History of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, Inc.
March 1957 through December 2015
(Prepared by the Historical Committee and Revised January 2016)

The Ladies Auxiliary of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department has a long history of support to the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department, the Hollywood community, St. Mary’s County, the Southern Maryland area and the State of Maryland. We are a very busy organization. The Ladies Auxiliary members are dedicated to the support and betterment of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department.

The Ladies Auxiliary was organized in 1957, not long after the Fire Department was chartered. The first President was Paddy Zollinhoffer (now Borelli). Financial support was greatly needed by the newly organized Department, since equipment and a building needed to be purchased. The Ladies Auxiliary’s creed in 1957 was to support the Department financially and to assist in any way they could toward the betterment of the Fire Department. Now, over 55 years later, that creed still stands true.

During the early years, bake sales, card parties and dances were some of the Ladies Auxiliary’s means of raising financial support. Once a building was erected, dinners were added to the fundraiser events.

The Ladies Auxiliary held its first Annual Dinner in 1961. Stuffed ham, fried oysters, parsley potatoes, green beans and much more were on the menu. A few years later, chicken salad, cole slaw, pickled beets, and candied sweet potatoes were added to the menu and it remains unchanged. When we were located at the old Firehouse, our dinner was held upstairs, in the social hall. As the years passed, the popularity of our dinner grew and the attendance increased considerably. In an effort to accommodate the crowd, we started to serve dinners upstairs as well as downstairs in the engine bays. The first Saturday in March is the official date for the Annual Dinner. The Firehouse has always been a beehive of activity for the entire week before the Dinner. Over the years, the Dinner has changed from an All-You-Can-Eat Family Style to an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Style because of the changes in the Maryland State Department of Health Regulations.

For many years, the Ladies Auxiliary held a Fall Dinner that consisted of turkey, fried oysters and all the trimmings. Due to the many activities that are held at the fire house and the many commitments of our auxiliary members, we no longer hold a Fall Dinner.

The Fire Department held its first Carnival in 1958. The Ladies Auxiliary operated the “Cook Shack” and sold food items and cold sodas each night of the Carnival. This event has grown considerably over the years. Our Department now hosts an Annual Carnival every summer. Our Department owns, assembles and operates all of the carnival rides and stands. At one time, the Carnival was held the last weekend in July and the first weekend in August. In 2009, the Carnival dates were changed to the last two weekends in July (Thursday thru Sunday and then Thursday thru Monday). In 2014, the carnival dates were once again changed, this time to the first two weekends in July after July 4th. The change was made because there were only two Departments in the County who still sponsored a Carnival. The change in the dates allowed our members more opportunities to plan activities with their families during the summer months.

As with the Department, the Ladies Auxiliary’s involvement in the Carnival has grown too. The Ladies Auxiliary operates the “Cook House” concession stands that include cheeseburgers, cheese fries, chicken sandwiches, cotton candy, French fries, funnel fries, hamburgers, hot dogs, hot ham and cheese sandwiches, ice cream, pizza, popcorn, sno-cones, and sodas (both Coke and Pepsi products). We used to make our own batter and prepared fresh funnel cakes instead of Fries. One year we tried fried oreos. They were a “hit” but we just didn’t have enough space for the extra concession. The Ladies Auxiliary also has a raffle during the Carnival. For several years, a business owner in the community donated the funds to purchase a gas grill that we raffled. In 2015, we did not have a donor for our carnival raffle, so the Ladies Auxiliary purchased a large flat screen television to raffle. It was a successful choice. We sold many chances on the TV and made a great profit on the raffle. The Ladies Auxiliary provides the personnel to operate the “Cook House” concessions and the free bicycle give-away each night of carnival. Some of the Auxiliary members also help in the ride ticket booth, the main raffle stand, some of the rides and some of the game booths. Some businesses and individuals in the community contribute money towards the purchase of the bicycles that are given away each night of the carnival. The Department purchases the nightly prizes for the Carnival and there are some businesses in the community that donate items to be used for the nightly prize raffle.

Although the Ladies Auxiliary did some small catering of banquets and receptions at the old Firehouse, catering became a bigger project on the list of fundraisers when we moved to our current Firehouse in 1991. The Ladies Auxiliary was divided into four catering teams. Members of the Department were also assigned to the catering teams. The teams rotated catering duties. With the exception of December, caterings were limited to two per month, on the weekends only, and with at least a month’s notice to the team. This allowed members to plan their personal schedules in advance. In the month of December, up to four caterings could be scheduled. Caterings ranged from Awards Banquets to Anniversary and Wedding Receptions, to Birthday and Christmas Parties and even refreshments for Proms.

