Annual Picnic Enjoyed
By Five Thousand
After experiencing a rain-dampened Fourth of
July weekend, Ecusta employees, their families and
friends turned out in full force on Monday, July 5
for the annual picnic at Camp Straus. Attendance
was estimated at over five thousand.
The day’s festivities began at 9:30 A. M. with
games, contests and other forms of entertainment
for every age. Included on the program were foot
races, pie eating contests, swimming races, check
ers, shuffle board, boxing, horse shoe pitching,
bingo, ping pong, a baby parade, tugs-of-war, and
many others.
Top left (opp. page); One of the biggest attrac
tions of the picnic were the bingo games. Inset:
Ecusta’s 0. K. Smathers gave an exhibition of
championship archery at 1:15 P. M. Bottom left:
Highlights of the picnic were the archery ex
hibition by O. K. Smathers (Electric Shop, Paper
Division), State, Southern and Southeastern Arch
ery Champion, the abbreviated-by-rain baseball
game between Ecusta and Hazelwood, and the ap
pearance of "Miss North Carolina of 1953” (Miss
Ann Crockett of Winston-Salem), who threw out
the first pitch of the game. A heavy thunder
shower ended the game in the sixth inning with
Ecusta behind 3-0.
A list of first and second place winners in the
various contests follows on pages six and seven.
Winners in the pie-eating contest Bill Rogers,
Brenda Bostic, and Joey McCall. Below: A scene
from the men’s underwater swimming contest,
won by Jason Smith. Ray Lamont finished second.