Agreed. We welcome and encourage our retirees to attend all General Membership meetings to not only remain active and engaged with the local, but to also provide historical context and pertinent history wherever possible. We are grateful and proud to utilize many retirees for our fantastic WFD Honour Guard. Although composed of both active & retired members, the lead organizers and longest-serving members are all much-valued retirees. Our Honour Guard provides invaluable services for the families of our fallen, bringing dignity and grace to their loved one’s services. Regarding general engagement, the George Smith Memorial Luncheon we sponsor each fall is the largest annual gathering of 5 Platooners, attracting hundreds to the fully catered event. There also exist multiple monthly retiree breakfast groups that all are welcome to attend. The main/longest-running breakfast group is often attended by the UFFW President and some board members, to update on issues and to foster healthy discussion. This is advantageous to all parties as there is always a wealth of knowledge to draw from and no shortage of strong opinions in the room at these wonderful, yet simple traditions.