PEC Meeting

Held at Aldergrove Branch #265, Aldergrove, BC

March 28, 2015

Roll Call

In attendance: Angus Stanfield, Marc Tremblay, Bob Brady, Kathy Ensor, Valerie MacGregor, Glenn Hodge,

Vivian MacNeil, John Scott, Laurie Meadows, Sharon Brady, Irene Brown, Charlotte Cederholm, Jim Diack,

Glen Hill, Leo Crossland, Bonnie West, Doug Misfeldt, Dale Johnston, Rick Lundin, Dwight Grieve, Bev

Mansell, Jane Anderson, Bill McGuire, Lizz Lindsay

Chairman: Ed Findlater

Deputy Zone Commanders: Peter Merola, Peter Dunford, Roy Cardinal, Bonnie O’Neill, John Gates, Maggie

Kempin, Frank Truman, Bonnie MacMillan, Cliff Slack, Steve Cochrane, Karen Kuzek, Wayne Knight, Richard

Steele

Staff members: Inga Kruse - Executive Director, Gail Budd - Controller, Jamie Morrison – Branch Advisory

Coordinator, Irene Hannon – minutes

Discussion from Previous Minutes

Mileage was based on price of gas, but due to the changes in gas prices Glenn proposed that we adopt the

CRA’s annual rate and update it annually. Motion to change the mileage rate to the CRA posted rate.

Motion carried.

Expense claims – need to be in no later than Feb 15th for prior year’s expenses. Motion that all expenses be

submitted by Feb 15th for the prior year for payment. Motion carried.

All revenue brought in from the sales of regalia at Convention, will go towards the Convention expenses.

Transportation costs will increase as we will offer to transport delegates to the parade. Moved acceptance

of 2015 Provincial Convention Budget. Motion carried.

President’s report – see Appendix A

Angus Stanfield shared the items discussed and approved at the recent DEC meeting and highlighted the

major changes. These items can be read in the DEC minutes.

A motion to pass the President’s report was passed.

Standing Committee Reports

Honours & Awards – see Appendix B

Jim Diack reviewed his report and a motion to adopt the report was passed.

Jim brought up that he would like to present all current Provincial Executive and Past Presidents with the

90th Anniversary commemorative medal at Convention. Motion passed to present all PEC and Past

President’s with 90th Anniversary Medal.

A motion was passed to present Angus Stanfield with a Provincial MSM.

Military and Veterans Service Report – see Appendix C

John Scott highlighted his report and a motion to adopt his report was passed.

Sports Report – see Appendix D

Glen Hill reviewed his report and made a motion that Provincial Executive Council support, regional sports tournaments for Euchre, Darts, Eight Ball, Crib and Golf, from mid‐August to early October, all at no cost to Command other than some staff support time. Motion passed. A motion to pass the sports report was passed.

Youth Report – see Appendix E

Leo Crossland highlighted his report. A motion was made to increase the Gerontology Bursary from its

current rate of $2,000 to $5,000 to reflect inflation over the past 14 years. Motion passed.

Discussion took place about the Poster contest and the eligibility of entries from student’s taking

professional art courses. These entries do not qualify as they are not part of the Canadian School system.

Zone Commanders were asked to keep watch and follow up with teachers on submissions that seem like

they have had adult or professional assistance.

A motion to pass the Youth Report was passed.

PR and Marketing Report – see Appendix F

Kathy Ensor highlighted her report. Discussion took place about proper budgeting for Legion week events.

Glenn Hodge warned that gaming money is not to be taken advantage of and cuts will be made to budgets if

we feel that items were over-priced.

A motion to accept the PR and Marketing report was passed.

Membership Report – see Appendix G

Kathy Ensor spoke about

Foundation Report – see Appendix H

Bob Brady reviewed his report and readout the grants that were given at the previous day’s Foundation

meeting.

BC Regiment Museum Society –Battlefield Tour - $15,000 Canadian Cancer Society – Camp Goodtimes Leadership – $5,000 Victoria Hospice – Tilt-in Wheelchair –$3,000 A motion to adopt the Foundation report was passed.

TVS Report – see Appendix I

Lizz Lindsay reviewed her report and a motion to adopt the TVS report was passed.

Executive Director Report – see Appendix J

Inga Kruse reviewed her report.

Member Benefits – see Appendix K

Laurie Meadows highlighted her report and a motion to adopt the report was passed.

Constitution and Bylaws Report – see Appendix L

Jim Diack highlighted his report and a motion to adopt the report was passed.

Poppy Report – see Appendix M

Glenn Hodge reviewed the report and a motion to adopt the Poppy report was passed.

2015 Poppy Budget

Glenn reviewed the proposed 2015 Poppy Budget.

Dominion Command has asked for money from all Commands to help them reach their goal of raising $1

million to fund brain imaging research and technology at the Royal Ottawa Hospital for Mental Health. A

motion to give $150,000 out of the Command Poppy Fund to Dominion Command was passed.

A motion to approve the 2015 Poppy Budget was passed.

Discussion and explanation took place regarding changing the current poppy assessment system to a mill

rate. This was for the information of the Zone Commanders and a proposal will be brought forth to the

delegates at the upcoming Convention.

Branch Advisory Report – see Appendix N

Valerie MacGregor highlighted her report and a motion to adopt the report was passed.

Branch #53 Duncan – Coffee Shop

Jamie Morrison presented the idea of opening up a small hall or multipurpose room that Branch #53 Duncan

can use for their branch and rental purposes as well as a small coffee shop that can help fund the branch

operations. The response from PEC was very positive and Jamie will be doing more research into putting a

budget together in order to proceed.

Half a million dollars is being paid by branches in non-exempt Property Tax each year. He offered assistance

to branches wanting to pursue a property tax exemption.

Axis Insurance Managers

Clive Bird and Lee Weitman provided a handout (see Appendix O) and spoke about the benefits of the group

insurance program.

Treasurers Report

Glenn Hodge presented the Treasurers Report and a motion to adopt the report was passed.

Zero Tolerance Policy

Glenn presented changes to the Zero Tolerance Policy (see Appendix P). Motion to accept the policy as

presented was passed.

Zone Audit Committee

Branches and BC/Yukon Command are required to provide audited financial statements, but Zones do not

and this needs to change. Glenn asked for 3 volunteer Zone Commanders to create an audit committee to

review Zone Financials. Jim Diack, Bev Mansell, Leo Crossland, and Rick Lundin volunteered.

2014 Financial Statements

Glenn Hodge reviewed the Financial Statements. A motion to accept the audited financial statements was

passed.

Fenety Contract for Military Service Recognition Book Motion to accept Fenety Contract for 2015. Motion

passed.

John Goheen Contract for 2015 Military Service Recognition book

A motion to accept the contract for John Goheen as the MSRB coordinator for 2015 was passed.

3pm adjournment.

President’s Report to PEC March 2015 

  Comrades,   I  feel  that as  this  is  the  last PEC of my  term,  it  is  time  to  reflect on our progress over  the past  two years:  One of the highlights for me was when we were successful in getting the change we lobbied so hard for with  Liquor Control  to  get  families  into our Branches.  This  is how  it  should be. Another major achievement  for  the  good  of  the  future  of  this  Command  is  our  insurance  program.  It  is  fully subscribed  to  and  embedded  in  our  Command, we must  appreciate  the  stability  it  has  given  this organization and guard it fiercely. These are the two most important initiatives and have strengthened our Command and will prove invaluable as we move ahead.  I want  to  thank  everyone  here  for  their  dedication  and  hard work  this  past  term,  it  has  been  a pleasure  to  be  part  of  this  team  and  I  have  a  small  token  of  appreciation  for  each  of  you.  I  look forward to our next term, there are some great people  in the wings.  I am not going anywhere and  I pledge to do all I can to support them and this organization.  I hesitate to pick out any one committee because they are all  important and  I believe all have seen success, but there are two very  large and often overworked  in my opinion, committees that deserve mention.  

Branch Advisory we know this is a monster of a job. This committee gets a lot of our best resources, and is very time consuming. Val MacGregor and her committee of many, many people deserve a huge pat on the back. Some branches that were all but gone are now moving ahead on a solid footing. Congratulations Valerie!  

Membership  ‐  the  other massive  challenge  ‐  I  truly  believe  that we  have  turned  a  corner. Winning both the One‐on‐One contest and the Bert Garret Award is recognition of the work of the  committee.  Everyone  in  this  room,  every  branch,  every  member  has,  under  Kathy’s leadership, recognized the importance of membership and applied themselves. We know how frustrating it can be, change comes slowly but we have seen progress. Kathy ‐ outstanding job! 

 The re‐structuring of Command has proven to be the right thing to do,  it  is successful.  Inga and her team have this command humming along  like a well‐tuned machine. The supportive phone calls and emails  from  branches  that  previously  avoided  contact  with  Command  are  proof  that  the  re‐organization  has  had  the  desired  effect.  Along  with  creating  better  working  relationships  with branches,  the  Command  team  has  been  very  careful  on  the  bottom  line  and  delivered  the  goods without breaking the bank. We know that being on a shoe string is not good in the long term, and we must invest in our operations, but in the recovery period from a major renovation, the staff has been incredibly devoted to their jobs and making it all work.   

I also want to commend the unity and determination shown by this Command at the past Dominion Convention. Our resolutions and determination to have these matters dealt with on the convention floor  did  not  go  un‐noticed  by  the  rest  of  Canada.  The  budget  for  2015  that  was  presented  at Convention was over $1.1 million  in the red. Since convention every committee was ordered to  look for savings and at the recent DEC meetings we approved a budget with over a Million Dollars shaved off of  it.  It was voted on and passed  that going  forward  there will be no more deficit budgets. We must live within our means and I think our message was received.   As we move forward we have to strive to maintain the respectful relationship with our staff that exists It  is essential  for our  future  success  and  anything or  anyone  that  threatens  this harmony must be dealt with immediately and harshly. I have seen environments where it doesn't exist and it is HELL. So let's continue to support our staff and step up and be as involved as possible in this last push before convention.  A final note to our Zone Commanders  ‐ those of you  leaving us this term,  I would  like to personally thank you for your service. You have been the leadership team who has enabled great change in our Command. We hope that the new Zone Commanders will take their cues from those of you who have been willing to do new things, take chances and embrace the future.   Respectfully submitted, Angus Stanfield, President   

Honour and Awards Committee Report to PEC 

March 2015 

 

Since  the  last  PEC  meeting  this  committee  has  processed  thirty  nine  life  membership 

applications, of with two were returned to the Branches for a variety of reasons but mostly due 

to the quality of the citation and lack of information. 

Three MSM  applications were  processed,  and were  approved  at Dominion  Command.   One 

Palm Leaf application and six Friendship awards were processed and approved. 

On  February 28th, 2015 at Cumberland, BC,  the Whyte brothers,  James and W. Bryson were 

presented with the Knights of the Legion of Honour of France for their role at ‘Juno Beach’ June 

6th, 1944.  Both brothers were in different Canadian regiments but arrived on the beach about 

the same time. Approximately 500 veterans across Canada will be or have received this award, 

but it is believed they are to only two brothers to receive the award together. 

Comrade Richard Hilton of Comox was  the  recipient of  the Special Force Congressional Gold 

Medal, on 8 March 2015, he is 99 years of age.  He was a member of the ‘Devils Brigade’ during 

WW 11.  Apparently he was the only person in BC receiving this award.  There are six recipients 

in Canada and about 25 in the USA. 

It  is  important  to  remind  all Honours  and Awards  committees  at Branch  and  Zone  levels  to 

ensure the correct forms are used and complete, detailed information is provided.  New forms 

for  Friendship,  Life  Membership,  Media  Award,  MSM/MSA/Palm  are  now  available  for 

download from Dominion command website;  http://www.legion.ca/members/resourses. 

Please remember, as a volunteer organization, thanking volunteer is extremely important. 

I thank Irene Hannon, Command support staff, and the committee members for all their work. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Jim Diack, Chair 

Committee Members: Bonnie West, Wilma Stevens, Mark Whitely and Roy Cardinal 

Military Veterans & Seniors Services Report to PEC March 2015 

  Central BC The City council asked for a presentation on the 5th of January as they wanted to know the Veterans opinion of the closing of the VAC office in Prince George. This was also the day the Minister resigned so made the presentation all the more meaningful. The Council was very concerned our veterans were not being well served and made two resolutions of support that were unanimous:  

1. Send a letter asking the office be reopened to the local MP’s and the Minister of Veterans affairs 

2. To activate the Community Covenant the Council formed in December to ensure our veterans are honoured. This is a council of towns and Villages in the north formed to ensure the North gets heard.  

I was also asked to do a presentation to the Rocky Mountain Ranger Unit in Prince George. They wanted to know the role of the Legion and in particular the Service Officer. There was an opportunity to discuss the Veterans Transition Program and a lot of interest in the Skills Conversion Program. I discussed the need to become members, not only as a place for entertainment, but the opportunity to effect meaningful dialog with the Government. I also made it clear that although the Legion is making strides and working hard to represent the younger generations they will never get the chance to have input unless they join and have their say. I issued 30 membership forms and some have begun to trickle in to the Branch Membership Office. I was assisted on this Presentation by the President of Branch 43.   

