AVAVRS


Auxiliary to the Lexington Fire & Rescue Department (ALFRD) / Western
AUXILIARY TO THE LEXINGTON FIRE & RESCUE DEPARTMENT (ALFRD) FEBRUARY 21, 2004 THE LEXINGTON LADIES' AUXIUARY WAS ORGANIZED APRIL 30, 1969. THERE WERE NINE CHARTER MEMBERS; MARGARET DALE WAS THE FIRST PRESIDENT. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE AUXIUARY IS "TO ASSIST THE CREW PHYSICALLY AND FINANCIALLY HOWEVER WE ARE NEEDED."

THE WATCHWORD IS "FAITH, HOPE, LOVE, THESE THREE, BUT THE GREATEST OF THESE IS LOVE" IN MAY THE NEWLY FORMED AUXIUARY HELPED THE CREW HOST AN OPEN HOUSE DURING RESCUE SQUAD WEEK. MAY 31ST WAS THE DATE OF THE FIRST FUNDRAISER; A KRISPIE KREME DONUT SALE LATER THAT YEAR, THE AUXIUARY PROVIDED FOOD TO RESCUERS INVOLVED WITH THE DEVASTATING HURRICANE CAMILLE.

THE AUXILIARY BECAME A MEMBER OF BOTH THE WESTERN DISTRICT AND THE WAVAVRS IN THE FALL OF 1970. IN OCTOBER, THEY ATTENDED THEIR FIRST DISTRICT MEETING AT BIG ISLAND.

DURING THE FIRST YEAR IN EXISTENCE, EIGHT MEMBERS RECEIVED CERTIICATES IN ADVANCED FIRST AID TRAINING. THE FIRST ARTICLE WAS SUBMITTED TO THE STATE BULLETIN IN NOVEMBER OF 1970. BY THAT TIME, THE MEMBERSHIP HAD INCREASED TO THIRTEEN.

ORIGINALLY; MEMBERS WERE WIVES OF CREW MEMBERS. BY THE EARLY EIGHTIES, WE HAD OPENED OUR MEMBERSHIP TO THOSE WHO WERE INTERESTED IN HELPING CARRY OUT OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND DROPPED THE 'LADIES' FROM OUR NAME.

WE HAVE COMPETED IN FIRST AID, LATER, EMT ON DISTRICT AND STATE LEVEL. IN THE EIGHTIES, OUR SCRAPBOOK RECEIVED HONORABLE MENTION, THEN FOURTH PLACE TWO YEARS RUNNING AND THIRD PLACE TWO YEARS RUNNING IN STATE COMPETITION. LEXINGTON IS A STRONG ATTENDEE AT WESTERN DISTRICT MEETINGS AND STATE CONVEN710N. WE FREQUENTLY WIN AND HAVE RETIRED SEVERAL TROPHIES FOR BEST ATTENDANCE IN DISTRICT. WE CONTINUE TO COMPETE IN THE EMT QUIZ AND FREQUENTLY PLACE ALSO.

WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE MEMBERS WHO SERVE AS DISTRICT AND STATE OFFICERS AND ON COMMITTEES. SOME OF THE NAMES YOU MIGHT RECOGNIZE FROM OVER THE YEARS ARE: VERGIE MOORE, EDITH ENTSMINGER, BONNIE TOMUNSON, MARGARET DALE, ROSA HAYSLETTE, LANA NICELY; HEATHER SLOUGH FOX, AND JANIS SLOUGH. CURRENTLY; LANA IS WESTERN DISTRICT CHAPLAIN; JANIS SLOUGH IS WESTERN DISTRICT PARLIMENTARIAN AND AVAVRS HISTORIAN. HEATHER FOX IS A PAST WESTERN VP AND JANIS HAS SERVED AS STATE TREASURER AND CHAPLAIN.

A NOTABLE FUNDRAISER, WHICH ORIGINATED IN 1985, WAS THE ICE CREAM SUPPER. OUR BIGGEST EVENT OF THE YEAR, WE MADE GALLONS OF HOMEMADE ICE CREAM WEEKS AHEAD OF TIME, OTHER FOOD ITEMS, AND COMBINED THE EFFORT WITH BLUEGRASS AND GOSPEL MUSIC AND USUALLY A CAKEWALK. IT WAS WELL RECEIVED BY OUR COMMUNITY, BUT HAD TO BE DISCONTINUED IN THE EARLY NINETIES DUE TO DECLING MEMBERSHIP. WE HAVE DONE MANY OTHER FUNDRAISERS OVER THE YEARS FROM CATERING WEDDING RECEPTIONS TO HOAGIE SALES.

OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE HAS INCLUDED CANVASSING FOR MANY CAUSES, SPEAKING TO SCHOOL GROUPS, HOSTING COMMUNITY SAFETY DAYS, HANDING OUT INFORMATION TO CHILDREN, AND HELPING TO HOST SQUAD MEMBER RECRUITMENT

OUR MOST IMPORTANT FUNCT10N REMAINS TO SERVE OUR CREW WE HAVE HELPED THEM TO HOST THE DISTRICT I MEETINGS, CONDUCTED FUND DRIVES, MAINTAINED MEMORIAL BOOKS, CLEANED THE BUILDING, MADE HUNDRED OF CRAVATES OVER THE YEARS AND ANYTHING ELSE THEY MIGHT ASK US TO DO.

IN JANUARY OF 2004, WE PRESENTED OUR CREW WITH $5000.00. WE ARE ACT1VE IN THE UPKEEP OF OUR BUILDING AND HAVE RECENTLY PURCHASED BLINDS FOR THE BUILDING AND SOME MAJOR ITEMS FOR OUR KITCHEN, INCLUDING AN ICE MACHINE. OUR UPCOMING PROJECTS ARE TO REFURBISH THE AUXIUARY OFFICE AND GET ALL OUR PICTURES IN BOOKS AND LABELLED.

WE HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS, ONE PROBABIONARY MEMBER, AND TWO STRONG PROSPECT1VE MEMBERS AT THIS TIME. WE REMAIN A CLOSE GROUP OF FRIENDS AND ARE THERE FOR EACH OTHER AT ALL TIMES. OUR AUXILIARY REPRESENTS AT THIS TIME OVER ONE HUNDRED YEARS COLLECTIVELY IN SERVICE TO OUR SQUAD AND COMMUNITY. WE ARE PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE AVAVRS AND ARE LOOKING AHEAD TO: "THREE FOR LIFE-EDUCATE, SERVE, AND RECOGNIZE."

Early 1970-s
FUND RAISING PROJECTS
Front Row: Dot Nicely, Gloria Rhodenizer, Edith Entsminger and Mamie Miller
Back Row: Linda Nicely, Carolyn Manspile, Nadine Goodbar, Vergie Moore and Ann Burks


IN the mid-eighties, the Auxiliary sang Christmas carols to residents of the May-Flower, an assisted-living home in Lexington


Captain Roy Smith present outgoing Auxiliary President Margaret Dale with a silver bowl


Captain Roy Smith and Auxiliary Member Janis Slough jump rope to attract customers to thier Krispy Kreme Donut Sale


Squad's Anniversary - 1985
Front: Bonnie Tomlinson, Janis Slough, Lana Nicely, Edith Entsminger
Back: Vergie Moore, Anne Burks, Virginia Smith, Margaret Dale and Rosa Hayslette


2003-04 Officers
Front: Heather Fox-President; Janis Slough-Treasurer; Lana Nicely-Vice President
Back: Maxine Kerns, AVAVRS President; Rosa Hayslette-Historian; Stephanie Branch-Secretary