Whither the Royal Canadian Legion? Or RCL Withers?

[Halifax Tar]

I joined the 631 here in Kingston and, although he general membership is somewhat old, they are very open to ideas on how to get the word out and encourage the younger crowd (middle aged and below) interested in coming out.

It's already a watering hole for former and current Patricia's since they named it afte Matt Dawe, and the engineering unit comes out every Friday aft or so and when they have mug outs.

I am also planning on getting to work on their social media campaign.  The woman who currently runs it is very eager to bring me into the fold and, seeing that no one on the executive seems to have an issue accepting help from those who might have experiences that could benefit, is a big deal for me, especially after seeing what happened to the number 9 Legion downtown some time ago.

The Kingston Panthers Rugby Club use it for post game socials.  Or atleast I think they still do.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Are some Legions more interested in renting out their facilities so the can afford to stay open or do some of these activities actually assist (or even build) the membership?

Here in Thunder Bay, Legion halls do offer their facilities for receptions & the like, and they're still aching for members.  Here, some of the issue is that we used to be two cities, with mirrored volunteer organizations, and the history is too Balkanized for any Legion to want to merge with any other - this, almost 46 years after we became one city.

 

[mariomike]

I'm not against the Legion at all but I don't see anything that attracts me to it.

You may not know or have much in common with many members at your local Branch.

When I retired from the job, I was thankful that the department, as do Police and Fire, has a pensioners association.

 

[Jarnhamar]

Every legion I've been to seems to be stuck in the 60's.  That's army 60's not the austin powers 60's. I feel like a 90 year old when I'm there, they ought to put some money into renovating it (perhaps hire less lawyers?)

Also I've been to a number of non-legion events held at the legion. Besides the decore one of the biggest things I've noticed was the attitude I've seen and felt from legion members towards guests which I would say bordered on contempt.  The over all feeling I got from them was basically ya you rented the hall hurry up and do your shit then GTFO. Not a very welcoming environment.  Getting warned to stay away from legion members really puts a damper on the ambiance.

 

[Strike]

I'm not against the Legion at all but I don't see anything that attracts me to it.  I won't speak ill about them and to be perfectly honest I don't have a solution to their problems.

One of the solutions is for the Legion to put themselves out there so much more than they are.  The Legion, at its core, is a charitable organization, with their focus being on helping vets and their families.  Unfortunately the only time most people see them or think of them is during the poppy campaign.

The Legion provides bursuraies, helps with scholarships, has various intelectually-based competitions for school-aged children and runs a nationally recognized sports competition that many university coaches attend as part of their recruiting campaign.  Local Legions need to get out there and advertise these events, like they used to 20-30 years ago.

Now, knowing that they are so much more than a bar and there is the potential to support your community would that possibly interest you in joining your local RCL?

Are there issues with some of them?  You bet.  The number 9 Legion used to be one of the biggest ones in Ontario, if not Canada, but nepotism and elitism crushed it and it went belly up.  My own Legion faced a similar fate with tax issues and debts and it wasn't until a complete change in the executive that things started to sort themselves out.  But none of these positive changes can be made without the right people willing to step up when needed, even if it means waiting in the wings until the time is right.

 

[my72jeep]

What do you say?
Attended a funeral service at my local legion this afternoon for a WWII vet.
After the service I was cornered by a local associate member(if I got it straight his step father served in the 60/70s) He asked me who I was as I'm not a local member, and what medal I was wearing.(CD1) I tell him it's a CD for 12+ years service, Ah he says, and what's the bar thingy for? Well I tell him that's for 10 + more years. Ah he goes. Then looks at me and asks did I serve in any War? Well in for a penny in for a pound, I say "yes the Cold War, and the budget wars". Budget wars? Yes the budget wars of the late 80s early 90s fought tooth and nail, room to room in the halls of the NDHQ puzzle palace. The guy offered to buy rounds as I regaled him of the battle............ To bad I had to go back to work at 3.

 

[Happy Guy]

Interesting.  Since I live in Ottawa I've gone to the National War Memorial or the National Military Cemetery and not to the local legion somewhat near my place (Orleans) for Remembrance Day.  Given all this talk I think that I will go the Orleans RCL to give it a shot.  I want to see for myself if it would be worthwhile.

Cheers

 

[Teager]

If anyone follows the RCL on Twitter you will notice they are trying to get new members in the door. They are defiently trying harder to get more members.