  Seniors Housing Vancouver Island There are a few smaller housing complexes on Vancouver Island in smaller communities such as Sooke, Chemainus and Comox and they are simply Independent Living. The two larger complexes on the island are in Central Saanich and Langford.  Legion Manor Victoria is the largest situated on 5 acres with 79 Independent living units and 68 Assisted living units. The independent living units presently have a two year waiting list at the Assisted living has approximately 25 on the waiting list. The standards are high in this complex and have attained the BCSLA Seal which is awarded semi‐annually for excellence. The community presently has a 7 passenger van and is in the process of purchasing an 11 passenger bus with two wheelchair spots with a lift.  Prince Edward Lodge is situated next to the Prince Edward Legion in Langford. The complex has 30 Independent units again with a large waiting list. It boasts a central lounge for activities with a small kitchen attached for special events which are weekly.    

Inner Warrior The Inner Warrior program is situated adjacent to CFB Esquimalt and the Dockyard which makes it easy for the Military personnel who need the help to attend. The program is a yoga program specially designed for Military personnel and Veterans suffering with PTSD. Currently they run 5 courses per year which are approximately 8 weeks in duration meeting twice weekly. The uniqueness of this program is that the spouse or significant other can attend and join in. The course teaches coping methods for those suffering from PTSD and is certainly very helpful and is enough for some. For those with more advanced PTSD it is a good starting point until they can be registered for our VTP program or privately through the military. Dr. Tim Black is assisting by writing the research element to the program. Unfortunately, they suffer from a chronic shortage of funds, luckily however, many are helped with the little funding they do receive.   Visit by General Leslie and LCol Sajjan I, Terri Orser, assisted in setting up a visit at the Langford Legion on the 19th of January 2015 for General Leslie, former Chief of Land Staff (Leslie is currently the military advisor to Justin Trudeau and will run for the Liberal Party in Ottawa) and LCol Sajjan who is the Commanding Officer of the BC Regiment in Vancouver. They were there to   talk with and listen to Veterans who are suffering from an operational stress injury(ies).  There was no press at this meeting.   This was passed to other Veterans to attend and it was felt that we should use every opportunity presented to let people know the good and the bad of what we live with everyday and I attended the meeting as another Veteran with an OSI.  I was in no way endorsing anyone, but respectfully listened to what they had to say Veteran to Veteran and I was truly impressed. I do not believe they were going to hear as much as they did.    Homeless Veterans Initiative Terri Orser and Dave Sinclair will be visiting homeless facilities to meet the people in charge to find out if there are any homeless Veterans that could come to Nurse’s Visits by Verity Home Care at Prince Edward Br. 91. The Legion will provide the transportation to and from the facilities and the nurses and care aids will take care of any medical needs and concerns that the Veterans require such as, but not limited to:  Foot care, haircuts, blood pressure, sugar levels, immunization shots as required, massage therapy, talking to other veterans, a free meal, some items such as toothbrushes, combs, toothpaste, soap etc.  The Verity downstairs clinic donates the clinic and the nurses free of charge, and has done so for two and a half years.  Terri is also meeting with a captain from the base hospital in Victoria to discuss the loss of leave for serving Veterans to attend the VTP program.     

Outreach and Visitation Program Volunteer Terri Orser is a volunteer and has taken the subject course in Ottawa. It is run by the Director of the Service Bureau at Command and the Program Coordinator at VAC.  The goal is to visit as many facilities and Veterans who live in them (we are given the names to visit) and report back. This is to ensure that if a Veteran is in need of something it can be addressed immediately.   We do not get paid mileage, parking, postage or meals but do receive $20.00 per Veteran that is reported on. That basically covers whatever expenses we incur.  Each facility is sent a letter of which Veterans that we will be visiting and why we are there. Each Veteran is read out a statement of understanding and privacy is paramount. Each Veteran is visited for approx half an hour. We are not there to find fault with the facility but rather to listen to the Veterans. We do not prompt the Veterans, if they have an issue they would like to discuss that is what we are there for. For example, maybe a Veteran says they have not received any news back from VAC for a particular issue. That is what we would report and it would be followed up by VAC.  

 Seniors and Veteran’s Housing in Vancouver / Burnaby area: 

 George Derby Care Centre  Report prepared by Ricky Kwan, Executive Director  George Derby Centre provides supportive independent living, complex care, and dementia care for Canadian  Veterans  of  the  Armed  Forces  and  the  general  senior  population;  we  achieve  our mission through commitment to excellence and accountability. The provincial Ministry of Health funds our core services while Veterans Affairs Canada subsidizes our augmented care programs.   The population  is aging. Specifically,  in British Columbia, there  is a projected 1.33 million seniors over 65 years of  age; a 7% increase in this age group from 16.9% of the total population in 2014 to 23.8% by 2030  (BC  Stats, 2014). On  the other hand, our  veteran population  is  getting  smaller. Veterans Affairs Canada, based on data from Statistics Canada, estimated our veteran population, as of March 2014, at 88,400 served during Second World War; their average age is 90, and 9,800 served during Korean War; their average age  is 82. These may be the reason why George Derby Centre  achieves  a  99.9%  occupancy  rate with more  civilians’  admissions.   As  of December  31, 2014,  there  were  about  three  quarters  of  our  clients  are  veterans  (down  from  full  veterans residence).  Subsequently,  VAC  funding  level  drops  which  puts  pressure  in  maintaining  our enhanced program.  Hence, George Derby has been adapting our care delivery model in order to provide  the best care  for  the varying cohort of  seniors at  the Centre.   We have  recognized  fair amount of cost saving in the past few months.  George Derby continues to work with the health authorities ensuring veterans  in the community enjoy the priority access to George Derby  long term care services.   We also persist  in advocating appropriate funding from federal and provincial governments to support  long term care. As such 

we  had  initiated  conversations  with  health  authority  and  provincial ministry,  as  well  as  VAC; specifically on acceptable direct care hours in long term care and funding model that encourages quality improvement.     George Derby  is  venturing  into  the  social  housing  arena. We  are with  BC Housing  and  City  of Burnaby  in the development of 120 units of affordable  independent senior accommodation. The re‐zoning application  sails  relatively well; we anticipated  the  final  reading at  the City Council  in couple months’ time, and ground breaking possibly in the fall.  George Derby’s Board of Directors and the operations team have started a new round of strategic planning exercises since November 2014.  We will consolidate a new strategic plan to better serve our veterans and seniors in spring.   Veterans Memorial Housing Society  ‐ “Veteran’s Manor”   Report prepared by Bruce Burlington, Administrator  Veteran’s Manor  is  located  in Vancouver, and has been operational since 1986.    It was originally intended  to  serve hard‐to‐house Veterans who were displaced  from  the  single  room occupancy hotels  located  in  the  Downtown  Eastside  by  the  city’s  Expo  86  World  Fair  event.    Today, approximately 54 of the 134 residents are Veterans.  Veterans continue to have priority to units at Veterans Memorial Manor.  However, with the dwindling Veteran population, the majority of the Manor’s residents are hard‐to‐house men over the age of 55 who are at risk of homelessness and who may have addiction issues.   In 2013, the City of Vancouver and the BC Assessment Authority designated Veteran’s Manor  as  a  “Class  3  Supportive Housing  facility” which  has  enabled  it  to receive  a  significant  property  tax  exemption  because  of  the  clients  it  serves  and  the  support services  that  are provided  through Vancouver Coastal Health.   Currently  this  aging 29  year old building is facing a serious need to replace or upgrade the mechanical systems and capital assets.  Last year all the stoves in the suites were replaced, and this year the Manor hopes to replace most if not all of the fridges. The building is also facing some serious plumbing issues that will need to be addressed  in  the near  future.   Out of necessity,  the Manor  is expanding  its dependence on Fundraising  to  assist with  these  capital  costs which  also  includes  replacing  the  furniture  in  the suites  and  painting  and  refurbishing  the  common  areas.    A  large  donation  last  year  from  the Vancouver Poppy Fund allowed a major refurbishing of  the Manor’s aging elevator so  the aging veterans can get to and from their suites on the upper floors.  VAC continues to run an office out the building and provides funds for one suite and has priority access to it for emergency purposes or for any military or post military person.        New Chelsea Society Report prepared by Patrick Buchannon, Executive Director  New  Chelsea  Society was  founded  in  1952  by  five  Vancouver  Branches  of  the  Royal  Canadian Legion  to provide  safe  affordable housing  for World  II Veterans  and  their  families.  The  Society welcomed  its  first  resident  veteran  and  his  family  in  1955  into  the  newly  constructed  Chelsea 

Gardens  complex  on  East  52nd  Avenue  in  South  Vancouver.    In  2015, New  Chelsea  Society  is celebrating its 60th Anniversary.    The society has grown significantly over the past 60 years. New Chelsea Society continues to be the  third  largest  non‐profit  housing  provider  in  the  lower  mainland  of  BC  with  19  housing properties with a total of 1,056 units with  locations  in the  five  lower mainland municipalities of Vancouver,  Burnaby,  Surrey,  North  Vancouver,  and  Port  Coquitlam.    A major  development  is occurring this spring  in that the  land that  is owned by the Provincial Rental Housing Corporation on which 7 of New Chelsea Society seniors and family housing complexes are located, is being sold to the Society.  BC Housing will assist in paying the mortgage payments.  This tremendous increase in equity by owning both the buildings and the land will give the Society the ability to sustain itself and be able to grow and develop in the years to come.  The Society’s Chelsea Park supportive seniors housing complex was awarded for the second time the BC Seniors Living Association’s prestigious Seal of Approval for meeting the high standards and best practices in the industry.  The 74‐unit complex continues to operate at near full capacity and has  a  solid  Veteran  population.    This  year’s  Remembrance  Ceremony  at  Chelsea  Park was  the biggest  and  best  ever  with  a  full  ceremony  including  a  pipe  band,  colour  party,  Legion representatives,  a  sing‐along  of  the  old  wartime  tunes,  and  many  presentations  by  resident veterans  on  their  personal  experiences.   A  beautiful  indoor  Cenotaph was  constructed  for  the occasion this year that will be used in the future.    The Kidney Suite Program at Chelsea Tower  is  in  its 15th year and going strong.   Four suites are provided to veterans and  low  income people from around British Columbia that need short term accommodation while  they are  in Vancouver  recuperating  from a kidney  transplant.   The suites are  always  full.  This  program  is  operated  by  the  Kidney  Foundation  of  Canada,  BC  Branch,  in partnership with New Chelsea Society and receives funding from BC Yukon Command, local Legion Branches, and the Vancouver Poppy Fund.  With kidney transplants and organ donations expected to  increase dramatically  in  the  future,  the Society  is  looking  to provide a  two‐bedroom unit  for families where children are welcome.  The  Society  also  continues  to manage Winch House,  a  4‐bedroom,  3  bathroom  fully‐furnished townhouse  that  is  offered  as  free  accommodation  to  Veterans  and  their  families,  and  to  the families of Canadian Forces members, as well as those of Fire, Ambulance and Law Enforcement Services  while  the  members  are  receiving  care  in  the  Metro  Vancouver  area.  Winch  House provides them with a temporary home where they can stay while loved ones are treated at Lower Mainland Health facilities.     Winch House depends solely on donations to operate.   New Chelsea Society is a registered charity and individuals or organizations can make donations to the Society designated specifically for Winch House, and receive a charitable tax receipt.  In 2013, New Chelsea Society established a  strategic partnership with  the Mainland BC Military Family Resource Centre and  this partnership continues  to  flourish.   The Society accepts priority client referrals from MFRC for Winch House, and our long term family housing facilities around the lower mainland.   

Brock Fahrni Veterans’ Hospital Report prepared by Christine Pilot, Administrative Assistant  Brock Fahrni Pavilion  is  located on Vancouver’s west side and  is a  residential care home  to 148 residents.    Currently  25  of  the  residents  are  Veterans  of  the  Canadian  Forces.  The  veteran population  is given priority to the Pavilion, so the centre tends to have a  larger number of men than women  living  there.    The  home  opened  in  1983  and was  refurbished  in  1997.    A  newly renovated  large patio/garden area  is accessible from one floor.   Each floor features a  large  living room/dining  room with  a  fireplace, where  residents  can  gather  to  share  activities.    The  larger community  at  Brock  Fahrni  is  broken  into  smaller  neighbourhoods  physically  located  in  six separate wings.  In 2013, the Pavilion opened a new Family Room where family members can visit and privately dine with a resident.  Also introduced was a new chair that can be easily converted into a bed, so a family member can stay by the side of an ailing resident and have somewhere to sleep.   The Pavilion  is also facing possible VAC funding cuts down the road that could result  in a negative  impact on  the Arts studio and arts  therapy program.   Like other specialized  residential care facilities, Brock Fahrni is looking toward increasing its fundraising efforts to solicit donations to assist in maintaining its services and programs.  Some activity highlights in recent months included the Candlelight Celebration held on August 14 2014.  After the Celebration, the lobby’s powerful red ribbon display was extended to commemorate our Veterans on Remembrance Day.  It included a display of excerpts from interviews of 3 Veterans sharing their life experiences. The Remembrance Day service was held on the third floor dining room on November 11th with representatives from the Royal Canadian Legion, Veteran’s Affairs Canada, PHC Senior Leadership, friend and families of the Veterans. The attendance for the service was so successful that it flowed out to the hallways. The service was followed by a sherry reception and ended with the 12th Field Medical parade starting from the cenotaph in the garden and arching through the hallways of both floors.   Providence Health Care is currently conducting a project, focused on the needs of residents and everyone involved in their care. The project is called “Residential Care for me”. They have engaged their Veterans and their families in resident and family focus groups; they were given disposable camera to capture what was important to them and later participated in audio and video interviews to elaborate on the photos they took. The project is not yet completed.   

