- 07 September 98 
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12 September 98- 07 September 98 -
12 September 98About them Awards
Well--I've told about other things I remember--- perhaps I should tell about this Boy Scout incident too.
It happened on a Scout outing. We rode the NYC IRT subway up to it's extreme station at Pelham Bay Parkway & walked a few blocks to the Pelham Bay shore. Mr. Seymore, Scoutmaster, rented some rowboats and we rowed across the Bay to an uninhabited island for a cookout - swim -have a good time -- a picnic outing.
One of the scouts, Proctor Hensely, wanted to pass the 50 yd swim test, requisite for a First Class scout rating. Mr Seymore had me row him out 60-70 yards, and let him swim back to shore. He gingerly lowered out the back of the boat and started for shore -- pretty clumsy swimmer, I thought -- and then he just disappeared... Mr Seymore had emphasized in one of his lectures that "going down for the third time" was a myth -- depending on your body "makeup" or for other reasons, you might go down several times -- or just once .
I yelled to those on shore, and dove out the back of the boat -- got him up to the surface and couldn't catch up to the boat -- blowing away as fast as I could tow Proctor. I started for shore, having a hard time now, he was bigger, and heavier than me. When two of the older scouts reached us, I was glad to turn Proctor over to David Bunche, and accept Henry Abbott's offer to help me back to shore. A close call -- for two of us.
Back onshore Mr Seymore had us "rest" awhile, we cooked our steaks over the fire, doodled about a bit, and rowed back to the mainland for the long subway ride home to Bklyn.
AWARDS:
A Gold Medal for Life Saving-highest award in scouting.
A Scout Knife, Life Saving award from Remington -- Suitably engraved for the occasion - and still a precious keepsake
A Gold Medal, and $25 dollars in gold - From the Life Saving Benevolent Assoc. N.Y.
- June 11, 1938 Our Wedding date
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