One must never lose time in
vainly regretting the past, nor in
complaining against the changes
which cause us discomfort, for
change is the very essence of
life. —Anatole France
Tinston*
GASTONIA
Laughter is God's hand on a
troubled world — it 'doeth good
like a medicine.' Learn to laugh
with the world and at yourself,
and life will take on a new mean
ing for you. —Oliver G. Wilson
VOLUME VII
GASTONIA, N. C., JUNE, 1958
NUMBER 7
READY FOR FUN IN THE SUN
June, the month which brings the marriage of Spring and Sum
mer, walks with the glory and freshness of a dream. It conjures up
a million memories and suggestions of good-time living under Mid-
South sun. To the Firestone employee from the Carolinas’ hill
country maybe it means berry-picking time, a kingdom of highland
flowers, box suppers and fried chicken, family reunions and bare
foot boys heading for the swimming hole. For the folks in the
Piedmont, June could mean these things too, but most likely it
includes a reference to fishing and outing along the Catawba, the
Santee Cooper or anywhere else a-body can pilot a boat. The Wil
liam Massey family represents many Firestone people who make
boating a part of their summer fun. In the picture, from left: Billy,
Mr. Massey, Ronnie, Mrs. Massey and Timothy get ready for a day of
skiing and fishing on the Catawba. Mr. Massey works in Twisting.
Gastonia Area Boy Scouts
Earn Achievement Honors
Thirteenth Top Company Award
Goes To Gene Martin
For the 13th consecutive year, a boy from the Gastonia area has received the Fire
stone Company’s highest honor for excellence in Scouting. Gene P. Martin of McAden-
ville was presented the Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., Award at a May 29 dinner-meeting
ceremony honoring him and 48 other Boy Scouts for outstanding achievement during the
past year.
Young Martin, rated outstanding in all phases of the Scout program during the con
test period from April of 1957 through April of this year, received the engraved silver me
dallion, symbol of the award named for the Company Chairman. The 14-year-old boy
from Troop 2, McAdenville, holds the rank of Life Scout, and has the Bronze Palm and
ten merit badges.
Besides the medallion, the
winner received a Certificate of
Merit, a $100 US Savings Bond
and a check for $25.75 to help
defray expenses for two weeks
at Camp Lanier for Piedmont
District Scouts, near Tryon, N. C.
Each of the other 48 boys re
ceived from Piedmont Scout
executive Eugene Jones a Merit
Certificate and a check for $25.75
to apply on expenses at the
Tryon Camp, or for purchase of
Scout equipment of their choice.
WINNER of this year’s top
award is the son of Mrs. Betty
Martin of McAdenville. He re
ceived a Firestone Merit Cer
tificate at last year’s annual
Scout banquet. In the rating pro
gram over the past year he scor
ed 469 points out of a possible
475. His crafts project was a
pack frame.
“Gene Martin is a Scout any
one can call ‘tops’ ”, comments
his scoutmaster, Frank Austin.
—Turn to page 8
AVOCADOS GREW IN GASTONIA
Garden Club Is Winner In National Contest
Firestone Variety Garden Club
celebrated its second birthday
about the same time its members
received nationwide recognition
as first-prize winner in an avo
cado tree contest. The rivalry,
sponsored by the Florida Avoca
do and Lime Commission of
Homestead, Fla., was open to all
federated garden clubs in the
United States.
The club here won a cash
award of $100 for its photo
graphic entry of a display of
four avocado trees as back
ground, with other tropical
fruits, variegated pittosporum,
spring flowers, and pine cones in
different sizes. In the foreground
were dessert dishes featuring
avocado fruit.
Miss Louise Ballard of Raleigh
accepted the $100 prize for the
club at the 29th annual meeting
of the National Council of State
ON TV—The Betty Feezor Show at WBTV in Charlotte, May
19, featured the Variety Club because of its winning first place
in a national avocado contest. With the emcee of the homemaking
show is Mrs. W. R. Turner, Sr. (right). She guided the club in its
project which brought Firestone Textiles national recognition. The
Contest entry display was reproduced for the TV audience.
Garden Clubs, Inc., in Seattle,
Wash., May 20.
SOME months ago Variety
Club members saw an advertise
ment of the contest in a garden
magazine. They began an inten
sive study of the tropical avo
cado, planted seeds and grew
trees for the display.
The contest judges’ suggestion
of an “imaginative group” like
ly came about because of the let
ter which project chairman Mrs.
W. R. Turner, Sr. wrote to ac
company the entry from Gasto
nia. In it she depicted the ex
plorers Coronado and Cortez in
their separate excursions coming
upon Central American natives
eating avocados. They were
grown there in 1485 for the first
time anywhere.
In notifying the club of its
good fortune, the contest spon
sors said: “Judges were pleased
not only with the attractiveness
of your display and the beauty
of your trees, but they were
highly impressed by the wide
scope of your club program in
your many uses of Florida avo
cados. You have an imaginative
group.”
Contest judges were Dr.
George D. Ruehle, director of
the sub-tropic experiment sta
tion; John D. Campbell, Dade
county agriculture agent, and
professor Frank D. Campbell of
the department of marketing at
the University of Miami.
MERITORIOUS SCOUT — General Manager Harold Mercer
(center) shows the Harvey S. Firestone Jr. Award to this year's
winner of the honor. Gene Martin of McAdenville Boy Scout Troop
2. Looking on is scoutmaster Frank Austin.
Stay Alert And Live On Summer Trips
By the time June arrives, the
vacation season is in full swing.
In view of the fact that a large
number of persons die each year
in road accidents between Me
morial Day and Labor Day, the
American Association of Motor
Vehicle Administrators sends
out some general reminders
intended to promote safety on
the highway this summer.
The largest single cause of
highway fatalities is a highly
individual one. A third of our
highway deaths occur in non
collision accidents where the car
has simply gone off the road or
overturned, the AAMVA says.
It listed the causes of such ac
cidents as drowsiness and that
dangerous trance-like state
sometimes referred to as “high
way hypnosis.”
There are a few simple rules
for staying alert at the wheel
this summer.
FIRST: Don’t drive at all if
you are truly tired. The other
three rules apply to drowsiness
and “highway hypnosis”;
1. Drive with windows open;
get plenty of fresh air.
2. Talk to others in the car, or
if alone, listen to the radio.
3. Make a safety stop every
100 miles or so. Walk around,
have a cup of coffee; do not
drink anything with alcoholic
content.
Good drivers will at all times
remember these rules. By put
ting them into practice, you can
save your own life and the lives
of others.