It is imperative for the Royal Canadian Legions around the country to bring in new and active members if they intend to remain one of Canada's most relative and important service organizations.
That was a key message brought to the membership of Legion Branch 60 in Estevan on Saturday night by Dominion vice-president Peter Piper, who was speaking to about 70 Legion members and guests at the annual Past Presidents' Supper in the Legion Hall.
Piper applauded the local Legion for its continued vibrancy and pursuit of new active members, noting that it continued to be one of the province's major volunteer operations.
Current president Troy LeBlanc later told the Mercury Branch 60 has a membership of approximately 250 but noted that about half of them are now in senior care homes with limited opportunities to remain active in the regular activities.
But, LeBlanc noted, the membership is increasing.
"We will be installing 13 new members this year and we have a few projects we want to move forward with over the next few months."
For Piper, it was a belief that other Legions needed to take a page from the Estevan example and bring in new faces.
"I've chaired the membership committee at the national level and it's an eye-opener. Some branches don't want to change but if we don't, you know what will happen. We have to change. If you don't change, you lose and lose badly. We have the foresight and the tools. There are new incentives for membership and all the information is coming out to you now. So grab it and run with it. You have a young president here in Estevan and you have new members. So now is a good time to get out and ask others if they think they might be members," Piper said.
He went on to say that if each Legion member could bring in just one new member, then it wouldn't take long to double the current membership of 300,000 across the nation.
"It's called the one-by-one campaign and there are even prizes for those who recruit successfully," he added.
"It starts with us. Invite your friends into our facilities let them know what we have and what we do. I've attended meetings where even some of our zone commanders don't know about everything that we do. That has to change. I see positive signs in Estevan though. I see arms and hearts that are wide open so let's accept the ideas that new members might want to share. You are a larger branch, let's keep it going, let's keep us going," Piper said in conclusion.
The Dominion vice-president then participated in the swearing in duties that included the addition of two new members to the executive team. Len Grube and Doug Yee joined the executive team as two-year term members. Cort Barker was sworn in as the club's new Sergeant-at-Arms.
Eileen Rosner was also confirmed as a past president appointed to the new executive team.
LeBlanc said he and the executive will be looking at the possibilities of leading the way toward the development of a new veterans' park in the vicinity of the proposed new Estevan Regional Nursing Home around the St. Joseph's Hospital site.
"As soon as the weather permits this spring, we'll take a good look at where this park might be possible in relation to the plans for the new nursing home," said LeBlanc.
The 27-year-old Legion president said another item on the to-do list includes a special reach-out project to contact and embrace recent veterans of the Afghanistan War. "There are a lot more of them out there than we realize," LeBlanc said, noting that this was the original purpose of the Royal Canadian Legion and that mandate was still very much in effect. To that end, he said they will probably hold a summer barbecue event in tribute to these younger veterans.
LeBlanc told the members that during the past year they have lent financial and physical support to both cadet programs in the city, provided special care beds for the nursing home and are planning on purchasing specially constructed chairs for Alzheimer's patients in the extended care wing at St. Joe's this year.
There is also a desire to have a special memorial wall built in conjunction with the proposed veteran's park. He said Legion member Lyle Dukart has been making progress on that front ever since the idea came to light in 2008.
Mayor Roy Ludwig brought greetings from the City of Estevan and extended thanks to the Legion for their many civic contributions and keeping its membership current and active.
Along with the recognition of former presidents, the Estevan membership welcomed Legion visitors from Bienfait, Oxbow, Carnduff and Stoughton.
