The Royal Canadian Legion History

The Royal Canadian Legion History Prior to World War I, the Un er such complicated (a) to constitute an association med services in Canada conditions some fourteen or of those who have served or ~rerepresented by regimen- fifteen national veterans' are serving in Her Majesty's .Efassociations; scattered groups sprang up between 1917 armed forces or any auxiliary q£S':Qfvarious type~ and one and 1925. They had no united force .and of others who ominion-organizatton: The voice, no united. effort. support the puq~oses a,nd riny.and NavyVeterans of Attempts were made to co- objects of the Legion, which anada .. Membership to these operate their activities but association shall be democra- roups was limited and mostly each group's objectives tic and non-sectarian, and estricted 'to «. large urban seemed different from the next shall not be affiliated to or entres., Their activities were and thus they appeared to connected directly or indirect- argely" devoted to' discus~ion work at cross purposes. ly with any political party or If;~,service" national. functions Unity was the only hope that organization; md.assisting needy comrades the veterans had in order that (b) to bring about the unity of their needs be fulfilled. III distress." ' all who have so served; L Canada was totally unpre- , In 1925,the Dominion Veter- (c) to further among them the pared for' the' holocaust of the ans Alliance came into exis- spirit of comradeship and Great War; it was also unpre- tence, spurred by the plea of mutual help and the close and pared for rehabilitation prob- one man in particular - Field kindly ties of active service; lems which arose when peace Marshal Earl Haig of Bemer- (d) to pass on to their fal!l~lies syde, Commander in Chief of finally came. Some idea of the and descendants the traditions .immensity of the problem IS the British Armies. Having for which they stand; indicated by the fact that more had experience with the grow- (e) to perpetuate the memory ing pains of the British Legion, than 600,000 men' had seen and deeds of the fallen and of he was invited as guest speak- those who die in the future; service; nearly 60,000 were •er at a convention of all veter- killed in action; 138,000 were (f) to promote and care for ans' organizations in Ottawa. wounded and some 130,000 memorials to their valour and In 'November 1925, all organ i- sacrifice, to provide suitable men were discharged medical- zations met in Winnipeg for a ly .'unfit as a result of their burial, to keep an annual "Unity Conference". memorial day, to preserve the service. What the government The inspiration and dedica- ; suffered from most was lack of records and memories of their tion of men such as Earl Haig service and to see that such "experience, when dealing with and General Sir Richard these problems. Veterans, on services shall not be forgotten Turner .bore fruit. The Legion by the nation; whose advice it depended, was born and by July 1926 it lacked organization. (g) to ensure t~at proper at~en- was self-supporting. , " tion shall be paid to the welfare ,'The obvious result was - Considerable time had been 'confusion and a lack of facili- spent on the 'preparation of a of all who have served and the welfare of their dependents ties to handle the multitude of COQstitution and it is interest- , , problems. The government , ing to note that it was so well and to see to the maintenance. had to start from scratch WIt~ prepared that few, changes and comfort of those who. regard to _war pensiorradmi- - have been found necessary to require special. treatrnent., nistration. The world economic this day; particularly the disabled, SIck", dilemma made matters worse. aged and needy, and to prom-, - An unemployed veteran, Purposes and objects of ote the welfare of their returning to his homeland, the Royal Canadian Legion dependents; noticed wealth and prosperIty (h) to educate public opinion around him WhICh had arisen The purposes and objects of regarding national duties to during th~ war ~s ~ result of the Legion shall be: the dead, the disabled and, increased industrialization and others who have served, and specialization, drastically their dependents; stepped up to meet ~he demands of the war machme. The veteran returned to Cana- da his heart full of glory, but his belly empty. Little w~s being accomplished on hIS ~ ~12..1V\t::\ Q..I\ \-\ eftu.1 behalf and he was bitter. \\ ~ISU l'1& 7 ~Ac.b5l2.f\ 4'Z.fA) Honourary Members (i) to foster loyalty among the (r) to establIsh, organize and- Persons recommended at public and education in the regulate provincial, district various levels of the Legion principles of patriotism, duty and local bodies of women for who accept and support the and unstinted public service; the purpose of assisting the purposes and