Tonight we honor a man who is immediately recognizable to all members of the NYPD and especially so to all members of our Club.  Chief John W. Scanlon joined the Department in October 1963, was promoted to Sergeant in 1972, Lieutenant in 1983, Captain in 1985, Deputy Inspector in 1988, Inspector in 1993, Deputy Chief in 1995, Assistant Chief in 1996, and Chief of Patrol in 1998.  Throughout his rise to the upper echelon of the Department, Chief Scanlon never forgot his roots, and was always a vocal supporter of the "grunts" on patrol, who he often said, "are out doing God's work."    

          Chief Scanlon's support extended beyond the workplace and onto the playing field.  As a child growing up in the Bronx, his father brought him to Gaelic Park on Sundays to watch football and hurling matches.  Many years later, he would return to the Park, this time on the sidelines cheering on New York's Finest in their annual battles against the Fire Department.  He has been an inspiration to our club in many ways, from his rousing pre-game locker room speeches, to his words of encouragement both on and off the field.  We also appreciate his assistance in providing transportation for the Garda Siochana Gaelic Football Club when they visited us in 1998, and, in particular, the dignified, professional, and personable manner that he displays on a daily basis.

      When Chief Scanlon retired this past October after 37 years of dedicated service, the Department truly lost one of its FINEST!  Thankfully we have not, as he has promised to continue his support of the club.  We look foward to seeing him back on the sidelines in 2001.

      Tonight, we thank Chief Scanlon for all he has done for the NYPD and for our club.  We wish him and his wife Mary many, many years of happiness together in retirement.

**FROM THE FIRST ANNUAL DINNER DANCE JOURNAL**