AR PL Re. pt ase ARE a A ---- RR le ld LT.-COL. L. R. LAFLECHE, D.S.0. Past Dominion President of the Canadian Legion, B.E.S.L., and one of the outstanding leaders in the cause of unity for all service men and women throughout the Dominion of Canada. The Canadian Legion has been fortunate in the high calibre of the men who have had the responsi- bility - of guiding its destinies as a Pominion-wide organization. Not the least of these is Lt.-Col. L. R. LaFleche, of Ottawa, the immediate past Dominion President of the Le- gion. Ever since the Legion came ito being, Col. LaFleche has been its guiding influence. Under Lt.- Col. Sir Percy Lake and General Sir Arthur Currie, its first two Dominion presidents, he served as first vice-president, and, by reason of his residence in Ottawa, he be- came the working head of the orga- nization during its initial years. Un- der his guidance, the Legion grew go be a power in the land, and his posi- tion as a wise and able léader was recognized in 1929, when, at the not- able Regina Convention, he was elected Dominion president. Fur- ther and even greater recognition was given to him in 1930, when, be- fore the special parliamentary .com- mittee on returncd soldiers' prob- lems, he was chosen as the spokes man for all veterans' organizatic and for all war veterans in Canad Largely through his effort in this capacity, the pension *act amend- ments of 1930 were made possible. He is now a member of the Pen- sions Appeal Court, and in April of this year, on account of the stress of other duties, he retired from the presidency of the Legion, carrying with him the sincere thank able efforts, and the good v all his comrades of the Leg EX-SERVICE MEN AND THE i BRITISH LEGION (Editorial from the London Times) "In conmection with fhe tenth an- niversary of the formation of the British Legion on July 1 a special national effort is to be made this year to expand its activities by in- creasing its membership. Described by the Prince of Wales as one of our greatest organizations for do- ing good, the Legion starts the sec- | ment will result ond decade of its beneficient work with a total of 3,635 branches in LT.-COL. F. J. PICKING Provincial First Vice-President and Honorary Secretary. Lt.-Col. F. J. Picking, or "Pick" as he is affectionately called, first served His Majesty in the Imperial Forces, and was, at the outbreak of war, an officer of the 24th Kent Re- giment, of Chatham, Ont, He went overseas with the 33rd Battalion, served with the 58th Battalion in France, and was severely wounded at Sanctuary Wood on June 13, 1916. His disability prevented his return to France, and he served in England in staff appointments until he returned to Canada in June, 1918. Col. Picking has been a Legion enthusiast since its early days, first as a member of the St. Thomas Branch, and, in 1928, by his election as second provincial vice-president at Kingston, At Hamilton, in 1930, he was elected provincial first vice- president. Since the Dominion Convention at Regina he has been Dominion representative for On- tario. Since the Hamilton convention, Col. Picking has been ? honorary secretary of the Ontario Command, 1d chairman of its special finance committee, and has done a remark- able work in re-organizing the whole Legion organization in the province. England, Ireland, and Wales, be- sides fifty-one other branches over- seas and 1,190 in the Women's Sec- tion. There are still, however, a large number of ex-Service officers and men who have not yet joined its ranks, and it may be hoped that the circulation in detail of information by means of leaflets to be distribut- ed to all who are eligible for enrol- in bringing in a steady flow of new recruits, The in- ducements, as those who belong to the organization know, are many and substantial. In the last ten years, in grateful remembrance of the heroic sacrifice and devotion of the men of our armies in the Great War, a sum of three and three- quarter millions has been placed at the disposal of the headquarters staff of the Legion by the public. Thanks to this generous help it has been possible to lighten materially M. McINTYRE HOOD Provincial Second Vice-President "Mac" Hood has the distinction of being the first "buck private" to be elected to a provincial vice-pre- | | sidency. Born in Scotland, he came to Canada in his teens, and in June, | 1915, enlisted in the 59th Battalion. In November, 1915, he went over- scas, and was drafted to tht 24th Battalion in France. He was thrice wounded, in the craters at St. Eloi, in the "June show" at Sanctuary Wood, and finally at Courcelette, on the Somme. After a long period in hospital, he was discharged in Oc- tober, 1918. Comrade Hood was prominent in the old G.W.V.A,, and was vice-pre- sident of the Kingston branch in 1919. On moving to Woodstock, he was a member of the executive of that branch, When the Legion was formed in Woodstock, he was one of its earliest 1....abers, and served on its executive. On moving to Oshawa in January, 1929, he became chairman of the executive of the Oshawa Branch, which office he held until elected president in 1931. He was' elected to the provincial exe- cutive in 1929, at St. Thomas, and last year, at Hamilton, was elected second vice-president. 