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Biography of John Edward “Ole Man” Gillespie

John Edward “Ole Man” GillespieScouting was his life … Scoutmaster was his title.

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Introducing: The Master

How do you begin a story about a man who influenced hundreds of boys, a Scouting

pioneer who brought each new Scouting innovation to Fort Worth, a master

psychologist who could instinctively determine what each Scout’s needs were. What

do you say about a simple man who rode a bike delivering messages at General

Dynamics (now Lockheed) but wielded tremendous influence to generations of boys. I

shall try to tell his story and the affect he had on hundreds of boys…including me.

The following is not so much a biography, but a testament of the magic of Scouting

and a man who was a master at it.

Man Of The House

When John Edward Gillespie was born on September 19, 1905, he was fortunate to have

both parents at home to tend to his needs. The family lived at 600 E. First Street close to

Downtown Fort Worth. John Jr. initially went to St. Ignatius School (next to St. Patrick’s

Cathedral) and then transferred to St. Mary’s during grade school years. Because of

modest family finances (and his fathers failing health at age 70), he never attended high

school. To help his family, he would trudge door to door selling vegetables for a local

grocer, and in doing so, met and learned of the circumstances of other families. He

developed an empathy towards boys who were experiencing the same struggle he had -

gnawing helplessness masked by the sad, forlorn face of inevitability. How could he

escape this? As he grew older, his eagerness and willingness to work led to better paying

jobs. His younger brother, Robert, also began to contribute by selling produce just as

John Jr. did at an earlier age.

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John Jr began to take an interest in the Knights of Columbus (KCs) by visiting the KC

Hall on 1004 Lamar Street in downtown Ft Worth. KC members had provided him odd

jobs, had been responsible for many kindnesses, and were majestic figures when the

Fourth Degree Knights wore the ceremonial robes like knights at a king’s court. They

were active at St. Patrick’s Church and seemed involved in every facet of the Catholic

community, from the upkeep of a church, to helping find homes for orphans or

conducting a monthly dinner for its membership…these were truly chivalrous men

who were beacons of light to a young man searching for role models.

1920’s era. Knights of Columbus Hall for Council 759 in downtown Ft Worth. Troop 32 was chartered here and met on a weekly basis.Reverend Michael J. McGivney founded the Knights of Columbus order to provide a system for fraternal insurance that could apply to widows and orphans of members; to provide fellowship amongst its members; to aid the cause of religion; and to perform charitable, educational and patriotic works for the benefit of their fellow men and their nation.

Asthma, partial deafness, and arteriosclerosis were among frailties his father endured

from his Civil War years. John Edward recognized the acute difference between what his

father could do and what the other fathers could do. This insight allowed him to see his

mother’s diminishing health (see Appendix). She was 50 when he was 10. He grew

stronger as she got weaker. He had become a man of depth beyond his

years. The Civil War stories his father told now meant more to him. The pride and

compassion of his mother were traits his scouts were to see in him time and again. Strict

observance of Catholicism by the local priest offered lessons he cherished. Learning

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adult secrets at a young age imparted in him a wisdom easily given as advice to boys who

would later see him as a second father. For a boy who never made it to high school,

fate was molding him for a destiny no one could anticipate.

Father Park, a priest at St. Mary’s church, had often asked John about becoming a

priest. He had wondered if this was his life’s mission or if God had intended

him for some other calling. Fate, however, seemed to intercede between him and the

“cloth.” The incontinence of his father and the meager wages from his Confederate

pension were circumstances presented to John Edward at an early age making him the

man of the house. Hard work as a chamber maid took a daily toll on his mother as he

would rub her sore back at the end of the day. These vivid memories would deeply affect

him as a young boy and caused him to push himself to assume responsibilities beyond his

years.

K C Council 759 was celebrating its 20th Anniversary when John Jr joined. That

association would expand his world beyond that of his family. It felt good for him, as a

Knight, to deliver gifts that improved life for others. The sparkle in an orphan’s eyes

when he brought the child a doll reflected the way he had felt as the recipient of

kindnesses. Although his life found new meaning, it was not enough to satisfy an inner

hunger. When he was not working full time or caring for his mother, he volunteered as a

Knight of Columbus (KC).

It was not until the 1922 Texas Knights of Columbus Convention had officially adopted

the Boy Scouts as its program for boys that he had honestly considered Scouting as a

viable concern. Eager to explore but untested as a new KC, Council 759 selected him

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to be one of several members who would participate in a class called “Boy Guidance.”

“Boyology”, or “Boy Guidance,” was fundamental training of outdoor skills and the

Scouting method for interested adults who would create new Scout units. While Brother

Circa 1920’sBrother Barnabas, F.S.C, was appointedNational BSA Special Field Commissioner during 1924. He established “10 Day Camp Schools in Boy Leadership” at the University of Notre Dame (South Bend,IN), Columbia University (Portland, OR), Regis College (Denver, CO), Benedictine College (Savannah, GA), and St Edward’s University in Austin, Tx. He established a post graduate “Boyology” degree of 30 hours that was conducted at the University of Notre Dame. The first class of 18 graduated during 1926.

Barnabas F.S.C. was convalescing from a heart condition in Fort Worth while on

his way to establish a “Boyology” course at St. Edwards University in Austin, Tx.

Gillespie had a chance to meet him and develop an interest in his boy guidance work.

Partially supported by the K.C. State Convention and through K.C. Council 759, John Jr.

took part in a weekend course at Camp Shuman (northwest Fort Worth) and followed that

up with a 10 = day course at St. Edwards University during July 1927. What he didn’t

know was that his moment of truth was about to arrive. Just as the knights of old, his

quest for a knightly deed would be rewarded by a Scouting program which was then only

17 years old. The Chivalrous Knight and the Pied Piper of Scouting would soon join

forces to capture the imagination of young men.

The Pied Piper of Scouting

It was as if an orchestra leader were conducting the actions of each section until they

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blend together as one sound. John Jr’s dedication to Scouting was the inevitable result of

many paths converging into one true trail: his mother, almost a widow; he almost an

orphan; a desperate life with only the necessities; his humble appreciation for the

Knights of Columbus; the patriotism of his father; the worldly injustices he would

see firsthand; the search to find his life’s avocation. Although each of these led him

slowly to Scouting, none on their own might have proven the deciding factor.

Circa 1930. John Edward “Ole Man” Gillespie. He was known as the “Pied Piper” of Scouting as there were few boys who could resist his infectious enthusiasm. He was a second father to many. During the 1970’s, one of his troubled scouts ran away from home. No one knew where to find the boy but Gillespie knew. He and one of his Eagle Scouts drove out to Worth Ranch and began calling the boy’s name. After an hour of calling throughout the camp, the hungry boy walked out of the woods in his Scout uniform and Gillespie took him home.

What he experienced during a weekend “Boyology” course was enough for him to

explore further. The basic program outlined by a trained BSA professional would

invigorate his mind with the possibilities it might offer in Fort Worth. Cooking,

camping, and leadership skills were fodder for his active mind to dwell upon. Gillespie

compared notes with KC Charles Gomer and KC W.E.Cortty about how they could

introduce Scouting to the four Catholic parishes of Fort Worth.

Catholic Scout youth membership exploded as nothing before or since could match the

weekly meeting programs and the monthly camp-outs on land once traversed by

Comanche Indians. Each boy could advance through the Scout ranks according to his

own rate. Boys of little consequence were being introduced to skills they would have

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never had the opportunity to experience if it were not for the doors opened by Scouting.

Adventures they had read about in Huckleberry Finn now became reality as the troop

would hike to Lake Worth and fish, swim or camp overnight in shelters at Camp

Shuman. They became masters of their own destiny as they learned to plan their own

adventures. Since John Jr had been deprived of much of his childhood, he found it very

fulfilling to relive it through the boys of Troops 19 and 32.

