County Conventions
On October 29, 1912, a meeting was held at York City Hall with representatives from various fire companies from York County. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the organization of a county firemen's association. The feeling was positive, and interim officers were appointed. The name selected at that meeting was the York County Firemen's Association. The organization continued to gain traction, and eventually more companies joined the organization. At a meeting on July 9, 1913, a constitution and bylaws was adopted.
As the organization continued to grow, holding a county firemen's convention was discussed. It appears that the first two annual meetings of the asscoiation were considered as "conventions" even though a full convention wasn't held. Full blown conventions would begin being held annually starting in 1915, with the first actual convention being held in Manchester Borough on New Year's Day.
In 1916, the convention was moved from New Year's Day to Labor Day, with the first Labor Day convention being held in Red Lion Borough. Labor Day conventions would continue until 1930, when the convention was moved to the third Saturday in August, and a motion was passed at that convention setting the third Saturday in August as the official day of the convention.
At the 1993 convention in Emigsville, delegates voted to alter the name of the organization to the York County Firefighters' Association. Throughout all of this, an all-inclusive list of convetion locations was not maintained. Through research into newspapers, and with assistance of local fire service personnel, this list of county convention locations and host fire companies was compiled. Additions and corrections are welcomed.
| No. | Year | Municipality | Company | Parade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1913 | Annual meeting | none | |
| 2nd | 1914 | Annual meeting | none | |
| 3rd | 1915 | Manchester Boro | Union FC | 1/1 |
| 4th | 1916 | Red Lion Boro | Leo Ind. FC | 9/4 |
| 5th | 1917 | Hanover Boro | Hanover FC/Eagle FC | 9/3 |
| 6th | 1918 | York City? | ??? | |
| 7th | 1919 | York City | 9/1 | |
| 8th | 1920 | York City | none | |
| 9th | 1921 | Manchester Boro | Union FC | 9/5 |
| 10th | 1922 | Wrightsville Boro | Wrightsville FC | 9/4 |
| 11th | 1923 | North York Boro | Liberty FC | 9/3 |
| 12th | 1924 | York City | 9/1 | |
| 13th | 1925 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 9/7 |
| 14th | 1926 | West York Boro | Reliance FC | 9/6 |
| 15th | 1927 | Dallastown Boro | Rescue FC | 9/5 |
| 16th | 1928 | Delta Boro | Union FC | 9/3 |
| 17th | 1929 | Dallastown Boro | Rescue FC | 8/31 |
| 18th | 1930 | Hanover Boro | 8/16 | |
| 19th | 1931 | Red Lion Boro | Leo Ind. FC | 8/15 |
| 20th | 1932 | York City | Royal FC | none |
| 21st | 1933 | York City | Royal FC | none |
| 22nd | 1934 | York City | Royal FC | none |
| 23rd | 1935 | New Freedom Boro | Rose FC | 8/17 |
| 24th | 1936 | Wrightsville Boro | Wrightsville FC | 8/15 |
| 25th | 1937 | Dover Boro | Union FC | 8/28 |
| 26th | 1938 | Hanover Boro | 8/27 | |
| 27th | 1939 | North York Boro | Liberty FC | 8/19 |
| 28th | 1940 | Red Lion Boro | Leo Ind. FC | 8/17 |
| 29th | 1941 | Manchester/Mount Wolf | Union FC/Eagle FC | none |
