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Legion, auxiliary keeping busy
by Corey LeBlanc coreyleblanc@thecasket.ca
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The Royal Canadian Legion Arras Branch 59 new executive includes Greg Prichard (back, left), treasurer; Robert Hillier, 1st vice-president; Tom Hanway, president; Jim Boyd, past president; Tom Conners, 2nd vice; Bill Hull, member-at-large; Francis MacKinnon (front, left), member-at-large; Barb Conners, member-at-large; Gordon MacDonald, sergeant-at-arms; Judy O’Leary, secretary and John Conners, member-at-large. (Submitted photo)
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Royal Canadian Legion Arras Branch 59 elected a new executive for 2010.
“There’s a lot still on tap,” Arras branch president Tom Hanway said about plans for the year.
Hanway said one of the ongoing projects is the plan to move the Antigonish cenotaph from Chisholm Park to Columbus Field.
“We have no firm dates or a finalized plan, but it is certainly something we are still working on,” Hanway said.
One of the highlights of 2009 was the extensive renovations conducted at the branch’s Main Street location.
“They are 99 percent completed I would say,” Hanway offered, noting federal funding helped make the initiatives possible.
The final piece of the renovation puzzle in the works is the changes to upstairs washrooms for accessibility.
“We eventually want to add some proper display cases for the memorabilia from our archives,” he said.
Hanway added there are plans for construction of an additional office for the branch’s poppy chair and service officer.
Hanway said the renovations have provided a variety of helpful alternatives, particularly since there was some lost space when the membership decided to lease out the J.K. MacDonald House next door to a local business owner.
“The renovations provided us with storage we needed,” he said.
Hanway added the cadets regained office and meeting space they formerly used in the “White House.”
With new windows and a more eco-friendly lighting system, Hanway said the modifications have also provided savings.
“Our utility costs are down considerably.
“We have also lessened our carbon footprint,” he added.
With a brighter building, Hanway said the “ambience is a lot better.”
“It has brought our building to a level where we will be able to attract people either as members as people renting or using the hall,” he added.
Legions across Canada are facing the challenge of declining membership, and the Antigonish branch is no exception. Nevertheless, in the last couple of years, the local branch has maintained membership numbers from 320 to 330.
“It has stayed pretty stable in the last year,” Hanway said, noting membership renewals for 2010 are coming in steadily.
“Yes, we are,” Hanway said when asked if the branch is stable financially.
“The big thing for us was turning over the White House and starting to use it as a rental property,” he added.
Hanway said that source of income “took away burden” on the legion’s finances.
For those interested in becoming members of Arras Branch 59, they can phone or drop by its Main Street location.
Hanway added the needed documentation is available on the provincial and national legion websites.
“They also describe in fair detail the benefits to members,” he said, spelling out the “objectives and principles” of the service organization.
The ladies’ auxiliary of Arras Branch 59, a key part of the local organization, is looking for members.
“We are getting older; there are many of us with health problems,” auxiliary president Ida Borden said.
Borden said there are six to 10 members who work the lion’s share of the auxiliary’s activities, which include catering to weddings and a variety of other functions.
The auxiliary’s hard work translates into benefits for the community. Donations are made to organizations such as R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home and the Antigonish Community Food Bank.
“We also host a monthly bingo for the residents at the R.K.,” Borden added.
Auxiliary members help prepare and serve food, along with the clean-up, during events the group hosts, including weddings, dinners and the annual veterans’ banquet.
The auxiliary is an invaluable part of the legion’s parent branch, including making an annual $5,000 donation to its coffers.
“We get a lot accomplished,” Borden said.
For more information on becoming an auxiliary member, phone Borden at 863-4676.
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