Scouting would become the tool to overcome many negative influences that were

becoming prevalent in a young man’s life. Joined with the fraternal mission of

the KCs, they complemented each other’s goal for future humanity. So on March

10, 1927, he became Scoutmaster of Troop 19 and on March 17, 1927, assistant

Scoutmaster of Troop 32. Despite the official registrations reflecting his role, in reality,

he served as Scoutmaster for both units. The first Scoutmaster of Troop 32, Charles

Gomer, had a bad leg and could not lead the troop on camp-outs. Officially, John Edward

Gillespie became the Scoutmaster of Troop 32 in 1929.

Worth Ranch“The Big Adventure”

One of the events that solidified the Scouting way in Troop 32 was the opening of

Worth Ranch in Palo Pinto County, 60 miles west of Fort Worth. During 1929, Dan

Beard, one of the BSA’s founders, visited Camp Shuman and pronounced it “too

civilized.” Longhorn Council Executives immediately began a search for new ground

that was as wild as they could get it. John Edward was part of the original expedition

visiting Worth Ranch property before it was purchased and constructed during 1930.

Rattlesnakes, remains of Indian mounds, and legends surrounding Kyle Mountain made it

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“The Big Adventure.”

Circa 1931. Worth Ranch Summer Camp. Scouts of Troop 32 would line their encampment with rocks for walkways between tents, camp shelters and the latrine. Troop 32 Comanche Patrol members (L to R)R. Q. Harris, Emmet Cook, James Hagan, and Joe Milam.

Worth Ranch became the beloved camp of Troop 32. In fact, a fraternity was formed

(pre-cursor of the Order of the Arrow in Longhorn Council) among several units that

created special ceremonies, written minutes of meetings in “pig latin,” and annual

Thanksgiving camp-outs where huge feasts were prepared. It was called the “Cactus

Honor Fraternity” or “CHF.” Because cactus proved a frequent hazard at Worth Ranch,

the slogan “We Stick!” was appropriate as both a warning and a rallying cry. Inducted

Scouts would be sworn to secrecy and conduct activities separate from the troop. Each

CHF member was sworn to the survival of Troop 32 and bound by his word to glorify the

legend of Worth Ranch. Tradition has it that a wooden chest with Troop 32 memorabilia

was buried by the CHF in one of the old caves that can be found at Worth Ranch.

During the early 1930’s, when John Jr. was barely in his twenties, the boys were hiking at

Worth Ranch when he fell and hurt his leg. A crutch fashioned from a tree branch

let him continue the hike even though limping badly. From this event, the boys began

calling him “Ole Man” after a popular song of the era. Although just a few years older

than some of his Scouts, the nickname stuck. In fact, during the last years of his life,

most Scouters throughout the Longhorn Council only knew him as “Ole Man.”

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Circa 1930’s. Troop 32’s older scouts who were members of the CHF, with John Jr’s participation and approval, created initiations where each Scout would be given a new fraternal name. Seen here hiking at Worth Ranch and “emptying their boots of river water” are CHF members, L to R. James Gregg, Tip Crouch, Leo Phillips, unknown, Bill Patton.

As “Ole Man” and Robert E. Lee Gillespie, his brother, acquired better jobs, they were

able to purchase a gas station and permanently move their father out of the Confederate

Home in Austin back to Fort Worth. Times were good for the first several years they

became involved in Scouting. The Gillespie brothers bought and ran the first

three-pump gas station in Fort. Worth. Their father visited the station often and would

treat customers to stories of his Texas Ranger days or to his exploits in the Civil War as a

part of the Texas 6th Cavalry.

Veteran Scout leaders began to notice J. E. Gillespie’s ability to inspire Scouts from each

unit he led to achieve Eagle Scout in Troop 32, Outfit 32 (older scouts), Troop 19, and

Ship 19. Scouts were given the opportunity to create their own newsletter called the

Trek Cart (named after a cart used to carry food provisions at camp). Eagle

Scout Bill Davis gained notoriety by being included in a number of Star - Telegram

stories when BSA official Dan Beard visited Fort Worth, winning a bugle contest and

becoming one of the first staff members to work at Worth Ranch during its opening year,

1930. Troop 32 also won its share of council events in which units from around town

would compete in first aid, orienteering, or general Scout skills.

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Scoutmaster of two troops, 16 Eagle Scouts in 16 years, and invaluable service to Scouting during the war years resulted in the selection of Gillespie for the Silver Beaver Award. A. L. Shuman presents the award during ceremonies conducted in 1944.

Note: As patriotic as he was, Gillespie was rejected from military service because he had flat feet. However, he volunteered at home in a “civil patrol” capacity since the Axis powers regarded Fort Worth as the No. 2 military target in America.

Throughout his storied career, Ole Man worked with approximately 1,400 boys of all

circumstances from 1927-1976. He wasn’t a “degreed” psychologist, he just became

one.

The Great Depression and War

Innovation was paramount in the early days of Scouting. During the Great Depression,

when money to buy gasoline was short, Gillespie once met with the Fort Worth

Sanitation Dept. to ask if Troop 32 Scouts could ride the garbage trucks down Jacksboro

Highway and walk the remainder of the way to Camp Shuman. This agreement allowed

Scouts of Ship 19 to sail the “high seas” on a 17 foot Lightning Class Sailboat on Lake

Worth almost every weekend.

Troop 19 consisted of boys from St. Mary’s while Troop 32 was from boys at St

Patrick’s. Since “Ole Man” Gillespie was Scoutmaster of both Troops, a merger

occurred in 1939 when Troop 19 Scouts were absorbed by Troop 32.

Although Fort Worth seemed to be shielded from many of the effects of the Great

Depression, few scouts were able to buy a full uniform. Scoutmaster Gillespie would

ask for donations at KC meetings and each Scout family would do its best to provide

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what they could. Try as they might, the troop committee would always ask Gillespie how

much he spent on providing uniforms or equipment so they could reimburse him, but

they never received a bill. Scouts would show up with the essentials, go on camp-outs,

and begin to see Gillespie as a “second father” since he often had to cover some of their

food expenses. Early on, he began the practice of registering boys from St Theresa’s

Orphanage as members of the troop and ensuring they were able to go on camp-outs.

In 1934, word of a great new adventure trickled down to each Scout – a BSA National

Jamboree! “Ole Man” and several Scouts from the troop already had their train tickets

and were about to depart when the 1935 National Jamboree was cancelled due to a polio

epidemic. However, John Jr. attended the 1937 National Scout Jamboree in a larger-

than-life experience that featured a parade for President Franklin D. Roosevelt, visits to

Valley Forge, PA. and tours of Washington, D.C. This was the first of eight jamborees

In which he would be an official participant or visitor.

As America emerged from the Depression, the thrum of war drums sounded and World

War II began. Patriotic fervor flooded through Troop 32. Members of the troop

volunteered for the military, participated in scrap metal drives, and helped sell war bonds.

Several Scouts were recruited for “emergency mobilization” if a Nazi spy was successful

in bombing one of the military installations around Fort Worth.

“Ole Man” Gillespie helped obtain a place in history for a young troop member, Charles

Bush. Secrecy was paramount and Charles had shown he was patriotic through his

participation in the military emergency response effort. Charles was invited to serve on

staff at Worth Ranch but asked to come 2 weeks early. When he arrived, he learned it

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was a secret military training exercise involving “water rescue” methods for downed

pilots in the Pacific Ocean. Hopefully, this top secret “train the trainer” exercise saved

many pilots.

World War II sea battles proved a driving force behind Sea Scout Ship 19 and another

leadership challenge for Gillespie. No one is sure how but he talked a local

restaurant owner into purchasing a 17-foot Lightning-Class sailboat for the Scouts to sail

every weekend on Lake Worth.

December 1946. Ship 19 Officer of the Deck Charles Bush (left) received the Quartermaster Award (Sea Scout equivalent to Eagle Scout) from Scouter Sam Collier.

