Where there is no vision, the
people perish. —Proverbs 29:18.
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GASTONIA
Worry is interest paid on trouble
before it becomes due.—Dean Ingle.
VOLUME IV
GASTONIA, N. C., AUGUST 10, 1955
NUMBER 14
OUTSTANDING LITTLE LEAGUERS—Ray Jones, Ralph Huff-
stetler, Sammy Honeycutt and Eddie Hedgepeth.
Four Named Top Players
In Harold Mercer League
Four members of the Fire
stone baseball team in the
Harold Mercer Little League
have been chosen as all stars,
in recognition of their out
standing performance during
the playing season, which
closed on August 2.
They are; Ray Jones, pitcher and
^nfielder; Ralph Huffstetler, out
fielder; Sammy Honeycutt, first
baseman; and Eddie Hedgepeth,
pitcher and outfielder.
This is the second consecutive
year that Jones and Honeycutt
have been picked as outstanding
players on the team. Both w^ill play
on the team next year. This was
the final season of play for Huff
stetler and Hedgepeth.
The age category for Little
League players is 9 through 12
years.
11 Added To 20-Year Roster:
Other Long Records Listed
☆
On August 1, 11 employees’
names went on record for
completion of 20-year periods
of service to the Company
here, bringing the total num
ber in that class to 128. At the
same time, five names were
addded to the 15-year list. Six
others were added to the 10-
year, and 27 to the five-year
categories.
Of the number of 20-year record
holders, 39 have been added since
the 20th Anniversary celebration
held in early May this year, when
99 employees were honored for
their long-time service.
The August 1 list of employees’
names, and their departments are:
Twenty Years
Jim Bates, Carding; Robert
Davis, William Sam Guffey, Spin
ning; Vina D. Robinson, Spooling;
Norma S. Beaver, William B.
Buchanan, Lela Cobb, Rayon Weav
ing; Julius C. Wilson, Shop;
Wade H. Stiles, Rayon Twisting.
Rosevelt Rainey, Warehouse; Myr
tle Bradley, Main Office.
Fifteen Years
Virginia M. Taylor, Spinning;
Curbie McGhee, Spooling; Wilson
F. Glisson, Rayon Twisting; Robert
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
G. McGee, Cotton Twisting; Clee
H. McCaslin, Cotton Weaving.
Ten Years
Fred E. Crisco, Early D, Ras-
berry, Spinning; Jacob C. Beam,
Spooling; Charlie W. Wood, Rayon
Twisting; Jess L. Shehane, Cotton
Twisting; George W. Chastain, Cot
ton Weaving.
Five Years
Billie 0. Caskey, Carding; Della
E. Short, Spooling; Paul L. Wall,
D. C. Kimble, Eugene Robinson,
George E. Liles, Timothy Kennedy,
Grady F. Burch, Berry Wilkes,
James G. Dixon, Jr., William S.
Caudell, Jr., Sarah T. Crisp, Rayon
Twisting. William C. Webb, John
Turner, Flossie M. Wilson, Cotton
Twisting; Bessie Me. Panter, Mar
garet G. Whitaker, Rayon Weav
ing; William E. Keever, Bei'tie M.
Grant, Arvel R. Laughter, Juanita
B. McDonald, Cotton Weaving.
Mildred B. McLeymore, Cloth
Room; Guy B. Carlon, Shop; Jack
E. Welmon, Warehouse; Arnold
Grindle, Evelyn F. Ross, Winding;
Betty M. Moss, Main Office.
BESIDES THE 128 total of 20-
year employees as of August 1, the
number of 15-year records had
mounted to 379 on that date. Other
totals were, for 10 years, 865; for
5 years, 2,001.
Pictures of the longer-term ser
vice employees whose names have
been listed here, will be published
in a forthcoming issue of Firestone
News.
IN EUROPE
JANE FRANCUM AND JAMES ERNEST GIVENS
win In State-Wide Memory Work Contest
★ ★ ★
For the second time in two
years, the same contestants—
^ son and a daughter of Fire
stone employees—have been
^eclared winners in the North
Carolina state-wide Baptist
Training Union contest of
Scripture memory work.
Jane Francum, daughter of Mrs.
^osie Francum, tool room clerk,
^'^presented East Baptist Church in
^^e final competition at Caswell
baptist Assembly, Southport, on
July 6.
James Ernest Givens, son of
^■'^nest Givens, Shop painter, rep-
^'^sented Loray Baptist Church at
^he state finals held at Fruitland,
^^lother Baptist Assembly, near
Hendersonville, June 22,
Each winner is a member of the
^sptist Training Union in the
^hurches represented. In winning
annual state-wide contest, they
^ade perfect recitations of a pre-
^ci-ibed list of 52 verses of Scrip-
ture in church, district, association,
^®gional and state-level competi
tion.
To qualify, the winning contest-
ants
were required to recite cor-
^^‘^tly the 52 Scripture passages,
the Bible reference for each.
JANE FRANCUM looks over her Baptist Training Union
memory work scrapbook. This is the second consecutive year she and
James Ernest Givens have been state winners. At right, James
Ernest reviews Scripture passages, the recitation of which was re
quired to win in the contest.
President Tours
Company Plants
Lee R. Jackson, President
of the Company, returned
July 26, from an inspection
tour of Firestone plants in
Europe. He was accompanied
by Mrs. Jackson.
He said that all Firestone fac
tories in Europe have expanded
their operations and are running
at full capacity. He was especially
pleased with the demand for the
Company’s products in European
markets.
Firestone has manufacturing in
terests in England, Germany,
Switzerland, Spain and Sweden. In
addition to manufacturing plants,
Mr. Jackson visited Firestone dis
tributors.
Commenting on business condi
tions in Europe, Mr. Jackson noted
that economy recovery in the lead
ing nations of western Europe has
been phenorhenal, and business ac
tivity is breaking all pre-war
records.
-Continued on page 3
OUTSTANDING PITCHER—
Bobby James, member of the
Firestone team, pitched a two-
hitter in the second game of the
Midwestern District Softball
Tournament held recently
IN MOUNT HOLLY
answer a completion test on the
verses, and pass a question-and-
answer quiz. And too, they were
given a subject which they were
required to match with the correct
passage from the prescribed verses.
The winners represent the Junior
age group of from 9 through 12
years. They will be eligible to com
pete in the Intermediate competi
tion next year.
Others from Firestone families
who participated in the contest
through the regional level were
Neil Tate, sons of Chester Tate,
Twisting; and Eddie Givens, son of
Joe Givens of Cable Twisting. Both
represented Loray Baptist Church.
Textile Festival Scheduled
September 17 through 24 are the dates that have been set for The
Textile Festival in Mount Holly, officials of the Junior Chamber of
Commerce, sponsors of the annual event, have announced.
Formerly known as the Durene Festival, the annual week-long
celebration was this year redesignated the Textile Festival because
“everything around Mount Holly is directly or indirectly related to
textiles”, T. A. Dunn, Jr., president of the Jaycee organization, explains.
So, the name Textiles Festival has been chosen in order to give a wider
scope to the meaning of the event.
In the past, the annual affair was held in late August. This year’s
change in dates gives opportunity to have more high school bands and
other parade outfits in the opening parade, as many of these disband
for the summer and are not reorganized in late August, when the
festival has heretofore taken place.
Committees have been at woi'k on the program for many weeks.
According to the Jaycee officials, the Festival is expected to be the
biggest event of the celebration’s 10-year history.