Bingo was added to the list of the Ladies Auxiliary’s fundraiser events when the Department moved in 1991. The Department held Bingo every Wednesday night. The Ladies Auxiliary was responsible for the kitchen concessions during Bingo. The menu usually included cheeseburgers, chicken patties, hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, chips, candy, cake, pies and other snacks. From time to time Super Bingo events were held on Saturday evenings. The prizes were higher monetary values than those of the Wednesday Bingos. The Ladies Auxiliary added dinner meal specials to the menu for Super Bingos. Like the Department’s members, the Ladies Auxiliary was divided into Bingo crews. Each crew consisted of four or five members who worked in the kitchen area every six to eight weeks during Bingo events. In October 2015, because of a decline in attendance at the Wednesday night Bingos, the Department voted to cancel the weekly Bingo games.

By 2014, the caterings were becoming too much for the Ladies Auxiliary members to handle as volunteers. There were not enough hours or workers to get the work done and satisfy the customers. We did away with team catering on a regular basis and started to cater events on a smaller scale, which seems to be working much better for our members.

From 1988 to 2008, the Hollywood Optimist Club sponsored a Boat Show in April each year. It was held at the Firehouse, with vendors inside and outside. The Ladies Auxiliary operated the food concessions during the two-day event. However, because of declining membership, the Hollywood Optimist Club could no longer manage the huge event. In addition, the rising cost of fuel and the rocky state of the Country’s economy, people could not afford to spend money on extravagant luxuries such as boats. As a result, the Boat Show event is no longer held.

In 1996, the Ladies Auxiliary began hosting a Craft Show with the Hollywood Volunteer Rescue Squad Auxiliary. The Craft Show was an event that was originally begun by the Rescue Squad Auxiliary and became too large for the Rescue Squad’s facility to accommodate. The jointly hosted Craft Show was held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving and was very successful. The day of the Craft Show, lunch items were available for sale to the vendors and shoppers. The proceeds from the Craft Show event were split evenly between Hollywood’s Fire Department and Rescue Squad Auxiliaries. In 2013, the HVFDLA became the sole sponsor of the Craft Show. The Craft Show is currently held on the Sunday before Thanksgiving each year.

In 2001, the State of Maryland passed legislation entitled Maryland Income Tax Subtraction Modification Program (ITS). The program was designed to assist the Ladies Auxiliaries with an incentive for membership retention. We refer to it as the Tax Incentive Program. To qualify for the program, a member must be active for a minimum of three years and earn a minimum of 50 points for each of those three years. The individual must then continue to be active and earn at least 50 points each year thereafter to qualify for the annual ITS deduction. When the program first began, it provided the qualified member with a deduction of $3,500.00 off their annual Maryland State Income Tax. Currently the deduction is $4,000.00 for tax year 2015. Another $250.00 will be added next year and will cap out in 2019 at $5000.00.

In 2007, we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the organization of the Hollywood Volunteer Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary. It was a milestone in our history. The celebration year was one our members will not soon forget. There were many celebrations throughout the year. The celebrations began with the Joint Installation of Officers in January, followed by a formal Gala Celebration in March. During the Gala Celebration, and in honor of their 50th Anniversary, the Ladies Auxiliary presented the Fire Department with a check for $50,000.00. There was a Parade in the Hollywood Town Center area in June and then everyone was invited to the carnival grounds area for food and musical entertainment provided by the band “Great Train Robbery”. So that the Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary members could relax and enjoy the festivities, the food services were prepared and served by several organizations in the community (Hollywood Lions Club, Patuxent Moose Lodge, Hollywood Optimist Club, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2632). At dark, a spectacular fireworks show was provided for the community to enjoy.

In October 2007, there was an Open House with many displays and demonstrations. The year ended with the Department/Ladies Auxiliary Christmas Party. Several of the members put on a skit entitled “Dancing at the Bars”. During the Christmas Party the Ladies Auxiliary surprised the Department with another gift of $50,000.00. In addition, the Ladies Auxiliary contributed $20,000.00 towards the 50th Anniversary celebrations and another $5,000.00 towards the purchase of the 27-foot outside artificial tree for the Community Christmas Tree Lighting.

When our Department celebrated its 50th Anniversary, one of the events that were held was a Fourth of July extravaganza with a car, truck and bike show, live musical entertainment and fireworks. The event was such a huge success with the Community, the Department started making this an annual event but without the car, truck and bike show. Thanks to financial support from several businesses in the Hollywood community and in St. Mary’s County, the Department is still sponsoring a Fourth of July event with live musical entertainment and fireworks and the Ladies Auxiliary assists the Department as requested. The event has become a “must attend” party for St. Mary’s Countians.

