A.C.T./UCT IN ACTION
Congratulations to Sudbury Council #1051 on 80 Years.
80 Years of People Helping People Eighty years ago a group of travelling salesmen, who were based in Sudbury, decided to form a Sudbury Council of the Associated Canadian Travellers, known now as A.C.T./UCT. The original charter members were wellknown businessmen in Sudbury and included S.A. Woodruff as President, O.H. Bingham as Secretary and members S. Rothschild, C.H. Littlejohn, G.A. Godwin and G. Frood. On August 13, 1943, the Sudbury Council #1051 was officially incorporated and became the 21st of more than 60 councils that once existed in Canada. The idea for the A.C.T. started one winter evening in 1918 when three travelling salesmen were waiting for a train to take them home to Calgary after a busy week on the road. They began talking and the conversation drifted to the helpful work being done by service clubs in their area. They wondered if it would be possible to organize a commercial travelers club that would not only help its members, but help the communities in which they lived and worked. They held their first meeting that very night with six initial members, by the following week their numbers had doubled and before long chapters began opening in different cities and provinces throughout Canada. By 1924 a Dominion Council was formed, with the head office based in Calgary and elections were held to elect the executive from existing councils. Sudbury Council members H.F. Shaw held the position of Dominion President from 1953 to 1955 and Louis J. Narbone from 1973 to 1975. Since that time several Sudbury members have been elected and served on the Board of A.C.T./UCT nationally. Originally, the purpose of the organization was to provide accident insurance for travelling salesmen who were mostly independent contractors. Protecting the rights of its members and aiding those dependent upon them. In those days travelling salesmen had no insurance to protect themselves and their families in the event of an accident or death. Soon the members of councils across Canada began raising funds for people and groups in their communities who needed help. At its inception A.C.T./ UCT was described as a fraternal society open only to men who worked as commercial travelers however that has changed. Eighty years means A.C.T./UCT has evolved. A lot of economic and environmental factors have changed. Our membership is now made up of men and women from every walk of life. In Sudbury our focus of “People Helping People” continues and is unwavering. While many councils in Canada have struggled with declining membership, locally we have survived through these pressures and continued to assist our members and the community. From sponsoring construction of a room at the Alzheimer’s Centre to the accessible play structure in Bell Park along with over fifty years of continuous sponsorship for Sudbury Minor Baseball we are well established in our community. In our 80 years of service to our members and the Greater City of Sudbury community we have donated millions of dollars and continue to be “People Helping People” every day.
80 Years of People Helping People Eighty years ago a group of travelling salesmen, who were based in Sudbury, decided to form a Sudbury Council of the Associated Canadian Travellers, known now as A.C.T./UCT. The original charter members were wellknown businessmen in Sudbury and included S.A. Woodruff as President, O.H. Bingham as Secretary and members S. Rothschild, C.H. Littlejohn, G.A. Godwin and G. Frood. On August 13, 1943, the Sudbury Council #1051 was officially incorporated and became the 21st of more than 60 councils that once existed in Canada. The idea for the A.C.T. started one winter evening in 1918 when three travelling salesmen were waiting for a train to take them home to Calgary after a busy week on the road. They began talking and the conversation drifted to the helpful work being done by service clubs in their area. They wondered if it would be possible to organize a commercial travelers club that would not only help its members, but help the communities in which they lived and worked. They held their first meeting that very night with six initial members, by the following week their numbers had doubled and before long chapters began opening in different cities and provinces throughout Canada. By 1924 a Dominion Council was formed, with the head office based in Calgary and elections were held to elect the executive from existing councils. Sudbury Council members H.F. Shaw held the position of Dominion President from 1953 to 1955 and Louis J. Narbone from 1973 to 1975. Since that time several Sudbury members have been elected and served on the Board of A.C.T./UCT nationally. Originally, the purpose of the organization was to provide accident insurance for travelling salesmen who were mostly independent contractors. Protecting the rights of its members and aiding those dependent upon them. In those days travelling salesmen had no insurance to protect themselves and their families in the event of an accident or death. Soon the members of councils across Canada began raising funds for people and groups in their communities who needed help. At its inception A.C.T./ UCT was described as a fraternal society open only to men who worked as commercial travelers however that has changed. Eighty years means A.C.T./UCT has evolved. A lot of economic and environmental factors have changed. Our membership is now made up of men and women from every walk of life. In Sudbury our focus of “People Helping People” continues and is unwavering. While many councils in Canada have struggled with declining membership, locally we have survived through these pressures and continued to assist our members and the community. From sponsoring construction of a room at the Alzheimer’s Centre to the accessible play structure in Bell Park along with over fifty years of continuous sponsorship for Sudbury Minor Baseball we are well established in our community. In our 80 years of service to our members and the Greater City of Sudbury community we have donated millions of dollars and continue to be “People Helping People” every day.
