The Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary was established in the early 1920’s at the “Ladies Auxiliary” and has continued to serve the Fire Company in various endeavors ever since.
The Ladies’ Auxiliary of the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company (now the Fair Haven Volunteer Fire Company Auxiliary) was originated in the early 1920’s and has served the Fire Company in various endeavors from that time to the present.
Early in 1921, the chief, William B. Little, Jr., requested that Mayor and Council of Fair Haven approve the formation of a Ladies’ Auxiliary and submitted the names of six, who would be willing to help organize one. The ladies first conducted a meeting of their own on Monday, March 7, 1921 with the following women attending: Addie Cross, Elizabeth Little, Helena McCarron, Anna Mulvihill, Viola Sickles and Margaret Tobin. At this meeting, Little appointed officers to serve the Ladies’ Auxiliary until the first of January, 1922. Elizabeth Little was the first president of this group, and Viola Sickles its first treasurer.
Weekly meetings were held through most of that spring until the period of charter membership was closed, which was May 26, 1921. The second meeting of the Auxiliary on March 14 instructed the secretary, Hazel Predmore, to present a copy of the Constitution and By-Laws for discussion and correction. These passed the third reading and were adopted on April 21, 1921.
Membership was recruited through means of a notice placed in the Fair Haven Post Office asking interested ladies to attend the April 21 meeting. All those who joined the Auxiliary before May 26 were included as the charter members, who were: Agnes Allaire, Agnes Butler, Persis Bennett, Beatrice Cook, Addie Cross, Alexandria Crozier, Alida Davison, Esther Dennis, Josephine DeWolfe, Ella Doughty, Mary Gran, Ida Henderson, Mabel Johnson, Dorothy Little, Elizabeth Little, Eva Little, Mary E. Little, Anna Mahon, Helena McCarron, Angeline Marcellus, Pearl Marcellus, Dorothy Minton, Mary Minton, Elizabeth Morris, Helen Mosley, Anna Mulvihill, Grace Near, Elizabeth Parker, Millie Parker, Hazel Predmore, Rachel Rankin, Elizabeth Scowcroft, Addie Smith, Etta Smith, Hattie Smith, Gladys Taylor, Lydia Taylor and Margaret Tobin.
The primary objective of the Auxiliary was to give the company whatever aid was needed by means of worthwhile projects, etc. The role of the Ladies’ Auxiliary as suppliers of warm coffee and refreshments at fires was an offshoot of the original purpose of the group.
In May, 1921, the Ladies’ Auxiliary held their first fund raising event which was a clam chowder supper. The proceeds of $59.90 were realized from this event, the first of many such affairs by this fine and dedicated unit. Included within this category were the numerous dinners and fairs which involved the Auxiliary’s help.