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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1991-11-06, Page 5ZF�TA7. F F 4 TI 11? F "Legion branches offer more support than realized Times -Advocate. Novener 6._191____ By Ray Lewis To a war veteran, the Royal Canadian Legion is a shrine, a sacred temple. Origi- nally, it was established to aid returning war vet- erans and their families, but now it reaches past them into nearly every community. Unfortunately, many Canadians seem to misinterpret what the Le- gion actually represents. They fail to realize that it is active in a host of areas, and that its programs are the efforts of Legion members, while he trained as a promising young track athlete in Brantford. Locally, the Legion has lent thousands of dollars in support to various community groups and sen- ior citizens programs, such as Meals on Wheels. Legion members who are patients at Parkside hospital and are without family have been adopted by the lo- cal Branches. Essay and public speaking com- petitions are sponsored. Bursaries are available. Exeter and Lucan 1952 when the joint name was can- celled. Hensall had at that time re- cently moved on to form her own legion. Exeter's present day legion was constructed at this time at 316 Wil- liam Si, and in 1967, its name was adequately changed to the R.E.' Pooley Branch 167. Today, the Branch is home to some 500 mem- bers. Hensall In 1946 rumblings began which saw the formation of the Hensall Legion Branch 468. Under the Members of the Hensall Brownies prepare to begin their poppy campaign. Here are, back row: Jocelyn Stire (left), Amber Verhoeve, Kristine Pryde, Melissa Guentner, Carol Anne Munn, Jen- nifer Anderson. Front: Charlsey O'Rourke (left) and Mandy Wood. beneficial to nearly ever facet of combine to support the local cadet charter, and remained as such until present society. corps, while organizer Dave Shep- guidance of Sam Dougall, 65 vete- "When many veterans returned pard says the Grand Bend Winter rans from the two world wars pur- from the war they found they had Carnival couldn't function without chased the sight at 104 King St., lost their place in society," said Bill the support it receives from its nu- where today's legion stands. The Smith, a charter member of Lucan cleus, the Grand Bend Legion. pricetag was $3,000, and the build - Branch 540. "The Legion was Exeter ing also serves as a meeting place there to help comrades cope with Between 1917 and 1925, many for younger groups such as Brown - post war adjustment." veterans groups sprung up to dis- ies. Todays Legion has changed cuss military and national issues "Many of our veterans have since somewhat, in that many veterans and provide support for fellow vet- passed away," said Larry Uyl, this have since passed on. The average eran comrades who were needy. In year's poppy chairperson. "Nowa- age,pit and World War veterantsj i j , 1925 the Dominion Veterans Alli- days, we're really trying to promote is n'nyv 7r yc %5, 1 �Corean vein t? ance; lrtC 4'40 404 by.192¢. the,Legion and its ideals. ,,.1� rans'aie iii their early.6izties. 1 it was self supporting. Membership currently stands atm Children of veterans are now About this time, several veterans 152 at Branch 468. able to become associate members with voting power in an effort to keep alive the memory of those who gave so much. In addition, the Legion over the years has be- gun to become very active in its support of youth activities, many of which seem to go overlooked by the populace. Aside from minor athletics, the Royal Canadian Legion has lent support to one-third of the Canadi- an track and field athletes, and all Canadian medal winners at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics were alumni of the Legion's track and field camps. Even the Great One, Wayne Gretzky, was supported by in the Exeter area began the push for such an affiliation. The main goal was to secure adequate pen- sions and other deserved benefits for veterans and their dependents. R.E. Pooley spearheaded the drive in Exeter, and by 1930 a branch really took form. "They met on the third floor of a building on Main St.," recalled Reg McDonald, who himself has been very active in Exeter's legion histo- ry. "Mr. Pooley was very instru- mental, and also helped to establish branches in both Brussels and Wroxeter. In July of 1940, the Exeter and Hensall Branch 167 received her .4 �l — Of 41 C At.A:. J1 ti LEGI.:ta i;s uo . 19.4 •i1 .-� pct 'oet BEST RATES on your G.I.C. Legion members Len Maslen (above left) and Bill Smith stand before the cenotaph erected on the front lawn of Lucan Branch 540 of the Roy- al Canadian Legion. Lucan On the heels of the Iiensall Le- gion, came the formation of Lucan Branch 540. A group of 18 members began meeting in a room of the old chick- en hatchery, now the site of the Lu - can Post Office. In 1954, the present site was gift- ed to the veterans by members of the local lawn bowling club, under the provision that the front lawn be left intact for bowling. Bill Smith is one such charter member, and is still very much ac- tive. From 1985-87, he served as provincial president for the Royal Canadian Legion, which kept him very busy handling the many re- quests for speaking engagements. Said Smith, "In two years we were home for only 62 nights." But as most veterans, Smith shares a common philosophy. When he needed it, the Legion was LUCAN Branch 540 President Ross Ward Past President: Wes Hickson 1st Vice: Carl Rummell 2nd Vice: Keith McComb 3rd