Consolidated Report Submitted by Pat Buchannon Executive Director, New Chelsea Society 

Member of the Military Veterans and Seniors Services Committee  

 

 

 

 

Brock Fahrni Banner: 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted, John Scott, Chair 

Committee Members: Tim Murphy, Dwight Grieve, Terri Dammann, Terri Orser, Vivian McNeil and Patrick Buchannon 

Sports Committee Report to PEC 

March 2015 

 

BC/Yukon Provincial Playoffs are currently underway. Curling and Crib have been completed, Darts is 

running this weekend (March 27th to 28th) and Euchre is scheduled for September 12th to 13th. The 

winners that have been reported are: 

Provincial Championship Winners: 

The following are the Crib winners, hosted by Edgewater Branch #199:  

Single: Branch 293 Port Alberni 

Doubles: Branch #107 Chase 

Team: Branch #88 Maple Ridge 

Branch #4 Chilliwack won the Curling Championships, hosted by Branch #14 Rossland. They went on to 

compete at the Dominion Championships earlier this month.  

We have had excellent participation in Darts and Crib over the years and this year being no different. 

However, we have seen a small decline in Curling, this year we had just enough participations to go 

ahead with the Provincial playdowns. Eight Ball is the one sport that we constantly see poor 

participation. In 2013, the Sports Committee had cancelled the playdowns and in 2014, even though we 

were still below the 50% participation requirement the committee had decided to go ahead with the 

championships, in hopes of having more participation for 2015. After many attempts to get more zone 

participation and with no success the Sports Committee has again decided to cancel Eight Ball for 2015. 

As Sports Chairman, it goes without saying that I encourage all members, branches and zones to 

participate. I understand some branches are not in the position to participate but it is truly disappointing 

to have members and branches wanting to play, only to have some zones choose not to participate.  

The Sports Committee has also changed the deadline date for host applications submissions. The new 

deadline will be February 28th as opposed to February 1st and we will be sending out the Call to Host 

memo in early January. 

Here are the 2016 Host Branches for BC/Yukon Command Provincial Playdowns. Dates are yet to be 

determined and will be announced shortly. 

Curling    Branch #113 Ashcroft 

Crib    Branch #32 Agassiz 

Darts    Branch #160 Comox 

Eight Ball  Branch #229 Whalley 

 

Also, I wanted to remind everyone that the National Darts Championships is being held at our very own 

Branch #6 Cloverdale from May 1st to 4th. I hope anyone that is in the area will come out and support 

and cheer on all of the great teams attending.  

At Provincial level, BC/Yukon Command is operating within what it collects from sports registration fees. 

At some point, we may need to make changes to control our costs in the future. Dominion Command is 

currently revamping their cost structure for sports and has made some changes, mostly to travel. The 

next Sports Committee should consider doing the same at Provincial level.  

 

I would like to bring to your attention two motions that were recently passed at the February DEC 

meetings. The first motion was regarding that a mandatory dress code be established for Dominion level 

member sports participants to include collared shirts, slacks and closed shoes. The second motion that 

was unanimously passed was that Dominion suspend Eight Ball and Curling for 2016. At command level 

we will still be proceeding with our Provincial championships. 

In my previous sports report to PEC, I had mentioned that the Sports Committee had been considering 

holding regional sports tournaments in addition to the Provincial playdowns. How this would work is 

each regional cluster will have a host branch, approved by the Sports Committee, who will be 

responsible for putting the whole event together, much like Golf.  The Sports Committee will develop a 

set of hosting guidelines for branches to follow and the cost for the tournaments will be covered from 

the entry fee charged and any sponsorship incentives received. We would like to hold regional sports 

tournaments in Euchre, Darts, Eight Ball, Crib and Golf from mid‐August to early October.  

The Sports Committee has and will actively seek out Sponsors to cover some of the costs for Provincial 

and Regional championships. I am pleased to announce that the Overwaitea Group has come onboard 

as a sponsor this year and will be covering the expenses of the Meet and Greet for each Provincial and 

Regional Tournament, a value of $300.00 per branch. We are currently exploring sponsorship 

opportunities to cover the cost of trophies.  

I make a motion that Provincial Executive Council support, regional sports tournaments for Euchre, 

Darts, Eight Ball, Crib and Golf, from mid‐August to early October, all at no cost to Command other than 

some staff support time, namely dealing with our sponsors and their sponsorships and donations. 

I would personally like to thank all the host branch members who worked with me and those who 

stepped in as the Command representatives on making the events a great success. Thank you to my 

Committee members input as well as Penny and Laura’s support from the office.  

 

Respectfully submitted,  

Glen Hill, Chair 

 

Committee Members: Dale Johnston, Bill McGuire and Bonnie MacMillan 

Youth Committee Report to PEC 

March 2015 

 

 

The Youth Committee has had a  full agenda  since our  last  report  in October 2014 with  four 

projects coming our way. 

 

1. Simon Fraser Gerontology Bursary 

Each year the SFU Gerontology Department forwards the names of three candidates for 

the Gerontology Bursary funded by B.C./Yukon Command. The bursary currently stands 

at $2,000; a  sum  that has not  changed  for many  years. The quality of all  candidates’ 

submissions was  high  and  the  choice  a  difficult  one.  Eventually  the  name  of Marie 

Louise Beaton was recommended by the committee. 

 

Recommendation: 

Since the creation of this bursary in 2000, the annual amount given out of the Command 

Care Trust Fund has not increased.  The Youth Committee would like to recommend an 

increase to the amount of the bursary to $5,000 per year to reflect inflation and the rise 

in school fees over the last 15 years.  

 

1. Video Contest Judging 

Committee members were asked to  judge a number of video presentations submitted 

by young people. It was encouraging to see the number and the quality of submissions. 

Eventually, the committee recommended the following as prize winners: 

Jarred Jamieson        Grade 11  Langley.  1st 

Zikang (Jack) Chen       Grade 12   Surrey    2nd 

Annabelle Coon‐Cook & Brenna Fowler  Grade 12  Bowen Island  3rd 

 

2. Remembrance Poster and Literary Contest 

This  was  by  far  the  greatest  task  of  our  year  to  date.  The  logistics  of  judging 

approximately 180 entries was daunting. Some of the literary entries were forwarded to 

committee members while  the  posters  and  some  of  the  literary works were  divided 

among  a  number  of  committees  in  the  Comox  Valley.  These  included  Branch  17 

members,  retired  teachers and a group of artists  from  the d’Esterre Seniors Centre  in 

Comox. The complete list of winners is attached. 

 

One  comment  that  I, as  interim Chair and  long‐time Poppy Chair at branch and  zone 

levels is that the entry form is a complicated one for many students and their teachers 

to complete accurately. I also would note that many entries were submitted without any 

branch information. 

 

3. Pilgrimage of Remembrance 

It is disappointing that only two zones submitted names of applicants for this significant 

event. The successful candidate was Amy Encina from Oliver. 

 

Please note, this report was submitted by interim chair Frank Burden who has since had to step 

down due to health concerns. Effective March 9th, Leo Crossland is serving as interim chair of the 

Youth committee, however this report stands.  

 

Respectfully submitted,  

Frank Burden, Interim Chair 

 

Committee Members: Jerry Meadows, Leo Crossland, Shaun Francis and Larry Boyd  

 

 

Marketing and Public Relations Committee Report to PEC March 2015 

  The following  is an update on what your Marketing and Public Relations Committee has been busy doing since our last PEC meeting.  Our Website  ‐ All Branches and members should use this site and promote the general public to visit www.legionbcyukon.ca.  The Marketing and PR committee encourage branches to post this link in a prominent place in their building not only for their members but their guests.  Our Blog pages on  the website  are  growing  in popularity and  contain  a number of heartfelt stories.  This  initiative  engages  people  in  the  story  telling  that  matters  for  Veterans, remembrance and patriotism. Blogs are also very much geared to younger people who follow their interests with the bloggers who write on those topics. Please take a few moments to read them and encourage your members to do the same.  The website also provides a place where donations can be made to our Legion Foundation with a  list of donation preferences, where folks can  join or rejoin, the  latest on our youth contests and much, much more.    The Branch Corner  is  an  excellent  communication  tool  available  to Branch Executives as well as Members and I encourage everyone to make use of it.  The Branch Forum section has been moved off the website because most inquiries where sent in via email.    We also  removed  the events calendar on our website because  it was not being used and we never  really  saw  any  big  hits  from  viewership  on  that  page.  Branches  still  send  in  event information  if  they have a big event but we now post  it on  social media because we have a much larger presence and we get a lot more readerships from our Facebook and Twitter page.   The Liquor Regulation Recommendations have now been passed and each branch has received the latest information on the regulations surrounding these changes with a link to ensure they have the most up to date information for their club operations.  The biggest news is of course the right to have families including minors in branches.  This as many of you have said is a step in the right direction and will certainly assist  in moving us  forward and continuing to serve  in our communities.  This committee has budgeted to assist branches with advertising within your communities.   Zone Commanders are asked to bring this availability to their branches at their zone meetings.  The West Coast Women's Show has always been great exposure for our Command!  The event held on October 24th – 26th at  the Tradex  in Abbotsford was another  smashing  success. Our booth  is  tremendous; with  record  numbers  of  promotional  packages,  including Membership applications.  The public interest continues to grown at this event and we will be hard pressed to keep  the Poppy bracelets on hand as well as  the Military Service Recognition Books.   The committee  thanks  our  support  staff,  Penny  Pansal  and  our  volunteers,  Walter  and  Janice Poustie,  Peter  and  Shirley  Dunford,  Irene  Brown,  Karen  Kuzek  and  Dan  Coyle  for  their unwavering support on  this  three day event.    I encourage branches  to promote  this event  to their friends and family and come out and join in the fun at the next big show. The grand prize winner of the Microsoft Surface Tablet was from Chilliwack. 

 Remembrance Week  was  again  highlighted  at  the  BC  Lions  game  "Salute  to  Veterans  and Military Valour" on Friday, November 7th.  Our team worked with the Vancouver Poppy Fund and our Command Staff on this very special tribute to our Veterans. Membership recruitment, mobile giving and of course, Poppy Tagging, are our priorities.  A special thank you is extended to Penny Pansal for doing much of the heavy lifting to make this event the success it was.    The Biennial Newsletter Contest has been completed and a thank you to all the branches who submitted their best newsletter for judging.  This form of communication is an excellent way to promote  your  branch,  be  it  electronically  (which  is  a money  saver)  or  in  hard  copy.    The information that is passed on to your members and to the public is a way to let everyone know what is happening within your branch, what you are doing for your veterans and their families and your outreach into the communities you serve.  The Marketing Committee will go through all the entries and announce the winners under a separate memo.   Legion week for 2015 is coming soon with the deadline date of April 17th for grant applications to be sent in via SurveyMonkey.  I would like to thank our President Angus Stanfield for making it  possible  to  receive  this  year’s  grant.   BC  Yukon Command will  again  provide  radio  ads  to promote  these  events.    The  planned  events  showcase  the  dedication  of  our members,  the increase in public awareness and appreciation for what we do and how we are an integral part of  the  communities we  serve.   With  this  growing  public  awareness many  of  the  branches reported that they signed up new members at their events while others reported there was a lot of interest expressed and applications to join were taken, and we are confident that this will be  the  same  this  year.    You  are  all  aware  that  the  Gaming  Grant  that  allows  us  to  assist branches has with it certain restrictions and reporting requirements.  I would like to thank our command support staff for all they do to make this job a whole lot easier and to Peter Dunford and Daniel Coyle for assisting in the review and approval process of the applications we receive.    Formation  Fun Days has been a great event and  this year was no exception.  It was held on September 19th at CFB Esquimalt.  This annual single‐day event brings together our civilian and military members and their families for a day of team‐building and morale boosting activities. The event draws more than 2,000 people, including many children of deployed personnel.   Dominion  Command  normally  partners  with  us  to  cover  the  cost  of  sponsorship  and  they provided the door prizes for this event. We are hoping to partner with them again for 2016.  I would  like  to  thank  Clifford  Rose,  the  Command  Service  Officer  on  Vancouver  Island  for attending the event with Penny and helping out at our legion booth.  MARPAC  Expo  was  held  in  February  this  year  at  CFB  Esquimalt  and  I  apologize  for  not mentioning it in my last report.     The purpose of the MARPAC Expo is to present information and resources in four areas of focus to the Defence Team and their families: 

Employment possibilities within the Defence Community and government agencies; 

Local and national education institutions; 

Internal  and  Greater  Victoria  recreation,  health  and  wellness  programs,  clubs  and businesses; and 

Businesses’ that offer a military discount.  

