Auxiliary History

History:

The Auxiliary of the Lumberland Fire Dept. Inc.

by Ron Flieger and Tina Bodnaruik

The Ladies Auxiliary first was started in the early 1950's, the exact date not known, by wives of firemen and other ladies interested in helping the Dept. in anyway they could. This group did a great job until the late 1950's when they disbanded for reasons not known. During the 1960's there was no organized Auxiliary. However several of the ladies continued to come out at all hours of the night and day to provide help and refreshments when needed by the firemen. They brought food, etc. from there homes and bought what was needed out of their own pocketbooks from the store in Glen Spey at the time.

In 1970 a group of wives of firemen decided it was time to start a new Ladies Auxiliary. The women felt they could raise extra monies on their own for much needed equipment at various times of the year, and then when the firemen needed sustenance during emergencies, there would be a core group available to provide food.

The first order of business was to get organized, and Nancy Reed took charge of drafting the charter papers, and filing them with New York State. The first President was Cathy Frey. The installation Dinner was held at the Club 211 in Middletown. This joint venture has worked well over these last 30 years, and the Auxiliary has donated several thousands of dollars to the fire dept.

Many things have happened during the years, some funny and some sad.  Several good members are no longer with us. One of the outstanding moments came when the firemen built their new firehouse in 1978. They had shared the Town Highway Barn for many years, and had raised enough money to build their own space. The Auxiliary had been meeting in the Town Hall, and would now be able the meet in the firehouse! WOW! One of the things the Auxiliary wanted in the firehouse was a kitchen for fund-raising dinners, but the firemen did not feel there was room for this luxury, so a contingent of officers and members pleaded their case at a meeting of the firemen. Lo and Behold, some things were brought up that had not been considered before, and space was created for a kitchen. This made everyone feel part of the group.

The Penny Social, one of the major fundraisers, became "Giant" through the space in the firehouse. More prizes, more people. One of the first fundraisers in the new firehouse was a "Hunters Day", during which breakfast was served at 5:00 am, lunch at 12:00 noon, and dinner at 5:00 PM. Boy, was everyone tired that day! Through the years fish dinners, spaghetti dinners, raffles, penny socials were held, a recipe book was created, and help was given the firemen with their functions as well. The Firemen have invariably been supportive, doing the heavy work, constantly being there, doing whatever was needed.

One of my fondest memories is of Tom Hill, our former Supervisor, acting as the Hangman during our Halloween Party. He was done up in black ,with a huge scepter, and a gold chain with which he led the children through the Haunted House. The new Municipal building was almost completed, but still empty, and each office had a different theme. The Hangman did not speak, just thumped his scepter. Boy, were the kids scared of him. Another fond memory is of the Easter Bunny (Corinth Reed) running through the fields (in her Doctor Dentons) with the children during Easter Egg Hunts. The Easter Bunny Breakfast brings a lot of joy to the children today. The Halloween Party is now held in the firehouse, for our goblins and witches.

It was in the late 1900's that the name was changed from The Ladies Auxiliary of the LFD, to the LFD Auxiliary, as there were several male members of the community who wanted to be part of the organization.