The FOP Lodge #36 is comprised of 257 active officers and over 250 retired officers all of whom play an integral part of the community and our Lodge. For many years we have been friends with our community, performing duties and extending assistance to people and groups in need. Special Olympics, MDA/A.B.A.T.E., Youth Recreation, Riley's Children's Hospital, Pipe and Drum Band, Toys for Tots and "Shop-with-a-Cop" have all been in recipients of our services and help, only to name a few.
Our most pressing concern as officers/FOP members is to attract and keep qualified officers on our department and in our community. Currently we rank 86th out of 138 municipalities in the state and we remain the 4th largest. We have been well below in pay and benefits with comparable agencies and we're hoping that someday the City will place us where we should be. We have a highly professional department and should be recognized accordingly.
FOP Lodge #36 has several committees that have addressed and acted on various issues throughout the year. These range from: Entertainment, Uniform, Athletic, Honor Guard, and Legal issues.
We have many ideas and plans to achieve them but without the help of active, retired, related and associate members, things will not get done. I am asking for everyone's support and assistance in pushing our Lodge to the highest level. We have the knowledge, experience, ideas, planning and resources in order to accomplish this but we need the personal commitment in order to complete them.
I would like to take this time to commend my fellow brother and sister officers for their dedication, time and effort in building this Lodge and its aspects and continuing concern to expand and modernize. Without the help and involvement of past and present members, the future members will have a tough uphill climb. Last year and years before we were past members, today we're all current members. Today, looking at tomorrow, we're all future members. And to paraphrase the late President Kennedy, "Ask not what your Lodge can do for you, ask what you can do for your Lodge."
Scott A. Ruszkowski
President FOP Lodge #36
2007
E-Mail Scott
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