There is nothing better for a
man, than . . . that he should make
his soul enjoy good in his labour.
This also I saw, that it was from
the hand of God.
—Ecclesiastes 2:24
Tir«$ton«
Money and time are the heaviest
burdens of life, and the unhappiest
of all mortals are those who have
more of either than they know how
to use.
—Samuel Johnson
GASTONIA
VOLUME IV
GASTONIA, N. C., JUNE 10, 1955
NUMBER 10
Scout Banquet Set For June 10
★ ★ ★
The annual Harvey S. Fire
stone, Jr., Awards Banquet
honoring outstanding local
boy scouts will be held June 10
in the Recreation Center,
Fifty boy scouts from the Gas
tonia District will be awarded Cer
tificates of Merit for excellency in
scouting, school, church, and project
Work. Each will get an engraved
certificate and a two-week, trip
to Camp Lanier, Tryon, N. C.,
with all expenses paid.
Of the scouts to be honored, one
will receive the Harvey S. Fire
stone, Jr., Award for the most
outstanding record of them all. The
winner will receive a gold medallion
and a $100.00 savings bond.
* * *
CERTIFICATES and the Award
will be presented following a din
ner to be served at 7 p. m.
Expected to be present for the
occasion are a number of scouting
officials of the Piedmont Council,
BSA; and several supervisors at
Firestone Textiles.
Winner of the top award in
scouting for 1954 was William
Sayers of Troop 7, Gastonia.
Gamp Firestone Season Open
Camp Firestone on Lake James in Burke County opened the
summer season on May 19, to accommodate Firestone employees and
members of their families.
On the opening day of camp the Industrial Relations Depart-
*^ent began taking reservations. The Department states that only
one reservation may be made at one time, and adds that—
After you have used your reservation, you can ask for another.
This is necessary in order to make the camp available to as many
people as possible.
If you make a reservation and find that you cannot use it, please
notify the Industrial Relations office as soon as possible. There is
Usually a list of people waiting to use the camp. Your cancellation may
enable some one to use a cabin who otherwise would not have the
opportunity.
ANOTHER CONTRIBUTION to community agencies went on
Record recently when Alden Hass of the Rayon Twisting Department
Presented a check for $1447,95 to the American Cancer Society. Re-
ceiving it was Mrs. Harry D. Riddle, Gaston County Commander of
American Cancer Society, Mr, Hass has had treatment for
cancer, and a substantial amount of the expenses was paid for by the
fund. The money given here represented that collected through the
^-mployees’ United Fund. Looking on, at right: General Superin
tendent Nelson Kessell,
Here When Company Acquired Plant In 1935
Among the employees who were honored for
20 years’ service at the recent 20th Anniversary pro
gram were these individuals who were here on April
2, 1935—the actual date that the Firestone Company
took over ownership of the plant from Manville-
Jenckes Co. From left: Robert Passmore; Hugh
Wright; Eula Wilson being congratulated by General
Manager Harold Mercer; Lonnie Barber; R. L.
Tompkins and Troy Jones,
Included in this group and not present for the
picture was Fred T. Morrow. R, L. SanlM>rn, eighth
of this original number, died several years ago.
Plant Earns 8-Year Safety Achievement Record
Firestone Textiles has received an award certificate for °
completing 8 consecutive years of outstanding safety
achievement. The presentation was made at the eighth an
nual Industrial Safety meeting at Gastonia’s Masonic Temple,
in late April,
A total of 73 industrial plants,
representing all parts of Gaston
County, received State Labor De
partment Safety Awards for out
standing achievements in accident
prevention during 1954,
The presentation dinner was an
unofficial kick-off for other such
meetings that will be held through
out the state this year.
At the meeting some 200 safety
conscious industrial leaders heard
State Labor Commissioner Frank
Crane declare Gastonia to be the
“City of Growing Safety,” and
heard him pay tribute to the coun
ty for its “splendid progress in all
phases of industrial development.”
>!c jh j;<
L. B. McABEE, Safety Director
at Firestone, presided at the meet
ing which was held jointly with
the Gaston Personnel Association.
The Gaston Personnel Association
is composed of individuals in per
sonnel work or in a supervisory
capacity in Gaston County indus
tries.
Commissioner Crane in his talk
singled out T. B. Ipock, Jr., Fire-
Outdoor Movies Begun; Complete Schedule Listed
• fifteen full-length movies,
^^^luding a serial of 15 chap-
make up the schedule of
tn V picture entertainment
be ofWed during the sum-
^ season at the Firestone
w^i'eation park behind the
Club. The schedule
began June 3, will con-
^Ue through September 9.
TVi
^ pictures will be shown each
evening at dusk. In case of
^ the feature schedule will be
the following Monday. In
the four years of the motion picture
summer program here, rain has
interfered with the showing only
once.
According to the Recreation De
partment, sponsor of the program,
the lineup of pictures has been
carefully selected to appeal to both
children and grownups.
In addition to the scheduled
movie each Friday, there will be
an installment of the serial, “Congo
Bill.”
HERE is a listing of the movies
booked for the remainder of the
season:
June 10: Thunder Bay, with
Jimmy Stewart.
June 17: Abbott and Costello Go
to Mars, with Mari Blanchard;
June 24: The Palomino, Jerome
Courtland and Beverly Roberts;
July 1: Father Is a Bachelor, Wil
liam Holder and Stu Erwin; July
8: Texas Rangers, George Mont
gomery and Gale Storm.
stone Industrial Relations Director,
as one who has done an outstand
ing job for his company, and one
who has rendered statewide safety
service to industry as a member of
the Safety Advisory Board of the
Department of Labor.
Wins In Contest
w
(Continued on page 3)
Miss Irva Smith, daughter of
David S. Smith, plant guard, was
declared regional winner in the
Young Peoples’ Speakers Tourna
ment at Loray Baptist Church,
recently. Representatives of all
Baptist churches in the Gaston
Association participated in the
tournament.
Miss Smith, a senior at Gastonia
High School, also took part in a
speaking contest of the Region
Eight Baptist Training Convention,
held at First Baptist Church, Mar
ion, N. C., May 6. Since winning
the contest at the Loray church
here, Miss Smith has given her
prize-winning talk at other Baptist
churches and also churches of other
denominations in the area.
27 Complete
Long Recoj'ds
As of May 1, three em
ployees each completed a rec
ord of 15 years service with
the Company. Also, tliere
were 5 who rounded out 10
years of service; and 19 who
completed 5 years of service.
The list includes:
Fifteen Years
Spooling: Loma T. Lyles, Rayoii
Twisting; Luther Blaylock. Ware
house: Albert Meeks.
Ten Years
Spinning: Bonnie Hammonds, Lu
cille J. Woodward. Rayon Twist
ing: Wiley Hardin, Louis A. Hart,
Herbert G. Splawu,
(Coulinued on page 3)
McAbee Heads
Safety Group
L. B. McAbee, Safety Direc
tor here was chosen president
of the North Carolina Society
of Safety Engineers at a din
ner meeting held preceding
the opening session of the
25th annual North Carolina
Industrial Safety Conference
in Winston-Salem, May 18.
Approximately 150 delegates and
800 persons interested in all phases
of safety registered during the
three-day meeting of the Industrial
Safety Conference.
>fc
ELECTED to serve with Mr.
McAbee as officers of the N. C,
Society of Safety Engineers were
T. M. Barnes of Carolina Casualty
Insurance Company, Burlington,
vice-president; and H. S. Baucom
of the North Carolina Industrial
Commission, Raleigh, secretary and
tro.'\surer.