1972 - Caring for our children and elderly

As the post-war boom years ended, Foresters global charity work continued to grow. In 1972, B.C. Hallum was elected as our new Supreme Chief Ranger. Together with his wife Florence, they rallied members over causes like the prevention of child abuse and the expansion of old-age support homes across Canada, the US and the UK.

Doing our part to end child abuse and protect seniors

In the 1970s, a new mission was slowly taking on momentum among the courts, fighting against child abuse. It all started with a film around the subject called “Fragile: Handle With Care.” The documentary showed the horrors of child abuse and had the support of specialists, councillors and physicians. As copies of the film were created, they were sent out to High Courts, social service agencies, schools and more organizations who wanted to help protect children.

Florence Hallum drove the campaign forward over the years by traveling to different ceremonies and causes for the prevention of child abuse. The wounded doll was created by members from the US and the UK, and, along with illustrating what the campaign was working towards preventing, it also became the official symbol of the cause.

It was also during this time that the Haven, the popular benefit for senior members, grew. Starting in the US, the Haven benefit eventually made its way to Canada and the UK as the IOF saw its popularity soar and received more calls to bring the Haven to more members. In Canada, the Haven building was built in Victoria, British Columbia, on Vancouver Island in 1988. The UK’s Haven building was built in Lyndhurst, England in 1988.

Spreading the word about the upgraded Haven

After the California Haven was remodeled into a more state-of-the-art facility, booklets were created to highlight the updated building and its new amenities.

Article source: https://www.foresters.com/en-ca/about/foresters150