Disaster was narrowly averted when Mr Gillespie took the Troop on a sailing adventure using a Longhorn Council sailboat on a warm November day in the 1940’s. Scouts were dressed for warm weather whena “blue norther” arrived late afternoon. Charles skippered the sailboat while boys were huddled next to a stove. High winds, water was coming over the side and ice began accumulating. Unfortunately, the main mast split but respect for “Ole Man” ensured there were no lasting repercussions.

Gillespie and the Scouts of Ship 19 christened their sailboat…”The Santa Maria,” (the

‘Hail Mary’ to honor Christ’s mother). She was moored at Camp Shuman where naval

protocol was the order of the day. Scouts had to salute to board the sailboat, address the

captain as “Officer of the Deck,” and follow orders as they prepared to shove off. When

there was a new member, Mr. Gillespie or officer Charles Bush would visit the “brig” in

downtown Fort Worth. Since Sea Scout uniforms were very close to navy uniforms,

they often found throwaways in the brig from sailors who had gotten in a fight and torn

theirs up. With mothers wielding a needle and thread, the boys quickly had uniforms.

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Circa 1940’s (left). Advisor Gillespie sporting a Sea Scout Leader uniform jacket.

Aviation Merit Badge flight from Meacham Field to Carter Field. Troop 32 Scouts returned by bus.

Emmet Cook, a Troop 32 Eagle Scout who became a U.S. Army Air Force pilot, was shot

down in Germany and sent to a concentration camp named Stalag 17. He helped

dig the “escape” tunnels portrayed in the movie, The Great Escape. Unfortunately, the

British pilots escaped but the American pilots missed their opportunity when the

Germans moved the American pilots a few weeks before the tunnels were ready.

Come To The Altar of God

Rev. James Dolan, from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, was the creator of the Catholic

Scouting Emblem – Ad Altare Dei (Latin for “To the altar of God”). When the Ad

Altare Dei Award was approved by the National BSA, Scoutmaster Gillespie was one of

the first to promote it among the Scouts. In fact, Scouts of Troop 32 during the 1940s to

early 1960s would only be considered “Top Scouts” if boys earned their Eagle Scout, Ad

Altare Dei (or other denominations’ religious awards), achieve Order of the Arrow and

were voted in as members of the Cactus Honor Fraternity. Scouts of Troop 32 were the

first known awardees during ceremonies at St. Patrick’s Church in 1944.

As a part of the requirements, Scouts had to take a “pilgrimage” to a local religious site.

John would organize these trips. During one historic visit in the 1950’s, he was able

to arrange an airline “flight” from Fort Worth to Dallas where the Fort Worth Scouts

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visited Jesuit High School. Trips to the seminary in San Antonio or visits to the

Carmelite nuns in Fort Worth (now in Arlington) were among pilgrimages arranged.

Circa 1944. Rev Tschoeppe presents the Ad Altare Dei Award to Troop 32 Scouts (L to R) Eugene Witkowski (future priest), Charles Bush, and Larry Jo Rich. Mr. Gillespie arranged for Rev Tschoeppe and other priests to drive the bus each summer when the troop would attend Worth Ranch. Troop 32 would stay two weeks for summer camp, families would visit during the “middle” weekend and Catholic Mass was said in the Worth Ranch Chapel. Rev. Tschoeppe later became bishop of the Diocese of Dallas.

Postwar Exploring & the Order of the Arrow

“Ole Man” was a pioneer in each new program the BSA would introduce. Outfit 32,

Ship 19, and Air Squadron 32 were postwar innovations that Ole Man would introduce to

local Scouts. As a result of the resurgence in the Exploring program, Gillespie led a

group of Scouts to Philmont Scout Ranch where they backpacked through the mountains.

Circa 1950’s. Tom Crider achieved the Silver Award in Air Squadron 32 during the 1950’s. The Silver Award in Air Scouts is equivalent to Eagle Scout.

Scoutmaster Gillespie counted on the older Scouts to run the troop so a reward for their service would be “trips of a lifetime” during the summer. Scouts earned the Shiloh Historic Trail Award (a Tennessee Civil War Battlefield) as an example of one summer program that was completed.

Robert Gillespie had become interested in movie cameras and taught young Frank

Donnelly the craft of shooting 16mm movies and still pictures with a 35 MM camera

during the 1950’s. Because of this, footage of President Eisenhower and Vice President

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Richard Nixon appears in troop archives when they visited the 1960 National Jamboree.

John Jr. led Scouts to the 1950 (Valley Forge), 1953 (Irvine Calif. Ranch), and 1957

(Valley Forge) National Jamborees. Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout award in

Troop 32, Silver Award in Air Squadron 32, and the Quartermaster Award in Sea Scouts

during the Ship 19 era.

One of the greatest tributes to the influence of John Edward Ole Man Gillespie came in

the simplest of acts. Troop 32 was growing and it needed its own facility. Never to be

undone by a perceived problem, he conducted a campaign to have a Scout hut

built on the property owned by KC Council 759 at the corner of 10th (Street) and Collier

near downtown Ft. Worth. With the help of a professional architect, a

construction supervisor overseeing the work, volunteers who built the structure,

and a city official ensured it passed inspection the final cost came to $150 (almost all

work and materials was donated). The Scout hut contained adequate chairs, a ping pong

table, and a pool table. It had its own air conditioning and a refrigerator. It was

dedicated by Monsignor Langenhorst on February 17, 1953, in ceremonies that also

honored 10 Ad Altare Dei recipients and one Eagle Scout. The structure was used on a

weekly basis until 1992 when Troop 32 moved to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in

Keller, Texas.

In 1952, the first Order of the Arrow Lodge came to Longhorn Council. John Edward

was among the charter members of Nishkin Lodge 489. Although the CHF had

similar foundations, it merged with the nationally-adopted OA organization.

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Circa 1956. (L to R) Chief Wilson, O. P. Leonard and Albert O’Neal. Exploring Advisor Gillespie was an Order of the Arrow Lodge 489 Charter Member. Soon, Scouts of Post 32 would hold many of the OA Committee Chairman positions as well as the office of Lodge Chief. After having joined the Lodge 489 Dance Team and winning the national dance team competition during 1955, Troop 32 Eagle Scout Albert O’Neal was elected Lodge 489 Chief in 1956.

During 1958, John was appointed chairman of the Catholic Committee on

Scouting (CCS) in the Fort. Worth Deanery (part of Dallas Diocese at the time) to

organize the Scouting religious emblems process for Bishop Gorman. He was

instrumental in creating the annual Scouting religious emblem ceremonies, recruiting

members of each Catholic-sponsored unit to participate, and ensuring Fort. Worth had a

vibrant program. Whether it was fate or divine providence, two legends in Scouting met

during 1960 – J. E. Ole Man Gillespie and Bob Connelly. Bob, newly transferred

from Buffalo, NY, was interested in programs of the Catholic Committee within the Fort.

Worth area. Once established in his new home, Bob brought the idea of organizing an

annual Boy Scout retreat while J. E. Gillespie had the charisma to ensure virtually every

Catholic unit would support and attend it. Soon after, the first annual diocesan Boy Scout

retreat was announced and had members from every Longhorn Council Catholic-

sponsored unit as well as Scouts from around the area.

1975 Boy Scout Retreat “blessing of the Troop 32 Trailer.” Rev. Scantlin conducts a ceremonial blessing while attending the retreat. Ten of the 12 boys pictured here either were or became Eagle Scout within two years.

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When the Fort. Worth Deanery became a diocese during the 1970s, Catholic Scouting

arrived at its zenith. The new diocese boasted of vibrant Scout troops at almost every

large parish, there were dozens of boys receiving the Ad Altare Dei emblem, and the Boy

Scout retreat was heavily attended. It was with great joy that Ole Man saw a former

Troop 32 Eagle Scout and Ad Altare Dei recipient, Rev. Joe Scantlin, return to Scouting

as the official diocesan chaplain of the Catholic Committee on Scouting.