| 30th | 1942 | Manchester/Mount Wolf | Union FC/Eagle FC | 8/15 |
| 31st | 1943 | York City | none | |
| 32nd | 1944 | Hanover Boro | Hanover FC | none |
| 33rd | 1945 | Stewartstown Boro | Eureka FC | none |
| 34th | 1946 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/17 |
| 35th | 1947 | Wrightsville Boro | Wrightsville FC | 8/16 |
| 36th | 1948 | Hanover Boro | 8/28 | |
| 37th | 1949 | North York Boro | Liberty FC | none? |
| 38th | 1950 | York City | Royal FC | 8/19 |
| 39th | 1951 | Stewartstown Boro | Eureka FC | 8/18 |
| 40th | 1952 | Dallastown Boro | Rescue FC | 8/16 |
| 41st | 1953 | Hanover Boro | 8/15 | |
| 42nd | 1954 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/21 |
| 43rd | 1955 | New Freedom Boro | Rose FC | 8/20 |
| 44th | 1956 | Glen Rock Boro | Glen Rock FC | 8/18 |
| 45th | 1957 | Dover Boro | Union FC | 8/17 |
| 46th | 1958 | York City | 8/16 | |
| 47th | 1959 | Spring Garden Township | 8/15 | |
| 48th | 1960 | West York Boro | Reliance FC | 8/20 |
| 49th | 1961 | Hanover Boro | 8/19 | |
| 50th | 1962 | York City | Royal FC | 8/18 |
| 51st | 1963 | North York Boro | Liberty FC | 8/17 |
| 52nd | 1964 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/15 |
| 53rd | 1965 | Glen Rock Boro | Glen Rock FC | 8/21 |
| 54th | 1966 | Loganville Boro | Loganville FC | 8/20 |
| 55th | 1967 | Dillsburg Boro | Citizens FC | 8/19 |
| 56th | 1968 | Manchester Twp. | Alert FC | 8/17 |
| 57th | 1969 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/16 |
| 58th | 1970 | Dillsburg Boro | Citizens FC | none |
| 59th | 1971 | Dillsburg Boro | Citizens FC | none |
| 60th | 1972 | Glen Rock Boro | Glen Rock FC | 8/19 |
| 61st | 1973 | Hanover Boro | 8/18 | |
| 62nd | 1974 | Dillsburg Boro | Citizens FC | none |
| 63rd | 1975 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/16 |
| 64th | 1976 | Glen Rock Boro | Glen Rock FC | 8/21 |
| 65th | 1977 | Jefferson Boro | Jefferson FC | 8/20 |
| 66th | 1978 | Manchester Twp. | Alert FC | 8/19 |
| 67th | 1979 | West York Boro | Reliance FC | 8/18 |
| 68th | 1980 | West Manheim Twp. | Pleasant Hill FC | 8/16 |
| 69th | 1981 | Jacobus Boro | Goodwill FC | 8/15 |
| 70th | 1982 | Manchester/Mount Wolf | Union FC/Eagle FC | 8/21 |
| 71st | 1983 | Loganville Boro | Loganville FC | 8/20 |
| 72nd | 1984 | Red Lion Boro | Leo Ind. FC | 8/28 |
| 73rd | 1985 | Glen Rock Boro | Glen Rock FC | 8/17 |
| 74th | 1986 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/16 |
| 75th | 1987 | Springettsbury Twp. | Springetts FC | 8/15 |
| 76th | 1988 | Penn Twp. | Pennville FC/Parkville FC/Grangeville FC | 8/20 |
| 77th | 1989 | Seven Valleys Boro | Community FC | 8/19 |
| 78th | 1990 | West Manheim Twp. | Pleasant Hill FC | 8/18 |
| 79th | 1991 | Jefferson Boro | Jefferson FC | 8/17 |
| 80th | 1992 | Dallastown/Yoe | Citizens FC/Rescue FC | 8/15 |
| 81st | 1993 | Manchester Twp. | Alert FC | 8/21 |
| 82nd | 1994 | Red Lion Boro | Leo Ind. FC | 8/20 |
| 83rd | 1995 | Shrewsbury Boro | Shrewsbury FC | 8/19 |
| 84th | 1996 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/17 |
| 85th | 1997 | New Freedom Boro | Rose FC | 8/16 |
| 86th | 1998 | West Manchester Twp. | Lincolnway FC/Shiloh FC | 8/15 |
| 87th | 1999 | Yoe Boro | Yoe FC | 8/21 |
