BOX 1701 CLUB - We
were vaguely aware that other government departments had Fire Protection
requirements, but
outside of our opposites at the Navy and Army Fire Marshals offices, knew little
about them. The various
levels of service messes had proved that social intercourse produced contacts
that often led to knowledge and problem sharing outside of the mess. Applying this concept to our chosen profession,
I proposed a monthly social gathering, at an Officers Mess, of all Fire
Protection personnel in the Ottawa area that could be contacted.
The initial reaction from our own shop was negative,
but taking the bull by the horns, the first meeting was called during a
certain period of leave.
The first gathering was limited to the three Service Fire Marshals
staffs. We put our heads together
and between us came up with a list of other Fire Protection officers in the
Ottawa area. The next
meeting was well attended by personnel from the office of the Dominion Fire
Commissioner, NRC and the DOT. After
that it snowballed until we could count on 40 to 50 each month. Eventually
the Club encompassed all government departments including the RCMP.
There was no formality.
Members bought their drinks at the bar and sat at a reserved section and
socialized. It was the
contacts that were established that proved its worth. The Club got its name from a chance remark of
my good wife. I mentioned one
Thursday that the next day was the monthly get together and wished
we could tag a suitable name on it. She
knew we quit work at 1700 hrs and said "Why don't you
call it Box 1701". I replied
that 1701 was a ridiculous number for a box and her reply is forever engraved in
my mind. "It's a ridiculous club anyway."
The next day the attendees endorsed the name and
it stuck for many years. A wooden
alarm box was made and a sign-in book placed inside with the
following dedication:
"To the Box 1701 Club; a convivial gathering of government fire
protection officers with the avowed
aim of better inter-departmental relations through social contact, this register
and symbol is respectfully presented. May
the record maintained therin reflect the true spirit of camaraderie present in
our chosen field." By Phil Brown, Major, Retired
|
