The Odessa American from Odessa, Texas • 138

Oft Chuck Wagon Gang -I CO CO 5 CO 3 a. 3 IO to CD Area weather always good The West Texas area is generally known for its long, hot summers and fairly mild, short winters, and this year should be no exception. At least for this summer, that stereotype should be somewhat exagerated, a National Weather Service spokesman said, with the long range forecast calling for above normal temperatures and below normal precipitation. Last year's average maximum temperature in the Permian Basin was 75.6 degrees, while the average minimum temperature was 48.9. The average temperature year-round was 62.3 degrees.

July proved to be the hottest month with an average high of 94.5 degrees and average low of 69.6 degrees, while January was the chilliest. Highs that month ranged in the 46.6-degree area, with lows around 25.1 degrees. The dry West Texas ground soaked up 16.05 inches of precipitation in 1979, the wettest month, July, recording 3.05 inches. The driest month was November, recording just a trace of precipitation. While Odessa boasts mild winters, the ground is usually covered at least once yearly with a fine layer of snow.

Dust is another composite West Texas weather picture, and strong duststorms have been recorded, the strongest Feb. 9, 1960, carrying dust hundreds of miles to the south at forces up to 86 miles per hour. Highest winds, those sustaining their forces at least one minute, ranged from 26 mph to 58 mph, with gusts up to 75 mph in 1979. (Continued From Page 10) eff( rt as cowboy chefs. Texas Governor Coke Ste renson was on hand for that first barbecue anc since then every governor of the state at one trime or another has eating barbecue with thr Odessa Gang.

Those first Chuck Wagon Gang members were mostly oil company employees and oil companies were among the first steady customers of the new organization as they usually held annual picnics or Christmas parties for their employees and usually always asked the Chuck Wagon Gang to serve the food. The menu of the Gang's first barbecue consisted of barbecued beef, pinto beans, potato salad, celery, pickles, onions, olives, potato chips, bread, and coffee. After 40 years that basic menu hasn't changed much, except as the Gang's cooks (all oil field workers and no professional cooks) gained experience, many customers wanted varied menues and the cooks always came through in grand style. Today, the basic menu is barbecued inside round of prime beef, pinto beans, cole slaw, pickles, onions, bread, coffee and iced tea. In June 1940 the Odessa Chuck Wagon Gang was to feed barbecue for another new Odessa organization which was to make its mark on the world in its own field, and again Debenport was the organizer.

That other new organization was the Little International Oil Show which was later to become the Permian Basin Oil Show. As the Gang's reputation grew, they were called on the "do their thing" further and further away from home and the feeds kept getting larger and larger. Soon, feed for 5,000 persons were commonplace and it was not unusual for Gang members to take off from their jobs to travel to such places as Washington, D.C., and California. In 1969 the Gang made its first trip out of the country when it went to Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to feed 29,000 persons at one sitting, and that was done in the rain. In 1976 the Chuck Wagon Gang made its first overseas trip when it traveled to Stavanger, Norway, to feed barbecue to 5,000 invited guest of the Norway oil show.

Last year the Gang went to Scotland to feed another crowd attending an oil show in Aberdeen, Scotland. The Gang is unique in that it only has a cou- pie of paid employees, an office secretary and a manager to keep the equipment in good shape and ready to travel at a moment's notice. The Gang's rolling stock consists of three trucks with refrigeration units to keep the food at the proper temperature. There are 250 members which make up the Gang, 125 active members and 125 inactive members which are called on from time to time to help out on big feeds. Clarence (Banjo) Kenley is the current "Boss" of the Gang, an elective position, and is assisted by an internal boss who looks after the organization's finances, and an external boss who has supervision of the physical aspects such as feed preparations and maintenance of all equipment.

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