Circa 1950’s. Fr. Joe Scantlin celebrated his second mass as a priest with Troop 32 at Todd Campsite, Worth Ranch. “St. Todd” was the name coined by the Scouts since mass services were held there on occasion. Fr. Joe Scantlin, Fr. Eugene Witkowski, Fr. Joe Schumacher, Fr. Nichols, and Fr. Tim Thompson were Scouts who became priests during Mr. Gillespie’s tenure as Scoutmaster of Troop 32.

At the retreats, CCS Chairman Gillespie was instrumental in bringing Scouts of all

denominations into greater spiritual renewal because Baptist and Methodist ministers

would also attend the event and offer services for Scouts of these denominations on

Sunday morning. In fact, this practice led to several non-Catholic volunteers receiving the

highest Catholic Scouting honor for adults – the St George Award. In 1959, Bishop

Gorman presented Ole Man Gillespie with the St. George Award bestowed by the

National Catholic Committee on Scouting.

The 50th Anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America ushered in Scouting’s most

historic era. Although he was wary of serving as Cubmaster of Pack 32 because

Cub Scouts were not allowed to go camping during this era, he occupied the top position

of this unit for several years. There was now Pack 32, Post 32, and Troop 32 with large

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memberships and Scouts achieving great deeds at every level. Highlight of the 50th

Anniversary for Troop 32 was the 1960 National Jamboree that saw Mr. Gillespie and

eight Scouts for Troop 32 attending.

1960 National Jamboree. Quartermaster Gillespie provided adult leadership for the official Longhorn Council Contingent Troop that traveled by train from Ft. Worth to Colorado Springs, Colorado. Eight scouts from Troop 32 attended: (L to R) standing;Jim Sawey, Bob Sawey, Ken Hartman, Bill Benthien, “Ole Man” GillespieKneeling; Frank Donnelly, Mike Perdue, Andy Perdue, Andrew Donnelly

For his selfless service to the OA, John was selected for Vigil Honor during 1961

and was given an Indian name, “Ma To,”meaning “Grizzly.” At this juncture, he had

been given the highest award in almost every category, his leadership had supported

exemplary units in every field, and his reputation throughout the council was second to

none. These factors led to a singular honor which has not been eclipsed within

Longhorn Council to this day, a campsite dedicated to a living Scouter.

40th Anniversary

A special relationship had grown between Kirk Henry, Longhorn Council Scout

Executive, and the “Ole Man.” Kirk Henry reveled in Mr. Gillespie’s stories about his

Texas Ranger father and his World War II Scouting experiences and the “can do” attitude

that he exhibited. When Mr. Henry heard that the troop was secretly planning on a 40th

Anniversary celebration that would also honor his unequaled devotion, he became a very

special part of it. A big supporter of dedicating a campsite to John Edward at

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Worth Ranch, Kirk also assembled a “book” that included all Gillespie’s unit

registrations since 1927 as a presentation at the event.

(Left), Jack Keeton Longhorn Council Executive, presents papers confirming Ole Man Campsite at Worth Ranch.

(Right) CCS Chaplain Rev Moran awards 40 Year Veteran pin.

Captain Frank Kidd, legendary Camp Ranger at Worth Ranch, was present and led a

song as well as Scoutmaster Benediction. Al Maday, Grand Knight Council 759,

presented a 40th Anniversary Veteran Flag.

Monsignor Langenhorst, along with the CCS Chaplain Rev. Moran, conducted the

invocation and presentation of the 40-year pin to Mr. Gillespie. Don Sullivan, Post 32

Advisor, conducted the Eagle Court of Honor while Post 32 President Noel Trudeau led

the Scout Court of Honor. A poignant moment came when Judge Crouch (1930 Troop

32 Eagle Scout) read several letters from Scouts overseas and across the country

congratulating him on a stellar career. The final and lasting tribute was the

announcement that a campsite would be dedicated at Worth Ranch in his name.

Construction of the campsite began in earnest following the 40th Anniversary Court of

Honor. Charles Bush, Troop 32 Eagle Scout and Quartermaster honoree of Ship 19, was

main architect of the fund raising, design, and overseer of work on the proposed

campsite.

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Circa 1967. Troop 32 Eagle Scout Ken Haidusek, Post 32 Eagle Scout Noel Trudeau, and Pack 32 Cub Scout Peter Dunton presented the plaque which would be mounted on the altar at “Ole Man” Gillespie Campsite at Worth Ranch.

The most striking physical landmarks of Ole Man Campsite were also the heart and soul

of its presence at Worth Ranch. Post 32 Eagle Scout Noel Trudeau had worked in

masonry the summer before so he crafted the dedication ring with a great degree of skill.

Over approximately 40 foot by 60 foot area, he used native rock to construct a 12-inch

wall in the form of a universal Scout Badge or fleur di lis. The highest point of the

Scout Badge pointed north with the three points of the Scout Oath represented by

flagpoles for the U.S, Texas, and troop flag. At the southern end of the Scout Badge, an

altar of native rock and reinforced steel rose from the ground. A podium was constructed

out of the trunk of a mesquite tree and a clipboard was secured to it. The final piece was

the 40th anniversary plaque that was cemented to another Scout Badge constructed with

native rock and cement. This three-foot-by-three-foot Scout Badge leaned against the

altar. This dedication site may still be found on the southwest side of the campsite.

Campsite Dedication

The dedication of Ole Man Campsite was held on Sunday, June 30, 1968. Mass was

concelebrated by Monsignor Gene Witkowski and Father Joe Scantlin. Troop 32 was the

first unit to camp at the newly dedicated campsite. All visitors were greeted by a

gateway sign which read “Ole Man Gillespie Campsite.” A buffet lunch entertained the

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100-plus visitors who attended the dedication as Scoutmater Gillespie greeted everyone

in his “office,” a plain summer camp wall tent with a few lawn chairs. The dedication

site was consecrated by two Catholic priests, a Jewish Rabbi and a Protestant minister

and has always been considered a sacred place similar to that of the Worth Ranch Chapel.

Hail stones have pockmarked the dedication plaque and there have been several

restorations since that day but the campsite has always had an almost spiritual meaning to

the alumni of Troop 32. For those who knew Scoutmaster Gillespie, it remains a fitting

tribute to a living legend and a testament to his devotion to scouts.

(Left) Patch commemorating dedication ceremonies.

(Right) Campsite Gateway as seen after 1994 restoration.

One might think that 40 years as Scoutmaster would be a moment to retire from Scouting.

However, he was ready for more challenges. Veteran Scouter Gillespie was instrumental

in registering the first co-ed Explorer into Longhorn Council Post 32 during “swearing

in” ceremonies in 1970. Pat Perdue became post president and helped steer Co-ed

Post 32 for almost a decade.

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(Left) 1970s. Troop 32 Christmas Party at the old Scout Hut near downtown Ft. Worth.

(Right) Recognized with Equitable Good Citizen Award.

During the 1970s, Mr. Gillespie retired from General Dynamics and volunteered full

time as Scoutmaster and Knight of Columbus (see Appendix C). He began to suffer

vision problems from cataracts that affected both eyes so some of his Scouts began to

chauffuer him between his home and Scout meetings. Mrs. Irene Herring, a registered

nurse (see picture below), and former Pack 32 Cubmaster, became Troop 32’s First Aid

merit badge counselor but was unique for her contribution to Scouting. She began to

drive Ole Man to various district and council meetings and so one day he filled out a Boy

Scout Adult Application for her. Since women were not allowed to register in Boy

Scouts at that time, he penciled in a new category on the application; “Scout Person.”

