The North End A's

In the Carlisle of 1946 with the war over, the US Army Medical Field Service School left the Barracks for Ft. Sam Houston in Texas, the Pennsylvania Palomino Exhibitors Association was incorporated, McCoy Brothers, Inc. construction service was established, and BSA Troop 173 was chartered at Carlisle Barracks. And boys played baseball all summer.

One of the best teams in Carlisle could be found nearly every day playing on the old Fifth Ward playground near Pitt and C Streets, also known as the "Masland Field." Later, C. H. Masland & Sons built a production facility on the field, but for this group of roughly 14 and 15-year-olds, in their maroon t-shirts proudly proclaiming them as the North End A’s, it was where they loved to play baseball. They played anyone that would play. Any place they wanted. Anytime. All summer.

Of course, as with every year, September meant back to school. And then it was listening to the windup of the major league baseball season on the radio, picking a favorite to win the World Series, and dreaming of their own "next summer," which they all knew would be too long in coming.

 Finally the summer of 1947 burst upon them, and they could once again be found on their home field in the North End. Again playing anybody, anywhere, anytime. But this summer took a slightly different turn. Because they were so close to each other, the boys began to talk of a more structured "boys' club." Three of them, Ray Horn, George Darhower, and Dick Shearer, were the driving force behind the club which would come to be located on North Pitt Street. At this time, though, they simply met and talked about their plans on the ball field.

And so it was that an organizing meeting of the North End Boys Athletic Club of Carlisle was held on the 15th of July in the basement of the Godsey home at 154 E Street. That first meeting was called to order by the club advisor Russ Fetrow, at 7:30 PM and was opened by him with prayer. He then explained to the sixteen boys present that the purpose of the club was "to build character, good sportsmanship, and teamwork thru [sic] its club activities and sports teams". Fetrow was a WW II B-17 pilot who had been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. He was a friend of the Godsey family and was living with them while attending the Dickinson School of Law. He had heard about the boys and their vision for a club and agreed to help them realize their dream. Although there would be other adult leaders later, Russ Fetrow was the club's advisor for the first two years.

Fetrow began the election process and Carl Nicholson was selected to be the club president. Nicholson immediately proceeded with the remainder of the election including the selection of vice-president, Robert Goodhart; secretary, Harry Gusler; treasurer, Ronald McKillip; chaplain, John Geiling; historian, Glenn Stull; and sergeant-at-arms, Ray Horn. They also elected Richard Shearer captain of the baseball team.

Additionally, three standing committees were formed and members appointed as follows: Social Committee - Harry Godsey, chairman, Ronald Jenkins, George Darhower; Refreshment Committee - Ed Beltzhoover, chairman, Jim Still, Dick Shearer; Membership Committee - Leroy Welsh, chairman, Jack Arbegast, Dale Hostetter.

 A series of motions then formalized the name of the club, the name of its sports teams, the meeting schedule, and the meeting place. It was also decided that the weekly dues would be ten cents and must be paid each Tuesday evening at the club meeting. Carl Nicholson, Ray Horn and Bob Goodhart were then appointed to investigate the possibility of raising funds by holding a food sale in the Market House.

 Nicholson then laid out some "rules of order":

There would be no smoking by any club member before or during any club meeting in the clubhouse. Vulgar language is also to be cut out. Any persons not adhering to the rules of order will be asked to leave the meeting.

At 9: 15 PM the first meeting of the North End Boys Athletic Club of Carlisle was adjourned.  

With organizational issues out of the way, baseball was, once again on the front burner. In fact the next week's meeting was called to order at the rather late hour of 9:20 PM "because of the baseball game at Mechanicsburg." The cost of refreshments for the meeting was $1.20, a sum that must have been threatening to the club coffers and resulted in treasurer Ron McKillip's motion that "refreshments be served only at every other meeting." The motion carried.

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