JUNE, 1958
Tire$ione s^HWi
PAGE 5
THIS GROUP believes lhat it pays to temper
work wiih play. Officers and most of the mem
bership of the Firestone Recreation Council are
(seated, from left): Milton Nichols, Nell Bolick,
Helen Bolick, Delores Fritton, Doris McCready
and Flora Pence. (Standing, from left): H. S.
Cauthen, C. M. Ferguson, Payton Lewis, Roland
Conrad, Ralph Johnson, Fred Morrow, Nellie
Stowe, Alvin Riley, Bob Purkey and R. L. Tomp
kins. The officers are R. L. Tompkins, president;
Delores Fritton, vice president; Flora Pence,
secretary, with Doris McCready, assistant; and
Alvin Riley, treasurer, with Roland Conrad,
assistant. Of the membership not present for
the picture: Earlene Creasman, Thomas Ipock,
Jr., S. L. Owens, Paul Walker.
20-Meinber Council Guides Plant Recreation
WARP AND FILLING
Of The Passing Scene
Wanted: Billions For Industrial Growth
Would you venture a guess at the amount of money that Ameri
can business and industry will have to raise in the next 20 years to
provide new jobs? It's something in the neighborhood of $240,000,-
000,000.
It is estimated that during the next two decades 20,000,000
employees will be added to the work force in this country. And
for each new job, an investment of $12,000 will be required.
The year - round recreation
service at Firestone in Gastonia
is often acclaimed the most ef
ficiently-operated program of its
kind in the Southeast. Now in
its 23rd year of ever-expanding
activity, the recreation program
owes much to a well-organized
and smoothly-functioning unit
composed of persons who repre
sent many departments of the
plant.
If you have ever wondered
what is responsible in large
measure for keeping the wheels
of the play program rolling
along, look to the Firestone
Recreation Council. This behind-
the-scenes organization of 20
members is more than 22 years
old. It exists for the purpose of
promoting and overseeing the
entire recreation program, unit
ing into one group the elected
representatives of all recreation
interests sponsored by Firestone
Textiles.
MAIN objective of the Coun
cil, according to its constitution,
is “to foster and maintain the
highest standards of qualifica
tions, training and ethics, and
to stimulate and further a wide
interest in all wholesome forms
of recreation and employee ac
tivities carried on by Firestone
employees and members of their
families.”
Moreover, the Council op
erates broadly in whatever way
it deems needful in order to
further the interests of recrea
tion in the plant here, the com
munity, the State and the Na-
Do You Remember
The Middle Name?
You are familiar with the fol
lowing names of United States
Presidents, and other outstand
ing Americans. But can you re
call the name for which each
middle initial stands?
1. Ulysses S. Grant; 2. James
A. Garfield; 3. Henry W. Long
fellow; 4. Warren G. Harding;
5. Robert E. Lee; 6. Booker T.
Washington; 7. James K. Polk;
8. Dwight L. Moody; 9. Thomas
A. Edison; 10 Jefferson F. Davis.
(Answers on page 8)
tion. It strives to coordinate ac
tivities of all agencies—public,
private, industrial and com
mercial — which are concerned
with recreation.
Beyond this, the Council
serves as a central agency
through which all matters re
lated to recreation in the plant
can be cleared and submitted to
management for decisions. For
the purpose of mutual benefit, it
affiliates with and works with
other agencies and organizations
having similar or related ob
jectives.
COUNCIL membership, num
bering 20 at present, is made up
of representation from each
club, team or organization con
nected with plant - sponsored
recreation. A special provision
is made for honorary member
ship—persons who have made
outstanding contributions to the
recreation program at Firestone.
As a functioning unit, the
Council operates under the lead
ership of a president and vice
president elected every two
years; and a secretary and a
treasurer, each elected annually
in March. The four officers and
three members-at-large compose
an executive committee which
transacts the business of the
group, except that processed at
regular or special meetings of
the whole membership.
For his term of office the
president appoints functional
committees including those
which are responsible for the
overall Council program, nomi
nation of officers, membership,
publicity, and public relations.
The Council, always at work
around the calendar, meets on
the third Wednesday of each
month, with special meetings
called as the occasion arises.
Builders?
Three years ago, when
James E. Trainer came to Char
lotte to address the North Caro
lina State Safety Meeting,
he ended his oft-recalled speech
with a bit of verse. The poetry,
from the pen of R. L. Sharpe,
was kept as scrapbook material
by one of the employees here
who heard the address of the
Company’s Executive Vice Presi
dent. These lines quoted by him
pose one of life’s searching ques
tions:
Isn’t it strange that princes and
kings
And clowns that caper in saw
dust rings.
And common folks like you and
me
Are Builders for Eternity?
To each is given a bag of tools,
A shapeless mass and a book of
rules.
And each must make, ere life is
flown,
A stumbling block or a stepping
stone.
Help Along The Way
Now that the season of the
Open Road is here again, Em
ployment Manager Charles M.
Ferguson thought you might
share profitably in this Traveler’s
Prayer. It was printed on a
billfold card and circulated by
the Gastonia City Police Depart
ment several summers ago:
“God, be with us this day,
watch over us, insure us against
danger, protect us from harm.
Be ever at our side—to light the
way, to guard, to rule and guide
us safely to our journey’s end.
Amen.”
Anatomy of the Dollar
Ever wonder how distribution
of the dollar averages out in the
spending of U. S. income? Ac
cording to the latest research on
this subject, the dollar is split,
cents-wise, in these ways:
Housing 34
Food 29
Transportation 11
Clothing 9
Medical Care 5
Others 12
☆
When Firestone celebrated 20
years of history at Gastonia in
May of 1955, 200 men and
women were honored as those
who were working here during
the plant’s first year of opera
tion, and who were employed at
the time of the two-decade an
niversary. Also at that time,
more than 15 per cent of the em
ployee strength had been with
the organization 15 years or
more, and another 15 per cent
had between 10 and 15 years of
service.
To bring you up-to-date on
the service record figures, a
check as of May this year show-
Textile Facts
Approximately 15 million jobs
in the United States depend up
on the textile industry.
Gaston County, N. C., pro
duces more yarn than any other
county in the nation. It also
leads the nation in the number
of spindles in place.
In North Carolina, textiles
manufacturing leads all other
industries in the number of
workers and volume of business.
Recognize Her?
Remember the days of the
itinerant photographer who, like
the mercantile drummer, sought
most of his customers in the out-
of-way places along the back
roads? Favorite among his sub
jects were enquiring-eyed chil
dren at the village schoolhouse,
lined up to have their pictures
made for the nostalgic price of
three for 25 cents. This photo of
an employee, taken in the era
before flash bulbs and speed
films, was made at a one-room
school in the little mining town
of Rachel in northern West Vir
ginia. The subject was in the
second grade at that time. Do
you recognize her? Clue: She
works in Synthetic Twisting,
fifth floor. Check your guess
against her name on page 8.
☆ ☆
ed that the total number of serv
ice pins distributed by Fire
stone Textiles stood at:
Years Pins
20 280
15 547
10 1,179
5 2,299
An impressive list! That roster
of 20-year people alone repre
sents 5,600 years of continuous
service. The Firestone organiza
tion has always considered the
loyalty and proficiency of its em
ployees to be priceless assets. It
is proud of its people with long
records of service.
, j ,< I 11 5 \ ' j