School Safety Patrol along White Pole Road, 1950s

I was in 6th Grade in the big brick Dexter school building when we were asked if we’d like to be on safety patrol duty. You bet I did! 

The two-story brick schoolhouse anchored the north end of the small town of Dexter, Iowa, but a block south, kids had to cross a busy highway to get to the main part of town. The patrol kids left school a little early at lunch time and after school in order to hike down to the highway and be on duty there when the bell rang for the kids to leave.

White Pole Road, the busy main highway between Des Moines and Omaha.

Our duty included wearing white patrol belts and, if a car was coming, holding out our arms to keep back children waiting to cross.

If you ever served as safety patrol, then you well remember the patrol belt. Ours were off-white webbing. The belt section went around the waist, with a shoulder strap that went over the right shoulder. A silver Junior Safety Patrol badge was worn on the shoulder strap.

I remember one patrol kids’ meeting where the superintendent Mr. Wineinger gave instructions. And we were treated to ice cream sandwiches, which I’d never had before.

This is how school safety patrol kids began.