HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes-Advocate, 1980-04-23, Page 39To the Members Of
R.E. POOLEY BRANCH 167,
ROYAL CANADIAN LEGION
on your
50th ANNIVERSARY
We appreciate your work in the community.
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U.S. A. Branches
247 Saturn Dnver 1800 N Grand River
Ontario Memphis. Tennessee 38109 Lansing Mpehigan 48906
19011 396.5866 1517) 489.7136
Star Route 1924 Cement)/ Drive
P 0 Box 24 Davenport .lowa 52802
Pocatello Idaho 83201 1319)3216895
1208)232.4501
Other Subsidiary Companies Germany - Holland - Great Britain - France - Austria - Sweden - Italy - Finland - Brazil - Australia
Canada: Head Office
Konoskilde Limited
P 0 Box 888 Exeter
(519) 235.0840
Telex 064-5818
Parent Company
Sore. Denmark
DRUMHEAD SERVICE — As part of the Exeter centennial celebration, a drumhead service was held at the community park
in 1973. Rev. George Anderson is shown addressing the members of 'the Legion in front of the grandstand.
T-A Legion Special, April 23, 1980
Page 7
Hall extensively renovate
m.
d in
percent of the total cost'for
furniture, and 33 1/3 percent
for all other items men-
tioned. The total grant was
an amount of $35,896.02, The
Provincial Coats of Arms
which are to be seen hanging
in the auditorium were
donated by our good friend,
our-former Federal Member
of Parliament, and
photographs of Her Majesty
the Queen and Prince Phillip
were donated by another
good friend and member of
the Branch.
Other renovations carried
1977
Continued from page 6
have been held to be sacred,
and by long standing
tradition, Regimental
Drums like Colours were
consecrated and bore Battle
Honours. For an open-air
service the drums are
"stacked" and draped with
the Colours to form the altar
table. To lose its drums in
battle was held to be as
humiliating as its was to
lose its Colours[
The interest in the band
began to wane in the
seventies, and while some of
its formed members are
active elsewhere, this band
like many others in the area,
no longer exists.
The Legion Hall has been
the scene of many banquets,
many of ' which have been
outstanding because of their
special significance. One
such banquet was held on
September the 11th 1970 to
celebrate the '25th an-
niversary of the Liberation
of Holland. The hosts on that
occasion were area citizens
of Dutch origin, and the
guests of honour were
members of the branch. It
was a most 'memorable
occasion, one which was long
remembered by those so
honoured and especially by
those who took part in the
liberation. On this note the
seventies are entered.
The last major addition
and alteration to be made to
the Legion Hall was' com-
menced in 1972 and com-
pleted in 1973. The north-
west entrance to the lower
level was changed to permit
a larger entrance hall, and a
stairway up to the foyer of
the auditorium. The original
kitchen and secretary's
office was eliminated —and
replaced by the executive
board room.
Encouraged by a generous
donation made by the Ladies
Auxiliary who were in-
terested in having their
kitchen enlarged, an ex-
tension measuring 12 feet by
72 feet was added to the rear
of the building. The present
parking lot to the north and
which had been1previously
rented, was purchased in
1975 and paved in the fall of
1976.
Attention- was now turned
to renovations and repairs to
the building, and would be
carried out over the next two
years. The auditorium was
repaneled, new lighting was
installed, and a new floor
was laid. A new Ladies
Canteen was added, the
foyer and cloak room
repanelled, and toilet
facilities remodelled. New
tables and chairs were also
purchased shortly
thereafter.
During August of 1977
when this work was in
progress, an application was
made to the Provincial
Government for a Wintario
Non-Capital Grant, with the
support of-,our Federal and
Provincial members of
' Parliament. As a result of
this application the Branch
received a very considerable
grant from this fund. It was
received in three part
payments, and was applied
to the following expenses.
The total renovation of the
auditorium etc and which
included the electrical
heating, the recoating of the
exterior of the building,
garbage room, floodlights,
parking lot and new fur-
niture.
The grant represented 50
out at this time include the
men's room, pool room,
electric heating and new
furniture; these ex-
penditures, not -being in-
cluded, with those qualifying
for a Wintario grant,
The Legion Hall can truly
be said to be a community
hall, and prior to the erection
of the South Huron
Recreational Centre it was
the only one within the
community. Over the years
it has been made available to
innumerable organizations,
service organizations some
have paid a nominal fee,
others none.
The auditorium has been
used for approximately 15
years as a Provincial Court
Room, and for a number of
years the 5th Small Claims
Court was held in the Ladies
Auxiliary Room. The
parking lot is open to the
public for parking, and is
used by the Department of
Transportation and Com-
munications when testing
motorcyclists for their
licences.
One of the worst storms to
hit this area in many years
occurred in February of
1973, and a number of per-
sons from the Essex County
area found shelter in the hall
and were provided with
warm refreshments.
Shortly thereafter. the hall
was the scene of another
Dutch-Canadian evening, on
this occasion they were the
guests at a dance and
smorgasbord. It was also the
year that Exeter celebrated
its Centennial Year, and the
branch joined with all other
Please turn to page 10