I recently saw a performance of the Kangaroo Kids at the Ellicott City Senior Center April 23. Again, I found them terrific.

For us older ones, the jet propulsion of those jump ropes, when the Kangaroo Kids speed the tempo up, the whine of those crisscrossing flying ropes, confirm how unbelievably fast those ropes are going! How skilled those kids are! How much time and practice are required!

The administrative coordinator of this Kangaroo Kids Precision Jump Rope Team is Cindy Bork (301-490-4995), from Simpsonville.

More than 20 youngsters, ages 7-15, participate in this Howard County group, with three junior coaches, the coordinator's two daughters, Kristen, 15, and Loren, 13, and a friend, Amy Smith, 14, from Mt. Hebron High School. In the full group (15 or so) "Jump Off" (like a "playoff" or "dance off"), the winner was Kristen, with the second runner-up being 7-year-old David Gordon.

About 80 were in the audience, mostly seniors, who were completely impressed and even awed by the skill and agility of the young performers.

Following the Kangaroo Kids, came about 10 Brownie Girl Scouts (a Den of Troop 1514), headed by Penny Froelich, seeking the "A Trip to the Past" badge, taking a school day off, in honor of "Parents Take a Child to Work Day."

The Brownies were provided pizzas and broke into groups with two going to each table to chat and mingle with the seniors. They were well coached with notes of questions to ask, such as, "Where were you born?" "What type of electronic technology did you have as a child?" Both questions of course initiated conversations.

The two sessions were enjoyable, pleasant and successful gatherings of the different generations of people. The conversations were certainly lively, and the Brownies ended the session by providing the seniors with cookies, mostly homemade ones. (Mine were delicious!)

Up, up and away in May

That is the theme for the Ellicott City Senior Center for May this year -- not only in honor of Older American Month, but also as a tribute to aviation -- with 11 days devoted to highlighting a significant step in the history of aviation. On May 7 at 10:30 a.m., Maryland State Medevac pilots will provide the "40-Year History of Medevac Flights in Maryland," Friday, May 8, 11 a.m., will be the day of the "making" and the "racing" of airplanes across the Great Room, free.

Federal Air Marshall Michael Grlisser speaks on "Air Safety," Monday, May 11, at 11 a.m., Great Room, free. Wednesday, May 13, 12:30 p.m. free, will be the day of memory-telling time from our local aviation participants/heroes.

The next day, May 14, at 11 a.m., American Airlines' 30-year pilot Capt. Steve Kimberling will share his experiences about logging over 20,000 flight hours, free. Meet Larry Buehler, an FAA official, "Amelia Earhart" at the luncheon and show on Tuesday, May 19, 11 a.m. (by $8 ticket only), and the last three days of activities, May 20, 21 and 26, include "Memories of Howard County Airport," the movie, "Kitty Hawk: the Wright Brothers' Journey of Invention," and the "May 6, 1937, Hindenberg Disaster." -- all free.

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