 

[Strike]

I have the day off tomorrow and and going to go renew my membership and help with work on their Facebook page, so all you clowns go ahead and like the 631 Legion page.  ;D

I originally joined to try and get my dad off his ass and involved in the RCL again, but the group there has been so welcoming that I'm quite happy to get involved myself.

This branch does seem to be trying to get the younger crowd involved so I'm hoping having a more active social media presence might help a bit...and it's free!

 

[PuckChaser]

Always good ceremonies on the go from 631, food was excellent after the Remembrance Ceremony too.  ;D

 

[George Wallace]

Interesting.  Since I live in Ottawa I've gone to the National War Memorial or the National Military Cemetery and not to the local legion somewhat near my place (Orleans) for Remembrance Day.  Given all this talk I think that I will go the Orleans RCL to give it a shot.  I want to see for myself if it would be worthwhile.

Cheers

After the ceremony at Beechwood a couple years ago, I stopped by the Legion in Orleans.  It was pretty well deserted, with only a few packing up the tables. 

 

[RocketRichard]

Kensington Legion #264 in Calgary gets pretty busy and we hope to move into a new building next year. Pop on by and I'll (maybe) buy you a pint. Always looking for new members, especially younger ones.

 

[Colin Parkinson]

http://www.nsnews.com/news/lynn-valley-legion-abruptly-closes-1.2168647

Questions are being raised after the Lynn Valley Legion Branch 114 unexpectedly shut its doors late last week amid allegations of “financial irregularities” within the club.

On Thursday night the Royal Canadian Legion’s oversight body, B.C./Yukon Command and Foundation, called a mandatory meeting with the Lynn Valley legion’s executive to inform them the branch would be put into “receivership.” This information was part of a message posted on the Lynn Valley Legion’s Facebook page by Dave McKay, who is listed as the executive’s second vice-president.

The North Shore News obtained a copy of a letter dated Feb. 3 and sent to Lynn Valley Legion executive members from B.C./Yukon Command president Marc Tremblay that reads:

“This course of action comes following a series of complaints and financial irregularities reported within your branch.”

Tremblay further advised the Lynn Valley executive to investigate the irregularities and conduct a “major review” of controls and accounting procedures.

North Vancouver RCMP spokesman Cpl. Richard De Jong said the police have not been contacted by the legion.

“It’s not uncommon for them to first do their own due diligence,” he said.

While confirming the Lynn Valley Legion’s closure, B.C./Yukon Command & Foundation executive director Inga Kruse said the club is temporarily under its control and an internal review is underway. “That process is part of our best practices to ensure that locations are functioning efficiently and according to our bylaws,” stated Kruse in an email.

A sign posted Tuesday on the legion’s door at 1630 Lynn Valley Rd. said the branch has been temporarily closed and a reopening date has not yet been determined.

The legion’s abrupt closure has left at least one Lynn Valley community group in confusion. Ross Road parent advisory committee has been planning a fundraising event for parents.

It’s unclear what will happen with the sold-out event scheduled for March 5 at the Lynn Valley Legion. Ross Road parent and event co-organizer Shan Bodie first learned of the shuttered legion when contacted by the News.

“What? Are you kidding?” said Bodie Tuesday. “We just booked it with them.”

Bodie is now scrambling after “collecting a lot of money for catering and everything,” as the fate of the PAC event remains unknown. Proceeds from the $30-per-ticket social would benefit PAC initiatives at the elementary school.

One legion member posted on the legion’s Facebook page that she was hoping to play bingo Saturday at the club and was told over the phone by someone in charge at the legion that it was closed indefinitely due to health issues relating to mould in the building.

Members of the Lynn Valley Legion executive did not respond to a request for comment.

Opened in 1930, the Lynn Valley Legion is a non-profit organization that has previously donated close to $100,000 annually to various community groups.
- See more at: http://www.nsnews.com/news/lynn-valley-legion-abruptly-closes-1.2168647#sthash.k3RpuIzu.dpuf

 

[The Bread Guy]

To offer a bit of perspective, even if not EVERYTHING in this media report is 100% correct as printed, 1)  it does have the same flavour as debate here, and 2)  it appears to show it's not just Legion-and-Legion-like groups in Canada going through this -- you only have to change the names in the key points of the article:

-  Young veterans say (other organizations) more suited for their needs
-  (legacy organization) should revise its approach, PTSD support group says
-  (legacy organization) to roll out range of new programs

Shared under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act (R.S.C., 1985, c. C-42) (btw, in this context, the polite definition of "pokies" seems to be video slot/poker machines) ...

