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No topic stirs up move controversy than asking if the Royal Canadian Legion, formed primarily to support veterans, is still relevant today. Branches are losing members who have passed away. The Legion management has not created any marketing campaigns to expand membership to those who are not in the military. Some branches offer discounts to members for various activities, but many branches do not. Often some activities such as various leagues like darts and shuffleboard only require membership for tournaments.
What suggestions do you have to keep the Legion relevant?
Posted by Member Kildred on Army.ca
I watch it dwindle for 37 years. Every year more civies. Every year, my vote became less and less important. They had an opportunity in 2001 to start drawing new Veterans. For 14 years they failed miserably, they didn’t even try. Perhaps they feared that if enough new Veterans joined, the civilians would start losing power and ignored us? Who knows what they think. Anyway, when they failed to really and honestly make an effort, it sounded their death knell. Things like coming against cannabis treatment for Veterans. Right or wrong, there was no research offered. Just a ‘Don’t do it!’ Maybe they forecasted the loss of drinking revenue and would rather see us drunk in the corner of their hovels than getting better. Again, who knows. The civilian Dominion Executive started burning through money on a myriad of international trips, with their spouses, ostensibly to support Canadian branches in foreign countries :unsure: . They have other problems that further exacerbate the situation. The Poppy Fund is not being used for what it was intended. The only way to make it work anymore is to burn it down and start again.
From another Member –
Legions are closing all over the country for many reasons. In large part, the Legions have been taken over by Associate members who have no, or few, ties to the military. Not many Executive boards have Vets in charge. On the face, the Associates make hay about the Legion goals, but few really take it to heart. They have become little social empires that really don’t think much about the vets. They have trouble looking past next weekks meat draw. They have been told time and again, that in order to survive, they have to reach out and attracts the current crop of returning vets, but they don’t. It would likely mean that down the line the Executive boards would return back to ex military people and the Associates don’t want that. It’s sad to go to Legion functions and see everyone at the head table wearing only Legion medals on the right and nothing on the left side.
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