Our liberty can never be safe but in the hands of the people themselves. —Thomas Jefferson VOLUME VI Tire$ton« GASTONIA GASTONIA, N. C. JULY, 1957 Democracy is a method of our getting ahead without leaving any of us behind. -T. V. Smith No. 7 JOHN CHARLES CONE: 1957 Top Honor Given For Scouting Excellence OF BEST THINGS IN LIFE... School has been out long enough to be a pleasant—and remote —memory. September is yet too far away to cause the younger set much concern over such space-binding things as classrooms, text books and homework. Midway in the summer season comes July, renowned for hay time and early harvest, ripening blackberries, camp meeting days and a million other pleasantries that add goodness and variety to life. Traditionally, in the seventh month the old swimming hole is one of the most cherished blessings of the youngster whose hopes are quickened by activities in the out-of-doors. Then too, there’s the cool retreat of a creek bank, with a good fishing pole and a supply of the best bait in the land. What better way to challenge the heat of a July afternoon under the Piedmont sun? These sons of W. G. Queen, Spinning, and Mrs. Queen of Rayon Twisting, 1123 West Seventh avenue, are typical of Huckleberry Finns and Tom Sawyers in Firestone families. Randy (left), and Bobby are making the best of vacation daj^s, before returning to Wray Junior High school, come next Sep tember. “It’s usually crowded at the bottom of the ladder, but there aren’t nearly so many competi tors when you are nearing the top rung.” So philosophized President Charles Bryant of the Piedmont Council, ESA, upon congratulating the 1957 winner of the Company’s highest honor in Scouting. John Charles Cone, rated out standing in all phases of the Boy Scout program, has become the 12th Gastonia area recipient of the award named for the Com pany Chairman. The 16-year-old boy from Troop 11, Gastonia, is an Eagle Scout with 22 merit badges. At the annual Scout Banquet on June 13, the winner received from General Manager Harold Mercer a silver medallion, a Cer tificate of Merit, a $100 U. S. Savings Bond and a check for $25.75 for expenses of two weeks at Camp Lanier for Boy Scouts, near Tryon, N. C. Each of the other 49 boys re ceived from Cotton Division Superintendent F. B. Galligan, a Merit Certificate and a check for $25.75 for camp expenses or for purchase of scouting equip ment. IN ANNOUNCING the winner of the top award. Recreation Di rector Ralph Johnson comment ed: “Each one of the 50 Scouts nominated, and who qualified for this year’s awards, was a top winner. But the winner of the medallion had just a little more on the ball than the others.” This year’s award winner is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Cone of 1025 South Belvedere avenue, and is a student at Ash ley High School. After joining the Boy Scouts four years ago, he became a Star Scout, a Life Scout, then an Eagle. The Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. Award provides an incentive for Scouts to work a little hard er toward improvement and at- SLOW DOWN AND LIVE Traffic Safety Program Emphasized The annual “Slow Down and Live” summer traffic safety pro gram will be observed through Labor Day, September 2. The ARRIVE program, begun on Memorial Day, is an added effort to reduce the rising traffic death toll in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. “Slow Down and Live” is aim ed at curbing the “Fatal Five,” one or more of which are pres ent in over 90 per cent of high way fatalities. These five include: 1. Excessive speed; 2. Failure to yield right-of-way; 3. Speed too fast for existing conditions; 4. Improper passing; 5. Follow ing another vehicle too closely. The Highway Departments of both North and South Carolina are supporting this program through stepped-up enforcement of traffic laws, radio and tele vision programs on safety, and other advertising means. tainment. It was originally named for John W. Thomas, honoring a former Company Chairman. Since Mr. Thomas’ death, the present Chairman has promoted Boy Scout interests in U. S. cities where the Company operates major plants. SCOUTS contesting for the Firestone award are appraised on their Scout record, church record, school record and their scoutcraft project. Cone’s project was a picnic table which he built in 33 hours. It consists of dual sections which convert to two benches when not in use as a table. An added feature of the Scout Banquet this year was the spe cial recognition given previous winners of the top award. Five of the eleven were present. Also attending was John Les ter Cloninger, Eagle Scout of Dallas, who last summer won the Medal of Honor for Life Sav ing. He is the only Scout of the Piedmont Council to win this medal. Governor Luther Hodges has nominated him for the Young American Award for Heroism. John Charles Cone receives congratulations and the medallion of the Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. Award from General Manager Harold Mercer. Another Scout Banquet picture is on page 8. IN LIBERIA Promotion materials are be ing placed in the hands of may ors and other persons working in the field of traffic safety. The Highway Department of both Carolinas and many local agen cies and firms in the two states are distributing posters, leaflets and bumper strips in the interest of the “Slow Down and Live” campaign. At Girls’ State Shirley Ann Love, 16, served as delegate to the All Girls’ State meeting on the campus of Shaw University, Raleigh, June 16-21. Miss Love, a rising senior at Lincoln High School of Besse mer City, represented Gastonia American Legion Post No. 23. Her parents are Mr. and Mrs. Howard Love, Sr., of 1917 Win gate street. The father works in the plant interoffice mail service. Edifice Memorial Of Company Founder The Harvey S. Firestone Science Building at the University of Liberia in Monrovia is said to be the finest edifice of its kind in the West African republic where the Firestone Company has ex tensive rubber-growing interests. The structure, dedicated recently, was made possible largely through a gift of $50,000 from Harvey S. Firestone, Jr. The Com pany Chairman participated in the cornerstone-laying ceremonies of the science building in October of 1955. At the recent dedication ceremonies, Mrs. Ross Wilson, wife of the vice president and general manager of the Firestone Plantations Company, cut the ribbon, thus officially opening the building as a memorial to Harvey S. Firestone, who pioneered in rubber-growing in Liberia as early as 1926. Liberian President William V. S. Tubman was among those present at the opening exercises. Nine More Shows On Starlight Fare Nine full-length movies remain on the schedule of free outdoor theatre entertainment at the plant. Besides the regular fea ture presented each Friday eve ning at dusk in front of the plant and near the recreation park, there will be the last nine chap ters of the serial “King of the Congo.” July 12: To Hell and Back (technicolor), Audie Murphy. July 19: Count Three and Pray (technicolor), Van Heflin and Joanne Woodward. July 26: Ma and Pa Kettle at Waikiki, Percy Kilbride and Marjorie Main. August 2: Far Country (tech nicolor), Jimmy Stewart and Walter Brennan. August 9: This Island Earth, Jeff Morrow and Faith Domer- gue. August 16: Last of the Com- manches (technicolor), Brod erick Crawford and Barbara Hale. August 23: It Came Beneath the Sea, Kenneth Tobey and Faith Domergue. August 30: Saturday’s Hero, John Derek and Donna Reed. September 6: Forbidden Land, Johnny Weismuller and Jungle Jim.