The Returned Services League (RSL) is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, amid growing criticism the iconic organisation is outdated and not relevant to modern soldiers.

Former soldier Brent New left the army in 2003, after peacekeeping work in East Timor and turning back refugee boats to Indonesia.

More than a decade later, he found himself still struggling to adjust to life back home. Mr New was self-medicating with drugs and alcohol, which was contributing to his relationships breakdowns.

Last year he was hospitalised for two months and treated for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

"It got to a point where the alcohol and everything I was doing to mask how I was doing just wasn't coping, and that's when I had a breakdown," he said.

He did not know where to turn.

"I've never really been inclined to go to the RSL for help," he said.

"There seems to be a real disconnect between the RSL as an entity and the way veterans are, and what veterans' needs are."

Recently, Mr New attended the annual general meeting of his RSL and realised that as a 37-year-old, he was the youngest veteran in the room by at least 20 years.

Solider On, Mates4Mates filling void

Mr New was contacted by Mates4Mates — an organisation that targets young veterans.

Mates4Mates Chief Executive Simon Sauer said the organisation provided a range of services, including psychological services, physical training, employment support and educational guidance.

"We had a case when someone finally had the courage to come to us, and parked outside, but took two hours to come in to us," he said.

"For the first few weeks they attended the centre and they would sit and have a coffee and not say much.

"After three months they were actively engaging and laughing, and you could see a distinct change in who they are as individuals."

Mr New credited his recovery to the phone call he received from Mates4Mates.

"There have been quite a few things that have been instrumental in getting me to where I'm at, and Mates4Mates was a huge part of that," he said.

RSL Queensland admitted that its sub-branches were struggling to appeal to the modern veteran. The state branch also helps fund Mates4Mates.

RSL Queensland President Stewart Cameron said: "I simply asked this young man what would be required for him to join the RSL, and essentially he said, 'Take away the bar and take away the pokies machines and build me a gym and I'm there'."

Booze and pokies image problem

Former soldier John Keeley felt a loss of direction after returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and sought camaraderie on the footy field.

"I believe that the RSL is more focused on pokies and alcohol ... this is a common belief among my friends that have come back from Iraq and Afghanistan," he said.

While some RSL sub-branches are providing valuable services, programs are often ad hoc and differ from state to state. Many RSL clubs have no affiliation to a sub-branches, and this means many local clubs do not contribute to programs that support soldiers and their families.

John Bale from PTSD support group said the RSL should leverage its national resources and revise its approach to adapt to the changing needs of young soldiers.

"The RSL has an incredible name and an incredible legacy, and it has an incredible opportunity to take a new phase for contemporary veterans and make sure that this generation gets the support they need, " he said.

Unlike RSLs, which have more than 1,500 sub-branches nationwide, organisations like Mates4Mates and Soldier On only have a handful of offices.

The recently appointed Chief Executive of NSW RSL, Glenn Kolomeitz, said this year he was rolling out a range of new programs targeting the latest wave of returned soldiers.

This includes establishing drop-in service centres, and running mentor programs to drive young members into leadership roles.

 

[rotrhed]

Editted to remove article.

Suggest taking a look on the National Post website for an article about an 82 year old lady recently bounced from the RCL for raising a stir over Dominion Command financial and travel practices, as well as conduct at her own rural MB branch.

 

[ModlrMike]

Saw this article on another feed:

Reportedly the Legion in Lac du Bonnet has suspended an 82 year old member for posing some inconvenient questions. I would post the link, but it's from the pen of "he who shall not be named". The source article is available at the National Post site.


Having read the article, I decided I would look up the Legion executive. Now, I'm not slagging here, but wouldn't you think that a veteran service organization would have veterans with service as its representatives? I marvel at the lack of military connections the executives' biographies display.

Cause and effect perhaps?

 

[Lightguns]

The whole article was very curious indeed.  I hadn't heard about the slagging of veterans before.

 

[the 48th regulator]

The whole article was very curious indeed.  I hadn't heard about the slagging of veterans before.

That same Person, and his cabal have been attacking veterans online, and off.

I know I am one of them.

 

[Lightguns]

That same Person, and his cabal have been attacking veterans online, and off.

I know I am one of them.

Seen that for myself just a minute ago, I had not taken much of an interest in veteran politics since the recent election.  Regardless of a position on an issue, I am not sure why it is necessary for Mr Hood, a senior executive of a national organization, to term an opponent "moron".  Particularly when that opponent is following parallel lines of advocacy. 

