The Origins of the Ladies Auxiliary
On June 19, 1948 a Ladies Auxiliary was formed at the home of Mrs.
Merle Clifford at Dunn Loring Road (Gallows Road) and Leesburg Pike.
Although the Fire Department originally numbered among its members both
men and women, women were not so interested in the operations of the
Fire Department. It was decided that the women could best serve the Fire Department
by organizing an Auxiliary, with the two-fold aim of raising money for the
fire department and planning recreational activities, two functions which
frequently could be combined.
From a small beginning of 22 members the Auxiliary had increased to
127 members as of June 1, 1954. Many members could not be active due to
business or family obligations. During the years the Ladies Auxiliary
raised money by selling Christmas cards, candies, kitchen supplies, etc.
Baked goods sales, rummage sales, dances, dinners and the annual fair are
the main source of getting the very much needed capital for the upkeep and
improvement of the Fire Department. In 1949, the first ambulance was purchased
with the help of the Ladies Auxiliary and in 1950, the Auxiliary outfitted the
ambulance with the usual equipment. A Building Fund was established in 1951 with a
certain amount of the profits from various activities deposited in the fund each month.
At that time, the firemen were building the second section of the building.
In March of 1952, the Ladies Auxiliary donated $1,000.00 out of the Building
Fund toward the completion of it. In October 1952, $800.00 was given to the
Fire Department. From that money, a new stove and steam table were purchased
to assist in serving better meals. Also in October 1952, the Auxiliary
purchased for $182.00 unbreakable dishs to serve 100 people at one sitting
and for $108.00 stainless steel cutlery.
In 1953, the old ambulance could not be relied upon any more and it was
decided to purchase a new one. The Ladies Auxiliary donated the profits
of $1,000.00 from the annual fair towards the purchase.
Early in 1954, it became apparent that new ways had to be found to raise funds.
The community was growing rapidly. The population of Fairfax County had
increased to 135,000 people, and a good part of the increase took place
in our service area. The help from the County was not sufficient to meet the
demands of men and machinery. So, the Ladies Auxiliary took the important
step to install a complete kitchen. The cost being $3,400.00. A deepfreeze
was also installed to enable the Auxiliary and the Fire Department to
purchase food when prices were low and store for future use. Previously,
supplies were purchased when needed.
The Auxiliary's other activities were many and varied. They included
polio drives, chest X-rays, Community Chest drives, rabies inoculations
for animals, collecting of food and clothing for burned-out families. They
also would serve coffee and sandwichs at the site of large fires day or night.