Certificate of Merit Winners Scholarships —From page 1 scholarship recipient works in Twisting (synthetics). A stu dent at Frank L. Ashley High School, Neal plans to study political science at Wake Forest College beginning in September. At Ashley he belongs to the National Honor Society, is as sistant editor of the yearbook, and vice president of his class. He was a semi-finalist in the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test this year. The Gastonia winner is among 28 from 15 states to receive full scholarships to the accredited college or university of their choice. Scholarships, granted to sons and daughters of Firestone em ployees, provide for fees, text books, and a substantial pay ment toward room and board at school. Grants are renewable annually, based on maintenance of satisfactory school achieve ment. Announcing the winners, company chairman Harvey S. Firestone, Jr., noted that since the program began in 1953, there have been 225 college un dergraduate scholarships award ed. In the current school year 96 scholarship students are at tending 57 colleges and univer sities. THE 191 scholarship and Cer tificate of Merit winners for 1961 representing 24 states were selected from a record 413 ap plicants. This was the second year the Certificates of Merit have been awarded along with the scholarships. Of the 28 scholarship recipi ents, 17 are boys and 11 are girls. Among Certificate win ners there are 101 girls and 62 boys. Twenty of this year’s scholarship winners aspire to C. W. Honeycutl Elizabeth Butler Bessemer City Bessemer City Roberta Lovingood Donald McGinnis Gastonia Gastonia Carrie Wallace York L. W. Bum- gardner, Jr. Belmont D. K. Hoffman, Jr. Carol McAllister Gastonia Gastonia careers in scientific fields. Seven of these plan to study engineer ing and six expect to teach* high school or college mathematics. Two others also plan teaching careers. One hopes to prepare for the ministry, and another hopes to study agriculture. Industrial Relations Manager Honored By NC Labor Department Thomas B. Ipock Jr., Firestone Textiles manager of Industrial Relations, was honored in April for his outstanding contributions to the field of industrial safety. The recognition came from the North Carolina Department of Labor in ceremonies at Raleigh, with personnel from the State Advisory Board and the State Labor Department attending. Camp Firestone —From page 1 routine repairs, checking and re placing lifesaving equipment, re stocking fire-fighting materials and first-aid supplies. In recent years extensive re pairs have been made on the property. At Camp Firestone, you can enjoy fishing, boating, swim ming, water skiing, horseshoe- ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ Mr. Ipock was director of safe ty at Firestone here from 1945 until 1951, when he became manager of Industrial Relations. He became a charter member of the NC Safety Advisory Board in 1946. The Advisory Board was cre ated as a semi-official consulta tive agency to the Department of Labor on safety promotion in industry. The board of 20 mem bers includes those whose pro fessional work is concerned with safety in representative North Carolina industries. Serving without, pay, board members help the Labor Depart ment plan and execute state wide safety programs. How Group Insurance Helps Retirees And Families ONE OF A SERIES Of everybody this side of the Ozark mountains, Ralph Carson is a likely candidate for having the deepest appreciation for the music of fox hounds baying on a moonlit night. And in keeping with his hobby, he has plenty of thoroughbred canine friends on his Route 1, Gastonia homestead to which he retired in early 1960. Mr. Carson had put in more than 18 years on the job here, the last few of which were as front- gate man in plant protection. A major reason why he can enjoy his hobby now—along with a lot of other things that make the “sunset” years interesting—is that he has the benefits of the company’s pension plan. Ralph Carson will tell you that it contributes substan tially to a man’s security and feeling of well being in retirement. Working people during their productive years think about the day when they will have time and opportunity for all the things they want to do, and places they want to go. The company helps toward substantial benefits for just such a time—in life’s richest years. More Than Pension Check There is something else besides the monthly check which retired persons receive. These same people have limited benefits of the Firestone group insurance program. All this coverage, which costs them nothing, means added security and peace of mind for them and members of their families, Ralph Carson’s case is an example of how the hourly-rated pension plan works. Of course, spe cific figures and circumstances will vary with individual retirees, but the principle has a pretty general application to all retired hourly-rated employees. Each month, Mr. Carson receives a pension check and Social Security check. He also knows that he has Firestone group insurance protection. Under the present system an employee with a minimum of 15 years service receives a monthly