We always have great  success promoting membership and  the  Service Bureau at  this event. Many  current  serving members  are  unaware  of  the  help  the  Legion  can  provide with  their Veterans Affairs claims and  it gives  them a great opportunity  to meet our Command Service Officers.  Credit is due to Joseph Waugh, Clifford Rose and Penny Pansal for the fine job they did at this year’s event.  Legion Riders Motorcycle Units was developed to generate more awareness about the Legion, amplify  our  presence  across  the  country,  and  promote  our  services  to  Veterans,  First Responders, and  their  families.   The Third Annual Ride  to Support Our Veterans was held on August 10th  in  the West Kootenay  region and  this year  they  raised approximately $4,000.00.  Congratulations  to  all  the  riders  and  a  big  thank  you  to  our  supporters.    Branches  are encouraged to  liaison with those  interested  in  forming a unit to provide a meeting place and possible  involvement  in  the promotion of a planned event.   Zone Commanders are asked  to encourage their branches to let us know what is happening in their area so we can do our part to promote the event.  BCRTA Golden  Star Awards – we partner with  the BC Retired  teachers  for  this  award. They short  list  and  select  prize  winner  who  are  either  a  student  or  group  of  students  that demonstrate  interaction  with  seniors  and/or  in  intergenerational  projects  in  schools.  The Legion category of award  is given  to projects  focusing on  remembrance and patriotism.   The information  and  application  form  is  available on BC Retired  Teachers Association website  at www.bcrta.ca   The  Military  Service  Recognition  Book  goes  a  long  way  in  helping  us  as  "Keepers  of 

Remembrance" so that none of us forget the selfless contributions made by our Veterans and 

our Military Personnel.  This publication is filled with wonderful stories and photos recognizing 

many of  the Military Service Members and Veterans of British Columbia and  the Yukon. The 

gratitude expressed by our Veterans and their families speaks to our commitment to promote 

Remembrance.   This year’s edition will be  shipped  to branches prior  to November 11th   and 

provides  is  a  great opportunity  to distribute  them  to municipal  authorities,  first  responders, 

schools,  libraries  and many  other  locations..      It  is  also  a  great  tool  for  promotion  of  The 

Legion’s role in the Communities we serve.  As a reminder, future submissions are to be sent to 

the BC Yukon Command office by the deadline date of June 30th, 2015.  

Commemorative & Anniversaries This is a new sub‐committee whose purpose is to liaison with Dominion  Command  on  commemorative  and  anniversary  events  and  to  promote  them throughout  our  Command.    There  are  many  commemorative  and  anniversary  dates  we recognize and reflect on.   This year, Canada  is marking the centennial of the First World War and the 75th Anniversary of World War II.  The details of this Community Funding project from Heritage Canada are covered in memo #30.15.  The important thing to always remember is the sacrifices  that our brave men and women have and are making  to allow us  the  freedoms we hold so dear.   Look for future announcements on events your branch may want to participate in.   

I would like to thank those members of my committee who have pitched in to help us get the word out to the public. As always, Command staff members have been an efficient and helpful support to our committee and we appreciate their work.   Respectfully submitted, Kathy Ensor, Chair        Committee Members: Daniel Coyle, Greg Olson, Roy Cardinal, Dyane Betts, Bev Croft and Peter Dunford  Subcommittee Chair: Richard Vandekamp  

Membership Committee Report to PEC 

March 2015 

 The 2014 Membership Year is now history and congratulations to all branches in your recruitment and retention efforts.  I can’t tell you how excited I was when our Command was awarded the Bert Garrett award for our branches’ 2014 new member recruitment efforts! This clearly demonstrates that we are turning the corner on engaging the public to join our organization. On top of that, improved retention of retaining existing members also shows a bit of an upward turn over the past few years, yet as I noted below this is where we need to focus more effort to achieve our goals.      To briefly summarize the membership breakdown for 2014:   81 Branches showed losses ranging from 1 – 99 members  Total  ‐1,847 3 Branches showed losses ranging from 100 – 199    Total  ‐469 2 Branches showed losses greater than 200      Total  ‐433 67 Branches met or exceeded their 2013 threshold    Total  +878  For 2014 we were very unfortunate to have lost 1,066 of our valued members through attrition across our Command and are included in the gains and losses mentioned above.  At the time of writing this report the 2015 Amended Early Bird figures were not available and as of February, 2015 we are 37,037 members strong.  This is down close to 3,000 members from the same time last year.   You have all read the 2014 Membership Year Wrap Up memo and seen the 5 year trend and while we show less of an overall loss than predicted over the last few years which is great news, this still behoves us to take a much harder look at these facts and examine what has been the driving force behind the successes and where we need put forth more effort in the preservation of our membership base and the sustainability of our programs.   What Programs have and will contribute to our successes?   Legion for Families ‐ an exciting recruiting and retention tool and many branches are 

already taking advantage of this opportunity.  This is critically important. Branches must find a way to begin holding family friendly events, to gain the interest of their friends with young families that may have hesitated in the past to join. We as a Command are making this a top priority for recruitment and community engagement. This issue will remain front and centre in every strategy going forward.  

  One‐By‐One Membership Recruitment Blitz ‐ This recruitment tool has been a shining 

star for BC Yukon Command during the past two years running. The good news is that Dominion Command will be doing this membership blitz again very soon for 2015 and we will get the word out to all branches as soon as we get the word.   Let’s put a 

challenge out to all branches to participate.  Can you imagine what a staggering difference it would make!   

   Membership Incentive Program ‐ This is your provincial recruitment and retention 

campaign and is open to all members.  It was a pleasure to be able to reward members, branches and zones for all the hard work it takes in the recruitment and retention of members.  The results for this year’s program will be available after the March 31st deadline and we are looking forward to seeing how much it has grown. 

  First Responders Appreciation Months – This event continues to be a success and with 

the with the change in the Liquor regulations and our Legion for Families this could even be a bigger draw for those folks considering to become a member of the Legion.  A thank you goes a long way and it is has been reported that a number have chosen to join our family after this experience.  

  Legion Week Events ‐ This annual event is proving to be an excellent recruitment tool.  

The promotional material available at these events and the interaction of Branch members with the general public on what we do not only for our veterans and their families but in their own communities has put us in a win‐win situation.  We are seeing the recruitment of more members each year these events take place.  If your branch has not participated in Legion Week, you should get on board. We will award gaming grant money to branches with the best plans for an event (as long as their reporting is current. Preference will be given to branches who have their family liquor endorsement). 

 New Membership Initiatives to watch for!!  Dominion Command is currently working on new initiatives to increase the recruitment of members. These initiatives are in the planning stage and once finalized, I encourage all branches to use them.  To give you an idea of what we should see in the very near future, the following is a brief outline:  Meet the Veteran – making a presentation to graduating RCMP officers and offering 

them a year’s free membership.  Dominion will have to determine the potential cost of this initiative to see if it is financially feasible. 

Recruiting Campaign for Canada Day – a re‐branding of recruitment materials and package it up as a “recruitment kit” to be available through in the catalogue. 

 Some other ideas for membership recruitment Dominion Command is working on:  Re‐institute Trophy for Largest Percent Increase in Membership for any Provincial 

Command  Implementing Legion branches at College/University Campuses – there are a couple of 

branches that will pilot this initiative and report back to Dominion Command on their findings and possible expansion to Provincial Commands. 

Offer free 1‐Year Membership Card to Military Graduates of Basic Training – to help correct the perception that one can only join the Legion after he or she retires.  

Dominion will have to determine the potential cost of this initiative prior to implementation. 

 What do we need to focus on?  With every success story there are points that have to be looked at to ensure the end result remains a success.   Participation in all membership incentive initiatives – your participation has grown over 

the years and your continued participation will ensure our growth.  Willingness to entertain new ideas that meet member’s needs ‐ We must be very 

mindful moving forward to look at the demographics of those members that will take our organization into the future.  We must continually look at ways that will attract new members and find a blend of activities that meets the needs of all ages. 

Acceptance of new veterans into our organization – to even have to mention this is a shame, but it must be.  There should never be a situation when a veteran is not welcomed into our branches. 2015 is the year we will become the most welcoming and community engaged Command in the country! 

 Recently, as you are all aware, Dominion Command has had a number of issues with respect to membership reporting.  This has for the time being been resolved and Dominion Command would like to thank all branches for the patience and understanding.  Moving forward, Dominion Command knows that our existing system is very archaic and is actively looking at system suppliers that will meet our needs.  Change, for some is very difficult, yet I am confident that BC Yukon Command will embrace these changes and if asked would be willing to pilot any new processes.  We are very excited that Dominion command is starting work on a new national on line membership system that will make it easier for new members to join on line, complete membership renewals and remove the old paper system. BC Yukon Command is lined up to be the pilot for this new system because we have proven to be a leader in the modernization of Legion communications, social media and strategy.   There are a number of initiatives and suggestions on what will assist in getting your membership totals up and this Committee welcomes any new ideas that will help in the recruitment and retention of members.  Thank you all for your dedication and hard work and wish much success with your membership recruitment and retention.  Remembering......  MEMBERS ARE OUR BACKBONE, THEY ARE VALUED AND WE NEED THEM!!!!  Respectfully submitted Kathy Ensor, Chair  Committee Members: Marc Tremblay, Mary McMullan, Bev Mansell, Christine Ross and Sharon Paterson 

Foundation Report to PEC 

March 2015 

 

I am so pleased to submit this report regarding the performance and role of the Legion Foundation. We 

have grown as the well‐recognized giving arm of the branches and LA’s of this Command. We can see 

that thanks to the Foundation Board, the right decisions have been made, and members can be proud of 

your Foundation. I know this is a long memo, but we have so much to tell you!! 

In case you haven’t had a briefing on the Foundation in some time, or are new on your branch executive, 

here are some of the most important points to remember:  

The Legion Foundation is a registered charity and we can issue receipts for tax purposes to donors.  

The Foundation is where branches and LA’s can donate to key programs like Veterans Transition Program, BCIT Military Skills Conversion and others.  

o Branches also donate to your local causes, but we have this efficient way of supporting the mandate of the Legion through the Foundation’s larger program which benefits people in all communities.  

The Foundation also gives the public a way of donating directly to Legion cherished causes, which relieves some of the pressure on our members to do all the fundraising yourselves. For example, in 2014, the Foundation received $19,000 in donations from outside our organization.   

 

We are very proud of our CRA rating as a foundation for having low expenses for administration of 

donations. The BC Yukon Legion Foundation enjoys an exceptional performance level because it is so 

well supported by Legion branches and our fundraising powerhouses, the Ladies Auxiliary.  

Another benefit we have as a charity is our shared resources with Command. We are able to deliver 

incredible giving to needy areas with a rock bottom percentage for administration. Our administration 

fees on unrestricted general donations are 10%. Our administration on “earmarked” donations in trust 

for specific causes is 0%. The average range for charities is upward of 35%.  

The finances of the Foundation are audited externally just like Command’s books. Full audited financial 

statements for Foundation are provided to the board and Zone Commanders every year. Any member 

who would like to receive them by email is more than welcome to request them from the office.  

 

Make a Wish Gift from Spinoza Fund 

Our Foundation raises the profile of the Legion with the public. Just recently, we had to redeploy the 

money we had raised for Spinoza bears because the manufacturer stopped producing the bears. The 

Foundation board chose to send the donation to The Make a Wish foundation to help sick kids (which 

was the original intent of the money). We were able to present a giant cheque at a very splashy event 

that was covered by TV and radio. Your efforts to fundraise meant we were able to give a $57,000 

donation to make wishes come true for some very sick children.  

Foundation Programs 

 

BCIT Military Skills Conversion Program 

At the last Board meeting in October, the Foundation Directors elected to further fund the BCIT skills 

conversion program. In order to supplement Legion dollars going into the program, Command applied 

for a gaming grant. We are so pleased to say that out of this year’s commitment to BCIT Veterans’ 

program of $60,000 we are able to cover part of it with the BC Gaming grant we received in the amount 

of $35,000.  

Here is some great information about this program and how it works. We know this is unique in the 

country and once again, you can be very proud of your contributions to this important service to 

transitioning Military personnel: 

http://www.theprovince.com/touch/story.html?id=10682868 

We have since been informed that Human Resources and Development Canada is granting BCIT 

$800,000 to take the Military skills conversion program National. In a very familiar scenario to the 

Veterans’ Transition Network, the Legion funded this important program, and the Government has 

followed suit. The team who created the database for military careers and linked them with education 

qualifications will continue to serve BC, but now they are funded to do the same thing across Canada for 

two years.  