 

[Teager]

By SEAN BRUYEA
PUBLISHED : Wednesday, June 8, 2016 12:00 AM
The national leadership of the Royal Canadian Legion faces a crisis in confidence with its membership along with Canada’s veterans. All Canadians should be concerned with this, given the legion’s responsibility for the poppy symbol and the millions donated as a result.
The legion once actively and assertively advocated for the rights of veterans and their families. The community work performed by many local branches is highly commendable. Provincial Commands, without consideration of personal reward or enrichment, have frequently launched innovations to assist veterans such as homeless-shelter programs.
In contrast, paid senior leadership at national headquarters, known as Dominion Command and located in a suburb of Ottawa, is at risk of being perceived as out of touch with not just veterans but legion membership. Much of the blame for plummeting membership can be placed directly on the leadership’s shoulders.
Why should veterans care about how the legion manages its affairs? After all, of the legion’s about 254,000 paid members on June 1, 62,000 are listed as “ordinary” members. This category includes those who served in Canada’s military but also retired and serving members of the RCMP, civilian police forces, armed forces of all 28 NATO nations, as well as the Canadian Coast Guard.
There are 700,000 serving and retired Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) personnel. The legion’s website states that almost 100,000 of its members are veterans. However, one insider I talked to estimates that fewer than 35,000 legion members have served in the CAF, or five per cent of the CAF veteran population. Rather than an organization for veterans, the legion exists more like a social club using veterans as props.
The legion national leadership has long attributed membership decline to the sad passing of war veterans. There is little truth to this. Of the 37,000 members who did not renew last year, only one in 18 was because of a veteran’s death. The legion’s national leadership has failed to curb the voluntary exit of so many, as well as attract enough veterans and other Canadians alike.
Notwithstanding the legion’s long decline in membership, the legion profoundly benefits from Canadians’ sympathy and support for all veterans. Canadians don’t wear the poppy to honour the legion, they wear it to honour men and women who offer to sacrifice for Canada. That is why all veterans, but also all Canadians, should care deeply about how the legion is managed.

As the legion website states, “On June 30, 1948, the Royal Canadian Legion was given the responsibility to safeguard the poppy as a sacred symbol of remembrance by the people of Canada through an act of Parliament in which the Legion was granted trademark copyright of the poppy symbol in Canada.” The website also notes, “Canadians are fiercely proud of our veterans.”
We are also fiercely proud of our poppy. It was Canadian John McCrae’s poem that spawned the adoption of the poppy symbol in many countries to represent the sacrifices of war.
The legion has what can only be described as a monopoly and legal stranglehold upon the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. Such immense responsibility requires the highest standards of transparency, openness, and accountability.
Instead, Dominion Command leadership has at times practised a standard that more resembles evasion and obfuscation.
A barely noticed article in Le Journal de Montréal published just before Remembrance Day last year raised questions about the management of this sacred responsibility. The newspaper reported that of the nearly $16.5 million raised the year prior from poppy donations, Dominion Command could account for only $114,000 awarded directly to veterans from its own Poppy Fund while millions more lay dormant. The legion said Le Journal de Montreal report contained “incorrect or misleading information” and said that the $16.5 million was “distributed to veteran related services in communities across the country.”
This same leadership recently transferred $500,000 from Canadians’ poppy donations to the Invictus Games when the money may not go directly to Canadian veteran participants. Rather, poppy money would support the operation of the games, involving wounded soldiers from 16 countries. Would providing volunteers and hosting the cross-country torch relay not be sufficient?
For such weighty responsibility, national leadership has taken a rather tacky path to marketing the poppy symbol. One can purchase poppy drop earrings, poppy napkins to become stained with food, umbrellas, mittens, toques, and headbands, not to mention stuffed poppy puppies. This is far from responsible management of a sacred symbol that represents death in war, loss of limb, and the wounding of minds and souls.
In an attempt to restore some confidence, Manitoba Command has urged Dominion Command to be more transparent by disclosing salaries and travel expenses. Dominion Command refused to allow the discussion of Manitoba’s motion at the biennial national convention to be held June 11 to 15 in St. John’s, Nfld.