retirement income, including Social Security, of approximately $115.50. With 20 years service, he receives about .1; 124,50^.With 25 ye.ars, his in come is around $133.50, and with 30 or more years, it is in the neighborhood of $142.50. Each hourly-rated employee eligible for a higher-than-minimum pension receives upon re tirement at age 65 an annual pension of one per cent of his total earnings, less one half of his pri mary Social Security benefits. Up to January 1, 1955 earnings were based on the average of the 1945-54 period. After Janu ary 1, 1955 the rate has been based on actual earnings. Some Medical Service, Too Hourly-rated employees retired by the com pany on or after May, 1950—provided they are eligible for pension, or if they are 65 years old and eligible for a severance award — receive limited hospital, surgical and hospital medical coverage for themselves and their dependents at no cost to the retiree. Under this plan, limited surgical-expense bene fits are provided for retired employees and their dependents. This means that the fee the doctor charges for an operation will be paid up to the amount allowed in the schedule of maximum surgical benefits, to a top figure of $200. Total amount payable per individual for all hospitalization and operations occurring after an individual’s retirement is limited to $310 for room and board, $100 for other services, includ ing personal x-ray benefits and $200 surgery benefits. Those covered are the eligible dependents on record with the company at the time of the em ployee’s retirement. “It’s a good feeling of security to know that the company keeps up my life insurance,’' says Mr. Carson. “It’s also good to have those hos pital benefits continued for myself and Mrs. Carson.” With his pension. Social Security and group insurance benefits, Ralph Carson lives an active life of retirement with a good measure of fi nancial security. For his pension, he contributed nothing; for Social Security benefits he and Firestone paid equal shares. And limited group insurance bene fits are his at no extra cost. It all adds up to a measure of financial se curity and peace of mind for the Carsons and for scores of others who have retired from Fire stone’s Gastonia plant. MR. AND MRS. RALPH CARSON enjoy coun try living in the Pisgah Church neighborhood near Crowders Mountain. He devotes much of his time to his foxhounds and to farm projects. Mrs. Carson works in Weaving (splicing) at Fire stone. After 23 years here, she will retire late this year and will, of course, have her own bene fits under the company's retirement program. Tour Of Homes Had Flowers Theme “Successful.” This appraisal by officials of the Gastonia Garden Council put finishing touches on the 1961 Tour of Homes on April 18. Programmed on the theme, “Through the Years With Flow ers”, the pilgrimage of four con temporary and traditional resi- pitching, hiking. Nature study and picnicking and camping. =^==^=^==== For children there are swings, seesaws and a protected wading area on the lake. ☆ ☆ ☆ ' ☆ ☆ Applications for a visit to Camp Firestone are made through the Industrial Relations office. An employee or a group makes only one reservation at a time, but after the visit is made, you may file another application. Facilities at the Lake James camp are available on the basis of applications taken in the order they are filed at the IR office. If you make a reservation and then find you can’t go at the time you’ve scheduled, you would be thoughtful to let the IR office know in advance, if you can. Because there is usually a waiting list, your cancellation would make it possible for someone else to have your place at the camp. dences featured floral arrange ments depicting four cycles of family life. The first residence of the tour was themed “Life Begins”, fol lowed by another, decorated in the motif of “Debutante House”. Third on the itinerary was the South York street home of Fire stone general manager Harold Mercer and Mrs. Mercer. Their residence, in the tradition of the Old South, carried out a “Wed ding Bells” theme. The last resi dence on the tour was decorated around the “Golden Years” idea. The Variety Garden Club of Firestone joined other clubs of the community to present the Gastonia Garden Council tour. May, 1961 Page 2 Volume X Number 6 ☆ ☆ ☆ Published by The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company, Firestone Textiles Division, Gastonia, North Carolina. Claude Callaway, Editor Charles A. Clark, Photographer PLANT REPORTERS Carding—Payton Lewis, Jessie Ammons Cloth Room—Margie Waldrep Industrial Relation s—Flora Pence Main Office—Bea McCarter Quality Control—Sallie Craw ford, Louella Queen, Leila Rape Spinning—L i 11 i e A. Brown, Maude Peeler, Mary Turner Spooling—Nell Bolick, Rosalie Burger, Ophelia Wallace Mechanical Department — Rosie Francum Twisting—Vera Carswell, Elease Cole, Annie Cosey, Katie El kins, Catherine Fletcher Twisting (Sales)—Elmina Brad shaw Warehouse—N a n c y Cloninger, George Harper, Albert Meeks, Rosevelt Rainey Weaving (cotton)—Ruth Veitch Weaving (synthetics)—Mary E. Johnson, Irene Odell Winding—Ruth Cloninger, May- zelle Lewis