HomeMy WebLinkAbouthistory of central assoc 1893 1976 firemens association_0009CENTRAL NEW YORK FIREMEN'S ASSOCIATION
Corning was the host for the 62nd Convention with Ernest Young from Port Crane as
President. The Watkins Glen Fire Department presented the association with an overall point Trophy
for the First Aid contest in memory of Roswell Green. The first winner of this new trophy was the
Sherburne Emergency Squad. Twenty-eight teams took part in the Hose races with the Sherburne
Fire Department winning the overall point Trophy with 4 points. This was the first time on record_
that the same Fire Department had won both the First Aid and Hose Tournament overall trophies
the same year. The parade had a total of 65 Fire Departments, 10 Fire Department Ladies
Auxiliaries, and a combined total of 14 Bands and Drum & Bugle Corps. Cortland Fire Department
was judged Best Appearing; Oxford Ladies as Best Auxiliary with Sherburne tops in School Bands
and Montour Falls Seneca Chiefs best in•the Drum & Bugle Corps division.
Charles Butts of Norwich was elected Treasurer of the association at the 63rd Annual
Convention held in Oneonta; a post he held for 16 years until his death on November 3, 1972. Jesse
Chantler from Sherburne was elected Official Starter replacing Mr. Butts. The Rev. Bernard Granger
of Montour Falls was elected Chaplain, an office he still holds. Albert Bennett of Seneca Falls was
elected President as Ernest Young became the 30th Past -President to receive a life membership. Sandy
Henion, the Association Treasurer for 18 years (1939-1956), was also honored with a life
membership.
The winners of the First Aid contest was the Sidney Center Emergency Squad, with Sherburne
and Morrisville being tied for the overall Point Trophy in the Hose races. Parade winners were: Best
Appearing Fire Department—Otego, and Best Auxiliary—New Berlin.
The Geneva Fire Department was the host of the Convention in 1957; the first time a Central
Convention was held in Ontario County. Chief Louis L. McGuigan was the general chairman. Top
officers elected were: President, Albert Bennett of Seneca Falls; 1st Vice -President, Frank Morgan of
Earlville, and 2nd Vice -President, Keith L. Whiting from Cortland. It was decided at this Convention
that the "Old Timers" would start holding an annual banquet sometime during the year. The first
banquet was held on September 8, 1957 at the American Legion Home in Cortland with Ray
Morrow of Geneva as Chairman.
The winners of the Hose races in Geneva was Morrisville by taking first place in each event,
and winning the overall Point Trophy for the third time giving them permanent possession. Sidney
Emergency Squad won the First Aid contest with Sherburne placing second. Penn Yan was judged
Best Appearing Fire Department in the parade with the Horseheads Fire Department Auxiliary taking
top honors in their class.
The 1958 Convention held in Binghamton saw the first set of parade rules accepted by the
Board of Directors and delegates to the Convention. Jesse Chantler was appointed as the first
chairman of the parade Rules Committee. His co-chairman was Howard Bartlett of Oxford. The 1958
roll call showed 174 fire organization members and over 600 individual members. Odessa and
Sherburne tied for the overall Point Trophy in ' the Hose races with 6 points each, and received 1/2
leg on the Trophy donated by the Endicott Fire Department in memory of Chief Charles Huber. Sidney
Historian .............. FREDERICK D. TODD
7 Sale Drive
6 Trumansburg, N.Y. 14886