Circa 1970’s. Troop 32 Scouts Tom Smith and Tom Perdue administer First Aid to Assistant Scoutperson Irene Herring during Scout Show. Mrs. Herring went on to become the first Longhorn Council “Scoutperson” to complete Woodbadge, serve on Wood Badge Staff, conduct the Boy Scout Retreat as Retreatmaster, be elected to the Diocesan CCS Chairmanship, selected for National Jamboree and World Jamboree Staff, and assist with revisions of training materials for the NCCS.

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She became the first officially registered woman serving in troop leadership in Longhorn

Council. From a culture which had previously shunned the registrations of women in a

Boy Scout troop to a pioneer Scouter who famously broke down all Scouting

barriers...she became the first woman to receive the Silver Beaver Award (highest award

a council can bestow on a volunteer). If it were not done by Mr. Gillespie, it could not

have been done by anyone else for several more years.

Twilight of a Legend

It was not unusual for Scouts from other troops to approach Troop 32 Scouts and ask

about Ole Man Gillespie. They would ask to meet him, say hello and walk away with a

feeling they had just met a legend. He had been a participant in every innovation since

the birth of Scouting … but he found time to add a new one – Scouting for the Deaf!

The Knights of Columbus in Texas pioneered deaf sign language classes for the

hearing impaired. This enabled greater participation of deaf families in society. Ole

Man, George Perdue, and William Harmuth championed another feat – the first deaf

Scout troop in the country. Deaf Scout Troop 432, chartered during 1973, met on deaf

language class nights and existed for a decade under the leadership of Scoutmaster

George Perdue with support from Mr. Gillespie. However, with the failing health of

both men, the unit eventually became inactive.

Troop 32’s 45th Anniversary stood out as a special occasion; with it came a court of

honor which included nine Eagle Scout awards, a special issue 45th Anniversary Patch,

and numerous newspaper articles about Scoutmaster J. E. Gillespie.

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He willingly took on many tasks that the Longhorn Council asked of him. One was

trying to organize a new troop on the south side of Ft Worth. To do this, he gathered

Troop 32 early one Saturday morning with all the noise makers they could

bring and he led a parade through several neighborhoods in that part of town. Curious

prospective Scouts were told to meet at the local church. Presto, that morning, a new

troop took shape.

Ole Man led four scouts from his troop on what would be his last national jamboree. It

was held at Farrugut State Park in Idaho. Bob Hope flew in by helicopter to the 40,000

Scout arena show and Burl Ives closed it with a lively song. Troop 32 Scouts were

members of the official Longhorn Council contingent which traveled by chartered bus.

(Left ) Departing for 1973 National Jamboree as SubCamp 13 Cook Staff.

(Right) Troop 32 Scouts pose with Ole Man at Lake Pend Oreille.

On the return trip, the group visited Philmont Scout Ranch and witnessed a sunset of

“purple mountain majesty” as sung in the Philmont Hymn. This brief visit later inspired

Troop 32 to conduct a 25 plus year annual tradition of Scouts participating in an

expedition, horse trek, or winter Philmont experience.

Mr. Gillespie underwent a cataract operation immediately following the 1973 National

Jamboree. For a long time, he could not see well enough to cook on his stove to ensure a

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diet when his Scouts were not around. Meals-on-Wheels assisted during this time and his

Scouts helped just about every weekend. He used to say, “I’m blind in one eye and can’t

see out of the other!” to put a happy face on his predicament.

Troop 32 grew like Texas cactus and so did the equipment needed to support it. Since the

troop had always purchased tents for everyone to use, storage became an issue. After the

purchase of new tents, John successfully lobbied for the construction of a new Troop

32 trailer. Diocesan CCS Chaplain Fr. Joe Scantlin blessed the trailer during the 1975

Boy Scout Retreat. It served the troop well for almost 20 years.

It was as if a “father” was seeing his work for the last time when Scoutmaster Gillespie

attended the 1975 15th Anniversary Boy Scout Retreat at Camp Leonard near

Granbury, Tx. Former Scouts were leading troops of their own, a former Scout was

diocesan chaplain, and a current Scout was about to pursue his vocation of becoming a

priest (Rev. Tim Thompson). This retreat was an unusually festive occasion because

many of the original Scoutmasters who supported the early Catholic Scouting movement

were still attending.

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Unfortunately, following this event, “Ole Man” was diagnosed with cancer and passed

away on January 16, 1976. A man who had dedicated his life to others left behind

hundreds of bereaved Scouters, parents, and his greatest treasures – the boys of Troop 32.

Although his modest job was delivering messages at General Dynamics (now

Lockheed Martin) by bike. he had become a legend in every facet of Scouting for the 49

years he walked the trails of Scouting. His funeral testified to his quiet dedication as the

Fort Worth Police Chief, city, military, and Longhorn Council dignitaries attended the

Catholic mass as well as burial ceremonies in the bitter cold winds of January.

The aftermath of his funeral saw memorials in Longhorn Council that have not been

surpassed even now; the 1976 Boy Scout Retreat and patch were dedicated to him, the

1976 Lodge 489 Conclave was named after him, the 1976 Eagle Scout Dinner bore his

name, and accolades lasted throughout the year.

His Legacy

Through the annals of time, men may be measured by the influence they have had on

others and the lasting tributes afforded them. Although he had no inclination or

aspirations toward higher position or accolade, the manner in which he carried himself

26


brought to him a great deal of fraternal love and popularity amongst his peers. To scores

of youth, he gave what they needed him to be in their most impressionable time of life.

Mr. Gillespie didn’t set out to be anything other than a man who helped mold young men.

He never was given to bragging or putting himself above any other. His sole interest was

in the boy, any boy….because he welcomed the orphans, the rich, the poor, and the

troubled. The adult who came forward with the plans for constructing Ole Man Campsite

was one of his Scouts from the 1940s who was an orphan that loved him like a father.

Because he was a father to many who needed him to be. Scouts from St. Theresa’s

Orphanage in Fort Worth, the Lena Pope Home in Fort Worth, and poor scouts from the

North Side were welcomed. No one will ever know how much of his own money he

spent on outfitting Scouts who only had a few changes of clothes, or in obtaining

equipment they couldn’t afford, and lend his own blankets during campouts that

turned cold. This was not what he became, this is what he was from the very beginning.

Through my research of official Troop 32 registrations dating back to the 1920’s, dozens

of scouts with different last names had the same address …. St Theresa’s Orphanage,

temporary homes, etc.

Ole Man’s influence on Troop 32 produced five catholic priests, two Baptist Ministers,

three judges, two lawyers, five former Scouts who became Scoutmasters, nine Scouters

who became Grand Knights of Council 759, four former Scouters who became

chairmen of the Catholic Committee on Scouting. He also helped form over 90 Eagle

Scouts and over 70 Ad Altare Dei awardees. He gave his nickname to a campsite on a

wooded knoll on the way up to Kyle Mountain at Worth Ranch where new generations of

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boys may appreciate a legacy hard to live up to when they say…”I’m camping at Ole

Man Campsite.”

Troop 32 50th Anniversary (1977)

Ole Man must have been smiling when March 1977 ushered in the 50th Anniversary

celebration of Troop 32. There was great joy and storytelling as the man who brought

us all together was never far from our thoughts. Bishop Tschoeppe of Dallas, Bishop

Cassata from Ft Worth, the K.C. State Deputy Sonny Spaniel, Monsignor Langenhorst,

Longhorn Council Executive Jack Keeton, and a host of notables from far and wide

attended this landmark event in the history of Longhorn Council. Scouts from all units

Gillespie had led joined in the court of honor, a charter bus transported many to the

Catholic mass in the Worth Ranch Chapel the next day and the closing campfire in the

Worth Ranch Campfire ring that evening.

