Nearly a month ago, a couple of members from the Royal Canadian Legion’s Estevan branch appeared before Estevan city council and asked for financial assistance to help pay down significant debts facing the organization.
It certainly generated a mixed response. Some thought council should support the legion, thanks to the service group’s contributions to the community. These people chronicled how the legion has had an impact on their lives, and how the legion has enriched the community.
Could you imagine the community without the legion? They couldn’t. (And frankly, I can’t imagine Estevan without the legion, either).
But others said the legion shouldn’t receive a dime from council. Some thought council shouldn’t supply support to an organization that found itself in this situation due to its own financial errors. Others simply believe council shouldn’t be donating to any organizations or sponsoring any events. Taxpayers dollars should be doled out providing services for residents, not to helping out organizations.
You can be sure it wasn’t easy for legion representatives to appear before council, admit to mistakes that have happened in the past, and ask for support. These are proud, honest people who would have much rather found internal solutions to this problem.
But since their appearance before council, local residents and businesses have been stepping forward with their support. Some of them might not want to see council donate support the legion, but they’ll step forward with their own financial backing.
Campaigns are happening in the community and cheques have been presented. The city’s Funday Sunday event at the Royal Heights Veterans’ Memorial Park in northwest Estevan also served as a fundraiser for the legion. (Likely a better way for the city to support the legion than making a donation).
People know that this community wouldn’t be the same without the legion. They have been to the Remembrance Day service the legion hosts each year at the Estevan Comprehensive School.
People have been to wedding banquets and other functions at the legion. The legion has sponsored their child’s sports team, or helped out a member of their family who is a veteran.
The legion is also a key meeting area in the community. Each October local residents flock to the legion’s main hall for the United Way Estevan’s telethon. The main hall can be a little cozy at times during the broadcast, particularly when school children and other youth organizations are performing and parents want to watch, but the hall is great site for an event that brings the community together like no other.
So it’s not a surprise to see people stepping forward to support Estevan’s legion branch.
Service clubs face a never-ending challenge of trying to attract new members, particularly young members who occasionally eschew the established groups that their parents and grandparents have been a part of.
The legion isn’t immune from that issue. In fact, they have probably faced this challenge more than anyone else, as they have tried to fight the notion that it is an “old boys club” where members meet at the local club room for drinks and socializing.
A lot of people still believe you have to be related to a veteran to be a legion member, a notion that is no longer true.
Estevan’s legion has actually done a pretty good job of bringing in newer and younger members who want to improve their communities and celebrate the accomplishments of veterans. They have done a better job than most of reaching out to younger generations, and so several young people are currently part of their executive.
Legion president Lyle Dukart has spent several years working on an honour wall, with all the names of Estevan veterans for the park in Royal Heights. And the legion was part of the Soldier’s Tree Monument that now stands next to the cenotaph.
On a personal note, both my grandfathers fought in the Second World War and were members of their respective legions. My dad and other members of my family have been part of the legion as well. I’m not a member, but the legion certainly has my respect for the work it has done in the community.
And based on the support we have seen lately, it appears the legion will continue to have a strong presence in Estevan for years to come.
