During the sixties within the Trinidad & Tobago Fire Services a group of Firemen decided to form a team of Volleyball players and choose the name Hawks, with Mr.Oswald McClean as a prominent member. A part from the sporting activities, the group ventured into the promotion of parties, boat-rides and other forms of fund-raising and entertainment. In 1970 Mr. Desmond Chase, an officer in the fire services and Director of the Recreation Center of Public Service Association, invited Hawks to enter into some joint ventures. Hawks was considered to be one of the most successful promoters in Trinidad & Tobago. In 1972 having migrated to the US, Mr. McClean held discussions with a number of individuals who had also migrated to the US. Extensive discussions were held regarding the formation of a Chapter of Hawks in New York. It was agreed that the Mission should be tailored quite differently and after obtaining legal advice Hawks Fraternal Club was incorporated in Albany, New York.
The Mission was: Maintain and promote the Culture of Trinidad & Tobago, to do all such manner of things to lend cohesion to the Afro-American & West-Indian Communities, at that time there existed an obvious misunderstanding between these two groups.
Hawks joined the National Urban League and established relations with the NAACP. In addition we successfully gathered all the Caribbean Consulates together at our Annual Dinner-dance and was quietly responsible for enhancing the West Indian Consular Core. Hawks established working relations with the Trinidad & Tobago Consulate and to this day we have been called upon to render assistance in areas where protocol did not allow the Consulate to operate. Members of Hawks have traveled with the consulate during the terms of earlier representatives to lend assistance to Nationals in the Tri-States area. During the Mid-seventies and beyond, Hawks played a major role in attracting patronage to our national Airline BWIA by way of word of mouth and free promotions, we also established relations with the Tourist Promotion Office. Hawks has contributed goods, services, and money to many and varied charitable institutions, in Trinidad & Tobago e.g. St. Martins Assoc. School for the Deft, School for the Blind, Coitere of Social Workers, Ministries of Health, Sports and Education.
Since 1975 each year at our Annual Awards Dinner Dance Hawks has recognized individuals in the fields of Art, Education, Culture, Media etc. We are proud of the fact that long before anyone else Hawks recognized such individuals as Elie Mannet, Starlin, and Caysm Steel Orc. WLIB, Carib News, Caribbean Chambers of Commerce, Lord Pretender, Roaring Lion and dozens of other Individuals and Institutions. We have been the recipient of several awards and Citations. As an active member of the Trinidad & Tobago Alliance, we have endeavored to keep this Organization alive and focused. Hawks has been involved in the West-Indian American Day Carnival since 1973 and has made significant contributions to its development by the high standards of it's portrayals, having captured the Band of the Year title on many occasions. We are proud to state that over our 29 years of promotion of Fund-raising activities, all of our functions have been of a very high standard.
Recognizing that in order for the Organization to continue to thrive, the mission should be adjusted to meet the needs of the Information Technology era. Thus, we have embarked in a "New Direction" called the "Millennium Generation"
Dare to forge the future . . . make the difference.
