Both the Foreman Tom button and the membership certificate card are in EXCELLENT shape, and the return envelope is in good shape.  I was the boy who got these and you see the postage date of March 19, 1953.  Today these pieces are surely quite rare.

This item goes back before 1953 and would be of interest to anyone who grew up in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the 1940's and 1950's.  The local TV station, WTMJ, had a Monday thru Friday TV program for kids that was known as the Foreman Tom show.  He was a whittling cowboy that told little stories and had western movies on his program.  He was supposedly at the B Square Ranch and offered membership to the kids that wanted to always be good and would promise to always follow the membership rules.  There were 8 rules and you can see them on the card above.

Yes, I signed up to get the membership/certificate and badge and would wear the badge when watching the program after school.  By 1953 this program had been on TV for a few years and had a pretty large drawing.  You might ask, why didn't I sign the certificate?  Well, it really meant that the person signing it could say they would promise to always ----- you get the picture.  Seemed every day I would struggle with one of those 8 promises and felt I could not honestly sign my name.  Different days, right?

There probably aren't many of these badges and certificates around today.  I checked a few years ago at the Milwaukee Museum and they did not have these pieces. Both the Foreman Tom and the membership certificate card are in VERY GOOD+ shape, and the return envelope is in good shape as seen in the photos.

Feel free to ask any questions.  Hope you enjoyed my little background story.

The membership/certificate badge is about 4 inches by 2 1/4 inches and the Foreman Tom button is about 1 1/4 inches.