1-st day in new school .This school has shop classes ! Oh , Goody I got assigned to last period wood shop class . What was it going to be like ?
Fast forward to first day second week . Last period . Get to meet Mr.Kline . A little weasel of a guy but had a funny bone a mile long . Gave us a list of what we needed for his class . Okay , a fold up rule , a carpenters pencil and an awl and a hammer . Well I kinda knew what they were so I went to the hardware store on the way home and my weekend boss Mr .Richards fixed me up even with a shop apron ( one of those little ones , Oh , and a hammer just my size too ) ( does anyone remember those fold up rules ? )
Next day , last period .We all trooped into the shop to find a pile of wood as befitted our projects lying on the bench . That and the little nails and a set of plans . This was our first quarter project ! he checked everyone's gear , sent two of the boys to the principle for being sassy about the gear , and then settled down to teach .
" Okay , Let's see who all is here and ready to work " After roll call , he then told us to open our plans and study them closely . I thought he was mistaken so , I asked him about my project . He told me that on my pre-entry school tests I ranked High in Music and General Building knowledge so I had to finish it for first quarter grades . At this time I counted the pieces and drew the profiles on the wood .I was the only one in the class building a model !
No Bird-house or planter for me ! I had to build a Dornier DOX Flying Boat ! This thing had a twenty inch wingspan ! By the time grading was due she was finished . I , needless to say got an 3.88 on my grade .
Next project - a Sterling Model boat kit ! A Chris Craft no less ! Boy , did I jump on that . Three years later I graduated ahead of the guys in public school and got ready for high school ! Now , all these years later I understand why Dad placed such a high value on education and living in real time , in the real world .
I was accepted for apprenticeship at a Prestigeous boat company based on my grades and that got money started for college , and got into the best school in the area for general studies . Graduated First in Class and a starter course in college level Music yeah , I still can't read music for nuttin , but ask me to play something on any of five instruments , three of those brass , and I could . With an associate ad min in Engineering . Then on to the U.S.Navy , Ah ! Such is life . It's nice to remember these things , But , I still think if it hadn't been for building models in shop class I would've been a dunderhead !
Up until eight years ago I still had that Dornier - she was a wreck when I found her in a box of books .But , she sure looked great to me . My neighbor kid has her now , repaired and on his mantel . Tanker - Builder