Royal Canadian Legion
| Royal Canadian Legion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1925 |
| Country | Canadian |
| Type | non-profit (veterans organization) |
| Patron | Elizabeth II, Queen of Canada |
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans organization) founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of members and also affiliated members. It was founded in 1925 as the Canadian Legion of the British Empire Services League and was incorporated by Parliament in 1926. In 1962, Queen Elizabeth II gave the Legion the right to affix the word "Royal" to its name. The Queen of Canada, is royal patron of the Legion; the Governor General of Canada is also traditionally appointed as a patron of the group.
Historically the Legion Hall was the social centre of many Canadian towns. This was especially the case in the provinces with severe restrictions on the sale of alcohol, rules from which the legions were generally exempt.
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Royal Canadian Legion in Côte-Saint-Luc Montreal, Quebec VE Day service
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[edit] Pledge and Motto
Memoriam Eorum Retinebimus : We Will Remember Them
[edit] Mission statement
"Our mission is to serve veterans and their dependants, promote remembrance and act in the service of Canada and its communities."
[edit] Memorial activities
Members of the Legion perform graveside memorial ceremonies for veterans at cemeteries throughout Canada. The Legion also performs ceremonies annually at the gravesites of Canadian and British servicemen interred in the United States, generally on a Sunday in May.
[edit] Legion Athletic Camp
In 1962 the Legion began a summer sports camp at the International Peace Garden which is run to this day, and has helped to train over 42,000 school age athletes. Several sports are offered over a five-week period. The program was founded by George Phillips and Fred Taylor (see www.legionathleticcamp.com).
[edit] Stained glass
The Institute for stained glass in Canada has documented the stained glass at Royal Canadian Legion, Cornwall Street in Regina, Saskatchewan. [1]
[edit] See also
- List of Canadian organizations with royal patronage
- Haig Fund
- The Royal British Legion
- American Legion
- Veterans of Foreign Wars
- Returned & Services League of Australia
- Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association
- Remembrance poppy
- Remembrance Day
- Eswyn Lyster - Canadian warbride author
- David Luther Burgess
[edit] External links
- List of Civilian organizations with prefix "Royal" - Heritage Canada.
- List of civilian organizations with the prefix "Royal" prepared by the Department of Canadian Heritage
- Royal Canadian Legion
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission - official Website
- Returned & Services League of Australia
- Legion Athletic Camp
[edit] References
- ^ Stained glass at Royal Canadian Legion, Cornwall Street in Regina http://stainedglasscanada.ca/site.php?site=108
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