All of the men or women listed here started their Scouting in Troop 32 but later led other

Scouting units or organizations: Jim Sawey (Scoutmaster; chairman CCS), Charles Bush

(Double Eagle; AAD; architect of Ole Man Campsite), Ted Duncan (Scoutmaster),

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Fr. Scantlin (priest; diocesan chaplain, Eagle, AAD), Msgr. Witkowski (priest, Eagle,

AAD), Rev. Frank Walker (Eagle, Protestant minister), Doyle Lovelace (Post 32

Advisor), George Perdue (Scoutmaster; Cubmaster; chairman CCS), A. L. Crouch

(Eagle, Scoutmaster; judge), Fr. Thompson (Eagle; priest), Bill Felknor (Eagle;

professional Scouter), Irene Herring (chairman CCS), Msgr. Joe Schumacher (Eagle;

priest) Albert O’Neal (Eagle; Lodge Chief; post advisor; dance team advisor), Ken

Haidusek (Eagle; AAD, post advisor, Grand Knight), John Ryan (Eagle; AAD; post

advisor), Dick Meisch (Scoutmaster) and Rev. Charlie Jennings (Eagle; Protestant

Minister) were all Scouts or Scouters of John Edward Gillespie who continued his legacy

through the gift’s of their leadership to Scouting or the church.

Circa 1930. Members of the CHF from atop Kyle Mountain at Worth Ranch. This classic picture captures the Brazos River, distant mountain ranges, and the terrain just as it is today … a picture found in almost every Scout’s memory book after having camped at Worth Ranch.

Circa 1967. KC Max O’Neal, father of Eagle Scout and Lodge Chief Albert O’Neal, presents Gillespie with the sum total of all registrations for every unit he led, supported or created from 1927 to 1967. Unfortunately, many of these early records reflect handwritten registrations, missing pages for adult leadership, crossed out names, misspellings, etc. These registrations certify that Troop 32 may be the longest continuously registered Scout unit within the history of Longhorn Council. There are no “inactive” or interrupted years of service to date.

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Awards and Tenure

Boy Scouts of America

Troop 32 1927-1976 ScoutmasterTroop 19 1927 -39 ScoutmasterTroop 432 1973- 76 Assistant ScoutmasterOutfit 32 1948- 52 AdvisorShip 19 1944- 48 Associate AdvisorAir Squadron 32 1957- 62 Associate AdvisorPack 32 1966- 67 CubmasterPost 32 1952- 57 Associate Advisor

Scouter’s Key 1934Silver Beaver 1942Philmont Trek 1951St. George Award 1959Vigil Honor 1961

Charter Member Order of the ArrowLodge 489 1952

Committee ChairmanCatholic Comm. on Scouting 1958

Co-founder of Boy Scout Retreat 1961

Only campsite dedicated to a living Scouter in his honorwithin Longhorn Council history 1968

95 Eagle Scouts 197671 Ad Altare Dei Awardees 1976

First OA Lodge 489 Conclavededicated to Scouter 1976

Only diocesan Boy Scout retreatdedicated to Scouter 1976

Participant or visitor to every national jamboree 1937-73

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Appendix A

Biography of Ole Man’s FatherJohn Ellison Gillespie

“A boy’s first hero is his father…”

But when your father who served in the Civil War and rode the plains as a

Texas Ranger, he forms almost a mythic ideal of him. A mythic ideal because his sons

only knew their father as an older man and an invalid in a Confederate Soldiers Home in

Austin, Texas. Although their dad was debilitated, his sons, John Jr. and Robert, had

plenty of evidence that their father was more than John Wayne on the big screen or the

Lone Ranger in comic books. John Ellison Gillespie was a patriot, a law enforcement

officer, and a symbol of an age where honor was paramount.

“Ole Man’s” father was born in 1844 when Sam Houston was president of the

Republic of Texas. Although born in Louisiana, his family moved to Texas during

the 1880’s when the Republic had recently become the 28th State. Opportunity,

adventure, and a great deal of unclaimed land beckoned those who would brave the

hardships of the pioneer life. Life was not without incident as neighbors and

friends were plagued by illness, killed by renegade Indians, or lost to the Civil War to

come. Stories of the Alamo, Davy Crockett, and Sam Houston were all part of their

schooling. He knew peaceful Indians and was curious of their ways as any young child.

Statehood brought a great influx of pioneers that challenged the ability of the Texas

Rangers to make the frontier safe. Feats of bravery became stories played out by John

and his brothers during those lonely days on the family farm in Central Texas.

“No man in the wrong can stand up against a fellow that’s in the right and keeps on a

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Comin” were words that had become the Texas Ranger creed. Farming was no life for

John as he took advantage of an opportunity to become a volunteer Ranger. Captain

Lawrence “Sul” Ross of the Frontier Regiment of Rangers selected John as a hardy

young individual despite the suspicion he had lied about his age. John protected the

frontier on the back of his own horse but did not have a uniform or standard badge. He

knew his duty as he courageously followed the righteousness of the law.

John Ellison Gillespie’s greatest claim to fame was his participation in the Battle of Pease

River which liberated famous Comanche captive, Cynthia Ann Parker. He had suddenly

become what he had imitated as a boy, a Texas Ranger linked with history.

Before the outset of the Civil War, independent thinkers from many southern states

helped turn sentiments to the Rebel Flag. War drums beat across the land as tensions

mounted. Ironically, the Civil War broke out just as John came of legal age to join the

Texas Cavalry.

So Private John Ellison Gillespie enlisted in the Confederate States of America (CSA)

cavalry on September 7, 1861 in Dallas, Texas. He was a member of Company G (also

known as “Dead Shot Rangers”) 6th Regiment of the CSA Texas Cavalry. Each

company consisted of 100 men and a regiment, 1,500. His “mustering” officer,

Colonel R. M. White, noted that Gillespie’s discipline, arms, and accoutrements were

good. He also mentioned that although his military appearance was respectable, he was

“almost without clothes.” As a member of Company G, John participated in training

exercises … alongside Sul Ross (future governor of Texas). Pete Ross, Sul’s brother,

(served as Company G Commander), while Legislator

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J W Throckmorton (another future governor of Texas), served as captain of Company K.

John enjoyed the camaraderie of these legendary Texans. Although the 6th Texas

Cavalry was first mustered during 1861, it eventually came under the command of

“Sul” Ross on May 14, 1862. As part of the 6th Texas Cavalry, John was ordered to Fort

Smith, Arkansas, in late November 1861 where he participated in three engagements.

During March 1862, the 6th Cavalry was transferred east of the Mississippi River where

it took part in more than 82 various types of skirmishes, engagements, battles, etc.,

occurring in the states of Tennessee, Mississippi, and Georgia. The bravery of Colonel

“Sul” Ross and the Texas Cavalry was heralded throughout the south. John was the

typical cavalryman who took part in military engagements and foraging for food near the

end of the war. On May 4, 1865, the 6th Texas Cavalry surrendered to U.S. Army Maj.

Gen. Canby and all members were subsequently paroled on May 13, 1865.

Later in life, John Ellison Gillespie would be overtaken by four major maladies as a result

of the war and he had to be admitted to the Confederate Home in Austin, Tx for invalid

veterans. A broken-hearted man began the twilight of his life miles from his family but

with the fellowship of men of the same consequences.

During the Texas Centennial State Fair in 1936, he was to be honored by the Texas

Governor as the last surviving member of the Quanah Parker Raid. A Hollywood movie

was about to premiere covering the Texas Rangers but John finally succumbed to his war

wounds one week before.

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Appendix B

Sarah Gillespie“Pillar of Strength”

Sarah Gillespie (John Jr.’s. mother) arrived in Fort Worth, Texas, during November

1902. Sarah first worked as a chamber maid. She made new friends in the Ladies Club

at St. Patrick’s Church. Though of Irish descent, she was American born. Her Irish

devotion to the Catholic church and her American pioneer spirit were traits one would

later find in her two children. It was while Sarah was visiting a church social that she

became enamoured with a distinguished gentleman, John Gillespie.

