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Whither the Royal Canadian Legion? Or RCL Withers?

Underway said:
No, no.  We use the colour/lack of an anchor to discriminate who the "real sailors" are in the RCN now.  ::)

That's absurd.

You can tell real sailors because they're clean shaven.  Bearded sailors are the ones who are in shore billets - the better the beard, the longer since they've been to sea, so the more suspect they are.  :stirpot:
 
dapaterson said:
That's absurd.

You can tell real sailors because they're clean shaven.  Bearded sailors are the ones who are in shore billets - the better the beard, the longer since they've been to sea, so the more suspect they are.  :stirpot:

:rofl:

That is some glorious reverse psychology and I love it.
 
Oldgateboatdriver said:
Not enough "bearded-ladies" to account for the feminine side of the house.  ;D

Well it brings the entire topic full circle. All women are amazing sailors by default because of their lack of a beard. What was that airforce vet thinking!
 
Furniture said:
A dinosaur that didn't believe women are in "real" navy trades... Worst part is the guy was former air force.

I was once witness to a timely and appropriate response delivered to a similar insult.

Among other things it involved the deployment of the two sacred words, well understood by those of the military culture: 'F*ck O** :)

 
Not to add fuel to this fire but what the heck.

Several remembrance days ago (it took me 23 trys to spell remembrance correctly, go infantry!) I was at a local ceremony. Won't say which town to avoid embarrassment. The local legion (about 20-25 strong) marched and all the local people clapped and said thanks for your service. Most or all of those marching were wearing "right side" medals (and knowing many personally never served a day in the military)
Meanwhile, myself and many other CF members stood on the side watching in DEU with our Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Cyprus, etc. (No, I haven't been to all this places, just looking around its what I saw, I have only served three tours Bosnia) medals on our "left side".  The public barely noticed us and even asked a few of us to step aside to better see the parade. Ironic. Truth is myself and a RCR sergeant looked at each other and shook our heads. Ironic.

Sad part is, its so Canada. They see something and totally misinterpret it. At that particular legion, serving members drank in one area (nearby base provides plenty of fresh faces for a mandatory parade) and the social club drinks elsewhere. Never the two shall meet.

Anybody else seeing similar things? Or is it just me?
 
ArmyRick said:
Not to add fuel to this fire but what the heck.

Several remembrance days ago (it took me 23 trys to spell remembrance correctly, go infantry!) I was at a local ceremony. Won't say which town to avoid embarrassment. The local legion (about 20-25 strong) marched and all the local people clapped and said thanks for your service. Most or all of those marching were wearing "right side" medals (and knowing many personally never served a day in the military)
Meanwhile, myself and many other CF members stood on the side watching in DEU with our Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Cyprus, etc. (No, I haven't been to all this places, just looking around its what I saw, I have only served three tours Bosnia) medals on our "left side".  The public barely noticed us and even asked a few of us to step aside to better see the parade. Ironic. Truth is myself and a RCR sergeant looked at each other and shook our heads. Ironic.

Sad part is, its so Canada. They see something and totally misinterpret it. At that particular legion, serving members drank in one area (nearby base provides plenty of fresh faces for a mandatory parade) and the social club drinks elsewhere. Never the two shall meet.

Anybody else seeing similar things? Or is it just me?

I've heard such tales, and seen the opposite as well.

I was out in Coquitlam, BC for the whole month of November to attend to the aftermath of the death of a family member. Knowing I would be missing the 11th in Ottawa, I brought my medals with me with the intent of quietly attending whatever small local service I could find. I made my way to the school where the thing was kicking off, and quickly got muckled onto by a local Legion member who saw my gongs and very courteously steered me towards the 'veterans' seating at the front of the school gym for the indoor service. After that, they moved everyone outside and again those of us with service were chivvied to the front section of the small parade they held to the cenotaph where they then finished the ceremony. I was very pleasantly surprised at how many people from the public turned up for the service as well. It was quite well done. The Legion afterwards was very well attended.
 
Army Rick, when I started reading your comment I had to double-check that it wasn't my name at the top. :)
 
ArmyRick said:
Not to add fuel to this fire but what the heck.

Several remembrance days ago (it took me 23 trys to spell remembrance correctly, go infantry!) I was at a local ceremony. Won't say which town to avoid embarrassment. The local legion (about 20-25 strong) marched and all the local people clapped and said thanks for your service. Most or all of those marching were wearing "right side" medals (and knowing many personally never served a day in the military)
Meanwhile, myself and many other CF members stood on the side watching in DEU with our Bosnia, Afghanistan, Somalia, Cyprus, etc. (No, I haven't been to all this places, just looking around its what I saw, I have only served three tours Bosnia) medals on our "left side".  The public barely noticed us and even asked a few of us to step aside to better see the parade. Ironic. Truth is myself and a RCR sergeant looked at each other and shook our heads. Ironic.

Sad part is, its so Canada. They see something and totally misinterpret it. At that particular legion, serving members drank in one area (nearby base provides plenty of fresh faces for a mandatory parade) and the social club drinks elsewhere. Never the two shall meet.

Anybody else seeing similar things? Or is it just me?

Generally, for that sort of stuff my local legion is quite good.  As are the local air cadets.  There a quite a few "woulda, shoulds, coulda's" in that legion and are a bit to excited to talk to a currently serving member.  But I'm also a loudmouth and inject myself into card games and like drinking with strangers so there's that...
 
ArmyRick said:
(it took me 23 trys to spell remembrance correctly, go infantry!)

And in those 23 tries, you didn't bother to check the spelling of "trys"  ;)
 
Six hundred twenty five legions are suing their insurers.  A class action alleges that the insurer claims a pandemic is not an outbreak; the class action is seeking an estimated $20M.

