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Weekly News May 19, 2008Description
A spoiled young man, 1941: When this writer was 17, the days of the week fell on the same dates as in 2008 (May 19, 1941 was a Monday). He was spoiled because he could go trapshooting with his father almost every weekend, and attend the Penn-Del Twilight League shoots on Tuesday evenings as well. A 17-year-old is capable of some spectacular, if not consistent, shooting. The sky was the limit. Some poor scores were recorded in between, but the good ones are always remembered.
On Tuesday, May 6, he broke the only 50-straight at the Penn-Del League shoot at the Brinton Lake Gun Club near Concordville. The next Tuesday at West Chester his score was terrible (41). On Thursday, May 15, practice day at the upcoming Delaware State Championships, he broke 98 out of 100 at the Wilmington Trapshooting Association on Basin Road near New Castle, where 25 of the 100 were shot from 23 yards (“handicap” distance from the trap- normal shooting was from 16 yards). That evening at Ned Touhey’s hilltop trap just off Benge Road in Yorklyn, he broke 25 straight with ease. On Friday, May 16, breaking 97 and 95 respectively in the 200-target State Championship, he tied with a new shooter named Everett Reed of Lewes, a Delaware River and Bay pilot. In the shoot-off, this spoiled young man broke 24 (out of 25), while Mr. Reed broke 23. This was not a high score to win the State Championship, but it still stands as the record for the youngest shooter ever to win in Delaware. Everett Reed and the youngster became fast friends and from 1947 through 1950 they traded the State championship, one or the other besting all others. The younger man stopped shooting at the end of the 1950 season, and his good friend died of a heart attack in 1955 at the age of 47.
On Saturday, May 17, 1941, the juvenile shooter, driven to the shoot by his father in his 1913 Stanley Model 76, won the Doubles Championship (two targets thrown together) with a score of 96. Leonard Lynam of Newport was runner-up with 84. In the Stanley, we drove around the historic town which was celebrating the VERY FIRST “Day in Old New Castle”. With the possible exception of World War II years, this event has been held the third Saturday in May every year since! After a poor handicap score of 84 from 23 yards, the total of 372 out of 400 targets was enough to win the All-‘Round Championship, which the youngster had also won in 1940 with a score of 369.
On Tuesday, May 20, this same spoiled young man broke 50 straight in the Twilight Shoot, also at W.T.A. on Basin Road. On Friday and Saturday, May 23 and 24, 1941, the Eastern Zone Championships (covering 12 States, the District of Columbia, and Ontario) were held at Yorklyn. The 17-year-old in question was runner-up in the Doubles Championship on a very windy day, having broken 81 to winner Paul Holloway’s 86, and was runner-up in the All-‘Round with 354 (194-81-79) to John D. Rowland’s 356 (196-77-83). Since everyone who knows about these things is long deceased, this aged and egotistical writer, searching for something worth-while in his past, has now bored you with stories of two weeks in May, 67 years ago. In those days, Memorial Day was celebrated on May 30, which in 1941 was Friday.
In addition to the quarterly Board meeting last Thursday, the Collections Committee met on Wednesday, May 14, decided not to accession the ’32 Packard at the request of the donor, and discussed an Ethics policy for F.A.H.P. Upon the resignation of Bill Enslen as treasurer, the Board elected Bob Reilly to fill out his one-year term. Bill will remain a member of the Board.
A draft of the Strategic Plan, worked on diligently by several temporary sub-committees and their chairs, was briefly described by Cam Yorkston and presented to the Board for perusal and suggested changes. June 15 was established as the deadline for Board members to respond with comments, after which a refined Plan will be produced for final consideration at the Board meeting on August 14. Our sincere thanks are in order for all who participated in developing this draft.
On Saturday, three of our cars went to Bellevue State Park to participate in its first annual Mayfair. Free rides were given in the Mountain Wagon and the Rauch & Lang electric. The Model 78, driven by Richard Bernard, was on display along with a portable gift shop and several F.A.H.P. volunteers in period costume. Richard, Art Wallace, Butch Cannard, Dan Citron, Catherine Coin, Jane Cannard, Art Sybell, Jerry Novak, Emil Christofano, Ruth and I were on hand to promote our program and events. On Sunday, Butch, Bill Schwoebel, Art Wallace, Art Sybell, and Steve Bryce took our Stanley Models K, 76, and 87 to the Linvilla Orchards Show of H.C.C.P. and got caught in several downpours before they returned to home base.
The Stanley Museum’s Model 70 was road-tested by Steve Bryce, Mike May and me last Wednesday and with a few adjustments will be ready for pick-up on Saturday, May 24. Steve and I plan to run it again before pronouncing it ready to go. Thanks go to all F.A.H.P. volunteers who participated in making this car functional again, and especially to Jim Personti for rebuilding the engine and to Bill Rule for making new perch poles.
On Saturday, May 24, our ’37 Packard and the Rauch & Lang electric have been requested by Winterthur to be on hand for their “Great Cars on an American Country Estate” day. On the celebrated Memorial Day, Monday, May 26, several of our cars and their qualified drivers hope to attend the Kennett Square Memorial Day parade. We hope more of you will “sign up”. Tom