Vice: Tim Carter Secretary: Kerry Higman Treasurer: Marcia Rydall EXECUTIVE Mary Gibbs Wayne Higman Len Maslen - Service Officer EXETER Branch 167 President: David Frayne Past President Phil Campbell 1st Vice: Jim Merrylees 2nd Vice: Cliff McDonald Secretary: Jack Stewart Treasurer: Vera Armstrong EXECUTIVE Shirley Smith Eldon Heywood Bart DeVries Dave Grundy John Gunnes Tim Alce HENSALL Branch 468 President: Peter Zwaan Past President: Dave Smale 1st Vice: Sharon Fink 2nd Vice: Dave Smale Secretary: Bea Uyl Treasurer: Bea Uyl EXECUTIVE Bob Breen Hilda Smale Wilmer Dalrymple Jack Simmons Marlene Zwaan Ted Roberts GRAND BEND Branch 497 President Ron Crown Irlsi Vici;:"t�em�`Vlan Pray �j' ''"2i}ti Vi�e�'Ri�t�7✓!iha>� 'l ` 3rd Vice: Jean Scott Secretary: Shirley Pole Treasurer. Jim Price EXECUTIVE DE Rath Alec Leatherland Wally Turple E.L. Cowing Ed Scou Richard Lachance The Poppy Remembrance campaign EXETER - Every year, for about two weeks prior to Remembrance Day, the Royal Canadian Legion conducts_ the Poppy -Remembrance Campaign. In 1915 Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae came out of the line, fol- lowing the Battle of Ypres, with 13 lines scrawled on a scrap of paper. Those lines were the poem, "In Flanders Fields" and it inspired the United States Legion to adopt the poppy as a symbol of Remem- brance in 1920. Although the pop- py was first officially sponsored in Canada as a Remembrance symbol in 1921 by the Great War Veterans Association at the suggestion of a Frcnch woman, Madame Gucrin, there is no doubt that McCrae de- serves credit for its permanent asso- ciation with Remembrance. Poppy emblems were first made by Vetcraft Shops in 1922 under the sponsorship of the Department of Soldiers Civil Re-establishment. Poppy material is still made by disabled veterans and their depen- dents at Vetcraft Factories in Mon- treal and Toronto operated by Vete- rans Affairs Canada. The work provides a small source of income and allows them to take an active part in maintaining the tradition of Remembrance. The Poppy -Remembrance Cam- paign is intended to remind Canadi- ans of the debt they owe to the 114,000 men and women who died in the military service of Canada during two world wars and the Ko- rean War. Donations received dur- ing the campaign are placed in trust accounts and used throughout the year to assist needy veterans, ex - service members and their families. Former members of the Common- wealth and allied military services may also be eligible to receive ben- efits from these funds. For every donation received, a symbol of remembrance is provid- ed, either for personal or public dis- play. These symbols include the la- pel poppy, worn by individuals, and the wreaths laid at cenotaphs and memorials across the country. Donations are not mandatory and in some cases, as for example with school children, poppies are distrib- uted by Legion members solely to perpetuate the tradition of Remem- brance among Canadian young peo- ple. During the 1990 campaign over 15 million poppies were distributed across Canada. Activities supported by donations to Poppy Trust Funds include: •Assistance to needy veterans, ex -service members and their fami- lies; •Purchase of medical appliances; *Funding of medical research and training; •Provision of bursaries children and grandchildren of veterans and ex -service members; •Funding accommodation and care facilities for veterans, seniors and disabled persons; *Operation of The Royal Canadi- an Legions' Service Bureau at Do- minion Command in Ottawa. The Bureau acts on behalf of veterans, ex -service members and their de- pendents with pension submissions and appeals. there and when the Legion needs him, he is there for Grand Bend The Grand Bend Legion received its charter in 1949 with 19 mem- bers. Today, Branch 498 boasts 380 members, and has had to add on to its existing building twice in order to fulfill demand. "When the members originally got together to apply for their char- ter, they met in the bottom of the old theatre downtown," said presi- dent Ron Crown. "It's where the arcade is now? 'The current building was con- structed in the rnid 1950s, and Crown himself was there to help carry concrete blocks. Crown's fa- ther was a charter member, and like other Legion members, he hopes that others will continue to realize the brave who fought and died amidst oppression, so that they could be free. The Royal Canadian Legion it- self is a legacy left by Canada's veterans, to serve future genera- tions. Alt they ask, is that you take time to remember. Functions of the Royal Canadian Legion * Veterans Service - Support to veterans, ex -service members and their families; * Senior Citizens - Provision of care, housing special support activities and facilities and medical service; * Youth Activities - Support to cadet corps, Scouts Canada, sports organizations and the provision of scholarships and bursaries; * Remembrance - Perpetuation of the tradition of Remembrance through the annual Poppy Campaign, organizing and conducting national, regional and local Remembrance Day ceremonies, youth poster and essay contests, school programs and pilgrimages to historic v.'ar-time locations; and, * Community Service - Contributions of money and volunteer time to a wide range of charities. Cicff CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS Kime, Mills, Dunlop. Chartered Accountants Daniel B. Daum, B.A., M.Acc., C.A. Manager sa , 412 -Main $t., P.O. 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