Dad's Memories

- 22 February 99 - 22 February 99

Boy Scouts - Limousines - and Ice Cream

My brother Art, two years older than me, had been a Boy Scout for a couple of years when I turned 12 years old -- and was old enough to also join the Scouts. We'd take the trolley on Nostrand Avenue, a block from our house, up to President street and then walk a couple of blocks to St. Marks church, where the Scout troop held their weekly meetings in a large room in the church basement. Another scout, Adam Laukaitis, in Art's class in school, lived nearby and we would go to meetings together.

Art was a patrol leader in the troop, and when the meeting was finished, we three stayed after everyone left, to straighten things up, and to clean up the room. Mr Seymour, our Scoutmaster, had a chauffeur driven limousine, and his chauffeur waited outside the church to take him home after meetings. Mr Seymour had the three of us pile into the Willy's Knight Limo -- a big car, it had a couple of "jump seats" that folded down from the back of the front seat -- rather than take the trolley home, and we'd drive to an Ice Cream Parlor - Wegman's, at the corner of Nostrand and Church Ave, a block from our house. The chauffeur parked out front and waited while Mr Seymour treated us to ice cream.

Wegman's made their own ice cream, had a lot of different flavors, and we had free reign to order anything we wanted. Back then the best Sundaes, like a Banana Split - with three different flavored scoops of ice cream, syrup, nuts, sliced banana - piled high - with real whipped cream, and topped with sprinkles ... cost 30 cents!! That was a full course meal. We'd generally settle for an ice cream soda or a malted-milkshake, but once in a while someone would opt for one of those Sundaes. Mr Seymour always had a single scoop/dish of ice cream, varying the flavor to try them all - and used the opportunity to talk about scout activities ... a teaching/learning session.

Finished with the goodies, we'd walk the one block home and the chauffeur drove Mr Seymour home.

Wegman's was a family operated business and as steady customers they'd greet us by name when we'd go there for a hand packed quart of ice cream to take home -- at a whopping 60 cents a quart or just to get a cone. Can't find real ice cream like that anymore!!