Historical information

A leaflet from the annual meeting of the ILC in 1942. The evening was for the presentation of the annual report and financial statement plus the installation of office bearers. It was held at the club rooms at 55 Market St, Melbourne. The menu included 'Musso (spaghetti) on toast / Sausages and garden salad / Peaches, jelly and ice cream / Coffee.' It includes a comic drawing of members and humorous characterisation of the members.
Background: The ILC was formed in 1929. The idea of the club sprang from those boys who had outgrown the Junior Legacy Club. In the early days it fielded a lacrosse team and it was this that mainly held the members together. Enthusiasm wained after a few years as it lacked a solid objective. The answer came from one of its members and in 1938 they founded the Don Esses Club. This was a club for the children of incapacitated ex-servicemen which met every Thursday night at 7.30 run by the ILC members. The name came from the signallers' code Disabled Servicemen's Sons.
During the second world war 80% of the members of the ILC enlisted in the services. Leaving only 8 members that could not join due to ill health or reserved occupations. They continued the Don Esses and whatever aid they could to Legacy. ILC members had always helped Legacy where possible including being camp leaders or camp staff, with the annual demonstrations, and coffee stalls at the ANZAC dawn service.
Post second world war some ILC members were nominated into Legacy, others drifted away in civil occupations. It was found difficult to recruit new blood into the ILC and eventually membership waned when the boys from the Don Esses clubs found other youth activities to join. The ILC ceased to meet regularly in the mid fifties. However a strong comradeship still existed between members and they would meet in one anothers homes. Members were always ready to help the senior Legacy Club in any way in their power and still helped at Christmas parties and summer camps.
ILC was a service rendering organisation and was self governing. Non-sectarian and non-political, the members were ex-junior legatees over 18 years of age. After serving in World War 2 members were eligible to become members of Legacy.
Was in a folder of material collated about the ILC by an early archive committee.

Significance

A record of a meeting during the second world war and interesting menu provided.

Physical description

Off white A4 photocopy of a notice of the annual meeting of the ILC in 1942.