Did you SCRAMBLE as a child on Election Day??

Did you SCRAMBLE as a child on election Day?

Random Thoughts on Election Day .... scrambling??

Happy election day everyone. What a strange day election day is. Sometime late this evening the major news networks will project the winner and about 1/2 of the country will be ecstatic and the other 1/2 will be disappointed. 

I (FRANK) will probably be snoozing in my recliner by the time the west coast polls close and a winner is projected.

Wouldn't it be nice to wake up tomorrow and have the candidate you voted for be the new President and fell like you are on the winning team. Wouldn't it be nice to wake up tomorrow and find that all those little signs that cover the landscape are gone. At least the phone will stop ringing off the hook (colloquialism) with political calls.

This was always a favorite time of year for me when I was a kid for 3 specific reasons. The first reason, Halloween. Candy, money, mischief, does it get any better. OK,  maybe Christmas, but where's the mischief.

The second reason, Election Day. No school, WOOHOO!

The third reason, scrambling.

What the heck is that you are probably asking yourself. It was a custom whereas on election day the adults on there way to vote at our little red brick school house would toss handfuls of coins, mostly pennies, to a large group of children gathered in the schoolyard. Let the scrambling begin. As I recollect this now, it somehow seems absurd to me. There were many skinned knees and elbows, but I never remember it getting too rough. I have no idea if this custom was unique to the very small town I grew up in or if it existed elsewhere also. I would love to hear from anyone that knows of this strange custom or anyone who can share some event or custom that may have been unique from their childhood.

Footnote: The little red brick schoolhouse mentioned above is P.S.26 Staten Island, NY. My Dad went to this school, as did I and my four siblings. My older sister had the same first grade teacher as my dad, don't think that happens much today.