Corn Beef and Cabbage, Beer, and Bingo.

When I was in the Boy Scouts I belonged to Troop 132.  Troop 132 was sponsored by Saint Joseph's Catholic Church, which at that time was on Church Street at Kennesaw Avenue , Marietta.

Most o f the time there were no happenings that made it look Catholic.  I remember one time we had to go as a group and stand up in a church ceremony and most of the kids in the troop did not know or do the right moves, like "Hail Merry" and draw an air Cross in front of you.

Another time on Campbell Hill Street on the future sight of the new Saint Joseph's Church we, as the church's Scout was requested to attend the event - I do not know what the Catholic event was.  A few of us adolescent rednecks were amazed at a young priest smoking and drinking beer. 

Then there was the Scouts Corn Beef and Cabbage Dinner.  It was a money raising thing for the Scouts.  We sold tickets and had a raffle for a shotgun.  It was held at the gym in the middle of Marietta Place.  I never had seen so much openly drinking by adults.  The only drinking I knew of was my grandfather Frank Paris Hunter and my uncle W.C. Hunter, and took nips out of a paper bag and passed it around.  But openly?  Na!

Again the  young priest was guzzling beer, smoking, playing bingo (gambling), and  in general being a party animal. 

 Other people got tipsy and us honorable Boy Scouts had to sneak our smokes and beer in a back mop and broom closet we found.

We also got to eat the meal of the evening:  Steamed Corn Beef and Cabbage ...... in fact, we each probably had several plates of it.  They cooked more than they need.  We love it. 

When I hear of corn beef and cabbage I  salivate and think of my Boy Scout day at the  Catholic Scout dinner.