His stature as a former Texas Ranger and veteran of the Civil War would have impressed

a new arrival in Texas. Since Sarah would have been familiar with the traditional

practice of Irish men marrying late in life, along with the forgiving allure of

romance, she looked past the physical debilities of her aging escort. He appeared as a

man straight out of history and the excitement of the old West. They were married

November 1904, barely two years after she first called Texas home. They made their

home in Fort Worth. John began working as an electrician while Sarah was busied

herself making a home. The happy couple were enjoying day-to-day wedded bliss when

they were blessed wth wonderful news, a child was on its way. Soon afterward, a second

son arrived to complete the family.

In their youth, each boy could not realize the barely perceptible encroachment of

physical debilities of their father. He suffered from four major maladies: arterio-

sclerosis, asthma, incontinence, and partial deafness. John Jr. was only nine years old

when the realities of his father’s old age came to their home at 1109 E Annie, Fort Worth.

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On November 14, 1914, John Ellison Gillespie filed for admission to the Texas

Confederate in Austin, Tx. Home for Men and was approved, examined, and admitted on

March 5, 1918. It was a Sorrow-filled day when John left his family and traveled to

Austin where he could have lived until his death. It had been too much for Sarah to care

for two boys as well as the chronic illnesses of her husband. Her husband’s move to

Austin would lighten her load.

Sarah Gillespie would become the pillar of motherly strength to her sons. Because of

their father’s infirmity, they became very devoted to their mother. But money

problems began to add up and it became apparent that something had to be done to

alleviate the problem. Although she did not want to burden her ailing husband, he

realized the dire need for his help and discharged himself from the Home on February 1,

1917. He traveled to Fort. Worth where he began work as an electrician. It was just

over a year later that he re-applied for the Texas Confederate Home because of the

suffering caused by the accumulation of chronic infirmities. He could not hold a job as

he was ill more than he was well and he had become too much for the family to care for.

Family finances soon warranted moving Sarah and the boys to a flat above the pastor’s

home at St. Mary’s Church. Sarah made ends meet by working as a housekeeper for

pastor Father Park. The family often became beneficiaries of many kindnesses from

families of the church and the Knights of Columbus Council 759. As John Jr. came of

age, he began helping by going door to door selling fresh produce from the local grocery

to the neighbors. As a boy, George Perdue remembers John Jr. selling vegetables in the

den of their house. These hard lessons John Jr. learned were reflected in his marvelous

dedication to boys. The grim reality of hunger, keeping a roof over their heads, and

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money for necessities found John Jr. rising to the occasion of the family’s plight.

Appendix CKnight of Columbus

“Ole Man” was as influential in the Knights of Columbus as he was in Scouting. Nine

Scouts or adults who participated in Troop 32 would later become Grand Knight (head of

a council). Ole Man’s and Troop 32’s historic legacy paid great dividends to its

perennial sponsor. Never was this as true as the early 1990s when K.C. 759 membership

dwindled and its very proud existence was in question. It was then, during its weakest

hour, that past and present members of Troop 32 led the effort to transfer K.C. 759 from

downtown Fort. Worth to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Keller, Tx. Virtually the

entire leadership of K.C. 759 involved in this transfer had been members that Ole Man

had mentored in Troop 32, recruited to join K.C. 759 and who would ensure K.C. roots

were secure at St. Elizabeth. Today, K.C. 759 has its own meeting hall, boasts of one of

the largest KC memberships in the entire area, and its members provide leadership to

district and 4th Degree K.C. organizations throughout the area.

Circa 1955. Grand Knight John Schriever recognizes Scoutmaster Gillespie with Knights of Columbus Council 759 Knight of the Year Award. J. E. Gillespie was an active recruiter for the Knights of Columbus as nine Scouts who grew up in Troop 32 or their parents (who became associated with the troop) later became Grand Knights of Council 759. Note: The Grand Knight is the highest officer for each KC Council.

Although Ole Man was the perennial K.C. Outside Guard, an entry-level elected position

within the KCs, his unique stature reached legendary proportions one evening. Without

any prior warning, Ole Man was nominated for Grand Knight against a fellow knight

who was the incumbent and favored to win without a contest. The vote was so close that

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a recount had to be taken. The incumbent won but it was a testament to the high regard

that Ole Man was given by his fellow knights.

Appendix D

Brother Barnabas F.S.C.

Editor’s Note: The following research on Brother Barnabas is included in this Biography because I believe it relevant to know the person responsible for planting the seed for the Catholic Scouting effort in Fort Worth. While reading some correspondence forwarded by Christian Brothers Center in New York City, a speech given by him to potential volunteers at St. Edward’s and accounts from his faithful supporters upon his death, I thought it appropriate to include because this man literally drove himself into a heart condition for the vocation of Scouting. From New York to California, from the University of Notre Dame to St Edwards University and from Toronto, Canada to Fort Worth, Texas, he was clearly a “mover and shaker” generating thousands of volunteers to support hundreds of Scout troops.

The following are excerpts from a speech delivered at St. Edward’s University on April 23, 1926. With a few changes, it could easily be given today:

“ Our method of living has changed enormously during the past 50 years and is almost totally different from what it was 300 years ago. When I hear a man say that we didn’t have this or that thing, or didn’t do this or that, when he was a boy, I lose patience with him. Factors that once influenced the boy’s life have disappeared and we must supply new ones.

The necessity for trained leaders for boys arises from the fact that the home and the school no longer have the boys under their care during the whole day. Boys now have about 8 hours every day during which they are under no one’s supervision. Before our present era, when things to eat and wear were made in the home and stores were all small, the father and mother were at home all day and the children worked with them, and the parents played with the children. In the evening, the family gathered together for their pastimes…But that has all changed. The father and mother are no longer in the home 24 hours of the day; the boy no longer has his father for a companion. And so when he gets out of school, he seeks his companionship and amusements in the streets and the alleys, and you know what influence he finds there.”

(Historic Note: The speaker told how during the Middle Ages, the church and the home were the two agencies molding the boys character, and how about 300 years ago, when factories began appearing in Europe, it became apparent that something was lacking. To fill this need, there arose schools, schools conducted by religious men who carried

37


religion into the class room and added their good influences to those of the church and the home.)

“The teachers were men, but within the past fifty years, men have practically gone out of the teaching profession as far as teaching young boys is concerned, because the pay was so poor. And so it came about that boys have women teachers. But boys seek the leadership of men, and if they do not have such leadership in the school and in the home, they find it elsewhere.

Every boy has an ideal, that is, he wants to be like some man. If there is no fine clean man in his life for him to idealize, he makes an ideal of some one he finds in the back alley, and then he thinks that to be a real man he must be tough.

It is a disgrace to our civilization that we pay more to doctors and lawyers and surveyors than we do to teachers. We pay more to the man who attends to our ills or puts up our buildings than we do the man who trains one of the most precious things in life – the boy. And so we have no men teachers. The training of boys should be the most honorable and best paid profession that we have.

Boys instinctively seek male leaders, and an honest, clean he-man is the best influence that can come into a boy’s life. When I see boys flocking around a man, I know that there is something to that man. I never saw bees trying to gather honey from a cabbage head.

There are too many “don’ts” for boys. It is don’t do this and don’t do that. In the city of New York, there is hardly anything left that a boy can do. If we would give our lawmaking bodies a rest for ten years, we might catch up with the laws we now have. The only thing that a boy in New York can do is to go out in the back alley and wiggle his toe, and then he would be violating a health ordinance.

Characters cannot be formed properly by that method. Boys must be led. They can be reasoned with and shown that this or that thing that they do is unfair to the other fellow. Not one boy in a hundred is vicious or deliberately bad, and 75% of the delinquent boys can be rehabilitated and induced to be clean-living, upright and useful citizens.

