Legion News - Branch No. 75 - Oct. 25

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By Warren Smallwood

      Publicity

The Oct. 20 meeting of Rivers Legion opened on time with 17 members present. Hugh Depencier was sworn in as a new member; welcome to our new comrade.

The Wednesday bingo was moved from Oct. 22 to Friday, Oct. 24 because of the election.; if you thought you missed bingo here’s your chance to go tonight! The Legion bonspiel is set to go on November 22.

There was considerable discussion around Remembrance Day. Rivers Collegiate’s gym is not available this year because of the floor repairs reported in last week’s school column, so the ceremony will be held at Riverdale Community Centre. Although readers now know of this change, we will still post signs on the doors of the high school to remind you about the change in venue. Legion members will also be posted at both floors of the community centre to assist people getting in and out of the elevator. Set up of crosses, wreaths etc. will take place on the evening of Monday, Nov. 10, which would have been our usual Legion meeting date; therefore, our November meeting will take place on Nov. 17.  

Work on the roof has started; the flat portion will be finished as soon as possible which should take care of the leaks. New shingles on the arch portion of the building will be installed in the spring when weather permits a better sealing process. 

We received word that all future publications and manuals from the Legion will only be available online; no more printed copies will be sent out. We will now check our protocols and procedures by swipe and tap, rather than flipping to the Post-it note in the hard copy. Some unintelligible mumbling was heard but this writer’s hearing was not good enough to be able to report what was said.

The nomination committee presented a new slate of officers; there were no nominations from the floor so all positions were acclaimed.  Comrade Dave Oakey will step down as president to become past-president; Comrade Darryl Childerhose will move to president; Comrade Ken Young moves to first vice-president; Comrade R. Whitt will become second vice-president. All other executive positions remain the same.

At the close of the meeting two framed pictures were presented to the Legion; Reg Vining of Winnipeg sent them. (You may remember at the September meeting that this former Riversite, now at age 99, joined our branch and attended the initiation ceremony with his granddaughter Denise Stewart.) One picture shows the members of his artillery gun crews and the other is the self-propelled 105mm guns they used. The 107 Battery was part of the 5th Division and the guns are mounted on tracks like a tank. They were called “Priest” because the command position above and to the side of the cannon looked like a pulpit. These pictures will be hung in the memory room at the south end of the clubroom.

We will remember them.