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On Candlemas Day, also known as Groundhog Day, in 1838, seventy-six men met at the Trinity Bight area courthouse in Newfoundland and Labrador for what would be a milestone in Canadian history. These men founded the Trinity Benefit Club (TBC), an association that would provide financial assistance to members who were sick or unable to work . Organized by the Reverend William Bullock, TBC was the only group of its kind in Canada at that time, the forerunner of workmen.s compensation programs.
The Trinity Benefit Club was a non-denominational organization, open to all males over the age of 15 who resided in the Trinity Bight area. In the words of Reverend Bullock, it was .the very essence of brotherhood,. with a flag consisting of a shamrock, thistle and rose joined in unity.
This Community Memories Exhibit relates the history of the Trinity Benefit Club through club documents, from the minutes of its founding meeting on February 2, 1838 to meetings in the 1950s, as well as TBC.s changing constitution and by-laws. Newspaper clippings and photographs of club anniversaries, artifacts and photographs from current club members and a digitized presidents. scrapbook convey social and cultural changes in Newfoundland and Labrador.s history. Membership lists from over the years reflect the effect of out-migration.
Although the Trinity Benefit Club is not as strong as it once was, it still meets twice a year on February 2nd and November 1st, All Saint.s Day. This virtual exhibit not only celebrates the history of the TBC but conveys the national significance so richly deserved.
