of people in the country with university degrees was more than doubled.
Guss lives in' Punta Gorda, a fishing community of 1,600 people on the southern
'coast of the country a few miles north of the Guatemalan border. Punta Gorda can
be reached only by air, and with the Heron, an antiquated boat which makes week
ly trips between Punta Gorda and Belize 100 miles to the north. This part of the
coast has a hot-house climate and an annual rainfall of 180 inches.
A quiet, friendly person, Guss shares a while frame house on the edge of the
Caribbean with Erwin and Taeko Wong, a volunteer couple from Honolulu. The
Wongs are teacher-trainers and spend much of , their time traveling in the back
country visiting rural schools.
Right next door to he house, is the parochial hjgh school in which Guss teaches '
math, general science, biology, history and speech. It is an arduous schedule, and
one night a week he teaches an adult science class, and four nights helps students
with their home work.
The school was so short of staff that it would have been unable to open last fall
had it not been for Guss and the Wongs. The Heron brought them to Punta Gorda
on a Sunday morning. They unpacked, had a short meeting with the principal and
the next morning were already in the classroom.
Life in Punta Gorda has an unhurried, sleepy quality to it. There Is not much
to do at night except attend a mosquilory performance at an outdoor movie the
ater which shows ancient American films. Usually Guss iust manages to get his
papers graded and his next day's lessons prepared before the local' generator runs
out of gas and the lights go off about 10 p.m. '
Says Guss, "I've adjusted lo the slow pace of life here and the isolation. "Often '", '
in the evening I'll just sit out in front of the house and watch the moon come up
out of the sea. It's the first time in my life that I know exactly when the moon
comes up."
Guss was a student at Southern Oregon college for two years and then earned
his BA in education at Oregon State university in 1961. The next year he taught
math and chemistry at Adrain High school. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Henry
Guss, 1041 Ml. Pitt ave., Medford.
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The house he shares with Hawaiian couple.
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Irvan Guss shown In hii Punta Gorda classrooms.
Warning wiin Erwin ina Taeko Wong In ram.
Medford volunteer prepares mornings work.