Good
Scout Vital to
|
|
|
June 12, 1980 By David S. Wilson Muskogee - Evelyn Thomas, the gentle, gray-haired scout, tracks frogs across Oklahoma in a striped blue van with her sister Martha. She watches for the trail blazer's greatest enemy - parking violators. She makes peace with native chiefs, councilmen and - occasionally - the chanmbers of commerce. Following frog-decorated signs, the petite biking enthusiast is leading hundreds of her Free Wheel '80 fellows 426 miles from Frogville to Coffeyville, Kan. Like any scout , organizers say, her job is vital. A miss-aimed direction marker could speed bikes deep into the boondocks. Arriving at campsites first, she assures that lodging arrangements are complete and unruffles any concerned local feathers. Finally, but equally important, Mrs. Thomas - nomally a nurse at St. John Medical Center's Health Service - turns traffic cop, directing travelers into the camp and away from reserved areas. "First I help, then I'm a hindrance," laughed Mrs. Thomas, who volunteered for the post after riding in last year's trip. Her sister agreed to help, but wishes to stay out of the limelight. | Previous Day | Next Day | Home to 1980 Page | |