Oldest Tenured Members of Enfield Society Sought

ENFIELD, CT — The Enfield Society for the Detection of Thieves and Robbers is holding its 197th annual meeting on May 7, and will be celebrating the 25th anniversary of women joining the organization.

Enfield's oldest group, the Society was chartered in 1823 with the charge of tracking down horse thieves, as well as persons who stole money or household goods from members.

The creation of the Enfield Police Department in the late 1800s made the Society obsolete for law enforcement purposes, but the group has continued to meet annually.

Leaders of the Society are seeking the public's assistance with a pair of long-held traditions.

The Society’s greatest tradition is its Elder’s Cane, which is held by the longest tenured member of the organization. Bob Keller, a longtime Enfield teacher and coach and a member of the Enfield Athletic Hall of Fame, held the cane until his passing last June at age 92.

Group leaders are attempting to find out the living member who now holds standing with the longest tenure. Keller joined the group in 1947, so the next longest would be from sometime in the late 1940s. With a minimum age requirement of 21 to join, the oldest living member would likely be around 90 years old. New membership rolls from 1947 through 1950 are reproduced at the bottom of this story.

Another tradition of the Society is handing out 50-Year Membership certificates. The society is hoping to locate Peter Aiello, John Kerns, Allan Lee and Richard Pederzani, all of whom joined in 1969. They would each be at least 71 years old, based on the minimum age requirement.

Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of these missing members is asked to contact Paul Salva, Society president, at 860-882-2813.

The 197th annual meeting will begin at 6 p.m. in Fitzmaurice Hall at St. Bernard Church, 426 Hazard Ave. Tickets are $25 for members and $26 for non-members, which includes the $1 lifetime fee for membership.