Story: https://london.ctvnews.ca/625-legions-sue-insurer-for-20m-contending-they-have-been-left-in-dire-straits-1.5000047

Video: https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1985930&playlistId=1.4482008&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=twitter&_gsc=ossT3FI
 
dapaterson said:
Six hundred twenty five legions are suing their insurers.  A class action alleges that the insurer claims a pandemic is not an outbreak; the class action is seeking an estimated $20M.

Story: https://london.ctvnews.ca/625-legions-sue-insurer-for-20m-contending-they-have-been-left-in-dire-straits-1.5000047

Video: https://www.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1985930&playlistId=1.4482008&binId=1.810401&playlistPageNum=1&binPageNum=1#_gus&_gucid=&_gup=twitter&_gsc=ossT3FI

“A pandemic is not an outbreak”... I didn’t know Carleton offered law degrees now.
 
Brihard said:
I meant one that gets you in a court room, not a BA.

I'll have you know that many, many Carleton BAs wind up in a court room.  And they get to speak there, too.

"I plead not guilty."
 
dapaterson said:
I'll have you know that many, many Carleton BAs wind up in a court room.  And they get to speak there, too.

"I plead not guilty."

LOL, I've probably accounted for one or two of them.
 
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/woman-donates-collection-to-legion-covid19-1.5646391



Collection estimated to be worth $250,000, says Madonna Porter
Heather Gillis · CBC News · Posted: Jul 11, 2020 4:00 PM NT | Last Updated: July 11


There's a trove of antiques and collectibles in an unassuming building at the back of Madonna Porter's Conception Bay South home.
The treasures in her personal museum include 500 Barbie dolls, countless tea pots, china plates, cameras and other collectibles.

There's an antique Zenith floor model radio hidden behind milk crates of books, and even a picture of Queen Elizabeth during her 1978 visit to the province, sitting with then St. John's Mayor Dorothy Wyatt.
On Saturday, she donated all of it to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 1.
"I had a lot of happy days in my life, but I can say this is the happiest," said Porter, who started collecting about 15 years ago.


Madonna Porter has been collecting for about 15 years. Saturday, she donated 500 barbie dolls, tea pots, and other items to the Royal Canadian Legion. (Heather Gillis/CBC)
Porter, 70, said she started collecting to help cancer survivors, because her daughter died from cancer at age 43.
But now she's getting older, and said she's starting to get sick herself. The collection is too much for her to move alone, and she doesn't know how to use a computer to sell her valuables online.
So she decided to donate her collection.
She said heard on the news that Royal Canadian Legion branches in the province were struggling to keep their doors open, so she called Branch 1 in St. John's.
"And I said, 'Oh my God, he probably won't take me seriously, who got 500 Barbie dolls?'" said Porter.

Executives from the legion's branch visited Porter the next day.
"I don't think they knew what to say," adding she loves to see the expression on people's faces when they first see her collection.
Porter said an antique dealer estimates her collection is worth about $250,000.
People have approached Porter in the past about buying some of her items, but she wasn't ready to sell.
"I wouldn't give you the hair off a Barbie doll over there, right?" laughed Porter.


A vintage floor model radio is hidden behind milk crates full of books in a shed on Madonna Porter's property in Conception Bay South. (Heather Gillis/CBC)
Greg Grenning, president of Branch 1, says the donation will be a big help to the Legion.
"We're just struggling, right now, to keep our doors open," he said.
Grenning said the Legion relies on gatherings like weddings, dances and other social events to make money, which are limited now because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This gesture has been fantastic, and whatever money we can raise will go toward our operating," he said.
Grenning said they will also start an annual scholarship or bursary honouring Porter and her daughter.
But for now, legion members will spend their time carefully packing Porter's collection into boxes, and numbering and itemizing each piece.
Grenning said they will auction items on sites like eBay.

"There's a lot of collectors out there who would like to have some of this stuff," said Grenning.
"Whether we get $10,000 or we get $100,000, it's all it's something we don't have right now.… Whatever money we do get, it's so much appreciated, and [we] can't thank her enough for what she's doing."
While Porter finds it stressful to give away her collection, she said it was meant to be.
"I prayed to God to bring someone to me so it could make my dream come true."
 
Sigh; well done RCL. Sure there is more to the story, and he may have been in the wrong, but kicking a WW2 vet and former branch president out of the legion without giving him any details why or letting him tell his side of the story is pretty shady and cowardly. What a gong show.

'My honour has been shredded': 94-year-old Vancouver vet fights legion expulsion

Royal Canadian Legion won't say why Ralph Jackson was ousted for 'theft or misappropriation' of funds

At 16, Ralph Jackson signed up to fight during the Second World War. Now, at 94, he's fighting for his dignity.

Jackson says he's been expelled from the Vancouver branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, where he was once president, for alleged "theft or misappropriation of legion funds." He says he never got his day in court and still doesn't know the details of his alleged crimes.

"I did nothing wrong. I never stole a penny. I would have liked to have known what money I did steal," says Jackson. "It's like condemning someone out of hand. You just come up with something and say, 'You're a thief.'"

While Jackson was ousted under legion bylaws, criminal charges were never laid.

After a two-and-a-half-year battle to have provincial and national legion headquarters review his case, Jackson is going public in a bid to finally clear his name.

"Before I die, I want that done. I would die gladly with a clean name ... that's what I want for my children to know, that I've been cleared of this," says Jackson. "My honour has been shredded."..

[more at link]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-vet-fights-legion-expulsion-1.5724096
 
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