objects of the (j) to strive for peace, goodwill Legion in seeing to the ~ainte- Legion and who are associatea and friendship among all nance 'and comfort of disabled, in the advancement of these nations, at the same time' sick, aged and needy ex- purposes and objects in the advocating the maintenance servicemen and women and past by giving time and work. by Canada of adequate and their' dependents, and to co- sufficient forces on land, sea operate with the Legion in the Fraternal Affiliates and in the air for the defence of promotion and carrying out of our country and for the all aims and objects of the Open to persons who support discharge of those obligations Legion, such a group to be the purposes and objects of the which rest upon us by virtue of. known as a ladies' auxiliary of Legion, particularly in the our partnership in the The Royal Canadian Legion; field of community service. Commonwealth; (s) to acquire, hold, sell or Ladies' Auxiliaries (k) to support suitable under- lease real and immovable, takings for the training, personal and movable The formation and operation employment and settlement of property; of Ladies' Auxiliaries to ex-servicemen and women, :(t) to raise and co-ordinate commands and branches is and the education of their encouraged. This is a most children; ,lJ..lnds 'for assisting those -mentioned in the preceding important segment of Legion (1) to preserve their statutory, membership. acquired and legitimate rights, paragraphs, to provide for the 'administration of the Legion and those of their dependents Legion Progress and Growth . and, in so doing, to offer the' and its authorized provincial Legion's co-operation to those and, district commands, branches and ladies' auxiliar- From its inception, the officially charged with the Legion quite naturally responsibility of administering ies, and to see that .these and. other funds raised for such concerned itself primarily with such rights by federal or other the battle . for adequate governments; purposes are applied to those, purposes and noneother; pensions and other benefits for (m) to assist comrades now war veterans and the depen- serving, especially in connec- - (u) to act generally on beQ~!f dents of those who had lost tion with their return to civil of all those who have serv~dlip their lives as the result of war. life, and to safeguard the inter- Her Majesty's forces; Beneficial changes were ests of those dependents whilst (v) to encourage, promote, effected but the Depression of they are in service; engage in or support all forms the 1930s created a whole host (n) to assist ex-servicemen to of national, provincial, munici- of new problems. The Legion secure not-less than the recog- pal or community service, or nized standard rates of wages; any charitable or philanthrop- . was continuously involvedboth (0) to' secure adequate ic purpose. in local endeavours and nation- pensions, allowances, grants al undertakings in efforts to and war gratuities for ex- Ordinary Membership improve the desperate condi-, servicemen and women, their tions of veterans in most of dependents, and the widows, In general terms, Ordinary Canada. A significant develop- children and. dependents of membership in The Royal ment in this Qeriod was the those who are dead, and to Canadian Legion is open to any introduction of the War Veter- labour for honourable provi- person of good character who ans Allowance Act in 1930.This sion being made for those who, served in Her Majesty's forces benefitted those prematurely in declining years, are unable and whose services terminated aged by their war experiences: to support themselves; under conditions other than but who were not, in most (p) to co-operate with the dishonourable. This includes instances, eligible for war Commonwealth and Allied those who have two years' disability pensions. associations of similar aims service in the RCMP or , With the advent of World and objects; Reserve Forces. .War 11,the Legion was revital- (q) to establish, organize and Ized by the demands made regulate provincial, district Associate-Voting Membership and local bodies, or commands and branches in convenient Includes any person who is a centres throughout Canada son, daughter, spouse, widow and elsewhere; or' widower of an Ordinary member in good standing or of an, ex-service person who is or was eligible to be such a member and who has attained the age of majority under the law of the province where he resides. The structure of the Legion upon it and the influx of new -, Through a further study In consideration of what the members. The effort during undertaken jointly by the Legion can achieve, some and immediately after the war veterans' organizations and understanding of how it works was prodigious.

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