FEBRUARY, 1957
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PAGE 7
ONWARD* ..
For God and My Country
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' 47<<<AIIMI VCftSARY
BOY SCOUTS Of! AMERICA
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IN FIRESTONE COMMUNITY
Scouting History Recalled
Boy Scout Movement To Note
Anniversary Of Founding
The nation’s 4,500,000 Cub
Scouts, Boy Scouts, Explorers,
and adult leaders will mark the
47th anniversary of their organi
zation during Boy Scout Week,
February 6-12.
The observance has as its
theme, “Onward for God and My
Country” with a special em
phasis on “Duty to Country.”
Sunday, February 10 is Boy
Scout Sunday. Scouts and lead
ers will attend religious services
in uniform in countless churches
of all denominations. Those of
Jewish faith will hold their ob
servance in synagogues and
temples on Friday evening, Feb
ruary 8 and Saturday, February
9. Many sermons, addressed to
Scouts, will touch on some as
pect of the Boy Scout Week
theme.
IN HUNDREDS of communi
ties, Scouts, their parents, and
institutions sponsoring Scout
Work units, will unite in paying
their respects to the volunteer
adult leaders whose contribu
tions of time and effort in behalf
of youth makes these units pos
sible.
National Scout officials say
that 48.7 per cent of all Scout
Units—and there are 111,000 of
them—are made possible by the
sponsorship of churches and
synagogues of all faiths. Civic
Sroups make possible 30.8 per
Cent, while schools sponsor 19.9
Per cent of Scout units in all
three age levels.
Many store windows will be
Siven over to Cub Scouts, Boy
Scouts, and Explorers for dis
plays of their handicraft and to
*^ernonstrate some of the useful
skills they acquire through their
programs.
In countless elementary, junior
^igh, and high schools, Boy
Scout Week will be recognized
School assemblies through flag
Ceremonies, acts, and stunts by
^Ub Scouts, exhibits of handi
crafts by Scouts, motion pictures
Scouting activities, demon
stration of Scouting skills and
talks by boys of some of their
adventuresome activities.
TRADITIONALLY on Febru
ary 8, the actual birthday date
of the organization, Scouts and
leaders recommit themselves to
the Scout Oath or Promise at
8:15 P.M., in each of the four
time zones. These ceremonies
will take place, in some instanc
es, at Scout family birthday
dinners, while some Cub Scout
dens. Boy Scout patrols and Ex
plorer crews will meet in homes
of members. Others will meet
with their parents in churches
and synagogues.
At these Boy Scout Week cele
brations many units will review
program highlights and the suc
cess of the first year in the Four
Year Program, “Onward for God
and My Country,” camping and
other outdoor activities, and
planning for participation in the
Fourth National Jamboree which
is expected to attract more than
50,000 Scouts, Explorers, and
leaders for a week of camping
together at historic Valley Forge,
Pa., next July 12-18.
☆ ☆ ☆
During Boy Scout Week in
February, 12 outstanding explor
ers—older boy members of the
organization—will be chosen to
go to Washington, D. C., to make
the annual “Report to the Na
tion.” They will call at the White
House.
Federal officials, including
leaders from the House and Sen
ate, will join with representa
tives of national organizations at
a breakfast in Washington, D. C.,
at which the twelve Explorers
will report on Scouting’s ac
complishments for 1956 and tell
of the activities planned for this
year, including the Fourth Na
tional Jamboree to be held next
July 12 to 18, at Valley Forge,
Pa.
OTHER outstanding Explor-
When the Firestone Company came to Gastonia
in April of 1935, the Boy Scout program in the
community was encouraged. And in the ensuing
21 years. Scouting has held a place of high rank
on the calendar of interests at the plant.
Across the years many men here have given
of their time and efforts toward advancing the
Scouting work. A number of Firestone employees
have served—and are serving—as scoutmasters,
committeemen, neighborhood commissioners and
in other capacities. Hundreds of sons of em
ployees have been enrolled in the Scouting pro
gram during this time.
Boy Scouts as an organization has existed in
what is now the Firestone community of Gas
tonia since around 1922. In what used to be the
Loray community. Scout Troop 20 was organized
in late 1922 by West Avenue Presbyterian
Church. This troop, which has had almost con-
tinous existence, was activated by Dr. Russell
C. Long, then the pastor of West Avenue church.
IN 1923 Troop 10 was organized at West End
Methodist Church, now Covenant Methodist
Church. First under the leadership of the
church’s minister at that time, the troop has had
continuous existence.
Troop 9 was activated at Loray Baptist Church
in January, 1928, with Grady A. Vickers as first
scoutmaster.
Highlights of Troop 9 history include the con
struction of a cabin in 1940 and the winning of
the Firestone Scout Jamboree in 1938. Three
Scouts, who at one time or another were mem
bers of Troop 9, have attained Eagle rank. They
are Brooks Sossomon, Hugh Stroupe and John
McCoig.
Troop 28, first known as Troop 29, newest of
the four Firestone community Scout organiza
tions, dates back to March, 1949. It was launched
at Firestone Wesleyan Methodist Church. Out
standing in the history of Troop 28 has been the
construction of a troop building and recreation
center on South Ransom street. The building,
constructed at a cost of approximately $6,000 in
late 1954, contains a scout room, recreation area,
kitchen consisting of gas stove, hot water heater,
cabinets, and a food bar. This structure is avail
able to members of Troop 28 and other young
people of Firestone Wesleyan Methodist Church.
