Sunday, April 16, 2006
Last Tuesday I officially resigned as President of Fort Myers Police Athletic Board of Directors. In the future, if I have any involvement there when I am in town it will be as a non-voting person.
When I was elected President, my stated goal was to maintain a constant presence by having regular monthly meetings, fund raisers, and prove our worth, since the previous year a situation occurred that cast dark shadow over the program and would have caused great trouble had it become public.
Sometimes people get involved one way or the other because when they were children PAL helped them. With me that isn’t true.
I was never involved in Police Athletic League as I child, but I remember Johnny Thomas.
Johnny was a Marine veteran of world war two who became a policeman in my hometown shortly after the war. He visited the elementary schools and taught us safety.
The first time I saw him was nearly sixty years ago. He was in impressive sight as he climbed the steps to the stage, ramrod straight, wearing a blue motorcycle police uniform.
He taught us how to walk against traffic so we could see oncoming cars and get out of the way. He taught us to ride our bikes (those of us who actually could afford them,) with traffic. I can’t remember what else he said, but he made us feel important! He cared about us. When he talked, it was like he was talking to each of us as an individual.
My family moved around the county a lot. Although Johnny was a city policeman and schools were divided by city and county, he visited each once a year and I was glad.
In the higher elementary grades, sixth I think, I became a Junior Patrol member. I had the responsibility of holding a flag on a stick and guiding the other students safely across the street. Johnny was our advisor.
I joined a competitive drill team. Johnny was the person who taught us to drill and took us to Washington D. C. for the national competition.
When I was in high school I was a member of the Senior Patrol. We turned on the traffic lights in the vicinity of the schools and directed traffic at the dangerous intersections. Sergeant John Thomas was our leader there too.
I got to know his wife Hazel, and daughter Dianne.
In the later years of high school I boarded and worked to support myself. Hazel brought Dianne to the shoe store and had me called down from the stock room to fit the teenager. She knew I wouldn’t sell her shoes that fit improperly or were not good for her daughter’s feet.
Looking back now, I realize at least some of the integrity I gained as a youth was a direct result of having known John Thomas.
Shortly after high school I moved far away. I think John later became sheriff of my home county. If he did,I’m sure he served the people well.
Jesus cared about little children. He admonished the disciples when they tried to prevent the children from getting close.
Learn from officer Thomas and learn from Jesus.
Shalom Y’all,
Charlie
When I was elected President, my stated goal was to maintain a constant presence by having regular monthly meetings, fund raisers, and prove our worth, since the previous year a situation occurred that cast dark shadow over the program and would have caused great trouble had it become public.
Sometimes people get involved one way or the other because when they were children PAL helped them. With me that isn’t true.
I was never involved in Police Athletic League as I child, but I remember Johnny Thomas.
Johnny was a Marine veteran of world war two who became a policeman in my hometown shortly after the war. He visited the elementary schools and taught us safety.
The first time I saw him was nearly sixty years ago. He was in impressive sight as he climbed the steps to the stage, ramrod straight, wearing a blue motorcycle police uniform.
He taught us how to walk against traffic so we could see oncoming cars and get out of the way. He taught us to ride our bikes (those of us who actually could afford them,) with traffic. I can’t remember what else he said, but he made us feel important! He cared about us. When he talked, it was like he was talking to each of us as an individual.
My family moved around the county a lot. Although Johnny was a city policeman and schools were divided by city and county, he visited each once a year and I was glad.
In the higher elementary grades, sixth I think, I became a Junior Patrol member. I had the responsibility of holding a flag on a stick and guiding the other students safely across the street. Johnny was our advisor.
I joined a competitive drill team. Johnny was the person who taught us to drill and took us to Washington D. C. for the national competition.
When I was in high school I was a member of the Senior Patrol. We turned on the traffic lights in the vicinity of the schools and directed traffic at the dangerous intersections. Sergeant John Thomas was our leader there too.
I got to know his wife Hazel, and daughter Dianne.
In the later years of high school I boarded and worked to support myself. Hazel brought Dianne to the shoe store and had me called down from the stock room to fit the teenager. She knew I wouldn’t sell her shoes that fit improperly or were not good for her daughter’s feet.
Looking back now, I realize at least some of the integrity I gained as a youth was a direct result of having known John Thomas.
Shortly after high school I moved far away. I think John later became sheriff of my home county. If he did,I’m sure he served the people well.
Jesus cared about little children. He admonished the disciples when they tried to prevent the children from getting close.
Learn from officer Thomas and learn from Jesus.
Shalom Y’all,
Charlie
