On April 27, 1968 the Board of Regents of the New York State Educational Department granted SPAAMFAA’ application for a charter as a non-profit, educational and historical corporation – a major milestone in the organization’s history and a key to its future growth.

“Another milestone in our nine-year history was achieved in St. Louis, Mo. on July 9 when delegates to the 15th Annual Convention of the International Fire Buff Associates accepted SPAAMFAA’s petition for IFBA membership” Dick Horstmann reported in the July 1967 issue of the SPAAMFAA Newsletter. “Composed of over 40 fire buff clubs throughout the United States and Canada, the IFBA was formed in 1953 to further the cause of groups interested in the fire service”.

SPAAMFAA took part in no fewer than 19 scheduled events that year, including its first “international” activity – a parade in Gananoque, Ontario. Some 20 members attended the group’s ninth Annual Meeting, an afternoon of training with the club’s rigs at the Syracuse Fire Training Academy followed by dinner and evening business meeting at the Syracuse Press Club.

“At no time has the future of SPAAMFAA and its companion Belle Isle Fire Company been brighter, with almost unlimited opportunities ahead for growth and the exploration of new ideas and territory”,Horstmann wrote in the group’s annual report for 1966 presented at the `67 annual meeting.

In the spring of 1967, Dick Horstmann had trekked to distant Washington State to take in the Seattle Fire Buff Society’s Second Annual Antique Fire Apparatus Muster & Grand Concours d’Elegance at the hydroplane pits on Lake Washington. Deeply impressed at what he saw, Dick was determined to stage a similar event back home in Syracuse. A seed had been planted….

“Perhaps the most exciting of all plans under discussion at present is SPAAMFAA’s proposed sponsorship of an antique fire apparatus show and muster in Syracuse in conjunction with our 10th Anniversary in 1968. We estimate there are at least 75 vintage rigs within driving range of Syracuse and based on plans followed by the Seattle, Fire Buff Society in running a similar event in the Northwest the past few years, it appears that we may well be able to initiate one of our own next year.”

A committee including Bob Potter, Alex Black, John Corcoran, Hank Manwell, Don Chapman and Nelson Husted was appointed to study the feasibility of hosting such an event.