It is also available to other young people of the
Firestone community.
PRECEDING Firestone’s history in Gastonia,
Loray Mill Manager McKelvie contributed much
to the Scouting interests here. With the coming
of Firestone and Comptroller Harold Mercer—
now General Manager—a new chapter was begun
in the history for the Piedmont Council.
At present, Mr. Mercer is serving on the Execu
tive Board of the Piedmont Council. In years past
he has served as chairman of the Gastonia Dis
trict, and in 1943 was chairman of the annual fi
nance campaign. He holds the Silver Beaver
Award, highest honor for a Boy Scout volunteer
leader.
Francis B. Galligan, Superintendent of the
Cotton Division, is now commissioner of the Gas
tonia District of the Piedmont Council. Before
his appointment to this responsibility, Mr. Galli
gan served five years as assistant commissioner.
He has been active in scouting promotion both
at the Bennettsville, S. C., plant of Firestone and
at the plant here.
AMONG THE many others at P^irestone who
have contributed much to the Scout movement in
the Firestone community is T. B. Ipock, Jr., Di
rector of Industrial Relations, having been of
service in various capacities in Cub Scout work.
Safety Director Alvin Riley has also contributed
to the Scouting program. For a number of years
he has served in various leadership capacities,
including work as a committeeman and neigh
borhood commissioner.
One of the most outstanding phases of the Fire
stone interest in Scouting here is the sponsorship
of the annual Scout Merit Award program. This
is the 12th year the Company has sponsored the
John W. Thomas and the Harvey S. Firestone,
Jr., Scout Merit Awards Program for the Gas
tonia area. The program seeks to honor scouts
for significant achievement in scoutcraft, scholar
ship, character building, and attendance and par
ticipation in church activities.
Each year. Boy Scouts of the Gastonia area
may enroll for the Awards Program. Fifty Scouts
are selected each year from among those who
enter the competition. Each Scout who is honored
is given the Firestone Certificate of Merit, to
gether with a cash award to be used toward ex
penses at summer camp, or for buying Scouting
equipment, as he chooses.
FROM AMONG winners of the Certificate of
Merit, one Scout is chosen on the basis of superla
tive merit and receives the Harvey S. Firestone,
Jr., Award which consists of a silver medallion
appropriately inscribed, and a special prize of a
savings bond. The presentation is made at an
annual banquet at Firestone, at which time all
49 other Scouts selected are guests of the Com
pany.
From the first award in 1946 to that of 1953,
the citation was called the John W. Thomas
Award, named in honor of the late Company
Chairman. Upon Mr. Thomas’ death in 1951,
Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., assumed leadership of
the Company Scouting interests on a national
scale. The Award, named now for him, is given
in all cities of the United States where the Com
pany operates major plants.
A list of Award winners in Gastonia through
out the years: James McKensie, Ben Atkins, Jr.,
Davis Lewis, Herman Ratchford, Eugene Moore,
Eddie Ramsey, Jr., Bobby Stapleton, Jr., William
L. Craig, William Sayers, Carroll C. Hudson, Jr.,
and John Law Knox.
The awards are made each spring at the Scout
Banquet, usually scheduled for mid-May.
As a continuing interest in Scouting, employees
of Firestone Textiles contribute to the Boy Scouts
each year through the Employees United Fund.
FOR SOME YEARS the plant has sponsored
and executed a Field Day in which members of
all four troops in the Firestone community par
ticipate. Members of troops compete in such ac
tivities as inspection, knot tying, signaling, rope
throwing, fire-by-friction, relay, water boiling,
first aid, flint-and-steel, tent-pitching, flapjack-
making and dressing race.
The winning troop receives the R. L. Sanborn
Trophy, which commemorates the late R. L. San
born, for many years an outstanding leader in
Boy Scout activities in Gastonia. Mr. Sanborn,
one of the original group of employees here when
Firestone purchased the plant, was for a number
of years purchasing agent for the mill.
The Field Day is held in June each year. Troop
20 has won the Sanborn Trophy for three con
secutive years.
The four Scout troops in the Firestone com
munity belong to the Gastonia District of the
Piedmont Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
R. M. Schiele is Scouting Executive for the Pied
mont Council which is composed of 11 counties
in Piedmont and Western North Carolina. The
Council operates a summer training camp at
Lake Lanier, near Tryon, N. C. Scouts who quali
fy for the Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Merit Awards
attend this camp.
ers, together with Cub Scouts,
Boy Scouts, and adult leaders,
will participate in ceremonies at
state capitals and at city hall and
town observances.
Boy Scout Week this year sees
the production of the fifteen mil
lionth copy of the “Handbook for
Boys”. Especially bound, it will
be presented to President Eisen
hower who is Honorary Presi
dent of the Boy Scouts of Ameri
ca.
A limited number of hand
books in this printing will have
a distinctive and decorative four-
page inset commemorating this
landmark in the publishing of a
book which has enjoyed sales
second only to the Holy Bible in
the years since 1910 when it was
first published. It is this volume
that introduced millions of boys
to their first knowledge of na
ture lore, first aid, proper honors
for the United States Flag, and
a wide range of “know how”
supplementing school courses.
Every governor is to be pre
sented a copy of the limited edi
tion, and in some communities it
is planned to present copies in
recognition of unselfish and
dedicated service to the boys of
America. Among them will be
leaders in government, educa
tion, the clergy, sciences, busi
ness, industry, civic, and other
community organizations.