Royal Canadian Legion / Topics & Posted Articles

I am thinking of joining the Legion here in Halifax and clearing house. If you can not produce proof of service or a legal relation to a Veteran, away you go.

The fox guarding the henhouse, yup in a nutshell Sparrow.
Almost self-preserving (serving) in a circular way.

I'll forgo any legion bashing, no place for that on csat.
Legions just ain't my cup of tea for some reason
If it is for others... well whatever sets you free.
It is a free country.

I guess the civilian Legion members don't want competition when surviving civilians of veterans wear real medals. Afterall those fake medals they wear make everyone 'think' they were in the military.

Legion refuses to budge

Canadian law must change on who allowed to wear war medals

Guest opinion by F. Ben Rogers- I hope that Legion members take a moment to read my views on the Royal Canadian Legion today. We have watched many changes over the years, some sensible changes, some not so. I recall an event back in early 1964 whilst serving in the Royal Navy. I was stationed in Halifax with the 6th Submarine Squadron. I, along with two shipmates, attempted to enter a Legion Branch in Dartmouth N.S. Even in uniform we stopped at the door and informed we could only enter if invited by a member.

Move on to the 1980s and we hear that Indian veterans wearing turbans are refused entry because one must remove headdress when entering a legion. However, it seems today those once-ever-so-rigid rules have done a complete about face. It would appear today almost anyone might apply and receive membership.

There is a reason for this, membership has been falling off drastically in the last decade and many branches are failing. There are as many veterans in Canada today as at the end of the Second World War. The problem is few of the newer veterans are showing an interest in the Legions.

I can’t speak for all the branches, only those local ones to which I’m familiar. The feeling I have when entering a branch today is comparable to entering most local bars or watering holes. Along the walls are banks of gaming machines and tables filled with strangers. Probably the gaming machines are essential to the survival of the business.

I have attempted to make changes and to hopefully attract the interest of those many veterans who stay away from the legions. Yet with every turn I run into roadblocks from those in Command provincially. One item that needs to be changed is the law pertaining to who may wear medals. Section 419 of the criminal code states only the owner of a medal may wear it. However, should a mother-widow or family member chose to wear their late loved ones medals to a Remembrance Day ceremony, as they do in most other Commonwealth countries, that person is subject to arrest and prosecution. The maximum penalty is a fine of $5,000 or six months in jail.

I see no harm in amending this section of the law to allow family members to show their pride and respect for their late loved ones. It does not mean relatives must wear these medals on Remembrance days, it merely allows those who chose to, to do so.

Changes are desperately needed; the Legions must be more visible to the general public. We need to visit schools more often and talk with our youth, not just on Nov. 11. Branches should be commemorating other events on a more visible scale, the Battle of the Atlantic, Battle of Britain, D Day and the more recent conflicts How about the occasional church parade once in a while.

I have learned one important fact as a regular speaker at Remembrance services in Island schools for the past 17 years. I enjoy telling the students of my experiences during the blitz, the air raid shelters, shortages, ration books and the blackouts etc. Children show a great interest and ask many and widely varied questions . . . many are drawn to my own medals. They ask about them want to touch them and learn about them.

I hope that Legion members reading this article will consider what I have stated. If you agree with me, then please let your branch know how you feel about this law. I have endeavoured to have the law amended through a resolution. My Provincial Command turned it down last year. This year I reworded it and asked it be forwarded to the Dominion Command Convention in June of this year in NL. Once again it was turned down at Provincial level.

The most upsetting part of this issue is why my resolution should be blocked. One would think to ask why, and believe me I have asked many times, but have yet to get a reasonable answer. One of the usual opposition answers cited is in regard to the phoney sergeant, Frank Gervas. None of that has any bearing on the amendment I have proposed. Whatever law is in place there will always be someone ready to break it.

That unfortunately is life and we can’t change it. However, it does not mean we should not attempt to improve existing laws where we find flaws.

F. Ben Rodgers of Abram-Village is a member of Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 17, Wellington

http://www.theguardian.pe.ca/Opinion/2016-03-08/article-4459811/Legion-refuses-to-budge/1

They better not disclose my bar tab! The legion issues me a T8 slip at tax time! I'm asking for a form 1198 to spread my tab out over the last 10 years , the lest they could do, I think!

Implemented in the 1600 hundreds and now 2016 & the pension act is a mess.
Why? Because it is 2016😏

Harper's Conservatives nor the Martin's Liberals had no authority to change the Veterans Pension Act.
I didn't vote for the changes, did you?
I voted for the upgrades promised? 22 march 2016 leading to 100 years of Canada Veterans Pension ACT.

WE HAVE HISTORY TO BACK UP OUR CLAIMS. WHY HAVE THEY MADE THINGS SO COMPLICATED? TO CREATE CIVILIAN JOBS FOR THEIR CIVILAN FRIENDS.


The 1593 and 1597 statutes were taxation Acts and gave the barest indication how pensions were to be claimed and determined. A more detailed statute was enacted in 1601,(5) which superseded the earlier statutes and recited reasons for the legislation including:

"... And forasmuch as it is now found more needful than it was at the Making of the said Acts, to provide Relief and Maintenance to Soldiers and Mariners that have lost their Limbs, and disabled their Bodies in the Defence and Service of her Majesty and the State, in Respect the Number of the said Soldiers is so much the greater, by how much her Majesty's just and honourable defensive Wars are increased; (2) To the End therefore that they the said Soldiers and Mariners may reap the Fruits of their good Deservings, and others may be encouraged to perform like Endeavours ..."