We will be working with them to see how we can partner with them to promote our organization.  

 

Trevor Greene ‐ Exoskeleton 

As you know, we have completed our fundraising for Trevor’s Exoskeleton. We have been following his 

progress and have some amazing news for you. Trevor has been working with a renowned Neurologist 

on his exoskeleton. They call it “Project Iron Soldier” because it is going to use some of the most modern 

technologies to create a brain interface for the machinery he will use to walk. This is space age stuff.  As 

with any new technology, it will likely be reviewed for its medical impact for Veterans by VAC. In the 

meantime, the Legion once again leads the way in funding some of the most important innovations for 

Veterans health. Remember back when PTSD and Trauma counseling weren’t on the radar of the 

Government of the day? They are now, and BC Yukon Legion has been at the forefront of it by funding 

VTP for over 10 years. 

In March we will be working with Trevor and Dr. D’Arcy to move the exoskeleton forward. I have spent 

quite a bit of time with Dr. D’Arcy to learn how they are building this system to help Trevor’s brain 

control the motors. One of the delays has been become of Trevor’s height. He is 6 foot  4 which 

presented a problem in engineering the device to remain stable when scaled up that much.  

When this is done, we will also bring it to VAC to have them evaluate the technology as beneficial to 

Veterans. I can see a time when people with serious injuries or mobility issues can get a brain connected 

exoskeleton through VAC. How is that for the space age? 

You might want to read this to get a sense of what the Legions of BC and Yukon are part of: 

http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/rewiring‐trevor‐greenes‐brain/ 

 

Veterans’ Transition Programs (Now called VTN) 

In 2014 VTN ran 4 programs for Veterans.  Normally the funds donated by Legions for programs would 

have only allowed for three programs, but because VAC now pays for some of its clients to go through 

the VTN, there was room to run a 4th program. Not all Veterans are funded by VAC, but the ones who 

are clients have their way paid.  

The VTN program has now successfully provided critical trauma counseling to over 500 Veterans in the 

years that the Legion has been involved. Your work to fund this important program has prevented 

suicides, mended families and healed hearts. It is one of the most important things this organization has 

done in decades, and it always amazes people when we tell the story. This is a proud moment.  

Now for the problem ‐ we have tapped out all our 2014 Poppy funds designated for VTN, and there is 

currently a list of 25 Veterans waiting for a program. Please consider making a motion to donate to VTN 

at your next meeting. This is such important work, and it is not one we want to have a waiting list for. 

Please make this program a high priority for giving this year, we now have more trained clinicians to 

deliver this critical assistance, we just need to fund the programs.  

This video is so well done and really shows the impact of the work we fund as an organization. Please 

watch it and share far and wide: 

http://www.legionbcyukon.ca/content/veterans‐transition‐programs (scroll down to the video on the 

web page) 

 

Kimberly Branch 

When the members of Kimberly branch voted to terminate their charter, they made decisions about 

their remaining assets. At the time they designated $36,000 to be held by Command for three years, in 

the event they would need funds to reconstitute. They have not, and we have been directed by their 

former membership to turn those funds over to Foundation for charitable purposes. It is always so sad 

to see a community lose its Legion branch, but we will ensure their directives are followed so good 

things can come of their generous donation.  

 

Service Dogs for PTSD 

This is an interesting area. Everybody agrees that Service Dogs help traumatized people, but that seems 

to be where the National discussion has its last point of agreement. Last year, branches donated to this 

program to get service dogs to Veterans. We had worked with a single supplier to ensure we could 

monitor the quality of training, accountability for funds, and satisfaction of the Veterans. We have since 

learned that the “dog training industry” is diverse and there are many trainers jumping into the fray. 

Since our initial round of the funding commitment is now done, we have reevaluated and are 

considering a more efficient direction. Your fundraising has paid for at least 7 dogs that are either in the 

hands of BC Veterans or will be. What we haven’t gotten is a report on who got dogs because of privacy 

issues. In future we will need to work around this because otherwise we won’t have true accountability 

for the funds from whoever is training them. This is a tricky area and we are working on it.  

There are two new conditions that we are responding to. One is that we believe a single “dog supplier” 

for lack of a better term is not the right way to go because the demand for help is too high, and we don’t 

want wait lists. The other change is that now Veterans Affairs is funding a study to validate that Service 

Dogs are beneficial to PTSD treatment. We believe that this interest by VAC and the anticipated national 

training standards for service dogs will make for a higher quality system for Vets who need it. We see 

the value of supporting national standards because we are starting to understand how complicated this 

“industry” can be.  Just because people say they can train a dog to help with PTSD doesn’t mean they 

can actually do it. There are now many of those types of organizations asking us for money.  

The most important part of this is that the Legion and Veterans affairs are pushing for a common 

training standard for these dogs. There is quite a bit to tell you about all this, but the main piece is that 

we are speaking with BC based training organizations who are aiming for their training methods to pass 

what they anticipate the standards to be. We like working with organizations who deliver the best in 

service animals and who embrace high standards. This process is underway and we will report to you 

when we have a concrete update.   

 In the meantime, we continue to hold a fund for Service Dogs in anticipation of a great need and then 

we will match it up with quality and reliable training organizations.  

The Foundation continues to focus on the right projects and targeted donations to deliver the promise 

the Legion makes to communities.  

 

Fundraising 

 

Key Tag Mailing 

In the past the Legion Foundation partnered with TB Vets Keytags for a fundraising keytag mailing to 

Legion members. We shared expenses and revenue 50/50. In 2014 we changed the strategy and did a 

full key tag mailing without partnering with an outside entity. I am really pleased to say that in past 

years our overall fundraising total averaged $35,000 to $45,000 (after expenses). So far for this mailing, 

our tally after all expenses are paid is closer to $55,000. This will allow the Foundation Board to consider 

more significant donations for the grant applications they review in March.  

 

Toonies for Troops 

Did you know that the Legion Foundation owns the Toonies for Troops name? That means you can use 

that term in any fundraisers you like. It can’t be for something that isn’t for Veterans or their families, 

but other than that it is pretty open. If you need materials with Toonies for Troops logos or promotional 

stuff, contact our office.  

I know this was a big read, but once in a while we should take a good look at the state of the nation, so 

here you have all the major items in one report. I know our Foundation Board would be happy for 

constructive feedback or your ideas for fundraising. They have also been very clear that our major 

programs, as outlined in this memo, are the highest priority for this organization.  

 

Summary  

Branches have reported up to a 20% increase in their poppy funds for 2014. We have amazing provincial 

foundation programs for Veterans in this Command, please consider supporting them through a Poppy 

Fund SUE to your preferred program.  

Thank you to everybody involved in making the Legion and our Foundation a success. On behalf of the 

staff team here at Command office, we thank you for your great support and contributions.  

Respectfully submitted, 

Inga Kruse, Executive Director on behalf of Bob Brady, Foundation Chairman 

 

TVS BRANCH 44 REPORT PEC MEETING MARCH 2015 History of Branch 44 In 1925 after the First World War Branch 44 the Tuberculous Veterans’ Association was formed by a group of veterans recovering from tuberculosis. The TVA became the Tuberculous Veterans’ Section of the Royal Canadian Legion as decreed by the Dominion Convention held in Ottawa of the same year. It is because of this special section designation that we are forever decreed to have a place on both Dominion and BC/Yukon Commands. Branch 44 is the only Branch in BC to grant dual memberships and to draw members from the entire province and elsewhere. Branch Update: Our 2015 Executives are President Peter Merola, 1st Vice Barb Walter Venne, 2nd Vice Jane Anderson, Past President Jim Irvine, Treasurer/Finance Chair Jack Cruise, Catherine Schaff, Stephen Tresidder, Sharel Fraser, Larry Chow and Secretary/Manager Brenda Jacobs. We hosted a successful Pub Night and raised $3,400 and also hosted a Remembrance Day luncheon. Membership: 294 members at the end of 2014. Eight members passed away. Honours-Lapel Badges: 5 year – 7, 10 year – 10, 15 year – 7, 20 year – 4, 25 year – 3, 30 year – 5, 35 year – 2, 40 year – 1, 45 year – 1, 50 year – 2, 65 year – 2, 70 year – 1. Awards: 2 Ribbon Bars, 1 – 65 year and 1- 70 year, 2 Golden Anniversary Medals. Donations: $29,300 Scholarships: $10,000 Did you know? Our meetings are fun and well attended. There is always a nice selection of food to enjoy before and during the meeting that starts at 7:00pm. March was Irish Stew and Soda Bread with Green Beer after the meeting. There is a door prize of $20 awarded to a lucky member each month and an interesting guest speaker. The meeting is followed by bingo with cash prizes and usually ends by 9:00pm. Respectfully submitted, Lizz Lindsay TVS Rep to BC/Yukon Command

Royal Canadian Legion Vancouver TVS Branch 44 1410 Kootenay St Vancouver, BC V5K 4R1 Tel: 604.874.8510 Fax: 604.874.3033 Email: rcl44@shaw.ca Website: legiontvs44.com Visit us on Facebook

Executive Director’s Report to Provincial Council March 2015

This report will be brief as most of the major initiatives of this Command are being reported by Standing Committees and Officers. I will outline some of the items most critical to Command Office, staffing and operations generally. The primary goal of our small and feisty team is that we meet the needs of Legion branches on a consistent and efficient basis. It is interesting that we follow the exact model of the private sector companies who say that 20% of their clients cause 80% of their workload. This is absolutely true in our office as well. A small percentage of branches cause the heaviest loads in finance, branch advisory, poppy and complaints. They are dysfunctional and are draining resources from other branches. Our team invests a lot of time in follow up and management of these branches, and yet they are the most likely to question the value of having staff at all. Our strategy for this is to continue to be responsive and positive to all, but to ensure absolutely that the branches doing the right things and who are progressive are given all best efforts. Speaking of staff team, we may now be through the upheaval of 2014 where this organization was trying to cope with turnover in Branch Advisory, my illness, Laura’s injury adaptation and two maternity leaves. Turnover and absences are disruptive to productivity, and yet we have not received many complaints about branches feeling neglected. In the private sector an organization like ours would have a significantly larger team and professional territory managers to hand hold their locations (think banks and BCAA). The workload handled in this office is astronomical. We rely heavily on officers and Zone Commanders to help with the load, but we could be doing so much more. We react to crisis and we need to get to a point where we are preventing the problems. We will be working with the new executive to flesh out some strategies after convention. It will be another new day with lots of change, so let’s be ready to be uncomfortable again! We have been so appreciative to be able to hire a temporary contract administration assistant, from our “branch sustainability” initiative. Meaghan, manages almost all of the branch data for us. We have a new system that she maintains, which Jamie Morrison built, that allows us to use Excel to have all the key bits of information available instantly. Having all that data is only useful if we have it up to date, and can access it to help branches. I have attached a sample of a branch profile we now use. When a branch calls, we pull their master profile up to see where they stand on any operational item, like financial reporting, survey completion, bylaws, and others. Our on line surveys can be converted into useful data and loaded into our profile system in minutes. Pretty slick I must say. We are working to get branches used to submitting their reporting on time and accurately. It has taken a few years, but now they are really quite good about survey completion. Meaghan contacts

and calls every branch that is later with any reporting. In a year of that, the branches will become more aware of their reporting requirements. It is probably no surprise to anybody that the ramp up to convention is a very busy time. We have however been very careful to plan every aspect as carefully as possible, and have had amazing support from a great team of Legion folks who are helping with so many things. We have LA support for raffles and fundraising, local branch support for the parade, and also from Val and Sharon to make sure we don’t miss anything critical. I am hoping that people understand that there will be issues since we are doing this in such a new way. The good news is that we have had amazing feedback on the new format from branches and delegates. In my experience, if they get there happy, they are more likely to stay that way. This year and late last, Dominion has reinstated Command Secretary conference calls. I participate and we discuss issues that come into our purview. I find that other Commands, although sharing our mandate and the basics, seem concerned with very different items. There is less commonality than one would think. I continue to work with Angus to address Government issues. The latest is the hint that LCB has dropped that they might eliminate the “club” license entirely. This would be a massive issue for the Legion. We are working on a doomsday strategy in the event this is forced on us, but in the meantime we will meet with LCB and educate them on the impact of what they are considering. In closing I would like to acknowledge some important people. I would like to start with the Zone Commanders. The best of the best in this group have made the Legion a better place, and have certainly been a joy to work with. A number of you have stepped up and made massive strides in your own abilities and with the branches in your care. You have supported and understood what needed to be achieved, and that is why this Command is light-years ahead of where it was. Now for the team at the office; I have been in the working world for 30 years and in all of that time, and over a variety of jobs, I have never worked with a finer group of people than the current Command Office team (including Tamara and Diana who are busy being moms at the moment). This group gets along, works incredibly hard and never says “but that is not my job”. There is a culture of “yes I can help” in this office, and I value it tremendously. I don’t think the people we serve realize what a demanding workplace this is because the staff is always patient and kind with members. They make it look easy and it is not. I would also like to express my deep gratitude for the quality of the Admin officer team of 2013-2015. You officers have worked so hard and moved mountains to get the Command moving forward. You have shed the mantle of resistance to change and take the leap every day. I can’t imagine that we could have done half of what we set out to without such amazing leaders. From all of us at Command, and most sincerely from me, thank you. Respectfully submitted, Inga

