0704 Summer 2003.pdf - Friends of Nigeria

FRIENDS OFNIGERIASUMMER 2003 Vol 7, No 4NEWSLETTERRememberingThe HONDA 50By Jack Finlay (03) 61–64I never had one. The Honda 50 came after our time asvolunteers. But we are connected, somehow, I think—if you canbelieve the following story. When Johnny Skeese (03) 61–64 andI returned from a year in Gabon in mid ’65, it seemed thatpractically every volunteer had one. We recall there wereaccidents—some even fatal, as we still remember a fallencomrade from those days. But the Honda 50 also provided agood deal of pleasure to volunteers of the 60’s. And we arecertain that many of you have a story or two to tell about yourHonda 50. Some of your as yet untold tales are no doubthumorous. Following early accidents, we recall that Peace CorpsNigeria issued certain strict rules—one being that any volunteercaught riding his or her Honda 50 without a helmet would besent home. Does anyone really know if any PCV was sent homefor such an infraction? We do not, but we do know of onevolunteer who had to use his Honda when there was no helmeton hand. As he told it, he went to the kitchen and obtained ametal pot which he placed over his head. He then drove the 15–Johnny (l) and Jack (r) at the Ghanaborder with the Ivory Coast.Sweet young thing: Are you applying for the Peace Corps?Macho man: No way! You have to wear a helmet.20 km required of him at the time—in the hope that, in theevent caught, his “effort” would be considered and leniencyapplied to this strict helmet rule. If the chap involved is “outthere,” rest assured that at least this one of your stories isremembered.But our story is perhaps linked to the origin of the Honda50—or so we have come to think. Back to the beginning. Whenwe—i.e. Nigeria (03)—arrived in December of 1961, Nigeria(01) was on hand at the Lagos airport to greet us. Remember—Nigeria One had gone to the country long before the rest of us.In fact, though Ghana (01) received all the attention (and Whitehouse sendoff), Nigeria (01), I believe, was the very first PCVgroup overseas! But, of course, they went there (after a couplemonths at Harvard) for continued pre-service training at theUniversity of Nigeria at Ibadan. In the meantime, we started ourstateside training at UCLA in August ’61. Both Nigeria(01)and(03) began their PCV teaching assignments in January 1962.Nigeria (02)(University of Nigeria at Nsukka folks) was thereforethe first PCV group to actually begin work in Nigeria havingarrived for duty in the fall of ’61. In those days, there were no(Continued on page 9)SUMMER 2003 3