Section 8 of this Act set out the manner in which claims for pension were to be made. The disabled veteran was required to bring a certificate of service from his commanding officer to the County Treasurer. That certificate was to set out the facts of his service and the nature of his disability. The provision then said: "... then upon such Certificate, such Treasurers as are before expressed,
shall according to the Nature of his Hurt and Commendation of his Service,
assign unto him such Portion of Relief as in their Discretions shall deem
convenient for his present Necessity until the next Quarter-Sessions; (7)
at which it shall be lawful for the more (sic) Part of the Justices of
Peace under their Hands, to make an Instrument of Grant of the same or like
Relief, to endure as long as this Act shall stand or endure in Force, if
the same Soldier or Mariner so long live, and the same Pension be not duly
revoked or altered ..."



The Act placed an upper limit on such pensions at 10 [pounds sterling] per annum for an ordinary soldier or mariner and up to 20 [pounds sterling] per annum for certain officers. Section 9 permitted Justices of the Peace to reduce, revoke or vary such pensions from time to time: "... upon any just Cause ... according to their Discretions in their
General Quarter Sessions".



The statute provided that Treasurers and Justices could be fined for failing to do their duty under the Act (sections 12 and 15 respectively).

Hospitals were established at Kilmainham in 1684, at Chelsea in 1690, and at Greenwich in 1705 to look after disabled and aged veterans.(6) The Commissioners at Chelsea were given the task of maintaining a list of pensioners and administering disability pensions, including determining initial and continuing eligibility for pension for "rank and file" veterans. Pensions for former officers were managed by the Admiralty or the War Office.(7) This system continued until the First World War.

Literature from Guess who?

"A pox of this gout, or a gout of this pox! For the one or the other plays
the rogue with my great toe. `Tis no matter if I do halt; I have the wars
for my colour, and my pension shall seem the more reasonable. A good wit
will make use of anything: I will turn diseases to commodity."

I will turn diseases to commodity, like all, I would rather have health in order to provide for my families commodities.
Rehabilitation is not easy.

ATTN:

Veterans, Veterans Family

22 March 2016 Budget Day

Will this mark the day of reconcile with VETERANS marking the 100 the anniversary of the Pension Act est.

HISTORY IN THE MAKING AND WE WILL FIGHT FOR OUR BENFEITS FOR THE NEXT GENERATION OF VETS

Canada

The first Canadian veterans' pension legislation was the Militia Pension Act, which provided pensions to those persons who served in connection with the Fenian Raids of 1866 or the Northwest Rebellion of 1885. However, these were not disability pensions.

Provision for disability pensions was included in Appropriation Acts in 1917 for those who had served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force in the First World War. The legislative scheme for its management was enacted in the Pensions Act 1919, which established the Board of Pension Commissioners for Canada.

An independent tribunal, the Federal Appeal Board, was established in 1923 to review veterans' disability pension decisions.(35)

In 1930, the Federal Appeal Board was replaced with a Pension Tribunal and a Pension Appeal Court.(36) Under this new system, primary decisions were made by the Board of Pension Commissioners (the Commission). A veteran could apply for review of a decision by the Pension Tribunal, and if still dissatisfied, could appeal to the Pension Appeal Court. The Commission could also appeal to the Pension Appeal Court.(37) Each of these decision-makers reviewed the matter de novo.

The Canadian Pension Commission was established on 1 October 1933 to replace the Board of Pension Commissioners. On 1 July 1939, the Pension Appeal Court was abolished, and in its place was put the Appeal Board of the Canadian Pension Commission.(38)

In 1971, the Pension Tribunal was replaced with an Entitlement Board and the Appeal Board was replaced with the Pension Review Board. In 1987, the Pension Review Board was replaced with the Veterans Appeal Board.(39)

In 1995, the Entitlement Board and the Veterans Appeal Board were replaced with the Veterans Review and Appeal Board (VRAB).(40) The VRAB has dual levels of review. The first level of review involves a preliminary examination of the papers, in which the Board may decide to remit the matter to the Department, schedule a hearing before a Review Panel or dismiss the application as trivial, frivolous or vexatious. If the matter is heard by a Review Panel the applicant has a right to appear and give evidence. If the applicant is dissatisfied with the decision of a Review Panel, application may be made to an Appeal Panel, which reviews the application on the documentary material only.

The next generation is stepping in boys and girls. Straight up answers, That is all we want. No more beating around the bush. The snake is in the bush and it is coiling around itself. The GOC will have to answer to what they promised Veterans.

Yep there is a big eruption and schitt filled corruption spewing all across this country at all levels.

I keep wanting to step foot in a Legion, but why? The Oath of Allegiance? People who have never or may never serve a day in their life are helping themselves to FUNDS, which are supposed to be in place for us VETERANS, not Joe public.
My kids and my grand kids will be educated at all cost and deterred from joining the military.

Enough rambling,
What do we do about it, that is the question? Probably like many on this site, I was ignorant to the fact it was even happening to this extent, what a bunch of crooks!

Doesn't the Legion have 'charity status'?

If they do I believe they have to disclose all info as per Rev Canada rules.

I think this is only starting to gain traction. As much as we bitch about the Legion and their approach to advocating this could drag VAC into this problem which could possibly lead to a change in VAC dealing with vet orgs and their accounting info to their members.

The phrase about letting the fox guard the henhouse comes to mind.