Branch name COMMAND Tracked Item Date StatusBranch number 999 Bylaws Updated 2/18/15 2/18/14Branch mailing address 17618 - 58 Ave Election Month 2/18/15 JunePlease provide your Branch street address. 17618 - 58 Ave Members 2/23/15 0Branch office phone number Note: please include area code for all phone and fax numbers 604-575-8840 2015.01 SOV Insurance 2/24/15 COMPLETEBranch other (bar) phone number 0 2015 Elected Officers 2/24/15 COMPLETEBranch fax number 604-575-8820 2014.12 Property Tax 2/24/15 COMPLETEBranch email address info@legionbcyukon.ca Not in use -Branch website address legionbcyukon.ca Not in use -Branch facebook page address https://www.facebook.com/LegionBCYukon Not in use -Other Branch social media (if applicable). https://twitter.com/LegionBCYukon Not in use -Please list your Branch hours and days of operation. M-F Not in use -Manager Not in use -Branch Manager (Paid Position) Inga Kruse Not in use -Branch Manager Home Address 123 Main St, Langley, BC 2013-14 Poppy Report YBranch Manager Primary Phone Number 604-996-0910Branch Manager Email Address inga.kruse@legionbcyukon.ca All info received? YPresident Proforma YPresident name Angus Stanfield Extension granted to: YPresident home address Sooke, BC Bank Rec. Dec 31 YPresident primary phone number Note: please include area code 0 Bank Statement YPresident email address angus.stanfield@legionbcyukon.ca T-4's &Summary YVice President T-4 - G/L Reconciliation YVice President name Marc Tremblay Trial Balance YVice President home address Armstrong, BC Capital Asset Schedule YVice President primary phone number Note: please include area code 0 Breakopen Ticket Sched. YVice President email address marc.tremblay@legionbcyukon.ca Licensed Premises P&L YSecretary Balance Sheet YSecretary name 0 Income Stmt YSecretary home address 0 Fin.Statements - Poppy YSecretary primary phone number Note: please include area code 0 Fin.Statements - Gaming YSecretary email address 0 General Donations List YService Officer Gaming Donations List YService Officer name Joseph WaughService Officer home address Surrey, BCService Officer primary phone number Note: please include area code 604-555-0123Service Officer email address joseph.waugh@legionbcyukon.caPoppy ChairPoppy Chair name Joanne HendersonPoppy Chair home address Surrey, BCPoppy Chair primary phone number Note: please include area code 604-555-0199Poppy Chair email address joanne.henderson@legionbcyukon.caMembership ChairMembership Chair name Kathy EnsorMembership Chair home address 0Membership Chair primary phone number Note: please include area code 250-555-0176Membership Chair email address kathy.ensor@legionbcyukon.caTreasurer/Finance Chair Treasurer/Finance Chair name Glenn HodgeTreasurer/Finance Chair home address Trail, BCTreasurer/Finance Chair primary phone number Note: please include area code 250-555-0118Treasurer/Finance Chair email address glenn.hodge@legionbcyukon.caMilitary Service Recognition Book Contact Military Service Recognition Book Contact name 0Military Service Recognition Book Contact home address 0Military Service Recognition Book Contact primary phone number Note: please include area code 0Military Service Recognition Book Contact email address 0All other elected and appointed executive members – please provide names, phone numbers, home address and emails

Penny Pansal, penny.pansal@legionbcyukon.ca

2013 Financials

Member Benefits Committee Report to PEC March 2015 

  Things are slow during the winter break, so not much has happened for this report. I will again be asking the office to send a letter to our current partners and seek information on the usage of  them  by  our members  and  if  there  are  any  changes  that  they would  like  to make. We received feedback from some of them, last spring, but did not hear from them all, so would like further comments and recommendations from them. 

 There are more potential partners that need further investigation, but unless the membership uses them, the time and effort put upon the committee to pursue them seems pointless.   Several  small businesses offer discounts and promotions  to Branches within  their Zones, and some  of  these  have  been  brought  forward  to  the  Committee. However, we  feel  that  these should  be  kept  for  those  already  using  them.  They  should  NOT  be  expanded  to  all,  in  the Province, as this could and likely would jeopardize relationships with existing Branches.  

 A true partner should extend benefits to the provincial membership and not just the few in the Zone, home to that particular partner. Therefore we have been selective  in our acceptance of partners.  The Member Benefit Committee would  like  extend  appreciation  to  the BC/Yukon Command team, Laura Rallis, Irene Hannon, Penny Pansal for their support and assistance.  Respectfully submitted, Laurie Meadows, Chair  Committee Members: Erik Steinson  

Constitution and Laws Committee Report to PEC March 2015 

 

This committee has kept busy since the October PEC meeting.  Here are some of the items the 

committee has been involved with to date; 

Processing branch, LA and zone bylaws/regulation amendments 

Branch visits where Branch Advisory and C & L decisions are required 

Providing interpretation on all levels of our organization’s policies and bylaws 

Complaints and appeals processing and interpretation 

General review of current policies bylaws to ensure they are still relevant 

Due to personal reasons, Chairman Marc Tremblay had to step back from his Chairman position 

and  I was asked by our President  to  take over as Acting Chairman until  further notice.   Marc 

was doing an outstanding job as Committee Chair and I want to thank him for all his hard work 

and wish him all the best.   

I must take this opportunity to thank the members of this committee who have been attentive 

to detail and intuitive with suggestions and a benefit to this command. 

The Pro  Forma bylaws/regulations  are being  reviewed  and will have  changes made  to  them 

once all the recommendations have been considered. 

There have been a number of branch, zone and LA bylaw/regulations reviewed and overall the 

submissions  for  review are  very well done.    Since  last  reporting  the  committee has  finalized 

approximately 33 new “master” by‐laws, and there are currently approximately 20 submissions 

in  various  stages  of  amendments  on  the  go.    Branches  are  better  understanding  the 

requirements of how submissions are to be made, and when  in doubt, contact  is being made 

with  the  command  office  to  ask  before  sending  in  incomplete  submissions.    Some  were 

returned with minor  recommendations  that were  in  conflict with  the  current pro  forma but 

with branches  for  the most part  following  the pro  forma,  the  submissions are mostly  in  line 

with  the  current  policies.    The  reviews were  done  in  a  timely  fashion, with  the  committee 

members responding with suggestion and recommendations.  

Complaints  and  appeals  at  command  level  have  been  reviewed  to  ensure  they  are 

constitutionally dealt with and to ensure they comply completely with The General Bylaws.  We 

urge branches to contact the command office when they have questions about the handling of 

branch  level complaints.   Branches  run  the  risk of having complaints  thrown out or appealed 

when  not  processed  as  per  Article  III  – we  are  here  to  assist  branches with  their  technical 

questions. 

Respectfully submitted, 

Jim Diack, Acting Chair 

Committee Members: Marc Tremblay, Glenn Hodge, Irene Brown, Doug Misfeldt, Rick Lundin, Charlotte Cederholm, and Yvan Theriault. 

Poppy Operations Report to PEC 

March 2015 

 

 

The annual Poppy Campaign is one of the most important functions of our organization, locally, 

provincially and nationally.   The collection and use of these public trust funds must be handled 

in the strict accordance with our By‐Laws.   Over the years we have seen incredible help given 

to not only those who qualify for assistance but also to    the communities we serve from the 

generosity of the Poppy funds raised. 

 

Like last year we will be placing a great deal of focus once again on this year’s Poppy Operations 

by increasing our monitoring and ensuring accountability for the money our organization holds 

in trust for the people of our communities. 

 

We know that attendance at most of the Remembrance Day Services around our Command is 

increasing each year as what we do with the funds that they have so graciously given to us in 

trust becomes public knowledge.   As the television brings us news every day of what our active 

members of the Canadian Forces are doing around the world, people are becoming more aware 

of what the Poppy stands for and how we as an organization are helping out with not only our 

service men and women both at home and abroad but also within the communities that they 

are from.   This past Remembrance Day was even more heart felt by every Canadian as just 

prior to that day we lost two serving members on Canadian soil through the acts of terrorism.  

Lest We Forget.     

 

 

Special Use Expenditures: 

 

Special Use Expenditures as we all know are a way of putting the much needed funds into our 

communities in the areas that often need it the most.   In the first half of this Poppy Year of 

2014/2015 this Command has seen to date 235 Special Use Expenditures approved for a total 

of $553,106.58 (at the time of finalizing this report). 

 

The breakdown is listed below: 

 

  Housing Accommodations      1105    $  27,237.80 

  Medical Training/Research & Equipment  1106a    $177,326.95 

  Drop‐In Centre’s & Meals on Wheels   1106b    $  25,750.00 

  Transportation        1106d    $  24,721.08 

  RCEL            1107    $    6,000.00 

Maintenance of our Monuments    1108    $    3,319.58 

  Cadet Corps          1109    $106,695.45 

  Meals for Veterans        1110    $  34,876.66 

  Lifting devices & Handicap Washrooms  1113    $  30,899.06 

  Veterans Transition Program      1116    $103,990,00 

              BCITMSCP          1116    $    3,000.00 

Service Dog Program        1117    $    9,290.00 

 

  TOTAL TO DATE            $553,106.58   

 

The total number of SUE’s submitted and approved is down by 20 from last year and the total 

dollars given is less than last year by $26,840.81.  This easily could be due just to timing and will 

most likely be made up in the 2nd half of the Poppy year.   

 

 

CHANGES TO THE SPECIAL USE EXPENDITURE SECTION (Effective the 1st October 2014): 

 

Section 1110 has had a significant change by way of a motion being passed at the last Dominion 

Convention in 2014.  Where only the meal for the Veteran was eligible in past, it is now for the 

veteran and their spouse as well as the widow/widower of a veteran and if needed their 

caregiver.   So where the cost of one was covered before, now four can be covered for the meal 

only no entertainment or alcoholic beverages are to be included in the cost.    

 

Section 1116 is for our Veterans Transition Program, our BCITMSC Program.   This section used 

to operate on the rule which required the calculation to be based on 50% of the balance as at 

the previous year’s 30 September balance.    This changed at the 2014 Dominion Convention by 

way of a resolution.   This section now operates off of the off of the current balance and is 

eligible to a maximum of 25% of that balance. 

 

Section 1117 is a new section entirely and is for the Service Dog Program for our Veterans who 

need this.   This section operates off of the previous year’s balance as at 30th of September and 

may not exceed 25% of that balance. 

  

 

Admin Approval of SUE’s over the $5,000.00 amount: 

 

It is the entire Admin Committee that approves Special Use Expenditures over $5,000.00. 

Branch  Amount  Date  Section  Description 10  $9,271.14   12/10/2014  1113 Install handicap doors and switches at Branch

21  $6,000.00   12/10/2014  1113Maintenance of Lift device and Emergency line at Branch

24  $11,088.00   12/23/2014      1106aICU for a Blood Gas Analyzer for East Kootenay Hospital

91 (WSPF) 

$7,000.00  2/3/2015  1116 Veterans Transition Program (Legion Foundation) 

118  $15,000.00   2/3/2015  1116 Veterans Transition Program (Legion Foundation)

141  $5,666.83   1/13/2015      1106a Broda Geri Chair and 2 Oxygen Con. at Rotary Manor

229  $6,000.00   2/5/2015  1105 Maintenance at Kinsman Lodge 229  $6,000.00   2/5/2015  1105 Maintenance at Amos Ferguson Manor 229  $6,000.00   2/5/2015      1106a Equipment for Brock Fahrni 

229  $6,000.00   2/5/2015      1106a Equipment for George Derby Centre 229  $10,000.00   2/5/2015  1109 2822  Army Cadet Corp

229  $10,000.00   2/5/2015  1109 767 Dearman Squadron Cadets 998  $19,300.00   3/11/2015      1106a Safety Mats and Over Bed Tables at Brock Fahrni 

998  $65,000.00   3/11/2015  1116 Veterans Transition Program (Legion Foundation)

 

Branch Reporting: 

 

The following Branches have not yet submitted their Annual Branch Poppy Fund Statement for 

the Poppy Year ending 30 September 2014.  They are as follows (at the time of writing this 

report): 

 

Pouce Coupe Branch 34 – Unattached 

Fort St John Branch 102 – Unattached   

Blue River Branch 213 ‐ Nicola‐Thompson Zone 

Queen Charlotte Branch 220 – North Western Zone 

Masset Branch 244 – North Western Zone 

Kitimat Branch 250 – North Western Zone 

Oyama Branch 189 – North Okanagan Zone   

 

These seven Branches have been contacted and are working on them at this time.  Many of 

these Branches had not responded in previous years as well by this time and are chronic issues.  

