THE GILD – WHAT IT IS – WHY IT WAS CREATED

Throughout the history of the Gas Industry, representatives, company officers and professional men & women serving the gas companies, came to know each other well and developed friendships.  These hearty men & women, at conventions, at company offices and plants, while traveling about the country supplying Gas Companies with supplies, raw materials and appliances, met, worked and played together.

As the service of these men & women expanded through the years their friendships grew, bolstered by mutual respect.  The trust and confidence accorded these merry men & women by their customers and clients, were rewards for their loyalty and enthusiasm for gas and the Gas Industry.

That such a group of men should wish to express their kinship in a society was inevitable and evident from the talk which followed wherever and whenever they foregathered. 

So was born the Gild at a Convention of the Pennsylvania Gas Association at Skytop Lodge, May 5th, 1937.  A group of veteran suppliers met and took definite action toward organizing the Gild.  They knew they could call to membership many men of similar qualifications throughout the country. 

To hold the loyalty of its members the Gild must express the ideals, motives and philosophy of life entrenched in the hearts and minds of those who were to become members.  This thought, perhaps hitherto unacknowledged or even unrecognized, guided the group who made up the Charter Membership List.

The pattern of the ancient Gild was chosen as affording the best symbolism expressive of loyalty to craft, worthiness of membership and dignity of years of service. its ancient form and ritual in a modern age provided opportunity for entertainment and pleasure, without detracting from serious and idealistic purposes.

The Gild plan of organization provides for simple mechanics of operation and government. This simplicity is essential because only a few meetings of the Gild attract large numbers of members. It was also felt that the Gild should not become cumbersome or a burden to its members, it is, after all essentially an honorary society.

Membership in the Gild is only by invitation from the Gild. Members may not extend an invitation and there is no provisions for membership by application.

Seniority of service is recognized by the membership into classes by their years of service to the industry, not time of membership in the Gild. Members having served more than ten, fifteen, twenty or twenty-five years are classed respectively as Villeins, Apprentices, Yeomen, or Masters.

Membership in the Gild is personal to the member. The Gild is not concerned with the business affiliations of its members. The Gild does, however, foster loyalty and devotion to the highest standards of ethical business conduct. The Gild is in no sense a Trade Association.

Provisions are made for convocations or meetings of the Gild in any part of the country wherever members gather. Regional Wardens, who serve the Gild in certain territories, encourage and supervise the Gild meetings and other matters, at times and places other than those of the formal national convocations.

The first Session and Dinner of the Gild was held at Cleveland, Ohio during the Convention of the American Gas Association in September, 1937.