We should stop telling boys what they must do and lead them to do what is right by showing them the good example. What good does it do to tell boys they musn’t do certain things unless we refrain from doing those things ourselves! Boys are pretty keen, they are observing. Let them have the example of the clean-living man who at the same time will pal with them, who can become their ideal of a he-man, and our boy problem will no longer worry us.”

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Memorial

My hero is not someone who I can call my own. But to me and the hundreds of

contemporaries, he was what we needed him to be at our stage of life. Although the

travails of youth were a journey each of us walked on our own, we were guided by “Ole

Man’s” example. His “children” grew to be priests, doctors, judges, ministers, and

a myriad of respectable professions. Orphans and all races and creeds were welcomed

into the crucible of his molding influence. Those who joined us in the fraternity of his

founding called him many things: father, teacher, mentor, friend, and inspiration. Our

thoughts often travel back to him, to those moments when we teenagers were never far

from disaster or exultation.

It has been over three decades that he has gone before us to what we will ultimately

find ahead. Even in death, a heroic effort yielded to a cancer that would not be denied.

However, his heroism lives in us every day that we live the code that was given us.

Scouting was his life … Scoutmaster was his title.

John Edward “Ole Man” Gillespie,

a hero for the ages

found in the hearts of those

privileged

to have known him.

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IndexAd Altare Dei Award - 14, 27Air Squadron 32 – 14, 15, 30Barnabas, Brother FSC – 5, 37-38Beard, Dan - 7Bishop Gorman – 16, 18Bishop Cassata - 28Bishop Vann - 42Boy Guidance (Boyology Courses) – 5Boy Scout Retreat – 16, 17, 25, 26Bush, Charles – 20, 28Cactus Honor Fraternity (CHF) – 8, 13, 15, 29Camp Leonard (LSR) - 25Camp Shuman – 5, 7, 10, 12Civil War – 3, 9, 14,31-34Confederate Home (Austin, Tx) – 9, 34-35Connelly, Bob - 16Cook, Emmet – 8, 13Corty, W E - 6Crouch, Judge A L – 19, 29Davis, Bill - 9Dolan, Rev James – 13Donnelly, Frank – 15, 18Duncan, Ted - 28Dunton, Peter - 20Felknor, Bill - 29Ft Worth Deanery – 16, 17Gillespie, John Edward “Ole Man’ (every page)Gillespie, John Ellison (Father) – 31-34Gillespie, Robert E Lee (Brother) – 2, 9, 14Gillespie, Sarah (Mother) – 34, 35Gomer, Charles – 6, 7Great Escape - 13Haidusek, Ken – 20, 29Harmuth, William - 23Henry, Kirk - 19Herring, Mrs Irene – 22, 29Jennings, Charlie - 29Keeton, Jack – 19, 28Kidd, “Captain” Frank – 19Knights of Columbus (759) – 3, 4, 15, 23, 27, 35, 36Kyle Mountain – 8, 27, 29Lake Worth – 7, 8, 12Langenhorst, Msgr – 15, 19, 28Lena Pope Home - 27Lodge 489 – 15, 16, 26, 30

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Longhorn Council – 7, almost every pageLovelace, Doyle - 29Maday, Al - 19Meisch, Dick - 29Moran, Rev – 19National Jamboree – 11, 15, 18, 22Nichols, David - 17“Ole Man” Gillespie Campsite – 20, 21, 27, 28O’Neal, Albert – 16, 29Order of the Arrow – 3, 13-16Outfit 32 – 9, 14, 27Park, Rev – 4, 35Perdue, George – 23, 29, 35Perdue, Pat – 21Quartermaster Award – 12, 15Pack 32 – 18, 20, 22Philmont Scout Ranch – 14, 24, 30Post 32 – 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 30Santa Maria (Ship) - 12Sawey, James – 18, 28Scantlin, Rev Joe – 17, 21, 25, 28Schumacher, Rev Joe – 17, 29Sea Scouts Ship 19 – 10, 12, 14, 15, 20, 30Shiloh Historic Trail - 14Silver Award – 14, 15, 23Spaniel, Sonny - 28Stalag 17 - 13St Edwards University – 5, 37St Elizabeth Ann Seton – 15, 36St Ignatius - 2St Mary’s – 2, 4, 10, 35St Patricks – 2, 3, 13, 34St Theresa’s Orphanage – 11, 27Sullivan, Dan - 19Texas 6th Cavalry – 9, 32, 33Texas Rangers – 31-33Thompson, Rev Tim – 17, 25, 29Trek Cart - 9Troop 19 -7, 10, 30Troop 32 – 7-11, 15, 18, 20-23, 25, 27, 30, 36Troop 432 – 23, 30Trudeau, Noel – 19, 20Tschoeppe, Rev – 14, 28Walker, Frank - 29Witkowski, Gene – 14, 17, 21, 29Worth Ranch – 7-12, 14, 16, 17, 19-21, 27, 28

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About the Author – John Ryan

As I walked toward the door of a red brick structure called “Scout Hut,” little did I know that my life would be transformed forever. A dull roar could be heard coming from the building as my father opened the door. I stood alone mesmerized. Amidst the beehive of activity sat a towering man with a whimsical expression. Ole Man approached me and said, “How ya doing Johnnie Ryan?” I was unaware that this brief meeting would begin the defining moment of my childhood and that hundreds of boys had gone before me who could speak the same words.

As a Scout, John achieved the Ad Altare Dei Award, Gold Quill Award, Eagle Scout and Vigil Honor. He attended two national jamborees, Order of the Arrow Area Conclaves, conducted Order of the Arrow tap-outs, and was a Scout delegate who met Texas Governor Dolph Briscoe in a Report to the State.

As an adult, John attended Woodbadge SC 136, assisted in the reactivation of Troop 7, became Post 253 and 32 Advisor, coordinated 10 Philmont Treks. He served as Roadrunner Roundtable Chairman, Diocesan Catholic Cub Scout Retreat chairman, Catholic Committee on Scouting vice chairman, and CCS Webmaster. For his dedication, he was awarded the Bronze Pelican, District Award of Merit, and the St George Award.

Circa 2006. (L to R) Diocese of Ft. Worth Bishop Kevin Vann and Diocesan Appointee John Ryan. John led the 2007 Ad Altare Dei Tour and pilgrimage to San Miguel Mission, Loretto’s Chapel, St. Francis Cathedral, Church at Chimayo, Philmont Scout Ranch, Bandolier Monument, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The unprecedented pilgrimage doubled the number of AAD awardees, generated 15 New AAD Counselors, introduced 10 troops and 47 Scouts to a Catholic Scouting activity who had not participated before. Unequivocally, after several decades of Scout service, “the best thing he’s ever done in Scouting.”

Special ThanksImmeasurable thanks go to Charles Bush Sr, Irene Herring, Lee Reese, John Mark Reese, Dink Starnes, Joe Cosgrove, Bill Creed, Mrs. Jackie Berry, Ernie Doclar, Scott O’Neal, Albert O’Neal, Carl King Jr., Tom Lovelace, Emmet Cook, Jim Sawey, George Perdue, Martha Perdue, Austin Lee Crouch, Joe St John, Bob Connelly, Maurice Lambert, John Byrne, and David Blaschke Sr.

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Scouting And

Recycling Opportunities

The Project SOAR (Save Our American Resources) program introduced by the BSA during the 1970’s opened my eyes to

our amazing capacity to recycle what we use. Troop 32 participated by recycling paper and aluminum cans which

helped the environment and provided funds for the troop to operate. If you’re troop or organization is interested in

obtaining more information about how and where to begin this practice. Please contact me by email …

[email protected]

Although the rate for recycled aluminum cans fluctuates on a monthly basis,

you will receive an average of 70 + cents

for every pound of aluminum cans.

Could your organization use a few more dollars?

There is no limitto the amount

of timesaluminum cans

can berecycled

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mailto:[email protected]


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