'He has served since 1929 as a member of the special provincial finance com- mittee, and has visited most of the branches in Ontario. As a news- paper man, he has been able to render valuable service to the Le- gion, not only locally but in a. Do- minion capacity. the lot of the survivors and their dependents, by providing regular employment for those who could not find work for themselves, by se- curing pensions and war gratuities for those in need, by the financing of emigration schemes for men, wo- men, and children, and, generally speaking, by supplementing the va- rious systems of relief for which the Government is responsible. But the debt can never be paid in full, and, although the constant in- crease year by year in the sum rea- lized 'by the sale of poppies is a welcome sign that their claims are OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE, OSHAWA BRANCH, LADIES' AUXILIARY Front row, left to right: Mrs. A. Buckley, 2nd vice-president; Mrs. R. Armitage, secretary; Mrs. H. Foote, president; Mrs. J. Caunt, 1st vice-president; Mrs. W. Macklow, treasurer. Back row, left to right: Mrs. J. Pollard, Mrs. A. Gladman, Mrs. J. T. Dalby, Mrs. W. Culling, Mrs. C. Brown and Mrs. C. Jarvis. The Oshawa Auxiliary has been a powerful factor in the success of the Oshawa Branch. not forgotten by their fellow-coun- trymen, the ex-Service men who have hitherto held aloof from the movement can themselves do a great deal to extend the usefulness of the Legion by realizing that the help of the strong is urgently needed for the succor of the weak. A year agq, after careful inquiry into the methods of administration at head- quarters and the manner in whicl the various funds are raised and al- located, the Bridgeman Committee was able to report that in both re- spect$ the Legion was free from | any serious blemish. "Regarded | as a whole," they added, "the his- tory of the Legion constitutes a re- cord of successful achievement, and tends to confirm our confidence in this remarkable channel of public sympathy and appreciation." with that aut} i the value of their ¢ that headquarters staff now appeal to ex-Service men, without exeeption to "come over Harry Gibbons, sergeant-at-arms, for Branch 90, Canad serving his 13th consecutive ye the local returned men's orga tion, being appBinted by G.W.V.A. branch in 1919, and tinuing when the Canadian succeeded the G.W.V.A. The Legion is convention in the Gener: Auditorium through the of the executive officers of the con pany, who are paying the rent out « their own pockets. | Every man who Canadian Corps knows of the Oshawa Red Cross Society served len- plen did effort put forth during .the dark days of 1914 to 1918 by the Ca dian work the Oshawa Red Cross cty In, that Soci- Organ- Red Cross Society. played its faithful part. ized in 1914, it was fortunate in hav- ing h lic ser ance, sacr it had x s its leaders citizens 1 on willis 1t carried f 1c years, the I ss Society raised for it work a sum of close to $100,000, : arr the the than 500 case over 125,000 and comfort of the Fifteen different women h 241 life me crs, and 2,460 as , a total of 5236 in rscas to cene e end of the war, ho e the end of the : 1 Cross the close of the wa on a peace-time pre iting its eff on hely war yeterans and their deper Society 1 rts in the | did sou ents, and, in recent years, taking of sick and undernourished Iren of the city at the Red Cross ike Ontario. In this cn who need special x and care are given holidays during the summer months, under the supervision of a trained and ex- pert Matron, Mrs, McKenna, The care of the children has, in fact, been the special work of the society, which pioneered many of the child welfare efforts which have since been absorbed into the city's public health department. In various emergencies, such as I » earthquake, the Hai- ley ire disaster, and the Coch- local branch has viding relief. ne ri been active in pr The war veterans of Oshawa are | grateful to the Red Cross Society | for the help it has given them from time to time, and particularly Mrs, F. W. Cowan, convenor of ion, who has been one friends to all ser- I'o her, above » a debt of gratitude can never be repaid save by igh places which she will ever hold in their esteem and affection. able to the ladies' of the greatest sect This special Convention Edition of The Oshawa Daily Times is a splen- enir of this great gathering. Take a few copies to your branch. is --_§_". _ ---------.." EEN -- THE -- Gay Company: LIMITED Builders and Contractors Joins with the citizens of Oshawa -- ed 5 ai wn v 2 Bn ann. oh a a i in extending a sincere and cordial welcome to Earl Jellicoe, Admiral of the Fleet, the overseas represen- tatives and the delegates to the an- nual Provincial Convention of the Canadian Legion Our wish is that your visit to Osh- awa may make the 1931 Conven- H tion one of the outstanding events in Legion history. we THE =e COMPAN Limited ROBERT D. PRESTON THE OSHAWA PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION Extends a Cordial Welcome to the anadian Legion Convention As a public body devoted to the service of our community, we are glad to wel- come to our city an organization which has been built vice. on the same high ideals of ser- It is our sincere desire that your convention sessions may be an inspiration to all who are privileged to attend them, and- that your entire stay in our city will be so pleasant and profitable that as an organization and as individuals you will always look back to the Oshawa Convention as one of the great milestones in your history. We have a progressive and hospitable city of which we are justly proud, and in bid- ding you welcome, we can assure you that the work of service you are doing has the whole-hearted support of the entire comm unity. Signed on Behalf of the members, JOHN TH LIC UTILITIES COMMISSION STACEY, Chairman. ALLCHIN