Friday, March 14, 2003

Generations find common Bonds

Uteva Powers

Seniors Page Editor

This story begins nearly 60 Years ago when Manhattanite Randi Dale was five years old.   

She and her parents were living in New York and she was the poster girl for the sale of U.S. Savings bonds . She remembers seeing her picture on a poster Promoting the sale of the bonds "plastered all over Grand Central Station." The bonds were War Bonds in those days.

Well. She's at it again, prompted by her own 5-year-old grand daughter.

Here's how it came about, according to Susan Dale, Randi's daughter, who lives in Tulsa.

A few weeks after Sept. 11, 2001, Susan and her family were watching television when the Twin Towers scene from New York City came on. Susan started to turn it off, thinking it was too harsh for her little 5-year-old daughter to see. Anastasia stopped, saying, " When I grow up I want to be a fireman so I can help those people."

Something about the scene made Susan think of her mother at that age. She showed Anastasia a copy of the picture of Randi on the War Bonds poster. At that moment the little girl decided that she wanted to do the same as her grandmother had done.

"I told her that we don't have war bonds now but we could find something for her to do. She replied, ' No, mommy, I am going to do the same as grandma."'

Well, that's all it took for the two older women to dedicate their time, efforts and money to promoting the sale of U.S. Treasury Bonds. It seemed significant to Susan that her own daughter was within months of the same age as her mother Randi had been when she posed for the famous poster.

Susan saw a newscast within a few days about President Bush reinstating the War Bonds and the fact that he called them Patriot Bonds seemed to be significant.

So they began planning, finding out about bonds, costume making, getting posters made and eventually personal appearances. The trio, in their red, white and blue outfits, set up a table in the Tulsa Republican Party booth and " Talked about how we could rebuild our community $25 at a time with the purchase of a U.S. Patriot War Bonds."

There were newspaper stories and radio reports.

In her zeal to promote the sale of the bonds, she has come across word that there is a proposal to eliminate the marketing budget from the U.S. Treasury sale of the bonds and a plan to sell the bonds only on the internet. The women are concerned that will preclude a lot of seniors from buying them. They think the older generation ifs the most likely supporters of U.S. Bonds.

Susan said she is " trying to get an audience with President Bush about this" and is trying " desperately" to get in touch with the New Secretary of the Treasury so that it won't become impossible for individuals ( or Freedom Girls) to promote the sale of the bonds.

Susan feels very strongly that promoting the sale of these bonds will not only help the country in meeting expenses, but in promoting a new wave of patriotism.

All this is costing a lot of money and both the women are working two jobs to help finance their venture. Susan runs her shop, " Quest Dance Shop," in Tulsa and also works as a waitress. Randi teaches school in Junction city and continues to teach dance in her home as she has for many years. Also occupying her time is a KSU class she needs for the job. The smallest Freedom Girls has now turned 6 and keeps coming up with new things to do, like having birthday parties for her " friends" the veterans and soldiers.

Susan says, " We're going to fight this tooth and nail. The only way common people can invest in America is through Savings Bonds."