What will not be discussed openly can be deduced through legion financial statements and other non-confidential sources.
Not counting Legion Magazine, Dominion Command has 43 permanent employees. Most are clerical staff, such as those who manage supply, finance, and membership. Managing this small group are four directors and a dominion secretary, Brad White. In the public service, 43 employees would merit one director at most. In the military, this would be the equivalent of base or wing administration led by a single lieutenant-colonel.
In rejecting the motion to reveal salaries, Dominion Command circulated a five-page brief indicating “we pay LESS than the going rates in the marketplace.”
Steven Clark, director of administration for the Legion’s Dominion Command, told The National Post that it hasn’t been disclosing individuals’ salaries for privacy reasons. There is no legislative requirement to do it, he said, as the organization is not federally or publicly funded. Expenses are tightly controlled after concerns were raised by members in 2014, the Post reported him saying.
For my analysis, I used the equivalent of market rate or higher for non-directors to deduce, from the 2016 Dominion Command budget, a conservative salary range of the directors. To measure the market rate, I used websites that compare salaries like payscale.com and glassdoor.ca.
Salaries for the directors of supply and finance are likely $115,000 to $140,000 and $120,000 to $170,000 respectively depending upon whether market rate or above-market rate is applied to other jobs in these sections. Notably, all salaries are budgeted separately from employer-paid benefits such as pension contributions.
As for the director of administration, the deputy director of marketing, and the dominion secretary, these three salaries were less apparent due to a reorganization not reflected in the most recent budget. Nevertheless, out of a total salary budget of just over $2.8 million, these three positions account for $425,000to $555,000.
Considering other directors’ salaries, deputy directors could be earning $95,000to $120,000 while the director of administration, likely the highest-paid director, could receive from $140,000 to $180,000. This would leave $185,000 to $255,000 for the dominion secretary’s salary.
Dominion Command does publish one salary: the janitor/custodian at $26,800 annually, roughly $13.50 per hour. The market median for this job is $16 per hour or $32,000 annually.

The Service Bureau section is the most opaque. Six service officers and two assistants help veterans access disability benefits, a job similar to Veterans Affairs Canada’s client service agents and case managers. Case managers have medical, nursing, social work, and often post-graduate backgrounds. Do any of the service officers have such credentials? Are they bilingual? Do they have university degrees? Assuming the current director makes $110,000 to $130,000 to manage seven employees, service officers could earn up to $80,000. This is the maximum a VAC case manager makes and 80 per cent more than new client service agents earn.
Of all sections, the Service Bureau demands accountability and transparency: 90 per cent of its budget is paid for by Canadians’ poppy donations.
A director in the public service can earn $107,000 to $140,000. Commanders and lieutenant-colonels command ships, squadrons, and regiments earning $116,000 to $124,000. None of Dominion Command’s jobs has responsibilities to justify such stratospheric salaries. It is not clear what responsibility Dominion Command has for what occurs at the provincial or local branch levels. All are responsible for their own accounts, charitable status, tax filings, service officers, and poppy campaigns.
If Dominion Command approves below- or at-market rates for the majority of its employees, then directors and deputy directors are receiving excessively exorbitant compensation for limited responsibilities. If leadership authorizes more than market rates, then Dominion Command has misled legion membership about salaries. Similarly, paying more than the market demands shows irresponsibility and incompetence in managing trusted membership and poppy funds.
Part of the problem lies with an elected executive that meets biannually. Paid senior staff may see the executive as a nuisance. The current elected president, Tom Eagles, has spent 37 years in the Legion but never served in the military. He has worked as a groundskeeper and maintenance worker at the recreation centre for the village of Plaster Rock, N.B. The Legion website indicates Mr. Eagles is also past-president of Plaster Rock’s Minor Hockey League and sat on the board of a 30-bed local long-term care facility.
An admirable rise through legion ranks, but what skill set and experience does he bring to assume the sacred responsibility of protecting the poppy for all veterans and Canadians? Add to this the 75 per cent legion membership who never served in the military, and the appreciation for the poppy is bound to become diminished and distorted.

Dominion Command and Tom Eagles declined multiple requests to answer questions on these matters or to be interviewed.
The monumental responsibility of safeguarding the poppy should not remain with leadership that fails the most basic tests of transparency, accountability, and democracy—not to mention sound and fair management. Dominion Command’s doors must be open to a forensic audit so that all of Canada, including Parliament, and every veteran, can attest to the protection and preservation of the most hallowed symbol of sacrifice. The memories embodied in the poppy must remain sacred when the veteran is long gone.
Sean Bruyea, vice-president of Canadians for Accountability, is a retired Air Force intelligence officer and frequent commentator on government, military, and veterans’ issues.

http://www.hilltimes.com/2016/06/08/why-canada-needs-to-pry-open-the-doors-of-the-legions-headquarters/68360