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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 5, 1961)
Mm ! gotS Troop . ' i . V ... if"' ,m a 3 : " ...,.J X,. Mm mm V ft:, J' - TV. .' By HELEN L. MERSHO.V In a fast moving era of space talk and flight jargon, Wing Scout Troop No. 67 of the Juniper Girl Scout Council has the distinction of being one of the few troops of its kind in the country. Designed to point air-minded Senior Girl Scouts toward even tual flying lessons and even air careers, the Klamath girls have a sister troop in Corvallis, but comprise one of the relatively few in the nation. Despite the overtones of the modern age, however, the girls are not really so "far advanced' in their interest, Girl Scout his tory shows. Juliette Gordon Low, the tal ented and brilliant Georgia worn an, who brought Girl Scouting to America from England in 1912 had ideas and plans for girls and young women which were new I and startling. , r - " I n i . IM Qf: TO 'if " Miiiinilii "-TiIimI - .mr; mjhi ijhimi i FLIGHT PLANNING It all begins in the charting room, says Mrs. Glenn F. Johnck, a licensed student pilot and leader of Wing Scout Troop No. 67. In for a briefing ses sion at a municipal airport hangar are, left to right, Senior Scouts Gala Shaddock, Cynthia Riley and Gretchen Kanitz. ' - S -Vv xdf 'iAA CHECKING THE EQUIPMENT Felix keeps a periodic check on hit equipment and hit proficiency in handling it. Last April, he slipped while movinq a patient and tha effort of maintaining tha injured man't liability, wrenched hit back. Ha hat eper ertd Peace Ambblence here for five yeart. In 1913, Mrs. Low, foreseeing the future of the then fledgling air craft profession, carefully wrote out the requirements for a "Flyer Badge" for Girl Scouts. This was the first known set of aviation activities for young people. World War II brought new hor izons to the thinking of Girl Scout leaders. And in 1942 the Wing Scout program made its formal debut into senior scouting. Since then Senior Scouts all over the country have earned badges to ward their coveted Silver Wings. Just organized in May, 1961, the Juniper Council's Troop 67 is ap propriately led by Mrs. Glenn F. Johnck. a licensed student pilot as well as Girl Scout enthusiast. Girls in Troop No. 67 have to really be interested, according to Mrs. Johnck. Comprised of girls active in high school and com munity activities in the Basin, the troop meets just once a month, sometimes at Kingsley Field for first-hand studies. In the mean time, however, the girls have racked up pages of information on airplane parts and navigation! which they use as background ma terial for troop meetings. Wing scouting has five steps through which a girl moves, in eluding Analyst. Traveler, Navi gator, Technician and Wing Scout pilot. The Analyst, which the girls are working on now and hope to complete probably after Christ mas, gives them a fairly general knowledge of airplanes and avia tion. Recently the girls visited Kingsley Field Control Tower and an aircrafts hanger, completing part of the requirements. Upon completing the Analyst rank, the girls will receive their silver wings featuring a globe on top of the Girl Scout trefoil, which in turn is mounted on wings. For each succeeding rank, the girls! will earn a rating stripe. Rating Two, or the Traveler, contains studies in global map projections, airplane operations, long-distance flights and the ef fects of varying altitudes and speed on the human system. In the third step. Navigator, the girls start moving toward the more complicated study and prac tical application of navigation and the effects of weather on pilot! and plane, information deemed necessary to both pilot and pas senger to enjoy flying. On step four or Technician, the; girls delve deeper into the me chanics of airplanes including the engine arid other mechanical fea tures. Wing Scout Pilot opens the door to two opportunities, a pilot's cer- !iwaiiwil I iiiiiMiiiwaiMiiiuii iiii "Jff it ? WINGLET Three-year-old Kathy Phelps, mascot of Wing Scout Troop No. 67 in Klamath Falls, is rewarded for her childish fascination by climbing aboard a real airplane,: with the help of Cynthia Riley. Mrs. Glenn F. Johnck, leader, is at controls. By ANDY MKKSHOM There's a family of four and a part Pekingese dog named Lol lipop who live, eat and sleep with a telephone and a two-way radio. The Felix Peace family, of Peace Ambulance Service, some times thinks of themselves as so cial "slaves" to these two tech nological advances, but they hap pen to be a very necessary part of a very necessary business. Felix got into ambulance driv ing as a part-time occupation un der the previous owners of the franchise in Klamath Falls. "It was just something I always want ed to do," he said, "so I got in and learned how." At the time, he was out of the l"TP 'jf ' YiHi "" '""w l,J ' wmmw'i?' 1 . r r x !.. tificates, and-or the opportunity to become assistant leader of a Wing Scout Troop. "What the program does is bring the girls to the