Please remember these reports are due in by 31 October of each year. 

 

The following three Branches have submitted their Annual Branch Poppy Fund Statement for 

the Poppy year ending at 30 September 2014 but these Branches have some problems with 

their reports.    We are working on them at this time and they are as follows (at the time of 

writing this report): 

 

Abbotsford Branch 15 – Fraser Valley Zone 

Sooke Branch 54 – South Vancouver Island Zone 

Pleasant Valley Branch 249, North Western Zone 

We expect these three Branch submissions will be finalized shortly.    

 

We are going to be specifically looking at auditing branches where we think there might be 

issues, as well as doing some random audits to ensure quality accountability for branch poppy 

funds and their financial reporting.  

 

It is my role as Poppy Fund Coordinator to work closely with Branches to ensure that they get 

their poppy reporting and use of these funds right.  The Poppy Year ending 30 September 2014 

reporting responses is slightly less than the prior year that had been the one of the best ever.    

 

At this time I would like to thank all the Branches that have worked so hard to have successful 

campaigns.    The Poppy and what it stands for is the very foundation with which the Legion 

itself exists.    Keep working hard to maintain that. 

 

Poppy Workshops: 

 

The Poppy Workshop Notes will be distributed once again electronically to both the Branches 

and to the Zone Commanders.  If anyone has trouble downloading them please just contact me 

and I will send a copy out through the mail to you.    I am sure you all know the importance of 

the Poppy workshops that are given at Zone.   Please remember, not just new Legion members 

need to learn, older members need the refresher course as well.     Please ensure that training 

occurs all year long and not just days before the campaign may start.    We as Legion members 

know the importance of the Poppy, but as we move forward we need to educated the public 

not only about the Poppy, but why we hold it so high, after all it is the most revered symbol in 

Canada, not just by the Legion, but by every citizen of our country. 

 

With the emphasis on complete accountability of these funds we hold in trust for our 

communities we will be conducting more audits of Poppy Funds than ever before.   I know that 

we, as an organization steeped in honour are all up to the task of protecting these funds that 

are left in our trust. 

 

Respectfully Submitted, 

Joanne Henderson, Poppy Fund Coordinator 

 

Branch Advisory Standing Committee Report to PEC March 2015 

  It has been some time since our Committee reported on the state of our work in this command. I am so pleased with the overall trends we are seeing with branches. We don’t have a specific analysis, but we are able to demonstrate the incredible progress being made in the operational health of the vast number of branches.  In certain pockets, everything we use to measure the trends, from membership recruitment, on time reporting to Command, to financial results and stability are on the upswing.   At Branch Advisory we sometimes get discouraged because we deal with the 10% of branches that are in crisis, and we are immersed in those issues. Writing this allows me to lift up my head and look at the bigger picture, which is actually quite positive.   There are currently  twenty‐two branches  in  the care of Branch Advisory. They  fall  into  these categories:  

Six in Full Trusteeships 

Six under Probationary Management, with varying degrees of intervention. 

Ten flagged for assistance and review. 

Fifteen have been removed from oversight during the past six months.  What  does  all  this  mean?  It  indicates  that  branches  that  are  struggling  are  being  given assistance, direction and a boost to operate independently in the future. Sometimes in spite of our best efforts,  things don’t work out and  sometimes  they are a great  success. Twenty‐two branches, sounds like a lot ‐ it isn’t. It is about one branch per Zone on average, and means that 130 or so branches are ticking along relatively nicely.  Here is a partial list of some of our larger projects:  

Branch 40 Penticton – this Branch has been under near constant trusteeship for almost two years. They continue to struggle with everything from the  local rental market to a lack of revenue, to theft. This branch  is still very much on  the razor’s edge, and has a huge  building  for  the  number  of  people who  frequent  it.  This  is  not  an  uncommon situation  in  the  Legion nationally, but we are working with  the  local  folks  to  find  the right conclusion. 

Branch  16  South Vancouver  –  the  Branch was  closed  in  2013  due  to  a  lawsuit  filed against  it. The members had 18 months to reconstitute and have chosen not to do so. Their  remaining  assets were  used  to  settle  debts  and  have  been  held  in  trust.  Any remaining  will  cede  to  the  Branch  Sustainability  Fund,  and  be  used  to  assist  other struggling branches. 

Branch 48 Collingwood –  this Branch  is currently without a  location, but members of the  former  Executive  were  given  15  months  to  present  a  business  plan,  and  have recently  received  an  extension. Command BA  reps  are working with  them  to  build  a sustainable Business plan and to secure a location.  

Branch 268 Fort St.  James – after  two years without any sort of  reporting, Command issued  a  list  of  requirements  to  the  Branch  upon  learning  that  the  Branch was  not following  liquor  control  procedures.  Rather  than  bring  the  Branch  in  line,  the  few remaining Executive members resigned. We have put the Branch under trusteeship and closed it. We are working with BA Rep. John Scott, Al Turner, and their team to assess if there is any possibility left for this heavily indebted branch.  

Branch 172 Esquimalt – this Branch has been involved in a redevelopment project that has encountered many barriers along the way. The Branch continues to work with the local municipality  and  developers  to  bring  their  development  to  conclusion. No  firm date has been projected.  

Branch  53  Cowichan  (Duncan)  –  this  Branch  voluntarily  closed  its  doors,  but  BA  has assigned a Trustee to work with the small but enthusiastic remaining executive to  look at a business plan to reconstitute the Branch. The area simply has too many Veterans to be without a Branch. We are looking at this as a potential for a new model Branch, and will report as we move forward.  

Branch 21 Langley – has now completed its move to lease back the building and occupy a  smaller  space.  It  is  now  a matter  of  getting members  to  come  in  and  keep  their operations profitable. It has been an uphill battle, and we continue to work very closely with this group.  

We are so pleased with the progress being made by Branches 148 North Burnaby and 119 Port Moody, on  their  redevelopment projects. Both of  these are well underway. Their new Branches will present a new and modern look, somewhat like South Burnaby 83 and Maple Ridge 88 do with their clean bright lounges and housing.  

Branch  133  Port  Coquitlam  has  successfully  removed  itself  from  a  lackluster arrangement with  the management  company  at  their R.J. Kent Residence.  They have located a new provider and are hopeful that this contract will better suit the needs of their residents and the Branch. 

Branch  7 Britannia  –  the  new  President  and  his  executive  inherited  a  laundry  list  of issues and unknown debts, forcing them to terminate their Secretary‐Manager and cash in a number of GICs early. We are doing all we can to help the new Branch executive.  

 So what is it that we can use as an indicator of health or problems with 150 locations?  One of the key changes we have made at  the Command  level  is  to put a much clearer emphasis on reporting  from  Branches.  This  has  been  an  area  where  the  traditional  culture  of  the organization was to assume and accept that a certain number of Branches would not report or respond. We  now  know  that  this  leaves  us without  a  clear  view  of  the  operations  of  the Command. We  have  redoubled  our  efforts  to  follow  up  on  critical  reporting;  your  Branches should expect to hear from Command when reporting and surveys are not completed by their respective due dates. It crosses beyond Branch Advisory but if a Branch doesn’t report on one 

thing,  it  likely  isn’t  compliant on  other  things,  and may be  an  early warning  sign. Reporting follow up forms part of the Executive Director report.   I can think of a dozen Branches who are reporting good results  in many areas. We have more Branches than ever who are financially stable and tick along nicely. There are even more who are showing positive early results this quarter and are making excellent plans for 2015. There is a  list of  struggling, or unresponsive branches,  as  always, but  there  are  fewer of  them  these days. Many have flown under the radar in the past, but this will no longer be acceptable.   To  be  frank, many  locations  have  had  incredibly  poor  leadership,  and  new  Executives  are putting in herculean efforts to clean up the situations. Branch Advisory does our best to support these efforts with the dedicated volunteers who are moving mountains.   A couple of other points:  

We  have  had  questions  from  branches who  have  received  New  Horizons  and  other grants.  They wonder why  they must  submit  their  renovation  plans  and  budgets  for approval when they are using grant money? I have discussed this with the other officers, and we have agreed  to  look at  this  issue and see what we can do. Essentially, we are trying to strike a balance between ensuring branches don’t over extend themselves, and give good advice. However, we always look for ways to remove unnecessary barriers to Branch progress, so this is being reviewed. 

We are hearing anecdotally  from branches  that  they are  seeing  improvement  in  their revenues, after they have embraced suggestions for events and who have changed their liquor  license to  include family events. I cannot emphasize this enough. Branches must do this and not allow a few vocal members to hold them back. We must assume our role as community centers for families and important social charities.  

 As Chair of Branch Advisory for the past two years, I can honestly say I have seen such spirit of survival when others would say our Branches are dying. In the next year, I know we may lose a few more before we reach a new level of stability, but I think moving forward, we will go back to a  state of growth.   I wish  I  could  tell  the  stories of our hero Branches;  there are many!  I would hate to risk commending a group of Branches who have come back from the brink and then miss  others.  I would  also  like  to  thank  the  Branches who  are  thriving,  and  follow  the bylaws, the liquor regulations and responsibly run their operations. You are the benchmark to which we set our standards. Many other Branches are striving to be you, so thank you.   Having  said  this, we  can do more. There are Branches  that are  struggling  to  survive, despite doing everything  the  right way, everything we  ask of  them. Branches need  to  find  a way  to attract new members – younger members, families, new Veterans, younger RCMP, Firefighters and First Responders. On top of that, the experience in our branches needs to be improved to keep  these people coming back – not out of a sense of obligation, but because  it’s  the place they want to spend their time.   

As a Committee, as a PEC, and as a Command, we must look ahead; we must envision what the Legion will  look  like  in British Columbia and the Yukon  in five, ten, fifteen, twenty years’ time. We must  not  just  accept  that  changes  are  coming,  but  rather  foster  and  encourage  those changes. We must  look  for  new  business models,  and  not  allow  ourselves  to  be  tied  to  a lounge‐and‐hall model in all markets. We should re‐emphasize the service aspect of the Legion in the same way that the Rotary or Lions do; we must market ourselves as more than a beer hall if we are to connect with the communities that we serve. But this will take more resources. If the  Legion  in BC/Yukon  is  to become  a proactive  ‐  rather  than  a  reactive – organization,  an example to the rest of the country, we must invest in an efficient infrastructure, effective staff, and training of Branches, to get out ahead of the curve.  This year we are working to get the “grump” out of the Legion, and get the people coming back in. Thank you for doing your part.   Much of the work we do is done by our highly skilled Branch Advisory Representatives and our Zone Commanders.   On behalf of  the entire Branch Advisory  team  I would  like  to  thank  the volunteers who work tirelessly to offer support to our Branches who are in need.   As  always  I  would  like  to  recognize  our  Command  Staff  and  to  commend  them  on  their diligence and professional approach to serving branches. They manage an  incredible workload under intense scrutiny and deadlines. Not for the faint of heart. As a member of the leadership team in this Command, I cannot stress enough how much we appreciate the quality of our staff team.   Respectfully Submitted,  Valerie MacGregor, Chair  Committee Members:   Irene Brown; Jerry Couling; Ed Findlater; Paul Howard; Dennis Jackson; Karen Kuzek; Lizz Lindsay; Janet Mitchell; Jim Phillipson; Walter Poustie; Al Ridgway; John Scott; Richard Vandekamp. 

Ad Hoc:  Glenn Hodge, Command Treasurer 

  

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Executive Summary The program is now almost through the fourth year. Building this program across BC Yukon Command has resulted in extensive benefits to branches such as:

• Prior to 2011 – Legion branches paid substantially higher rates for their policies when insured individually.

• Most branches were lacking in sufficient Liquor Liability coverage. • Many branches were not insured for key areas such as, Directors and Officers Liability

Insurance, Business Interruption and Crime Insurance • Many branches were substantially underinsured. • Since purchasing insurance as a large group, your organization has been able to

negotiate premiums well below standard premiums.

Since inception of the program on June 1st 2011 the total premium paid to AXA/Intact is $2,753,883. Claims for the same period (paid and outstanding) total $901,615 This means your program has a loss ratio of 32.74%. The loss ratio is expected to increase through the remaining two months of the present policy period due to new claims, loss development and increases in reserves. However, this is a good result for a program that is relatively new.

With positive results to date, Intact is keen to renew the program.

The program has achieved the dual goal of reducing costs to the branches and ensuring every branch is adequately insured. The key to future

success will be in maintaining full participation in the program and continued positive results.

As this program has over 150 locations it is administratively complex and that is a part of the cost that branches pay in their premiums. The main reason for high cost of managing the program is the premium payment system. The interest free monthly deductions are an important benefit to the branches but the payment plan prohibits streamlining the program in ways that would make it simpler to run. In an ideal world we would issue one policy

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Premium Claims

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

combining all branches together in one document with a single premium that is then calculated out for each branch.

