Once again it has been my privilege to meet up with my dear friends from the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Fireman’s Association (CVVFA). We met in Level, MD for our 115th Annual Convention. A very important part of our meeting events was our yearly memorial service at the Hopewell United Methodist Church. This year under our new meeting schedule we opened up with our service at 9:00 a.m.
As I sat there pondering the folks who had been called home by the Lord during the year just past a thought came to me. It was a line from a poem I wrote back in 1990 to honor the memory of my father and his fellow veterans of World War II. It goes like this: “… one by one by the wayside they fall.” In my mind I saw my dad and a number of his buddies that I knew who died around the same time; or who have died in the years since. Many memories flew through my mind’s eye.
I then thought about how many WWII veterans we have lost since then and how many are passing on each day now. They are leaving us now with a minimum of fanfare. But they are leaving us with a legacy of service and sacrifice. I find it hard to imagine our country undertaking such an effort in this day and age. But maybe that’s just me.
At some point my thoughts drifted back to our service and our organization. Each year people we know and love are called home by the Lord. So it is with each and every organization throughout the fire service. This year we paid tribute to a total of 14 men and women who left us. It is interesting to note that this down from last years’ service in Chambersburg, PA. But this year two of the honorees were particularly good friends. They were fun to be with and we shall all miss them.
My thoughts then turned to a critical issue. How can we replace our losses? While this is quite critical in the active firefighting services it is also true of the social and service organizations such as CVVFA as well as our local, state, county and regional groups. Each forms a support mechanism for some aspect of what we do. For example I serve as treasurer of the New Jersey Association of Fire Districts. We serve as an advocate for our association. We testify before state government committees, and have a lobbyist who represents us in the halls of state government.
It just seems like we face a problem in maintaining membership levels in our group. This is not a problem which is unique to us. The same holds true with many other groups who serve as service, political and social advocates for a variety of topics and issues. To an old-timer like me it seems that today’s younger folks have no interest in these things which I guess they consider as “sideline” issues to the actual delivery of emergencies. But more than that, these younger folks seem to only be interested in the smoke, blood, guts, and glory part of our operations.
I have noted with concern that these folks do not seem to want to spend a lot of time showing up for the smells and bells calls. That places a great burden on us old-timers who were brought up to respond to all calls regardless of the reason for our dispatch. As I approach age 70 next year, I am trying to actively recruit my replacement. I have a couple of folks under consideration, but the problem is simple. They work day jobs and are therefore not available to take my place as a daytime driver.
I guess it is an intergenerational challenge which you and I must take up. Forget about the runs and response activities. We need to pass along our love for these non-firefighting, but fire service supportive organizations. It now becomes our job to educate our younger folks as to why these meetings are essential. This places a real burden on us to actually define the why of our participation. I sat with friends at the Cumberland Valley Volunteer Fireman’s Association asking them why they belonged. I then felt it to be important for me to share my actual membership needs with you.
In looking back over the years at the groups to which I have belonged as an active member I came up with a number of reasons why I joined and actively participated. Let me share them with you.
- I wanted to be with like-minded friends.
- I wanted to be part of what I perceived as a forward-thinking group.
- I wanted to be part of something exciting.
- I wanted to be a part of something rewarding and of value.
- I wanted to serve not only my community, but also my brothers and sisters.
- I wanted to be part of innovative projects for betterment of the fire service
- I wanted to have fun.
- I saw the need to provide support to something interesting.
A dear friend of mine who has studies intergenerational issues has come up with an interesting point of discussion. Contrary to what many among us have said, the millennial generation is eager to serve by they must see a value for the performance of their duties. The tough point here is to define what the value might be. What I see as value may not be seen as such by others. But it is through a discussion with these younger people that you and I can possibly discover what we need to do to bring them on board with us. Discussions can have a strong positive effect on all parties to the discussion.
Many times in my life I have felt a great good feeling in my heart as a result of my organizational activities. I do not do all that I do hoping for praise or glory. I do what I do because I love it. I would guess that my task now is to go forth into the world sharing the reasons why I believe people should join with me.
Remember the opening thought: “One by one by the wayside they fall.” Guess what gang. You all will need to do this if we are to maintain and grow our organizations. Whether you are seeking members for your fire department, your county association, or for your relief organization; the same methods should be used. By golly maybe we have happened upon an important solution to a major problem we all face. If you have any suggestions to help me in this effort, please contact me at [email protected]. I look forward to your help. Take care and stay safe
