Dad Loose in Kansas City
DeMolay 50th Anniversary - 1969

In July, 1969, DeMolay celebrated its 50th anniversary in Kansas City, Missouri; home of the first DeMolay Chapter and of the International Supreme Council. 34 years have passed so if I err in the details please e-mail me how you remember it and I'll get it corrected.

Over 20 members of Upper Sandusky and the newly formed Carey Chapters traveled together in cars to Kansas City. I believe there were four or five cars, but the only drivers I can recall are Dad Carl Turnbell of Carey, Dad Earl Everett and Dad Loose. Dad Loose drove his blue Ford station wagon which quite a few of us put in thousands of miles over the years.

Muehlebach Hotel

Actually this story is about two incidents that occurred on this trip. On the 2nd night of activities we were at the headquarters building, the Muehlebach Hotel, at some function or another. It was about 10:00 PM and we (Mark Loose, Howard Ward and I) were waiting on our roommate, Dad Loose, to stop talking to whom ever he had cornered this time. Having been in this situation before we gave up and walked the block back to our motel the Downtowner Motor Inn.

Downtowner Motor Inn

When we arrived at our room we were met by four or five of the members from Carey Chapter who were acting a little weird even for Carey guys. They wanted us to let them into our room. "No thanks guys, that's OK we're just going to bed, see you tomorrow." We were brushing our teeth and so forth when someone knocked on the door. I think it was Mark who opened the door and as soon as he did the Carey guys rushed inside. One of them went into the bathroom and found Dad Loose's pajama bottoms and filled them with itching powder. Once this was done they were happy and left. Now we liked a good practical joke as much as the next person, but decided that we were going to tell Dad Loose as soon as he got in, after all we had to share a room with the man for the next several days and he was known to get revenge.

We went to bed. An hour later we were awoke.......by several buckets of ice water thrown by the same guys from Carey who had been let into the room by Dad Loose! "What's the matter boys, you're a little wet", laughed Dad Loose. The Carey guys were enjoying themselves and we had to say nice job and so forth. After a few minutes they left, Dad Loose went into the bathroom and we went back to bed. The three of us didn't say anything to each other. I could hear the shower running and I thought, "Heck, I'm not telling him". Evidently the other two were thinking the same thing. In a few minutes the water stopped and there was silence. Then the bathroom door flew open and out ran Dad Loose in his BVDs swinging his pajama bottoms then beating us with them while we lay in bed. "You dirty so and sos, who put itching powder in my pants?"(That is pretty much what he said, he didn't swear, he wouldn't.) We proclaimed our innocence and told him it was his fault for letting the Carey guys in since they did his pants. He wasn't mad, he also appreciated a good joke. Years later he told me he had only gotten the pants up to his knees when his legs started to burn, he was just glad he hadn't gotten them up any higher.

Later that night.....at about 2:00 AM the phone rang. I was next to the phone so I answered it. "Hello.....OK", click, I hung up the phone and went back to sleep. Dad Loose was waiting to hear what the call was about and finally said, "Tom.....Tom who was on the phone? I mumbled,"The manager....". "Well, what did he want?" ".....The motel's on fire." At that point Dad Loose, Mark and Howard all jumped out of bed and rushed to the sliding glass door to see what what going on. I never moved. Across the courtyard they could see that a mattress had caught on fire and the situation was under control. I never did get up and that's all I knew was that the motel was on fire. Years later Dad Loose told me he had told the fire story all over the state at DeMolay and Masonic meetings. Even though he didn't use my name I was well known.