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The Kids' Knight:
Paul Garceau
In 2001, a member of the Radio Control Club
of Detroit, or RCCD (www.rccd.org),
arranged for a few Boy Scouts to fly RC at
our field in Wetzel State Park. When Paul
Garceau heard about the idea, he suggested
including a few of the neglected and abused
children housed at the Shelter-care section
of the Macomb County Youth Home. Six Scouts
and eight shelter kids attended that event:
RCCD's first Kids' Night.
This became an annual event on our club
schedule, with Paul assuming the leadership
of planning and coordinating the evenings.
For the next three years, one night each
summer was devoted to making kids from
Shelter-care, Turning Point Safe House, and
area foster homes the center of attention,
while introducing them to model aviation.
In 2005, a second night was added for these
children. Since then, two events for the
kids of area homes have been fixtures on the
RCCD schedule.
A couple of third Kids' Nights also
occurred. In 2005, it was for children of
The Friends of Wetzel: a group with which
the RCCD works closely on matters pertaining
to the state park on which our club field is
situated. A third night was added in
2007—that time for club members' kids,
grandchildren, and those of our friends and
neighbors.
Kids' Nights are scheduled during the summer
months, when evenings are long and children
are generally free from school activities.
They start at 5 p.m., with an orientation to
RC aircraft flight, control, and safety.
Two-person teams, consisting of a club Intro
Pilot and an assistant, spend at least five
minutes with each student, giving him or her
as much stick time as possible. We usually
have three or four teams on the flightline.
While they are not flying with an Intro
Pilot team, Paul arranges for club members
to lead the kids in building their own Delta
Darts. A meal of hot dogs, chips, and drinks
is provided to all guests and participating
club members. Each student receives a
certificate upon completion.
In Paul's words, our most recent Kids'
Night:
" ... was a perfect night—comfortable
temperatures and no wind. Twenty-eight kids
flew Radio Control, ate hot dogs,
corn-on-the-cob, and made-to-order cupcakes.
They also built and flew Delta Darts.
"Several kids asked for another model to
take home and build, so maybe we planted a
modeling seed with them. All in all, a very
successful event, and I want to sincerely
thank everyone who came out and helped."
These evenings are possible because of
Paul's leadership, as well as that of the
club members who help out, whether it is as
an Intro Pilot or assistant, preparing and
serving food, coaching the Delta Dart
construction, or being around to keep the
kids safe.
A couple of interesting things can be
learned from our Kids' Nights. For the RCCD,
as with any other club, finding volunteers
to help with activities is sometimes a
challenge—but never for these events.
Without exception, those who help out end
the evening with smiles as wide as the kids'.
A good portion of the following RCCD meeting
is spent swapping stories and observing how
much enjoyment we get out of participating
in Kids' Night.
Working with children is rewarding, partly
because it takes us back to a time when we
were that age. Is that why Paul looks so
much younger than his 80 years?
Since 2001, he has led the RCCD in
introducing 258 kids—and an estimated 50
adults who have accompanied them—to model
aviation. Military pilots have call signs
such as in the movie Top Gun's "Maverick" or
"Iceman." For his dedication to our Kids'
Nights, I give Paul Garceau his call sign.
On behalf of the children, adult guests, and
all RCCD members who have had the privilege
of working with the kids, I thank and salute
Paul "The Kids' Knight" Garceau. MA
The RCCD Kids' Night group of August 2008
—Noel Hunt, RCCD Vice President
District VII
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