MEMBERS/CHAPTERS IN ACTION
BRINGING AVIATION TO STUDENTS
STUDENTS AT WOODSTOCK NORTH High School in Woodstock, Illinois,
have a new choice for an after-school activity—an aviation club.
Beth Rehm, vice president of EAA Chapter 932 in Greenwood,
Illinois, wanted to find a way to keep kids involved after a Young
Eagles flight. “After they leave the airport, we might never hear from
them again,” Beth, EAA 774604, said. “It seemed a shame that we did
not develop an ongoing relationship with the kids that were obviously
excited about airplanes.”
Volunteers from the small chapter already had plenty to do,
considering their decision to hold a Young Eagles rally every
month from spring through fall. Beth asked some students for
input, and John Andrew “Jet” Wallis, EAA 1049088, had an
idea: bring aviation to students by starting an aviation club at
Woodstock North High School.
So far, Beth said they are working on the curriculum and are
planning a trip to the EAA AirVenture Museum. First, chapter
members will give each club member a Young Eagles flight so
everyone receives the free EAA student membership. Chapter 932
also voted to give all club members a free chapter membership
until their 18th birthdays, and they are urging students to go to
AirVenture as well.
Beth and members of Chapter 932 also started brainstorming
ideas to make chapter meetings more interesting for kids. Ideas
included building model rockets, sending a camera to the edge of
space attached to a weather balloon, and building and flying model
airplanes. “I think our volunteers are probably more excited about
doing these things than the kids are!” Beth said.
Left to right: Dan Wallis (aviation club coordinator), Justin Thuma, Brian Spiro (director of
maintenance, Galt Airport), Thomas Schwartz, Myles Stevens, Cheyanne Knoll, Ross Kohler, Leanna
Stembaugh, Tyler Basaran, Sarah Singer, John Andrew Wallis, and Brian McAdow (principal).
