11 W ednesday , N ovem ber 10, 2010 O A KVILLE BEA V ER w w w .o akvillebeaver .co m By Catherine OHara METROLAND WEST MEDIA GROUP Brotherhood. Camaraderie. Community. Royal Canadian Legion branches have long been known to offer veterans some respite from civilian life a place to share battlefield experiences over a beer with buddies. But with dwindling membership, todays legion has more to worry about than suds flowing over the steins. In the last five years, Ontario membership has declined by nearly 15 per cent. According to the Royal Canadian Legions paid membership summary, the organization boasted 149,757 members across the province in 2006, but 127,601 as of September 2010. Officials say the decline can be attributed to Canadas aging Second World War and Korean War veterans. Certainly, our veterans arent any younger and a lot of them have passed away, said Dave Gordon, executive director of the Legions Ontario command. Provincially, 3,176 members passed away in 2007. In 2008, nearly 3,300 members died and another 3,065 passed away last year. In 2007, there were 8,910 new and reinstated members at Legions across the province. The following year, there were 9,088 new and reinstated members, and in 2009 the number dipped to 8,773. Modern-era veterans who carried the nations flag on their sleeves during the Gulf War and throughout peace- keeping missions in Bosnia and Afghanistan, lead differ- ent lifestyles, which could also speak to the overall decline in new membership, said George ODair, the dominion commands vice-president. In an attempt to appeal to the younger generation of veterans and their families, Legion leaders must think outside of the box. They are revamping their facilities and introducing new programs that cater to the interests of todays families. While acknowledging that the Royal Canadian Legions provincial membership has dipped in recent years, ODair says the situation is looking up. Yes, membership has been declining, yet this year ... its not going to level off, but it is going to come relative- ly close to levelling off. As of September 2010, the Legion has seen 6,997 new and reinstated members across the province. Describing the modern-era veterans as the leaders of tomorrow, the membership chairman hopes the many efforts under way to retain members and appeal to todays servicemen and women will pay off. The Royal Canadian Legion offers three membership categories, including ordinary, associate and affiliate members. Civilians are welcome to join their local Legion branch and get involved in a variety of outreach programs and activities in their community. For more information, visit www.on.legion.ca. Canadian Legion numbers dropping MICHELLE SIU / OAKVILLE BEAVER NIKKI WESLEY / OAKVILLE BEAVER By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF There is no I in the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 114 Oakville just we. So says Second World War naval veteran Bill Shields who has been president of the branch for 11 terms since the early 1960s. The fact that numbers are dwindling as veterans age and die worries Shields, but its not a new trend. What is a new trend is that the Legion is currently sup- porting a Keep our veterans off the streets campaign. To think that veterans of the fight against the Taliban in Afghanistan or other peace-keeping missions around the globe since the Korean War, may be coming home and liv- ing a life of homelessness, is exactly why the Legion exists and always has to look after the countrys veterans. The Oakville Legion has existed since it received its char- ter in 1926 as the Great War Veterans Association. It later became the Canadian Legion and then the Royal Canadian Legion. In the 1970s, the Oakville Legion boasted a membership 1,100-strong. Several decades later, the branch sold its building at Navy and Church streets downtown Oakville and purchased a building at 36 Upper Middle Rd. it downsized. Today, the branch has 350 members. Just like other branches, our membership is declining. At one time, we had 1,100 members. Over the last 10 years, it has declined to about 350 members, said Shields. That, at the same time as membership has become increasingly open. Now, not only are veterans members, but their sons or daughters can join and the general public, too, can sign up, too. There is an education process involved in joining, said Shields, noting everyone involved is taught about the Legion, its purpose, its history and the Poppy. While Shields realistically admits there may come a day when the branch will turn over its property to its national or provincial overseer or the local municipality, he said the Legion remains popular despite its declining numbers. He By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF As membership declines in many Royal Canadian Legions, the guy at the helm of the Bronte Legion says the outfit is healthy and growing. There will always be a Legion, said Ron Landers, the new president of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 486, General Chris Vokes Branch. While numbers may be declining, in general, as veterans age and die, the Bronte Legion has actually benefitted from a membership increase in recent times. While it may be only a dozen people, its still good news as some Legions consider their future. Historically the local Legion Hall was the social centre of many Canadian towns. In Bronte, thats still true to a certain extent. Its there youll find fish fry Fridays, Saturday night din- ner and entertainment, Sunday afternoon fare, euchre, the annual Christmas bazaar, Canada Day and Civic Day barbe- cues and of course, annual Remembrance Day services. Its all available at a reasonable price, too, said Landers. Landers, who has just stepped into what will be a two- year role, was the branch president a dozen years ago, too. In the interim, hes functioned at the district level of the Royal Canadian Legion a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization (veterans organization) founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Today current service personnel as well as a host of mil- itary and police are eligible to belong. So, too, is everyone else. They may not be service per- sonnel, but the Legion has a place for them by offering a variety of memberships. With Landers, who grew up in a local military family, but was not in the military himself, at the helm, its hoped membership will continue to increase. As veterans age and die, Legions are ever focused on attracting new members. There are those who serve currently, but many of them, when they return home are raising families, admits Landers. However, the old stigma of the Legion being a place of Oakville Legion has long history of serving community RED FRIDAYS: Brian Ray, White Oaks volunteer Greg Taylor and Shirley Tracey serve up some fresh haddock during Oakville Legion's Wear Red and Support Your Troops Fish Fry Fridays. Bronte Legion still popular SPECIAL GUESTS: Lieutenant-Colonel Guy Smith (left) Oakville MPP Kevin Flynn and Ron Landers, president of Royal Canadian Legion, General Chris Vokes Branch 486, Bronte view Sundays Remembrance Day parade at the Legion Hall. 100,000 110,000 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 120,000 130,000 140,000 150,000 Declining Legion membership Royal Canadian Legion Ontario members SOURCE: Royal Canadian Legion See Bronte page 15See Red page 17