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Show HilKopi November 26. by Jennifer Edmonds Hilltop Times staff Minn i we solving. Although the program is only seven years old, there has been a drastic drop in participation. Last year, STARS had 435 volunteers tutoring an equal amount of children, now they only have 55. STARS president Linda Brown, said four years ago, former STARS president Debbie Brown received the Point of Light Award and STARS is always receiving heartwarming letters of thanks from the children in the program and their families. Sherry Draper, vice president of the STARS program said she could only guess at the reason for the decline in the number of volunteers. "We are all assuming more responsibilities and it is hard when you only have so many school hours (in a day) . People get wound up in meetings and the majority of our tutors are military that go TDY. Volunteers need to be able to commit to the full school year and when they go TDY, it's hard for them and they feel it's not worth it." Draper saidnother reason for the decline in volunteers might be attributed to the fact that the majority of volunteers want to tutor near the base schools, but are not able to because the Ogden school district has a greater need. STARS is a program designed by Hill AFB to provide academic and emotional support to elementary school students in surrounding communities. Brown said a girl she tutors lived in a station wagon for nine months before her family was recently placed in a home, and another child she tutors decided at age 11 that he wanted to become a male dancer. "The thing I notice the most is poverty," Brown said. "When these kids families are two or three months behind in the rent they get evicted so the kids have to move to different schools." Brown reminded the public that children use their parents as role models, Such was the case with the boy. According to Brown, his father is a male dancer and that's one of the reasons the boy wanted to do it. "I talked to him about college and career opportunities and tried to open other options for him. You want to show them they can succeed." STARS volunteer recruitment meeting set for Tuesday 11 a.m.-- 4 p.m. Although STARS originally started as a reading program, it has expanded to provide tutors for any subject teachers feel students need help with. STARS tutors are Hill employees or family members. Draper said incorporating volunteers from surrounding communities would make the program too broad and diminish the control the base has over the program. "If we know they (volunteers) are employed on base, they've been through some type of screening." Because of that screening. Draper believes it is criminals will be found parunlikely any hard-cor- e ticipating in the program. Draper added, "They (the students) really look up to someone in a uniform like they're GI Joe guys." Volunteers work on an annual basis and usually tutor one child at a time. Although most volunteers tutor different children each year and the principal and teachers of each school decide which students receive the aid of tutors, volunteers can request to work with a specific child. Tutoring is scheduled during school hours and on school grounds to prevent liability problems. While the children and volunteers are on school grounds, the children are the responsibility of the school, but if a tutor were to study with a child at the public library, the child becomes the volunteer's responsibility. Tutors are offered helpful suggestions on tutoring techniques, but volunteers do not receive any official training. Due to the limited amount of time volunteers and committee members have, quarterly newsletters serve as the communication link between people in the program. Regular meetings are not held. Company Grade Officer of the Quarter creativity, saves dollars advocates, will people have to "design forms for the lowest common denom- inator." Unlike the PerForm software, which was end-use- r funded, the Air Force has bought enough FormFlow site licenses to cover the total force every activeduty, Guard and Reserve officer, enlisted person and civilian. Estimated savings by centrally funding FormFlow are well over $10 million, which could increase as more people download the new program. There will be limited physical distribution of the software, with the preferred method being the file transfer protocol download. Two Air Force FTP sites allow anyone with an "af.mil" address to access and down 11 iinteer tutors Form Flow program boosts puter system can use the program. No more, according to FormFlow 997 ld The Students and Teachers for the Advancement of Reading Skills will host a meeting Tuesday from 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. in an effort to recruit volunteer tutors and 'hopefully prevent the program from dis: The Air WASHINGTON (AFNS) Force is adopting one form standard that will let people be creative while saving the service millions of dollars. Since Oct. 1, the FormFlow program has begun replacing PerForm as the tool to bring up or create all kinds of Air Force forms, and almost any com- 1 July - September 1997 load the software over the World Wide Web. The sites are http:www. and Capt. Brian Ouellette, afca.scott.af.milformflow A limited number of CD-RO- 75th Civil Engineering Group were sent to each base communications squadron for people to check out and install on their personal computers. Floppy disks are also available for check out. Lt. Col. Jef f Traczyk, chief of the Multimedia Information Branch at the Air Force Communications and Information Center, said, "FormFlow allows for increased automation of business functions. It supports more types of data bases, and more intelligence can be built into forms." The colonel noted that since Form-Flocan be used on any model 486 or better computer, "forms that are used across organizational boundaries can be developed without concern about user software capability. We all have access." Base communications squadrons have more information about Form-Floespecially training programs. Form Flow web sites: http:www.afca.scott.af.milformflow http:afpubs.hg.af.milelecproducts sourcesfilesformflow f Flood relief aid leads to humanitarian medal w RANDOLPH AFB. Texas, (AFNS) The Office of the Secretary of the Army has announced approval of the Humanitarian Service Medal for those Air Force people who participated in the disaster relief operation North Central United States Floods 1997 in the following locations and dates: North Dakota: April 7 through June 3 South Dakota: April 7 through May 6 Minnesota: April 9 through April 29 Military members who distinguished themselves and directly participated in these operations are eligible for the Humanitarian Service Medal. Direct participation is defined as being physically present at the designated location and having directly contributed to -- and influenced the action. Specifically excluded from eligibility are members who were present for duty at the specified location, but did not make a direct contribution to or influence the action. The commander in charge of the operation at the site makes the final determination on directindirect participation. To verify individual eligibility, individuals should contact military personnel flights or the operation's office the 319th of primary responsibility Mission Support Squadron's career enhancement office at f"rand Forks AFB. N.D. Their telephone number or commercial (701) is DSN 362-326- 9 (Courtesy of Ah Force Personnel Center Sews Service) 747-326- |