actual point of flying, Mrs. Johnck explained. "Girls are not eligible for actual flying lessons until they are 16,' but Wing Scouts prepares them for the time. Basically, all Wing Scouts are able to locate the major parts of an airplane and explain their rules for safely at an airport and around planes, know why an air plane flies and know the physical requirements for a pilot. They also learn basic principles of first aid. But beyond tlie fun and pride of learning, the girls are giving themselves head starts toward air careers, believes Mrs. Johnck and Merchant Marine and driving truck for a local firm. He and wife, Norma Jean, man aged to save enough to take the service over when the former own ers decided to quit business. . Mrs. Peace knew what she was getting into, Felix relates, "and I think she was just a little bitter about the whole thing when we first started. But she has managed to adjust by now, five years later. She just counts on not counting on any thingsocially. Actually, it isn't such a clois tered existence, the Peace fam ily does manage to get out now and then. However, they're on call wherever they might be. Of 'MaW, 9 . r i:' aval 4 A. . .1U ... .--A a ftM fMtfnm WSf Wi' tn KM PifCvWf f M the troop committee members, Mrs. Jean Gooding, Fred Sliver- son and Mrs. Mary MacFarland Members of the troop thus far are Bonnie Faast, Gail Brother-! hood, Carolyn Dennis, Gale Shad dock and Cynthia Riley, all of! Klamath Falls, and Gretchen Kan- itz of Tulelake. To be eligible for membership, a girl must have fulfilled the re quirements for Senior Scouting, Mrs. Johnck said. You might say the Juniper Wing Scouts are scouting for fu ture recruits, already. They adopt ed a petite mascot, Kathy Phelps, age three, and outfitted her with a miniature uniform. ir i- sirW! v? -tw iv. -$"t vsttf,. ON THE WING Hold on to that map, Gretchen Ka-' nitz, left, says to Gale Shaddock, at Andy Mershon snapped them tackling map reading on tha wing of an airplane during a recent wind-blown visit to the muniei. ten it works out that Norma, in evening clothes, watches the phone while Felix rushes to the scene of an accident in some far-flung corner of the county. Felix drove ambulances for six years before taking over the busi ness. During that time, and since he's taken it over, he's had to continually take training in ev ery phase of emergency first aid and nursing. In fact, he and his drivers face more tests and training for dis aster certification sometime with in the next two years. In addition to regulation hy the City of Klamath Falls, Peace must stand periodic inspections by the State Department of Health vfe,frritij Ivt.'&.'I'tKj 1 WHEN? TELL US WHEN It's a long tbut rewarding) fide pilot, Mrs. Glenn F. Johnck tells members of Wing left, Gretchen Kanitz, Cynthia Riley and Gale Shaddock must attain before becoming Wing Scout Pilots, and the Department of Motor Ve hicles. ' His three ambulances, two Cad illacs and a Pontiac, are kept, in top shape and get a general over haul at least every 30,000 miles. Replacement value on the three vehicles, new, could run as high as $16,000 each, fully equipped. All the Peace vehicles are ra- dio-conlrollcd and operate from a base radio in the Peace bedroom. Even their private automobile has two-way radio facilities, so Felix and the rest of his family, are never very far from the cries of the injured or sick. Two years after he took over the service here,- Felix had one jjNSTANT AID Two Paaca Ambulance drivart render aid to an accident victim n!y ..minutei after a erath racanfly. Tha thraa Peace vahiclat carry all needed firit-ai aqulpmant and ara kept in ready-to-roll" condition at all timet. pal airport. The girls are- members of Wing Scout Troop No. 67 of the Juniper Girl Scout Council, Tha girls art) working toward their silver wings. of his most unusual calls. The patient had suffered a heart attack at his cabin on Diamond Lake. Peace was called, the road to the cabin was blocked by 10 fftt of winter snow. A part of the lake was not yet frozen,' and somebody found a small outboard motorboat In which Felix and his attendant crossed the icy waters. "We don't know to this day whose boat that was," Felix said, "or just how we came to get it." Some bystander "borrowed" the tiny craft for the hour or so it took to bring out the heart victim. When winter sets in, at least one of the Peace ambulances wears 0 road to becoming a bona Scout Troop No. 67. From ponder the fiva ttaps thay . i tire chains all the time, "just in case." Peace said. Normally, snow tires are enough to get the ambulances where they need to be and get them back again. As standard equipment, the ambulances carry all types of splints, bandages and stretchers. They are equipped with oxygen tanks, resuscltalor and other first aid equipment. Peace Ambulance has carried from seven battered adult acci dent victims down to tiny babies in their mercy runs to Klamath Valley Hospital; never has a vic tim died en route, "and I hope we never do lose one," Peace said.