WHEN DID IT BEGIN? T e an we i fu o mtie n a bt of contover . At lea t five chate cla to have bee t e fir t to acq e a fire truc . e earc o an eas o Shield and Diamonds ma ave fina sove te que tion. e opu t of the fire truc a chate “ma cot” is hi ihte i oze o stoie ad pictre i te Fater it’s a ne, incug two cover atcle — Ju e 1950 an ach 1959. Over 70 chate ub tted evera hu e artcle a ictre o pu cton i t e ag e ro 1950 thou the 1960s. Chate enjoe bag a ot thei fi e truc ad t e be efits t e ar e e on cam d in t e com u t. Davd itt Gamma Eta (Los Angeles, CA), athoe a sto or the a c 1959 Shield and Diamond encour ever c ater to own “a fine ol wel-ket fire eni e as met o o ma i K l a sta out fo al othe ater ites on cam.” It was ot lo ater that, that the a on took o an gew quck. Five chate , Deta Deta (Florida Southern) , Ga (New Hampshire) , Deta P (San Jose State) , Ga t (Los Angeles, CA) , an eta (Tennessee) beieve the tated t e fire truc trat on. owever, eeach ow that anot e capte, eta (Stewart Colee in Ca svie, T, ow R oe Colee in ehi ), ma ave owne t e fir t fire truc ut di ’t neces a y ta t the trat on. In J e 1971 artcle in t e Shield and Diamond , Deta G Chate (Miami University) peeted oil re ea c the conucted i to the itoy of t e fire eni e trat on. e wrote, “Severa t eoies ae floatn aot s to the ein o the ¢i £p l a fire eni e trat on.” T e epote tat “ap o¤imtel o e-thi o the chate acro te naton own fie eni e . T i pactce was eu n 1909 whe t e T eta Chate at Stewart Colee in Cla¥ vile, T fi t puc a ed a truc o thei ou e.” In ¦§g§ t 2018 letter ae se to the ¢I£¨ stoi , ©elta Deta (Florida Southern) al Car ª. Sany ‘50 wrote, “Whie atteni thee 1948- 1952, I sw n ticle in ometown new aer i ¬ c a, F t at the a retire t e ole o thei two fire truc , a 1917 La® ce truc . I went to Arc n
contacted t e fire chie conce ig t e etire t uc. It was put n cty ot to ru t awy. At the ne¯t City Counc eetin, I ttene an ae abot thei roval to se it to me. T e were curos to what I nte e to use it fo.” Bot e Sany i ome t e City Counc ebe tat he wante it fo hi ater it to dive aro cam fo t e ovelt. e so it to hi o an un eievbe $15 an ave a temo ay tag to hi to get it bac to cam La ead. at was Octobe 1949. Deta Deta Chate oted i J e 1950 Shield and Diamond artcle thei inte t to dive thei fi e truc to the naton conve tion i Cinc t. “T e ol-time colee °oy , even with t ei swaowin o olfi, raccoon coats, an ukeee , never a yt i that fire u fater it pit n oug t u°lc ty i¥e the ±eta Deta ‘Cri o Chaot.’” In J e 1952 Shield and Diamond artcle eaed, “Ga t Mo te Gu ²as,” the chate epote tat it puc a ed a 1912 Ameicn a³ce fire truc (puc a ed a yea eare ) an trae its 1923 Ahe -Fo¯ fi e eni e or the “Mo te.” T at docume t ²am Et’s ownei of a fire truc a 1951. In Mc 1959 Shield and Diamond su s o , ´am t Chate wote,
The research for this article is based on a careful examination of the Shield and Diamond archive and International Office records. There are many other stories and anecdotes about chapter fire trucks. Please send corrections or additions to historian@pikes.org.
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COURAGE TO BE MORE
SPRING 2024
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