Post 84 History
Interesting Facts
The first meeting to organize the post was held on March 9, 1920, in the casino which is now Eno Memorial Hall. At the second meeting, on March 18, enrollment cards were signed and permanent officers were elected. The first officers were: Commander, Elmer Farnham; Vice Commander, John Welch; Adjutant, Charles Diters; Finance Officer, Louis Bourgeois; Insurance & Compensation Officer, Chester Seymour; Publicity Officer, Royal Hall.
Bequest of $2,000 from the will of G.P. McLean to Post 84 was given on June 14, 1932.
American Legion certificate of incorporation by the state of CT was given on July 25, 1933.
"Legion Building" house rules followed by-law adoption in 1946 with names of the subscribers that included D. Giles Desmond and Richard E. Curtiss.
Trustees of the will of G. P. McLean to the American Legion "quit claimed" the 7390 sq. ft. building on West Street for $1.00 on Sept. 20, 1965.
American Legion Baseball: in 1972 the post voted to drop its financial support, voting to support the team in principle only. In 1995, it voted to retore financial support with a $250 donation. The first baseball caps bout in 1995 cost $7 each.
Sale of the American Legion building to VNA on Dec. 27, 1998, for $70,000 (cost of the sale was $4,200).
Patriotic Days
MEMORIAL DAY has always been an outstanding occasion in this community. In addition to memorial events throughout the Simsbury community, the goal of every Veteran is to keep MEMORIAL DAY sacred to the memory of our war dead of all of the wars of the country; and all graves are decorated on this National Holiday.
ARMISTICE DAY, now called VETERANS' DAY, originally marked the end of fighting in World War I. It is an important holiday on the calendar of Legionnaires everywhere and in the hearts of all Veterans. Annually the Post sponsors the Veterans Day program in Simsbury. An important tradition was established when the Post led in the memorial exercises at 11 o'clock on the morning of November 11, marking the exact hour of the cessation of hostility on the war fronts.
Registration Of Graves
Since its inception, American Legion Post 84 has been a leader in this community in the area of graves registration; which has been incorporated by all the American Legion Posts in Hartford County. Grave Registration enables all interested parties to locate the site of the grave of each Veteran in the Tariffville Cemetary and the Simsbury Center Cemetary. Each year, active members place a flag on each Veteran's grave.
Scholarships and Community Projects
American Legion Post 84 sponsors various scholarships for the further education of our children. We also sponsor and financially assist many worthy community projects and programs initiated by the National American Legion.
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