Other costs incurred by Intact include the inspection and appraisal service and the associated geographic spread of the branches, claims settlement costs and the 1-800 number service.

The new underwriting team appointed last year has taken considerable strides in streamlining the program - as much as possible, and has shown a keen willingness to make improvements when requested.

If there is a significant deterioration in the loss record, Intact can be expected to study the overall cost and profitability of the program. It is therefore important to analyze claims activity in detail with an aim to identifying areas of focus and potential risk management needs.

Claims in four years:

Four year losses by coverage type: Intact will review claims v/s premium by line of insurance. This includes Property, CGL, D&O, Crime and Machinery Breakdown.

Property losses include claims for water damage, crime, vandalism, windstorm and fire. The crime section covers claims for employee theft and loss of money from the premises. When crime policy claims are lumped together with

property crime losses we can see the branches are vulnerable to crime claims and possibly seen as an easy target. Claims analysis helps us to see where risk management focus is required to improve performance and profitability. However the program is vulnerable to shock losses on both the property coverage in the event of a fire loss and General Liability in the event of liquor liability losses. Continued risk management is essential.

B&M $2,526.00

CGL $78,664.62

Crime $73,599.60

D&O $53,004.32

Property $693,820.54

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Premiums Premium growth over the four year program life has been predominantly due to the addition of new branches each year. To a lesser extent, additional premium has been gained through increased property values but this is minimal. With all branches now in the program, except for three very small branches as discussed below, there is little likelihood of any significant growth. As the remaining branches are inspected, a small premium increase may be required through increases in property values. In a market where commercial premiums have been increasing especially on property coverage, your program has weathered well with no rate increases during the past for four years. This is one of the main advantages of being part of a large group program.

Premiums in four years:

Property 511,399.00

Boiler & Machinery 22,133.00

General Liability 198,137.00

Crime, 9,572.00 D&O 77,515.00

Excess Liability 22,326.00

AD&D 44,256.00

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Split of current year premium by coverage type: It is typical for insurance program profitability to slide when total premiums top out and claims develop from the additional premium that has been added. We should remain mindful of this and carefully monitor any deterioration in the loss ratio as the only fix will be increased premiums.

Property coverage is approximately 50% of the total premium and 75% of all claims.

Annual premiums by coverage type:

Coverage 2011 2012 2013 2014

Property 253,871.00 415,705.00 421,059.00 443,212.00 Boiler & Machinery 12,025.00 19,690.00 19,943.00 22,133.00 General Liability 106,692.00 174,704.00 176,954.00 198,137.00 Crime 14,338.00 23,479.00 23,781.00 9,572.00 D&O 33,133.00 53,298.00 73,076.00 77,515.00 Excess Liability 15,192.00 21,294.00 19,993.00 22,326.00 AD&D 12,048.00 45,317.00 43,914.00 44,256.00 Subscription Property 19,608.00 35,076.00 58,695.00 68,187.00 Total 466,907.00 788,563.00 837,415.00 885,338.00

Branches Not Bound Three small branches have not been provided with a quote, which are Branch 84 Gulf Islands, Branch 1 Dawson City and Queen Charlotte.

We have obtained agreement from Intact to add coverage for the Dawson City branch. The premium on the current policy is $480 and the coverage expires in September. Intact has agreed to add this branch for a premium of $400. It will is best to wait until June 1, 2015 before adding (if the branch agrees) as the existing policy will need to be cancelled since there is a minimum retained premium on the policy.

Queen Charlotte and Gulf Islands locations have not responded to numerous requests.

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Claims Analysis The program has a good loss ratio, however, there are two significant points worth noting:

1. There has been surprisingly few liability incidents. One must expect the record is not typical for a schedule with 151 locations. An increased frequency in future should be expected due to the nature of the risk. Snow and weather conditions in certain areas, older patrons and food and beverage risks and the general climate for slip and fall losses suggest we have been lucky to date. Although the liability premium has been successfully negotiated to its lowest possible level, there is not enough premiums to cover an expected larger claim such as a major liquor loss. Legion will be asked to consider this at renewal.

2. The vast majority of claims are property losses and water damage is the major cause of those claims. The property loss ratio is increasing. Low rates, the prevalence of frame construction and the risk locations make it a difficult risk to underwrite. The premium for this coverage for the entire program is only $443,212 so even a relatively small fire loss will have a major impact.

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Property Claims

The Property Insurance section accounts for 51.5% of the total four year premium and 76.95% of the dollar value of all claims. The property loss ratio is 45.23% but as mentioned before this is likely to increase as the remainder of the year runs off.

Breakdown of property claims by type of loss:

The majority of claims continue to be water related losses followed by break and enter type losses. There has only been two fire losses and a smoke damage claim caused by a fire at an adjacent building.

Water related claims include claims for flood, sewer backup, burst pipes leakage and seepage.

Misc. 2%

Fire 4%

Vandalism 0%

Break in 9%

Windstorm 1%

Sewer Backup 11%

Flood 21%

Water Damage 52%

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Water Related Claims The chart shows a trend that should be monitored.

The frequency and severity of losses is increasing. During the first ten months of the current term there have been 8 claims the same number as the prior year.

Some new losses have been tentatively reserved and open claims may increase.

Trends on water related claims:

2011 2012 2013 2014Number of losses 1 5 8 8Cost of Claims 82,285 51,226 284,699 168,297

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Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Rating Analysis

Property

Insured property values are $213,889,572. The average rate is now .207%, which is exceptionally competitive considering the COPE (construction, occupancy protection and exposure) details. Frame construction, higher town grades, earthquake exposure in the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island are all factors that impact rating. There are few markets would compete with these rates.

Liability

The average liability premium is $1,321 per location. This is very low considering the $5,000,000 limit and broad insurance coverage. The premium would be considered implausible by most insurers, especially those experienced in writing liquor liability risks. The break you are getting on the Liability Premium is based on the fact that your overall program performance is good and because you are collectively insured

The liability claims record is nothing short of spectacular. Major threats are liquor related claims, slip and fall and to a lesser extent food related claims. Good risk management is a key to maintaining the results. Major initiatives have been the inspection service and liquor liability seminars presented by Lorne Folick. It would not take too many minor slip and fall related claims to push the liability section quickly into a situation where the insurer would be looking for a rate increase.

Crime

The total crime premium is less than $10,000 and it is not sustainable at the current level. We are also reviewing coverage for improvements but it is unlikely that Intact will be able to improve coverage without increasing premiums. Options will probably need to be offered on an individual basis.

Machinery Breakdown

The average premium is less than $150. Again this level of rating is supported only because the program is doing well overall

D&O

This is one area of coverage where other markets may conceivably compete. At approximately $500 per location some markets may write program business for less. We are constantly working on ways to improve coverage and will look for concessions at renewal.

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Considerations for Remarketing the Program Our position remains unchanged from last year when we talked to a number of alternate insurers to gauge market appetite. Intact remains the best market for this program and we recommend strongly against marketing the program at renewal for the following reasons:

There is no other possible advantage except for a potential premium saving.

In any event there is no possibility of achieving a substantial premium saving. Maintaining premiums at the current level (or higher) is in the best of interest of the long-term sustainability of the program. While the loss record remains very good it would not take much in terms of losses for the program to become unprofitable, either as a whole or by coverage section.

In the past we commented on the advantages of the program through Intact. Little has changed.

Advantages of the Intact Program 1. Reserves being set up with the insurer

When an insurer has a program for a longer time, they are able to set up a reserve for a major claim that would be outside of the normal run of claims. A shock loss such as a large fire or liquor loss can be easily absorbed. A new market may not panic in the event of one large claim but if a frequency of losses is eroding the premium the addition of a large shock loss could be a problem.

2. Inspection and Appraisal

It is unlikely that we will find another market that will continue with the inspection services. Such a service would almost certainly have to be independently sourced and separate services for appraisal and risk inspections would be required. Appraisal services would not be inexpensive and cost for travel would have to be built in.

3. Packaging of coverage.

There is a limited market and some potential insurers could not package all the coverage in the way Intact have been able to do. This might mean we would need to separate the property, liability and D&O. There is a benefit to combining the coverage to help absorb the impact of claims. Some markets that could package the program may not offer the broad scope of coverage we have, good examples being D&O and Stated Amount co-insurance on the property.

4. 1-800 Number for Legal hotline.

Some D&O insurers will not offer this service.

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

5. Liability wording

The liability policy is amongst the broadest coverage available in the market and there is no “General Aggregate Limit “included in the policy. This means that a branch can have any number of claims in one policy year. For example if a branch had three liquor liability claims arising from separate incidents and each claim was settled for $5,000,0000 the insurer would pay the full $15,000,000. In addition to the per occurrence limit of $5,000,000 we have an extra $20,000 000 in excess coverage available.

6. Consistency

With three years behind them the underwriters are familiar with the program and know what to expect. A new market will take time to get accustomed to the nature and working style of the program

7. Payment Plan

Very few markets will offer the interest free monthly payment option

Disadvantages of the Intact Program A. Underwriting flexibility

This was an issue at the beginning but has improved tremendously during the last year with the new team in place. Intact from top level management down have shown a strong commitment to the program and they obliging with most of our requests. Flood and sewer backup

We had previously expected Intact to lead the market in taking a hard line subsequent to the Calgary floods. Intact appears to be consistent with the market in this regard.

B. Single policy

Separate policies and underwriting on a per branch basis. The program structure with individual policies is not preferable but as previously mentioned this is due to the payment plan and is unavoidable. If another insurer offered a payment plan we would almost certainly be in the same situation.

In any event a single policy solution is better suited to a compulsory program.

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

Premium Payment Options Premiums are collected as follows:

Direct Bill – All Branches except subscription policies

This involves a void cheque and signed agreement for the monthly deduction and a separate cheque payable to Axis for the down payment & premiums for coverages that are not part of the monthly payment plan.

Or

Payment in full payable to Intact instead of the monthly payment plan and separate cheque payable to Axis for coverages that are not part of the monthly payment plan.

Property Inspections and Valuations A number of locations have been inspected and there are others where the Intact representative has attempted to visit but have not been able to make contact. Attached are reports showing the locations that have been inspected with details of recommendations and building valuations.

Legal Hotline Usage Report Detailed usage information is not tracked and therefore remains unavailable. However we are informed that the service has been valuable and positive feedback has been received in the past. The service remains in force.

Small branch Package There are now only three small branches outside the program. Intact has agreed to write Dawson City. We do not think a separate package for small branches is required at this time.

Contentious/Friction Causing Issues With Intact

Lack of or late response from branches in completion of recommendations and processing increases when they are given changes to their coverage based on the valuation appraisals remains the only area where problems arise. Intact is now insisting accounts be converted to 90% coinsurance if values are not increased within 45 days to reflect the BVS report

Axis Insurance Managers – Report to PEC March 2015

With Branches

The area likely to cause the greatest problem with branches is the valuation appraisal increases the replacement value of the location, and to a lesser extent recommendations.

Renewal Process underway In preparation for renewal we have to date:

• Redesigned the Statement of values form (with command approval) and sent to all branches.

• Designed a renewal questionnaire send to all branches by Command through Survey Monkey.

To complete renewal we intend to accomplish the following items prior to May 31st 2015:

• Review Survey Monkey Statement of Values results and add to spreadsheet. • Follow up with respect to statement of values where needed. • Calculate branch by branch renewal premiums as per spread sheet and approval

from Intact. • Design renewal package with agreement from Command. • Send out renewal by May 31st 2015.

G:\Policy\Zero Tolerance Policy\Zero Tolerance Policy.docx

ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY

BACKGROUND The BC/Yukon Command Executive Council at the March 2002 meeting approved the implementation of a Zero Tolerance Policy. This policy applied to misappropriation of funds and/or Legion assets at each level of the organization within BC/Yukon Command. POLICY

Upon receipt of a written allegation concerning misappropriation of funds within a branch or zone the information shall immediately be brought to the attention of the Command President. When misappropriation of funds is alleged based on reasonable and probable grounds, the branch, zone or command will initiate a complaint against the member in accordance with Article III of The General By-Laws under Section 304.a.iii and 304.a.vi. In all formal hearings where a decision of “guilty” is established, PEC recommends that the Complaint Committee rendering the decision give serious consideration to a decision of expulsion as part of this command’s Zero Tolerance Policy. A decision of expulsion is the only way this organization can deny a member to hold membership in any branch which may reduce the risk of a member moving on to another branch in Canada. The branch or zone must notify local police authorities of the alleged theft. Upon investigation by the local police authorities if the evidence supports the charge the Crown may lay civil or criminal charges against the accused. Branches and zones must do their due diligence in providing documentation to the police so that a criminal file can be opened. PEC members and senior command staff*, at the beginning of their term/employment are required to complete a Criminal Record and Credit check. Criminal Record Review checks will be performed at the expense of command and through an established process and direction of command. *Senior Command staff defined as: Executive Director, Assistant Executive Director, Controller, Branch Advisory Coordinator and Bookkeeper.

Amended March 2015 Approved at March 2015 PEC