| 88th | 2000 | Manchester/Mount Wolf | Union FC/Eagle FC | 8/19 |
| 89th | 2001 | Glen Rock Boro | Glen Rock FC | 8/18 |
| 90th | 2002 | West Manheim Twp. | Pleasant Hill FC | 8/17 |
| 91st | 2003 | Spring Grove Boro | Friendship FC | 8/16 |
| 92nd | 2004 | Jackson Twp. | Lincoln FC/Nashville FC | 8/21 |
| 93rd | 2005 | York City | Vigilant FC | 8/20 |
| 94th | 2006 | Windsor Boro | Laurel FC | 8/19 |
| 95th | 2007 | Dover Boro | Union FC | 8/18 |
| 96th | 2008 | Manchester Boro | Union FC | none |
| 97th | 2009 | Hellam Twp. | Hallam FC/Wrightsville FC | 8/15 |
| 98th | 2010 | Windsor Boro | Laurel FC | 8/21 |
| 99th | 2011 | Jackson Twp. | Lincoln FC and Nashville FC | 8/20 |
| 100th | 2012 | North York Boro | Liberty FC | 8/18 |
| 101st | 2013 | York Twp. | Leo Ind. FC/York Twp. FD | 8/17 |
| 102nd | 2014 | West York Boro | Reliance FC | 8/16 |
| 103rd | 2015 | Fawn Grove Boro | Citizens FC | 8/15 |
| 104th | 2016 | Wellsville Boro | Wellsville FC | 8/20 |
| 105th | 2017 | Lower Chanceford Twp. | Airville FC | 8/19 |
| 106th | 2018 | Manchester Twp. | Alert FC | 8/18 |
| 107th | 2019 | Yorkana Boro | Community FC | 8/17 |
| 108th | 2020 | Dover Twp. | Dover Twp. FD | none |
| 109th | 2021 | FF Association | none | none |
| 110th | 2022 | FF Association | none | none |
| 111th | 2023 | West Manchester Twp. | West Manchester Twp. FD |
NOTES:
1918 - May not have been held due to WWI and influenza outbreak.
1920 - No parade, the fire companies were planning elaborate arrangements for the state convention parade in Allentown.
1932 - No parade due to economic conditions. Meeting only on 8/20. Convention was scheduled to be held in Hallam Boro.
1933 - No parade due to economic conditions. Meeting only on 8/19.
1934 - No parade due to economic conditions. Meeting only on 8/18.
1941 - Was to be held 8/16 but was cancelled due to epidemic of infantile paralysis. Convention was held 11/16. No parade.
1943 - Convention held at Alcazar Ballroom on 8/21.
1944 - Convention held at Hanover FC No. 1 engine house on 8/19.
1945 - Convention held at Ramsay Theater on 8/18.
1948 - Twenty marchers suffered heat related injuries, temperature of 101 degrees.
1949 - Convention held on 8/20. No mention of parade. Ox roast lunch held at playground auditorium.
1970 - Convention held on 8/15. No mention of parade.
1971 - Convention held on 8/21. No mention of parade.
1974 - Convention held on 8/17. No parade. Motion passed giving newly elected presidents first preference to host next convention.
1978 - York Co. Fire Training School dedicated.
1983 - Fire at chemical plant in Newberry Twp. during parade.
1987 - Budweiser Clydesdales in parade.
1988 - First dry convention.
1993 - Last convention as York County Firemen's Association.
1994 - First Convention as York County Firefighters' Association.
1999 - Two-alarm fire in North Hopewell Twp. just before parade.
2008 - Shine and Show at John Rudy Park on 8/16.
2013 - Working fire in vacant structure about 1/2 mile from staging area at around 1100 hours. Units responded from staging area.
2020 - No parade due to COVID-19.
2021 - Shine and Show at John Rudy Park on 8/21.
2022 - Shine and Show at York County Fire School on 8/20.
Any additions, corrections and/or comments are welcomed.