The inescapable price of liberty
is our ability to preserve it from
destruction.
—Douglas MacArthur
Tire$ton«
GASTONIA
Liberty is the only thing you
can not have unless you are will
ing to give it to others.
—William Allen White
VOLUME V
GASTONIA, N. C. JULY, 1956
No. 7
Gastonia Area Boy Scouts
Honored At Annual Banquet
John Knox 11th To Receive
Top Achievement Award
Fifty Boy Scouts from the Gastonia District of the Piedmont Council received Certifi
cates of Merit for excellency in scouting, and one of them—with the most outstanding
record of all—was recipient of the Harvey S, Firestone, Jr., Award. The scouts were hon
ored at ceremonies following a dinner in the plant recreation center June 14.
SO PROUDLY WE HAIL
The Stars and Stripes atop the plant tower—an Independence
Day reminder of our belief in the American tradition of freedom
and self-government.
In addition to the Certificate
of Merit, each scout received a
check from the Company cover
ing expenses for two weeks at
Piedmont Boy Scout Camp near
Tryon, N. C.
The Company makes these
awards each year to Boy Scouts
who have distinguished them
selves by meeting requirements
set up by the Company. Awards
are given in the American cities
in which the organization op
erates major plants.
The program was started at
the Gastonia plant in 1946.
AS WINNER of the Harvey S.
Firestone, Jr., Award, John Law
Knox of Troop 14 is the 11th
scout to be so honored. The 12-
year-old Eagle Scout, is the son
of the Rev. and Mrs. L. P. Knox,
pastor of Second AR Presby
terian Church, Gastonia. The
father is scoutmaster of Troop
14. His son holds 29 merit
badges.
The award includes an en
graved silver medallion, a $100
bond, and a check for $25.75 to
sponsor two weeks at the Tryon
scout camp.
Young Knox will be an eighth
grade student at Myrtle School
this fall. He is active in the In
termediate Society and partici
pates in other activities of the
Second ARP Church. At present
—Turn to page 8
ADVICE TO GRADUATES
Diploma No Success Guarantee—W. A. Karl
There is no shortcut to success
in industry, William A. Karl
told the graduating class of the
North Carolina Vocational Tex
tile School, Belmont, at com-
niencement exercises, June 13.
The Firestone Textiles Presi
dent was introduced by General
Manager Harold Mercer, chair
man of the school’s advisory
committee.
Speaking to an audience of
around 300, Mr. Karl pointed up
the subject, “What Does Indus-
I
SEVEN EMPLOYEES were among graduates of the North
Carolina Vocational Textile School, Belmont, who received diplomas
^^ne 13. Shown here looking over their diplomas, from left, sitting:
William Roberts, employed in Rayon Weaving; Morgan A. Guffey,
^Pinning. Standing: Bobby A. Rogers, Rayon Weaving; Gary P.
^yles. Rayon Weaving; J. C. Mahaffee, Rayon Twisting. Graduates
in the picture: G. W. Horne, Rayon Twisting; William Vander-
^°fd. Carding.
try Expect From You?” He de
clared that industry expects its
leaders to take orders before
giving orders.
“There is no difference be
tween knowledge and educa
tion,” he said, “Knowledge is the
acquisition of facts. Education
involves the use of what one
knows. Both knowledge and
education together are not
necessarily enough.”
ELABORATING on the point
that “a diploma is no guarantee
of success,” the speaker listed
some other demands which in
dustry places upon its leaders at
all levels. These, he said, include
punctuality, maintenance of good
health, thrift, continued study,
loyalty, productivity, civic re
sponsibility, use of ‘buried’ as
sets, technical ability, aggres
siveness, energy, vigor of intel
lect, initiative, and the drive to
start and carry a project to a
successful conclusion.
FOLLOWING the address 31
honor students were recognized,
together with seven who had an
unbroken attendance for 1,150
class hours each.
The school’s second annual
award to its outstanding gradu
ate went to James R. Young of
Gastonia, who had completed 2,-
300 hours of study with straight
“A” grades. At the time Young
OUTSTANDING SCOUT—John Law Knox (seated at center),
holds his Merit Certificate and engraved silver medallion repre
senting the Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Award for Scouting excellence.
The award was presented by General Manager Harold Mercer
(standing second from left). At the winner's left sits his father, the
Rev. L. P. Knox. Scouting officials and leaders are Dan LaFar
(seated at left); and (standing), R. M. Schiele, Piedmont Council
executive, Mr. Mercer, Charles D. Bryant, D. R. LaFar and J. Craw
ford Poag.
Variety In Movie Catalog For July
July necessitates a realignment
of the schedule for the entire
month.
Movies for the next few weeks
are listed as:
July 17: Four Guns To The
Border, with Rory Calhoun.
July 20: Wistful Widow of
Wagon Gap, with Abbott and
Costello.
July 24: Roogie’s Bump (base
ball), with Robert Merriot.
July 27: Tanganyika (in color),
with Howard Duff and Van Hef
lin.
August 3: All American (foot
ball), with Tony Curtis.
On each of these schedules
a chapter in the Deadwood Dick
series will be presented.
Begun June 1, the movie pro
gram will continue through
September 7.
Western, comedy, sports and
adventure are included on the
fare of the mid-way schedule in
the summer lineup of outdoor
movies at the plant.
The pictures are being shown
to employees and members of
their families at dusk on the
dates scheduled. Show place is
the recreation park in front of
the plant. The majority of the
movies are shown during the
season on Fridays. Vacation
period the first two weeks of
entered school he was a Fire
stone employee.
The graduating class was
made up of 100 men, and two
women. In addition to those who
received diplomas, 52 students
were presented certificates.