Safety Patrol

I looked forward to being old enough to be on the Safety Patrol at Riverside Elementary. I think you had to be in the third grade and you had to be selected.

Safety Patrol was serious work. You wore a white sash and belt which took some training to learn to put on correctly, and a hat. The Safety Patrol was responsible for two things: raising the flag and ensuring that students made it safely from the bike rack and the traffic circle to class.

As a Cub Scout I was especially well qualified for flag duty. It was my favorite because I knew how to fold the flag properly, so I was often in charge. Yes, I was the Barney Fife of the Third Grade.

The bike rack was tough duty, especially in the rain. As dedicated Safety Patrolmen we bravely stood out in the rain to make sure kids parked their bikes correctly and used the sidewalk up to the school building. We also watched for cars turning into the crosswalk.

Next to flag duty, the traffic circle was a great job. You got to open car doors, wave cars through that were taking too long and you were responsible for the smooth flow of cars and students.

But, perhaps, on reflection, the best part of being on the Safety Patrol, better than flags or the bike rack or the traffic circle was going to class late. We worked for five minutes after the bell, then filed into the Principals office to stow our belts and hats, then leisurely strolled into class. It was always cool to come into class a few minutes late and not get in trouble for it.

Yes, we were so special!