Cubs

Exciting experiences we have as children tend to stay with us all of our lives. Here is an experience I had as a Cub Scout when I was seven years old.

Cubs

 

When I was seven years old, I lived on 328 3rd Street in Phillips, Texas. I joined a Cub Scout Pack that met just a few houses west of our house and had a Den Mother named Huxley. It was quite easy to get to the weekly meetings so I don’t think I missed a one. The high light of my time with the Cub Scouts was a trip we got to take to Amarillo,Texas in 1950. We got to fly to Amarillo on a Douglas DC-1 twin turbo prop aircraft from the Borger, Texas airport. This was my first flight on an airplane which made it very special. As I recall all our mothers accompanied us on the trip. When we got to Amarillo, we loaded on a bus, and took a guided tour of the Amarillo Air Force Base adjacent to the Amarillo Airport. They gave us a tour of the whole facility, but the part I remember best was the jet engine test facility they had there. There was a jet engine mounted on a test stand in a building. They gave us ear protectors then started the engine. The noise was deafening and the rush of hot air blowing around us was quite frightening to me. They told us the jet engine was going to be future method for propelling nearly all aircraft which was a very accurate prediction. They showed us all the current aircraft used by the air force and let us sit in some of them. After the tour, they hauled us to the chow hall and fed us, then took us back to the airport. We loaded back on the Douglas DC-1 and flew back to Borger. For a seven year old, it was an extremely exciting day that I talked about for weeks after that.

When I was in the cub scouts, I carved a neckerchief slide out of wood and hand painted it. I still have that slide which was a mule that I will include a photo of. Does a hand carved neckerchief slide 62 years old qualify as being an antique?

 

 

Douglas DC-1 plane similar to the one which we flew in to Amarillo in 1950.

Neckerchief slide I carved 62 years ago while in the Cub Scouts.

My Grandson, Ben, protecting his sister Sarah in his Cub Scout uniform

Thank you for reading Cubs,
Hawg Jaw Bill