In September 2008, Juanita Johnson reached a milestone in the history of the ladies Auxiliary. She became the first member to complete 50 years of active service with the Ladies Auxiliary. During the Department’s 2009 Installation festivities, Juanita was recognized for her contributions to the Department and the Ladies Auxiliary. Juanita’s dedication and hard work is an inspiration for all to follow. In 2014, Leone Gatton also completed 50 years of service and in 2015, Frances Thompson completed 50 years. These three ladies are still very active participants of our Ladies Auxiliary.

In April 2014, we held our first Spring Craft Show. It was a successful event and has been added to the list of annual fund raising events for our Auxiliary.

In March 2015, the Department held their first Sportsmen’s Bash. The event was co-sponsored by Ducks Unlimited and was a big success. Our Auxiliary assisted the Department with this event by providing the food for the attendees. The food was provided throughout the event and was served buffet style.

When we were at the old firehouse, the Department and Auxiliary had a joint Christmas Party in December each year. It was a pot luck dinner and gift exchange event and the entertainment was provided by the Sunshine committees. When we moved to our current facility life became so busy we stopped having the party. In recent years the party seems to have been rejuvenated and more members are making an effort to attend. Refreshments have varied from pizza to pot luck to fried chicken and steamed shrimp. The gift exchange doesn’t seem to be quite as popular among the attendees, probably due in part to the wide range of ages in our membership (from 16 to senior citizens) and the interests of those individuals. The Sunshine Committees are attempting to bring back the Christmas Party “Skits” of years ago. In 2015, the skit was the “Firehouse Feud” between the “Hollywood Queens” (Ladies Auxiliary members) and the “Firehouse “Fuglies” (Department members) and it was a huge hit.

The Ladies Auxiliary has six elected officers. The officers are President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chaplain. Each officer serves a one-year term. Election of Officers is held at the December meeting each year. Any active member of the Ladies Auxiliary may be a candidate for any elected officer position. The Ladies Auxiliary’s current membership is 40 active members and 1 junior member. 12 of the active members are Life members.

After a member has completed 25 years of service in good standing as an active member of the Ladies Auxiliary, the member is granted Life Membership in the Auxiliary. The Life members are: Pearl Callis (deceased), Ann Huseman, Juanita Johnson, Pearl Wible (deceased), Mary Huntt (Deceased), Leone Gatton, Frances Thompson, Margaret Jane Mattingly (deceased), Mary Evelyn Goldsborough, Darlene Russell, Betty Wible (deceased), Clara Wallace, Rose Davis, Cleone Wible, Agnes Tinsley, Shirley Miedzinski, Barbara Wible, Brenda Clarke, and Frances Greenwell.

The second Saturday in January is the date for the Joint Installation of Officers and Awards Ceremonies. All Department and Ladies Auxiliary members are invited to attend the event and bring a guest. The Installation is a special night for the Department and Ladies Auxiliary. The Department members who attend are attired in their Class A uniforms and the Ladies are attired in their very best “finery and frocks”. The evening includes a catered banquet with installation and awards ceremonies following. Political dignitaries and representatives from community organizations and the area fire departments and auxiliaries are also invited to attend the festivities. Members are recognized for their outstanding support and accomplishments during the past year. A dance follows the awards program. It is an enjoyable evening for all.

Although there are many projects that require a lot of work, we always seem to have a lot of fun while still getting the work accomplished. We also have some fun and relaxing events throughout the year.

In addition to the fundraising activities, the Ladies Auxiliary is an active member of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Southern Maryland Volunteer Firemen’s Association (LA-SMVFA) and the Ladies Auxiliary of the Maryland State Firemen’s Association (LA-MSFA). Several of our members have served as President of the LA-SMVFA, namely: Pearl Callis, Sally Johnson, Leone Gatton, Juanita Johnson, Cleone Wible, Rose Davis, Kimberly Sullivan and Elaine Quade. Leone Gatton also served as President of the LA-MSFA in 1985-86.

Over the years, the Department has had many special projects they were working towards. The Ladies Auxiliary has donated considerable amounts of money to these projects. The projects have included the purchase of new trucks, new equipment, mortgage payments, paving of the parking lot, the building of the Memorial (dedicated to the deceased members and charter members of the Fire Department and Ladies Auxiliary) and many other items.

Since our first monetary donation of $150.00 to the Department in 1957, the Ladies Auxiliary has contributed in excess of $1,562,000.00 to the Department thanks to the support of the community and the hard work and dedication of the Auxiliary members.

We are fortunate that we have individuals in our community that we can ask for assistance with our large projects, like the Annual Dinner and the Carnival. We are very lucky that the citizens in our community are always willing to lend us a hand.

Our auxiliary is always in need of and welcomes new members and new fundraising ideas. If you are interested in joining or assisting our organization you are most welcome. Please send us an e-mail at info@hvfd7.com expressing your interest and we will be sure to contact you in a timely manner.