This is in response to the letter published on Feb. 9 edition of The Surrey-North Delta Leader regarding the decline of the Royal Canadian Legion.
While it is true that the traditional membership base of the Legion has aged, it is not time to ring the death knell of this iconic Canadian organization.
In B.C.-Yukon, our 153 branches with over 65,000 members continue to contribute more than 600,000 hours each year to the communities we serve.
We are seeing younger people finding rewarding membership and volunteer opportunities in our branches which we know will pick up momentum going forward.
We are innovating and modernizing. For instance, many of our branches interact with their members and the public on Facebook.
We are actively recruiting members and are looking for people (with or without military connections) to join the Legion family. Our branches offer incredible opportunities for mentorship and volunteerism in addition to being “a place where everybody knows your name.”
Some of the biggest myths about our organization is that you have to wear a uniform – you don’t.
You have to have military service or have it in your family – you don’t.
What we know – and want others to understand – is that as a member of the Legion, you can be part of a great and welcoming social organization, to volunteer, to get help if you are in need through our many programs, or even to gain real world experience by serving on our leadership teams.
Some of the nicest people I know are Legionnaires and we aren’t fading away.
Inga Kruse
Executive Director
BC/Yukon Command
The Royal Canadian Legion